Palatable Negritude

So recently it came to light that Harry Reid said that President Obama was a good candidate for President because he was “light-skinned” and speaks with “no Negro dialect”.

When I heard that Harry said that, my first thought was, “What kind of racially progressive person says ‘Negro’ in the 21st century?” I found Reid’s use of the term “Negro” strange, but then I gave it some additional thought. Harry is 70 damn years old. In his life time, Black people have been colored, Negro, Afro-American, African American, and Black (not to mention nigger, coon, porch monkey, etc.). Would I prefer that he know the current en vogue terms for people like myself? Sure. Do I really give a damn that he doesn’t? No.

So, if we move past the terminology, we still have the potentially problematic notions which Harry Reid is speaking of: light skin and “proper” speech as more palatable than darker skin and African American vernacular.

Long before Harry Reid said it, I said it. So am I mad that he said it? Hell no. I’ve lived as dark-skinned Black man in America for all of my (nearly) 26 years, so I am well-aware of how presentation affects notions of respectability and value. A few times a week, white women clutch their purses or their children as I pass them on the street. No matter my dress (whether slacks or jeans, button-down or t-shirt), there is something scary associated with my dark male frame. Some may wonder why I accentuated my darkness rather than my Blackness and that’s because, in my experience, I elicit a stronger fear response than lighter brothers if we present ourselves similarly. Clearly a light-skinned thug is scarier than I am in a suit, but if we are both dressed conservatively, I tend to elicit a stronger (or more immediate) fear response.

Because of the intrinsic foreignness of Black people to a mainstream audience, we often must be conscious that cultural expression is often lost in translation. What certain behaviors or customs mean to us may read TOTALLY differently to the mainstream. I often tell the tale of my first summer at Princeton when a classmate asked what gang I belonged to because I was wearing a du-rag. Though I was a student at Princeton, my head covering automatically branded me as a gang member. However, when my white peers dressed in what they thought was urban attire to attend “bling bling” or “state school” night, nobody had a second thought about their potential affiliation to criminal elements. Though the experience was one that left me angry, it also made clear how easily cultural practices can be obfuscated in translation. Similarly, when Obama brushed off his shoulder during the 2008 election, it was a nod to urban youth who knew the song “Dirt off Your Shoulder” by Jay-Z, but it was read by the mainstream as a sexist dismissal of Hillary Clinton. People who do not understand the nuances of one’s culture attempt to map their own sensibilities onto behaviors which they do not understand; then you’re left with silly pricks asking about my gang affiliation and accusing then-candidate Obama of displaying a general disrespect for female competitors. This is why Obama’s lack of a “Negro dialect” is useful (and some might say necessary). It is easy to be understood by all people, so it’s harder to misconstrue due to cultural differences. In addition, it allows everyone to feel as though he is speaking to them. If Obama spoke in an urban vernacular on a regular basis, mainstream voters would have felt that he was too different from them to understand their issues. Or worse, given the negative qualities attributed to those who generally speak in urban vernacular, he would have been viewed as ignorant, uneducated, or even criminal. None of those things would have done him any good.

So I think Harry was dead on. I think his comments may have sounded racially ignorant, but I think they were much more poignant than any of the Faux News pundits could fathom.

What Year Is It Again?

Even though my hair hasn't been longer than 3 inches in 20 years, this video really pissed me off. This kid is just trying to go to school, but the school's dress code won't allow him. They characterize his hair as "distracting". Distracting? Really?

Hmm.

Let's tease this notion out.

When young ladies have long hair, that isn't distracting. It is something to be praised by most standards. It's a thing of beauty, a thing of wonder, a feat even. We fawn over it and praise the young lady. And, relatedly, we often make women who lack this long, pretty hair feel as if they are somehow lacking...as if they are less of a woman.


And, similarly, people get up in arms when a male doesn't want to chop his hair off at every possible juncture. This thing of beauty becomes a mark of otherness when it is attached to the head of a male. It is often deemed effeminate and weak (interesting how we often conflate weakness with things typical of females, and more interesting how many females champion these self-effacing schools of thought with little question).

Hmm.

