As I predicted the other day regarding the racist depiction of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele by a black blogger, the general response from the black community was minuscule in comparison to recent incidents of “racism” like the stamps issued in Mexico, William Bennett’s comments regarding crime and black Americans, or the Federal government’s response time to hurricane Katrina victims. The common denominator with all three of these examples is that the “culprit” in all cases were non-black. When these same instances of “racism” are pointed out in our own community, backyard, and even in our own homes, we either find some way to justify it or simply turn the other way.
What I find very saddening is that the very images and stereotypes our parents (and their parents before them, etc.) fought against many years ago, we reserve these demeaning references for our own usage as if it is part of black culture itself!
I am not convinced that we want racism to go away.
Think about it. As far as I know, we are the only racial group here in the United States that finds it acceptable to refer to each other by a name that was once used by those that hated us–slave captors. Think about it. Many Germans and others used to refer to Jews as bloodsuckers. Wetback is a derogatory term used to describe Mexicans who jumped the border to get into this country. Then there is Chinks for Chinese, Jap for Japanese, etc. etc. Yet, you will not here any of these groups use these very derogatory names on themselves. On the other hand, we have adopted the word “n****” as a term of endearment. I’ve even listened to debates by blacks with Phd.’s that will defend this terminology with much sincerity and emotion–giving deep explanations as to why words like n**** are an important part of black culture.
But what happens when a white person uses the word?
As a child of the seventies, I can honestly tell you that any white person that came remotely close to using this word would have set himself up for a serious beat down by blacks within earshot. Today, I can take you through many of the halls of middle and high schools throughout the US and you will hear the word “n****” spoken freely by not only blacks, but whites and other races as well. Grown folks who don’t want to be seen as out of touch with this generation will dismiss this whole deal as part of hip-hop culture (a culture that was birthed out of the black American community).
No, racism is not going anywhere for a very long time. “Why?” you ask? Because we have too much invested in this ugly devil to simply let it go. Consider just some of the things produced by us that have been influenced by what we deem as the effects of “racism”…
Music
Art
Books
Movies
Television shows
…and not to mention the countless number of jobs that have been secured in the name of “protection against racism” (a.k.a. affirmative action).
Take away the tension of racism in its entirety and all the things I mentioned above would be in serious jeopardy of losing its value unless other influences that can match to the power of racism can be found. Politicians who have built their entire career on exposing racism would have to frantically search for meaning elsewhere if they expect to stay in office.
I refer to racism as a power because outside of love, it is one of those things that can evoke all kinds of emotions and can be expressed in so many ways. For example, dwelling on the effects of racism can transform a mediocre public speaker into a passionate firebrand for the moment that has the ability to bring a crowd to its feet. Making fun about different ethnicities using stereotypes will have the crowd howling for more. Using images of racial injustice can produce a political power. It can also bring those with political power down. So as you can see, racism is a great power source if one knows how to wield it.
Victimhood is big business!
America is the most hypocritical nation in the world when it comes to how we view discrimination of any type. An executive can be slammed with a multi-million dollar lawsuit for making a pass at a female co-worker, but the same executive can go to just about any strip club in America and tuck a twenty in the thong of a dancer legally. A large company can freely advertise on a network that regularly portrays black men and women in stereotypical situations, but the same company can very easily be hit with a lawsuit that charges them with racist practices. Racism has become the tug-of-war match that we do not want to see end.
Each year there are literally millions of dollars that are awarded to people who claim that they were the victim of racial bias. While some of these claims are legitimate, there are plenty of cases that are never given the opportunity to go through the entire trial process because institutions that have been slapped with the “racist” tag usually want to settle out of court in fear of increased bad publicity which results in low profits. Then of course there are the many attorneys that are more than eager to try such cases to reap the rewards of calling a major company “racist” without having to prove the claim in its entirety in court.
I am a firm believer in capitalism with the aid of a moral compass. Unfortunately, we live in a world today that will use anything to make a buck. A woman can be gang-raped repeatedly or a child sexually molested –both cases captured on film and its called adult entertainment. A black woman can be referred to as a b**** (mind you, the same thing slave masters used to call our women) , or black men can be glamorized as sex-crazed thugs and pimps (again, images that used to come just from racist whites) in the part of the entertainment world WE control, and they are paid handsomely for such stereotypes. To add insult to injury, when one of our own is promoted in the very industry that is built on the promotion of stereotypes, and they do little or nothing to change the negative trend, we still celebrate their promotion and call it success.
Besides the racist insult against Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, thought about another person prompted me to write this particular piece: My grandmother.
