Malcolm X use to speak often of the historical significance of the “house Negro.”  He taught that this house Negro was the opposite of the field Negro. The field Negro labored from sun-up until sundown in the cotton fields of America, while the house Negro tended the master’s home. 
At the end of the day, both were still slaves. The field Negro was not allowed in the master’s house, but the house Negro was allowed in the fields.  The slave master used the house Negroes as an intelligence-gathering sources that informed him of the potential plans of runaway slaves or uprisings. 
It is storied that if ever the master’s house caught on fire the, the house Negro would shed tears saying “massa our house be on fiya.”  The field Negro would shed tears of joy saying “as thou has done so shall it be done.” At first the field Negro trusted the house Negro and would inform him about plans to run away in hopes that the house Negro would join them in their quest for freedom. 
The house Negro would then share bogus information about what was going on in the master’s house.  The slave master had successfully given both the house and field Negro the “illusion of inclusion.”  He fooled the house Negro into thinking that he was truly a part of the family and duped to field Negro into thinking he had a trusted representative in the master’s house.   
What is an illusion? According to Webster’s dictionary and illusion is a misleading image presented to the vision.  Another definition says that an illusion is something that deceives or misleads intellectually. 
The fight for inclusion in the process here in America has been a long and hard one.  The election of the first Black president of the United States represented the apex of success in this school of thought.  While we are still happy to see Black people rise into great positions, we are ready to move beyond symbols to the substance.
Now we must be able to delineate between “illusion and inclusion.”  It is no longer enough to send a Black face with a White agenda to the Black community to fool us into believing that our best interests are being represented.  Diversity that is solely based on skin color must now be done away with. 
As a people we must have a crystal clear agenda and if those who come before us cannot and will not yield to the legitimate demands of our agenda we should not support them; no matter what color they are. It is time that we as a community mature to the point where we know exactly what we want.  We can no longer be intellectually lazy.  We must study issues very closely and not allow ourselves to be duped by new century house Negroes sent by White power to do their dirty work. 
The year is 2009 and the house Negro still cannot be trusted. The key to insuring that you don’t become victimized by the “illusion of inclusion” is knowing exactly what you want, gather supreme intelligence and not allowing ones self to be fooled by words.  Actions speak louder than words. 
Don’t allow yourself to be simply moved by speeches. What a person does is what counts at the end of the day.  The “illusion of inclusion” is a two-way street. 
Many profession Black athletes, such as O.J. Simpson, became consumed by White society until they got into trouble.  Once O.J. was on trial for murder, the illusion of inclusion was over.  It was the Black community that supported him throughout the so-called “trial of the century”, despite his reputation as a “house Negro.” 
On the slave plantations, most house Negroes eventually ended up back in the field with the very field Negroes that they’d sold out.  Once the slave master no longer had use for them they sent them back to the cotton fields.  Beware of the “illusion of inclusion.”
Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based community activist who blogs at www.askbroderic.blogspot.com