There is a trend in the black community which attempts to create standards that should be adhered to that qualify someone for "blackness." Many blacks who oppose the traditional democratic alignments of black people or who do not share the same roots of economic and/or social struggle as many black people are castigated by their brothers and sisters.
Popular among many black peple are the ideas that if one was not raised in poverty, if one speaks grammatically correct English, or if one dates outside the race, one is a "sellout." It is sad that these litmus tests exist, because rather than address blackness, they address personal preferences and individual experience. The only true test for blackness is descendence from African slaves or free Africans and the obstacles associated therewith. Even amongst blacks of different American geographical regions there are differences in culture and politics.
On the flipside, many blacks labeled "sell-outs" have faulted the black community. Black rightists such as the black Tea Partyers have distanced themselves from the legacy of social inequality and internal strife that the black community continues to struggle with on a daily basis. Such men and women seem to want to run away from their fellow brothers and sisters and embrace the white man as though to say, "Look, I'm not like them, I agree with you." One need look no further than Jesse Lee Peterson or Allen West to see the black rightists who do not represent or deal with the majority of blacks, nor possess the desire to do so. Rather, they claim they do not grow "afros" but "amerifros" and that they "bleed red, white, and blue." Jesse Lee Peterson has even gone so far as to express gratitude to the slavemaster for capturing his forefathers and civilizing them.
These people are the real sellouts if any ever existed, not because they possess different views, but because their views are based on the notion that they are not African. Their views do not take into account the suffering of the children of African slaves in America. Their agendas attempt to shed their dark skin, sweep white supremacy under the rug, and claim that there is no problem. There is no getting around the fact that while individual responsibility is paramount to the progression of black people, the nature of black inequality and the slew of social problems associated therewith is white supremacy and black slavery.
That being said, how do we deal with the divisive nature of black culture and stop accusing our brothers and sisters undeserving of our accusations? We must ALL bear the responsibility for alleviating the pain we endure and end plantation-style thinking. We should no longer be house negroes and field negroes; rather, we should be free negroes. Democratic blacks are slaves to the democrats and Republican blacks are slaves to the Republicans. Neither party was founded in the interest in black people. You can change a dog's behavior but you can't change the fact that he is a dog. You can try to use the parties to your advantage but you cannot change the fact that they were not created for black people.
We must come together as a people and rid ourselves of the seed implanted in us by the white man. We must uproot the poisonous plant which have sprouted from this seed. We are all black, and we all share that in common. We cannot afford to be divisive in a country that has for so long attempted to keep us separate--from our cultures, our spirituality, our families, and ourselves.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Reverse Racism and Discrimination Against Whites
A recent poll has shown that 2/3 of Americans who trust FOX news believe that whites face the same level of discrimination as other minorities. This is a pretty heavy claim. Discrimination against whites has also garnered the misnomer "reverse racism," a term which suggests that racism originated with one group initially (whites) and is now being used against said group by those whom it initially affected (nonwhites). Any white person who uses this term should think carefully about its meaning, because they are essentially admiting to the fact that reverse racism is a direct result of their own white racism.
For many minorities, the idea of discrimination against whites is a ridiculous one, but the argument must extend beyond this initial superficial reaction. Why is this idea so ridiculous, especially in the minds of black people?
The obvious reason is that because of white racism, blacks have been supressed socially, economically, and politically for hundreds of years. White racism has stained the history of the United States with the blood of the African slaves, not to mention the blood of the indigenous peoples that white Europeans so mercilessly slaughtered. True, de jure racism no longer exists, at least not explicitly, bu the fact is, the legacy of white supremacy cannot be erased from American society. How can discrimination against whites be "as big" as discrimination against minorities when whites still effectively run the infastructure of a country that was built for whites to enjoy?
Black people have only recently had access to jobs more prestigious than sharecropper or shoe shine boy. Only a small number of American businesses are black owned, and they are black businesses with the purpose of empowering blacks. Few blacks are corporate CEOs, Wall Street executives, or federal politicians. Barack Obama is the only really visible black man in "charge" of a white system, and they even tried to lynch him. But the president goes out of his way to avoid the race issue.