If you are reading this and you happen to be a race other than white, then I am quite sure that your grandparents have passed on loads of stories of how they had to deal with some form of racism on an almost daily basis. While my grandfather worked at the paper mill in a small South Carolina town, my grandmother cleaned houses to bring in income to help feed five children. I remember my grandmother telling me stories of how the children of these white homeowners would call her regularly by her first name while she picked up their dirty underwear, cleaned toilets, folded clothes and other house chores they were too lazy to do for themselves. Being called by your first name by children was humiliating enough. But to be called n**** , that was considered one of the ultimate forms of humiliation. I believe what kept my grandmother going was that she envisioned that one day her children and grandchildren would live in a day where we did not have to endure the humiliation of racism. Dirty underwear became her stepping stones for hope for the future.
By accepting these stereotypes as part of our culture, we have aligned ourselves with the same racists that lynched our people, the same racist that told our people that they were not even good enough to use their bathrooms or drink from their water fountains. The same racists that told us that our women were only good for birthing babies while telling our black men that they were incapable of being a father or dependable spouse.
If we really want racism to disappear, there must be a total denouncement of racial terminology on our part first. Once again, wrong has to equal wrong regardless of who its coming from. What’s at stake? The self-esteem of our children.
Sphere: Related Content
October 31st, 2005 at 7:13 am
You know, I find this to be weak. I’m working on a piece to show why it’s weak. But I was doing that before I read this.
Mo’ later…
October 31st, 2005 at 7:27 am
Rough and Tumble Black Politics
“Black politics” can be dirty, just like “regular” politics. From memory, these are some of the things that have happened, in no particular order: In Baltimore, Black Democrats for city council seats have tried to “out Black” their rivals…
October 31st, 2005 at 10:14 am
lol (fah-real)
!
October 31st, 2005 at 11:24 am
Very True Indeed! Balck America has trappled on the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers for profit!
October 31st, 2005 at 11:25 am
You are 100% correct. And what really gets my ire in regard to self esteem is our denigration of our physical charateristics. There are still people in 2005 discussing “good hair” and “light skin” etc. We still have the “kinks” in our mind. You would be surprised at the discussions about hair and self image going on at one of the best African American hair boards in the world. Go over to http://www.nappturality.com and see for yourself the discussions about how “my family hates my hair” etc. It’s just deep to me. These same old discussions over and over again. Keep talking Duane. I hear you! Thank God there’s a few left from the seventies generation, with common sense.
October 31st, 2005 at 12:53 pm
“we are the only racial group here in the United States that finds it acceptable ”
Why would you write something like that, as if each and every Black person approves of using the N-word?!
That’s what whites do: they see a few Blacks doing something and immediately jump to the conclusion that “they all must do it.”
Two, what about whites’ use of the pejoratives “poor white trash” and “redneck? Is this different?! Nope.
The main point of contention I usually have with most of your similar writings is *choice*, meaning self-definition.
The essential piece you, and the other Black conservatives applauding you, miss is “when Blacks use caricatures to target other Blacks, they are NOT presenting the caricature as being reflective of ALL Blacks (as whites do), but of this one particular person. Huge, huge difference.
Two, I know you’re familiar with the adage that “I can talk about my family, but you can’t.” The principle guiding that statement is also applied to your entire treatise regarding denigration.
When Blacks use denigrating images to target other Blacks, it has absolutely nothing to do with racism, which is defined as “the belief that 1) there are both superior and inferior groups of humans and that 2) physical characteristics are indicators of innate capacities, such as emotions, intelligence, temperament, etc..
“Groups of”…not one person.
“The common denominator with all three of the examples is that the “culprit†in all cases were non-black,” and that the *denigrating image/words* was meant to describe a particular *group* of people in a demeaning way.
Very different from demeaning or criticizing a single individual. When you criticize and deman a group, you demean even those not born yet. Criticizing an individual refers to ONLY that one person…and that’s it.
John L.
October 31st, 2005 at 1:50 pm
Interesting, I wrote an article about it last week where I defended the use of the word…
http://www.dellgines.com/?p=330
We define what words mean, they aren’t static.
October 31st, 2005 at 2:23 pm
John,
Why would you write something like that, as if each and every Black person approves of using the N-word?!
If you are going to continue to come to this site, please make sure you take your sensitive pills. You always look for the devil in the details and I always prove you wrong.
Two, what about whites’ use of the pejoratives “poor white trash†and “redneck? Is this different?! Nope.
