I sincerely mean it when I say good luck. BUT I still think you're too young, and I'll admit it, it's probably because I'm older than you and I haven't realized it yet -- mentally that is. If you had a few more accomplishments (good ones that is) under your belt, I would consider you. I would also consider you because this country is due for it's first black or first woman president (but not Hillary). Even over-due, maybe. I am a white woman who buried the racist hatchet years ago when I was able to leave home and live on my own and not under the racist influence of my parents.
You're going to need all the luck in the world today, because we all know what you are facing. I truly wish it was only the age thing. But unfortunately it's not. It is for me, but for the rest of this EVER SO RACIALLY DIVIDED COUNTRY WE STILL LIVE IN, it's the "race card". What has got me furious -- AGAIN -- is that people like Debra Dickerson keep this racial divide alive and well. It was on the way out, IMHO. OK, this woman makes her living writing about Blackness (I can't believe there's a wiki entry) and being black. She writes for Salon, and Slate.
Check out this Slate article she wrote: 'First Class - Is it possible to raise rich kids who don't have a sense of entitlement?' I'll answer that right now for you Debra -- No it's not possible. I'm a mother and am experiencing the same issues now. I choose to call it lower class. It's all part of the Haves and Have-nots. As far as I am concerned, YOU keep racism alive and well when you write Books titled "The End of Blackness". I had never heard of you until
last night when I saw that you were on Stephen Colbert. Stupid me thought hey great, finally a black woman getting her chance on national TV to talk about putting an end to Blackness. Finally, I thought someone (and a black woman - even better) to say let's just stop this black/white thing right now. Let's put AN END to it.
Was I in for a suprise!! I guess I shouldn't have been suprised though. It's never going to end is it? Here's the link to the Colbert Show
THANK YOU STEPHEN -- you got her good!
Here's a few notes I took from the show:
Debra opens by saying Barack is not black. "In the American political context, black means the decendants of West African slaves brought here to the US." -- (learn something new everyday -- she probably wrote the wiki entry)
She says we need a new name. He' s not white either. He's an African African-American. (yes, that's African African, not a type-o by me)
Stephen suggests "nouveau black" or "a late to the scene black"
She says with a new name "you can say you voted for an african of africa-american stock". (STOCK? -- Unfucking believable -- I hate that word.)
She says "He's still a brother to me, but really only an adopted brother."
Stephen says: "kinda like the red-headed step child. you can slap him around a little and no one would really care."
Stephen argues: "since he doesn't have the burdon of the black experience - descendant of slavery - maybe he could just carry the torch and you could just piggy-back on him?"
She think's this is what's going to happen, cause it's not a critique of him.
It's just a critique of white self-congratulation -- saying that we're embracing a black person
Stephen says, we're not really: "if you hadn't told me he wasn't black I would
have thought I was supporting a black person, but now I won't, because
he's not."
Then she says: "Then that would make you a racist" (lot's of noise from the audience) then he says "if I were white".
Stephen says: "I'm so not a racist. I don't see race. I've moved beyond that. People tell me I'm white - I believe them -- because I think that Barack is black."
Debra: "He's an african african-american"
Stephen: "So, it seems to me that you're judging blackness on the color of skin, not on the content of their character, which...I think....realizes Dr.King's dream..... in a very special way"
Debra: "I don't think you mean special -- I think you mean perverted."
Shecontinues: "it's not the content of our character it's the content of our history and what we're doing by calling him black is obliterating the culture of this Kenyon father."
THEN Stephen says (you are brilliant my man) "Maybe THIS would make it more acceptable to the black people -- Maybe we could enslave him for a brief time -- you know -- nothing racist -- maybe give him to Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton for a bit, you know -- for the experience. then he could be freed -- no harm -- and then he gets all the street cred he needs!"
END
Well, actually I think I will end this post with the words of Mary Curtis, from the Charlotte Observer.
Here's the NPR interview link
Commentator Mary Curtis is tired of people telling her she doesn't seem like a black person — as if there was only one way to be African-American in the United States. Recent debate over whether Sen.Barack Obama is "black enough" to garner the African-American vote made her think about the issue again.
She says it's all based on stereotypes and it's silly.
"All races deal with it. Yes, it is worse with African American's. It's as if you trade in your culture for success."
"I don't hear anyone telling president bush he's authentically white. Oprah gets accused all the time of abandoning her blackness to appeal to her white audience."
"Let Obama be Obama without trying to parse every line he utters for evidence of racial solidarity."
Crossposted at BigBrassBlog
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