Poor whites are most likely to be resentful because they face similar economic discrimination as poor minorities, but that is where the line ends. Take a white person considered white trash by a bourgeoisie white man, then take a black nigger, a Mexican spic, an A-rab, or a Chinese chink, the white trash will become a white brother. Usually discrimination felt by whites exists in social interactions between whites and minorities, not in government. Whites will often decry black magazines, television shows, or universities on the basis that the existence similar organizations and institutions for whites would be considered racism, thereby implying reverse racism. Most, if not all American institutions are or were built for whites only. The existence of black organizations is a direct result of white discrimination. Blacks were not allowed in white schools. They weren't allowed to perform unless they were in blackface. That is why black organizations sprung into being and attempted to provide blacks with things whites were not going to provide for them. Even with the early existence of black organizations, whites terrorized blacks brave enough to take their own stand. Nowadays, this terrorism has been replaced with the cry of "reverse racism." Anything that excluded whites was and is considered dangerous, militant, racist, etc., etc. Whites barred us from their institutions, and when we try to make our own they get upset? C'mon son. There would be no need for affirmative action and black universities if they had allowed us to get into their institutions in the first place.
Discrimination against whites does exist, but it is only because of white discrimination against nonwhites. Furthermore, there is no way that discrimination against whites is "as big" as discrimination against nonwhites. After all, white supremacy has been part of American policy since the first landing of the European colonizers. It would take a long time for this policy to be eradicated, and its enablers will not give up that easily. They run the country.
For many minorities, the idea of discrimination against whites is a ridiculous one, but the argument must extend beyond this initial superficial reaction. Why is this idea so ridiculous, especially in the minds of black people?
The obvious reason is that because of white racism, blacks have been supressed socially, economically, and politically for hundreds of years. White racism has stained the history of the United States with the blood of the African slaves, not to mention the blood of the indigenous peoples that white Europeans so mercilessly slaughtered. True, de jure racism no longer exists, at least not explicitly, bu the fact is, the legacy of white supremacy cannot be erased from American society. How can discrimination against whites be "as big" as discrimination against minorities when whites still effectively run the infastructure of a country that was built for whites to enjoy?
Black people have only recently had access to jobs more prestigious than sharecropper or shoe shine boy. Only a small number of American businesses are black owned, and they are black businesses with the purpose of empowering blacks. Few blacks are corporate CEOs, Wall Street executives, or federal politicians. Barack Obama is the only really visible black man in "charge" of a white system, and they even tried to lynch him. But the president goes out of his way to avoid the race issue.
Poor whites are most likely to be resentful because they face similar economic discrimination as poor minorities, but that is where the line ends. Take a white person considered white trash by a bourgeoisie white man, then take a black nigger, a Mexican spic, an A-rab, or a Chinese chink, the white trash will become a white brother. Usually discrimination felt by whites exists in social interactions between whites and minorities, not in government. Whites will often decry black magazines, television shows, or universities on the basis that the existence similar organizations and institutions for whites would be considered racism, thereby implying reverse racism. Most, if not all American institutions are or were built for whites only. The existence of black organizations is a direct result of white discrimination. Blacks were not allowed in white schools. They weren't allowed to perform unless they were in blackface. That is why black organizations sprung into being and attempted to provide blacks with things whites were not going to provide for them. Even with the early existence of black organizations, whites terrorized blacks brave enough to take their own stand. Nowadays, this terrorism has been replaced with the cry of "reverse racism." Anything that excluded whites was and is considered dangerous, militant, racist, etc., etc. Whites barred us from their institutions, and when we try to make our own they get upset? C'mon son. There would be no need for affirmative action and black universities if they had allowed us to get into their institutions in the first place.
Discrimination against whites does exist, but it is only because of white discrimination against nonwhites. Furthermore, there is no way that discrimination against whites is "as big" as discrimination against nonwhites. After all, white supremacy has been part of American policy since the first landing of the European colonizers. It would take a long time for this policy to be eradicated, and its enablers will not give up that easily. They run the country.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Making Money for the White Man
In society, the ruling class (bourgeoisie) exists as the controller or influencer of national affairs, and all other "outside" classes will be subject to the economic and political dehumanization of the ruling class. This occurs even in media ane entertainment. Thus in the United States, the white ruling class has been responsible for the dehumanization of all other classes and ethnicities, most notably, although not limited to, "African Americans."
In the entertainment industry this dehumanization is a reflection of the prevailing attitudes white society has regarding blacks. It is a reflection of the social/political/economic status of blacks. The entertainment industry capitalizes off of the suffering of black people by portraying blacks and black culture as culturally and intellectually inferior. This is then packaged and presented to a mostly white audience, which is close enough to see the beast but still separated by a cage.