Uh, to my knowledge, whites in this country never had masters. What they call themselves is up to them. My point is that we are using the same language of folks who wanted to destroy us and our culture to define ourselves. If you are going to bring up this point, then please explain the points I raised regarding Chinese, Jews, etc.
The essential piece you, and the other Black conservatives applauding you, miss is “when Blacks use caricatures to target other Blacks, they are NOT presenting the caricature as being reflective of ALL Blacks (as whites do), but of this one particular person. Huge, huge difference.
Again, where did these caricatures come from originally?
When Blacks use denigrating images to target other Blacks, it has absolutely nothing to do with racism, which is defined as “the belief that 1) there are both superior and inferior groups of humans and that 2) physical characteristics are indicators of innate capacities, such as emotions, intelligence, temperament, etc..
So when a black person calls another black person something like “Sambo”, “Coon”, “Uncle Tom” (You know, all the names you used to call me), should I see that as you uplifting me or putting me down? If that’s putting me down….doesn’t that make you superior above me?
Criticizing an individual refers to ONLY that one person…and that’s it.
Interesting. So why should blacks still be upset when racist whites called our fore parents all kinds of demeaning names. You wasn’t around then, I wasn’t around. Since we are INDIVIDUALS, does that mean that they (meaning our parents/grandparents/etc.) were the targets and not us? If that is the case, then why should we still be mad at white folks for something they did to our parents/etc. and not to us?
All I am doing here is following your logic all the way out. Nothing is being added here.
October 31st, 2005 at 2:40 pm
Dell,
We define what words mean, they aren’t static.
So why then assume then if a white person called you a N***er, they are being demeaning? Generally speaking, black folk usually do not allow such accommodations when it comes from a white person. The situation from Eminem back in the day is a good example. Although he said repeatedly that he had no racist intent, black folk still kicked him to the curb big time.
Government officials in states like South Carolina fought like mad to keep the part Dixie flag waving over their state capital. Does this make them racist for wanting to keep “part of their history” if in fact words (and you can even throw in symbols for that matter ’cause that is what the posting was about–both are forms of expression) are not static?
again…
We define what words mean, they aren’t static.
Wow! So as a Christian, why regard the Bible as the word of God if words (like sin, repentance, adultery, holiness, etc.) are not “static” in their meaning?
Ultimately, you call yourself what you wish. As for me, I will not use the same terminology or stereotypical imagery to describe my people weather I agree with them or not.
October 31st, 2005 at 5:40 pm
One thing that I am finding pretty interesting with some of the responses here is that there is this automatic tendency to frame this whole discussion in the very small box of politics. I only used the Steele example only to demonstrate the double standard we have as a people when it comes to racism. AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE NEVER MET ME OR KNOW ME THEN STOP WASTING TIME ASSUMING WHAT YOU THINK I MEANT!! For example, although I may disagree with the Jacksons, Sharptons and others of the sort on political issues, I do not condone calling them names that are inspired by racism. For those that are limiting my perspective on this issue to the insignificant fact that I happen to be Conservative on many issues are missing the entire point of this piece. This is a clear example of the point I made sometime last week regarding the dangers of partisan politics in the black community. We are divided enough as a people. Why is it so hard to discuss such issues without ASSUMING what I and others who agree with me are only motivated by politics. If I knew of a case where something similar happened to a black person who happens to be a Democrat or Liberal, I would had no problem using them as an example.
The sad thing is, even if I did, it still would not have mattered for those who want to disagree with me–not because I am right, but because of my personal ideologies.
One more point: This has a whole lot to do than just the N word. Please re-read if you missed that point. I look forward to your comments!
October 31st, 2005 at 8:20 pm
I fail to see where you’ve substantively answered any of what I wrote.
John l.
October 31st, 2005 at 10:39 pm
John,
Good Night!
November 1st, 2005 at 8:53 am
Another case of the Outrage about the lack of Outrage. This is a common reality found amongst Conservative Black folk. Instead of simply expressing outrage about an incident, they express outrage at the lack of outrage about an act or behavior they believe to be outrageous. The next thing the outraged at the lack of outrage does is ask where are the so-called Black Leaders, why are they silent. If you believed your disagreement with anything had any merit, there would be no need for there to be shared outrage with things you believe are outrageous. I seen the depiction of Steele, and loved it as I did the depiction of Condi, Colin and Janice in the Black Commentator.
Black folk are allowed to make fun of one another in anyway we believe necessary to convey our point of view in regards to those we are making fun of. The depiction of Steele is far less outrageous than Conservative Black folk articulating white thought and ideology by way of espousing a belief in Victimhood as if being a victim and recognizing that one has been victimized makes one his own victimizer while the real culprit escapes blame free. What a Joke….
