Burgess Owens: White Socialist Democrats Have Betrayed the Black Community

August 30, 2016

Writer

One of the most important voices today for the black community is former NFL Super Bowl champ Burgess Owens. His book, Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps is a must-read that tells the forgotten history of America's once thriving black community --- and why it's failing today. Owens joined The Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday for an enlightening discussion.

"We're about to have a fascinating conversation with a former NFL champion, a guy who is wearing a Super Bowl ring, which makes me happy because I believe the Super Bowl, I believe he beat the . . ." Glenn said.

"This is agonizing," Co-host Stu Burguiere replied.

". . . Philadelphia Eagles. Did he not, Stu?" Glenn asked.

"He has to sit on my couch?" Stu asked.

"Yeah, he has to sit on your couch. It's almost like somebody designed it that way, isn't it? It should be agonizing for Stu. It should be great for the rest of us," Glenn joked.

Petty rivalries aside, Glenn jumped in to the news of the day, asking Owens about his thoughts on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the National Anthem.

"Well, it speaks really, more so not just to that young man, but to our country today. You know, we're at a point where we now can see what's happening through our educational system or lack of education. We have young people who live in the freest country in the history of mankind, who can literally . . . I don't know if you've noticed yet, but we've had a black president for the last eight years," Owens pointed out.

"Really?" Stu asked jokingly.

"And this young man, I think, he just signed a $100 million contract," Owens said.

"So you don't relate to his oppression?" Glenn asked.

"The oppression, it sounds like a communist. It sounds like a socialist," Owens answered.

He then pointed out the real problem facing America today.

"When I talk about the crisis that we are at this point, it's not a black/white racial crisis. It's an ideology crisis. We're dealing with whether we're going to accept the idea of socialism and Marxism and atheism. Or go back to the American way, Judeo-Christian values, which meritocracy is part of it. The idea that content and character and talent are colorblind. And that's where we were trending as a nation," Owens stated.

Owens also discussed his upbringing and how, despite the challenges he faced as a young black man, he was raised with conservative values, love of country and to think critically. He saw firsthand how the free enterprise system allowed for American greatness and prosperity, pointing out that someone like Colin Kaepernick could be disconnected from that ideal.

"When you listen to his comments, it has no foundation of reasoning or context. He's hurt that his people are oppressed. And I think part of it and, again, coming as an athlete, I can remember the tendency of kind of becoming an elitist. Because you're doing things other people can't do. And you wonder, well, I'm here, but what about the rest of the folks? But it's not until you understand the free enterprise concept --- the country allows us, no matter who you are and what your background is, is to go out and dream and struggle and risk and try again --- that you understand that anybody can do it. So, to a degree, part of his problem is he's become so wealthy so quick, and the way he's done it, he has no relationship to really what it takes for him to make it work," Owens said.

In an effort to fully understand the implosion of the black community, Owens went on a quest to research and learn history. One organization he studied was the NAACP.

"A lot of people don't realize it was started not by blacks, but by 21 white socialist Marxists, atheists, race-control Democrats," Owens said.

According to Owens, during the era of Martin Luther King, Sr., the black community was made up of Christians, entrepreneurs, patriots, industrial blacks focused on education and success to prove themselves.

"That's why the community that I grew up in, 50 percent of Americans at the time I grew up were part of the middle class. We had the highest percentage of black men committed to marriage in the early '60s than any other race in our country. The highest percentage of entrepreneurs in our country. So in order to change that, they used stealth. And the attack came from people who really had an agenda. A lot of people don't realize this too. The first anti-lynching law in 1918 was put together by a Republican from Missouri. The person who fought against it was the first white president of the NAACP. He was a socialist, and he thought it was unconstitutional," Owens said.

Owens compared the founders of the NAACP to the current owners of Black Entertainment Television (BET), also white socialist liberals. BET was purchased about 15 years ago by Viacom for $33 billion.

"Ever since, it's been anti-white, anti-police, anti-American, anti-family, anti-woman liberal filth," Owens said.

Glenn also brought up Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, which has virtually been erased from history.

"Here's an African-American community chased out of the South. They go to Oklahoma. They build a city. It was more successful . . ." Glenn said.

"Millionaires everywhere," Owens added.

"Yeah, millionaires everywhere, and it was all black. They had, in this small town, three major banks. They had two or three movie theaters. I mean, it was a boomtown. And a majority owned their own cars when nobody had this. The Democrats and the Klan got a hold of it and burned it to the ground and killed I think 2,000 people. I mean, just slaughtered them, and erased it from history. Nobody knows it," Glenn said.

They also discussed the first female millionaire in America --- a black woman.

"Walker. C.J. Walker," Owens said.

"Erased from history," Glenn said.

Owens brought up a piece of his own family history and his great, great, great grandfather coming to America as an eight-year-old boy in the belly of a slave ship.

"He died as a property owner, patriarch of his family, built the first church and school up to seventh grade, and he was a Republican in Texas. That was the nature of our race. We were looking to make sure that people respected us. And we showed how strong Americans could be," Owens said.

For the full and fascinating conversation with Burgess Owens, listen below. Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps is available at bookstores everywhere.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Featured Image: Screenshot of Burgess Owens on The Glenn Beck Program, August 30, 2016.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn's Show Prep

Burgess Owens: White Socialist Democrats Have Betrayed the Black Community

Without civic action, America faces collapse

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Taking up the torch

Start small and local

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state