Stereotyping is not an invention of white America; indeed, if one is only exposed to a few members of a group, one is inclined to assume that the behaviors of the few represent the behaviors of the many. In reality, such groups may share nothing more than skin color or language. That being said, the perpetuation of stereotypes for the sole purpose of economic gain and the negative portrayals of nonwhites to a large white audience is an invention of white America. It's as American as the Fourth of July. Through various media such as television and theater, white America has in the past profited off of the negative portrayals of nonwhite cultures, and continues to do so today.
No culture has been more caricaturized than black culture. An entire industry was built on the mockery of black people, making them out to be coons, brutes, Toms, mammies, and pickaninnies. This has progressed from the stage to the silent film to the talking film to the cartoon and to the modern movie scene. Even today, blacks are portrayed as ignorant, materialistic, and thuggish, and the commercialization of hip-hop music, an organically black art form, has been a leading factor in this whole issue. Once white America realized that its sons and daughters were becoming attracted to the inner city hip-hop culture, it usurped and bastardized the culture solely for profit. This is nothing new: young whites have always had a fascination with various aspects black culture. But forget about intellectual blacks, who wants to see a brother doing well? That shit don't make no money.
All of this has left a deep scar on the collective psyche of black people. We as black consumers want to see real niggas from the streets. American fascination with gangster culture is a national thing, but while white Americans idolize gangsters and retain a love/hate relationship with them, blacks love them and become them. This is because blacks sympathize the most with the gangster's motivations and best understand his roots. If you don't have it, take it. That is the American way. And nobody doesn't have it more than black people.
If you view yourself as just a nigga, you will not strive beyond that. You will not try to become anything other than what you have been told by white America you can be, and you will be often be chastized by blacks who believe that professions such as medicine and law are not for black people. You will strive to become a gangsta, a baller, or a rapper. Historically white America has always kept us down and has led us to keep ourselves down by causing internal distrust, and we are doing exactly what white America wants. No one has done more to make blacks seem subhuman more than white America. Today, many blacks are simply doing what they were brought across the Atlantic to do-- make money for the white man.
In the entertainment industry this dehumanization is a reflection of the prevailing attitudes white society has regarding blacks. It is a reflection of the social/political/economic status of blacks. The entertainment industry capitalizes off of the suffering of black people by portraying blacks and black culture as culturally and intellectually inferior. This is then packaged and presented to a mostly white audience, which is close enough to see the beast but still separated by a cage.
Stereotyping is not an invention of white America; indeed, if one is only exposed to a few members of a group, one is inclined to assume that the behaviors of the few represent the behaviors of the many. In reality, such groups may share nothing more than skin color or language. That being said, the perpetuation of stereotypes for the sole purpose of economic gain and the negative portrayals of nonwhites to a large white audience is an invention of white America. It's as American as the Fourth of July. Through various media such as television and theater, white America has in the past profited off of the negative portrayals of nonwhite cultures, and continues to do so today.
No culture has been more caricaturized than black culture. An entire industry was built on the mockery of black people, making them out to be coons, brutes, Toms, mammies, and pickaninnies. This has progressed from the stage to the silent film to the talking film to the cartoon and to the modern movie scene. Even today, blacks are portrayed as ignorant, materialistic, and thuggish, and the commercialization of hip-hop music, an organically black art form, has been a leading factor in this whole issue. Once white America realized that its sons and daughters were becoming attracted to the inner city hip-hop culture, it usurped and bastardized the culture solely for profit. This is nothing new: young whites have always had a fascination with various aspects black culture. But forget about intellectual blacks, who wants to see a brother doing well? That shit don't make no money.
All of this has left a deep scar on the collective psyche of black people. We as black consumers want to see real niggas from the streets. American fascination with gangster culture is a national thing, but while white Americans idolize gangsters and retain a love/hate relationship with them, blacks love them and become them. This is because blacks sympathize the most with the gangster's motivations and best understand his roots. If you don't have it, take it. That is the American way. And nobody doesn't have it more than black people.
If you view yourself as just a nigga, you will not strive beyond that. You will not try to become anything other than what you have been told by white America you can be, and you will be often be chastized by blacks who believe that professions such as medicine and law are not for black people. You will strive to become a gangsta, a baller, or a rapper. Historically white America has always kept us down and has led us to keep ourselves down by causing internal distrust, and we are doing exactly what white America wants. No one has done more to make blacks seem subhuman more than white America. Today, many blacks are simply doing what they were brought across the Atlantic to do-- make money for the white man.
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