November 1st, 2005 at 8:58 am
One more thing, maybe you should spend more time amongst other people. Out here in So-Cal Mexicans are calling other Mexicans all kinds of names given to them by white folk from Wet-Back to illegal-alien. Asians refer to other Asians as FOB’S who are ignorant, I hear it all. You need to get out more…..
November 1st, 2005 at 9:59 am
Zzzzzz! Oops! Sorry, you said something?
Yet another example of everything I said earlier in this thread.
November 1st, 2005 at 10:53 am
Faheem and Dell,
Babies you ought to check yourselves, you’re not reading with understanding. Your comments sound IGNANT ! Now don’t get mad…it’s just a word…AND after all ” Black folk are allowed to make fun of one another in anyway we believe necessary to convey our point of view in regards to those we are making fun of” Right???????
November 1st, 2005 at 12:31 pm
It seems like we are out to kill the messenger, while the message goes unattended. Duane is 100% correct, yet there are people who must make foolish arguments of this. What is there to argue? Wrong is wrong, and we are full of it right now. Why must we make excuses for our wrongs and continue to embrace this ugly culture? As a people, we must use our history to uplift our image and challenge ourselves. But it seems like the masses of Black people in this country have already sold out – For nothing. The hip-hop culture is trash! We know that but make excuses, “that’s how it is in the hood” Yeah right we know. It’s been like that before hip-hop and we have the power to change it, and refuse intensely. As an African living in this country (there are no black Americans- unless you consider yourself 3/5 human.) this is sickening. And the sad reality of it all is that Black people in this country are comfortable being slave n***rs.
November 1st, 2005 at 2:07 pm
Indeed VB, I have no problem with how you articulate anything, I am more interested in the point you are trying to make than how you are saying it. I can get past the fluff to the substance of what is being said. You will never find me crying about ad-hominem attacks. However what I have a problem with is the fake and phony Black Conservative expressing outrage about the lack of outrage concering something they believe to be outrageous. I am certain this is not the last time a phony Black Conservative will do this, it is part of their arsenal.
November 2nd, 2005 at 9:37 am
Faheem,
What you just said…well…er…you said it… shall we say “outrageously” !?!??
November 3rd, 2005 at 12:26 pm
“I am certain this is not the last time a phony Black Conservative will do this, it is part of their arsenal.” From Faheem.
Well I hope these phony black ‘conservatives continue to do so until we feel like our skin burns when we call each other ni***r!!! To call some black men phony, or conservative if we site the wrong doing of our own is ’some dumb coon bullsh*t. Any black person who has the guts to challenge the masses of “stupid black people”-(because that’s what it is when you continue to destroy your self – STUPID, and that’s being polite) they get chastise for trying to uplift our African culture in our environment. Why? Unlike many other black people who have high tolerance for immorality, I have no love for those who hate my people including those who possess the same skin color. They are worse than the racist congress leaders. Their love of this racist and evil place has cloaked their minds, without realizing most black people (Especially this new Hip Hop generation) in this country try their best to please the white racist that give them crumbs. Our strongest voice, Hip Hop, has turned into the biggest Coon movement this world has ever seen. It is backwards, destructive towards the black self esteem, uninformative and blatantly disrespectful to every African in this place. It takes the spot light and shadows the entire black masses with a persona of ignorance. NIGGA WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED IF YOU HAVE SELF LOVE. Stop Frontin, truth is truth and I hope that these same black men and women change and recognize their respectful African culture. If not treat em’ like the friggin klan!!!! No tolerance for disrespect, regardless of whom.
1
November 6th, 2005 at 2:35 pm
“…Because we have too much invested in this ugly devil to simply let it go. Consider just some of the things produced by us that have been influenced by what we deem as the effects of “racismâ€Â…
Music
Art
Books
Movies
Television shows
…”
Now that’s an interesting and provocative point. No matter which side one falls on in the “nigger” debate, it still remains the case that racism provides social capital for many groups of people.
For example, what would happen to most of our non-science Phd’s? Racism is the intellectual foundation for everything they write, do they not have an interest ?
I’m not saying there isn’t racism…there plainly is, but I am saying that this is a great” thought exercise” with truth at it’s core.
December 16th, 2005 at 11:09 am
[...] ot going to throw fuel on a less threatening fire. Let’s face it, as I discussed in “Racism: The devil we can’t live without”, racism i [...]