Sounds somewhat archaic, but okay. Can I take it that girls in pants is equally distracting (and masculine)? Or girls with short hair (damn lesbians!)? Actually, I'll do you one better. Perhaps having girls in school at all is distracting to male students. Therefore, we should keep them home and give them something more useful to do, like [insert 50's era idea of "woman's work"].

Of course, I kid, but it really does frustrate me. I don't know why people are so staunchly tied to antiquated notions of proper gender etiquette (I'm looking at you, Morehouse College). These ideas are dated and restrictive. More importantly, these ideas are dangerous. We ostracize those who refuse to conform. We tell them that they are somehow "less than", because they choose to be their authentic selves. We place them on the margins with demands that they become like us in order to have value or to be morally correct (whatever the hell that means). And then we are surprised when they move even farther away from the norm, when they consciously embrace a counterculture in order to rage against a society which oppresses them.

How long will be hold onto bullshit in the name of tradition?

Blowing Smoke

Let me start by saying that I support positivity and positive feedback offered to friends and family.

With that said...can we stop blowing smoke up people's asses? LOL. I mean, I understand that your heart is in the right place, but you really set people up for failure when you pump them up with falsehoods.

"Ooh, baby, you sang that song so well!" Did he? Now the poor child is going to try out for American Idol and get his little heart crushed when Simon cuts open his heart as Paula (oops, she got fired, so I guess I mean Ellen) gives the side-eye and Randy spouts something supposedly urban and incomprehensible.

"Do I look fat in this, honey?" "Nooooo." Is that so? Will that temporary boost to her self-esteem last when someone approaches her and asks if she's interested in purchasing a body shaper? Or when she sees photos of herself in that dress on facebook? I know we mean well, but it just has the potential to open up some nasty doors.

"I'm lonely." "Oh, you'll find someone, babe. It just isn't your time yet." I've met so many older women and men who've yet to find that someone. 40 or 50 years old and they've never really had a substantive relationship. Though it is nice to give them that ego stroke or pat on the back, perhaps they'd be better served by some advice that could really positively impact their chances. "Jim, I know you've been looking for a nice girl to date. Maybe the seedy hip hop club isn't the best place to find one." "Hey Jim. I just joined this gay rugby league. There's some pretty cool guys on the team. Maybe you should join. You might meet someone cool." Or perhaps you can do something a bit more proactive. If Jim is a photographer and you know a young lady (or guy, if that's Jim's thing, lol) who loves to talk about or look at photography, create a space where they can meet. You don't have to actively set them up, but just have them in the same place at the same time and see if something sparks. I think that is a much more useful and realistic intervention for your friend. "Keep hope alive" was catchy when Jesse Jackson said it once upon a time, but it isn't the best mantra for someone looking for love...in my humble opinion. LOL.

Again, I know we mean well when we blow that sweet smoke up our friends' and loved ones' respective asses, but I just wonder if it does more harm than good. Food for thought.

Resolved Proclamations

Immaculate newness

Peaceful oneness, no longing for twoness

Resolved proclamations

No longer boonless

Steps past the previously insurmountable

Now I will be held accountable

Thanks to resolved proclamations

My remaining issues are now one-hand countable

Transmogrified corporeal

Leads to eye-catching sartorial

Resolved proclamations

Time for my couture pictorial

Lungs without blackening

Work without slackening

Resolved proclamations

With no turn-backening…today

D.Black (1/1/2010)

Another new year rolls in and everybody has their New Year's resolutions. "I'm gonna lose 100 lbs!" "I'm going to stop smoking." "I'm going to stop sleeping around." "I'm going to communicate better with my loved ones." Now they all sound like great pursuits, but I don't much get into them and never have.

I remember one year when my father made my sister, step-brother, and me sit down in the living room to write resolutions, because he wanted to hold us to them. What kind of wacky shit was that? What the fuck did I need to change in my life as a 10 year old straight A student (seriously, no peppering of B's, just A's) who was respectful and courteous to the people I dealt with, even the dumb fucks who I didn't respect? That was the nail in the coffin for me.

As far as I'm concerned, the beginning of the year is an arbitrary ass time to decide you are changing your life. Why didn't you make that change previously? Was it not important yet? Was your smoking problem not causing issues before Jan 1? Was it okay to lie excessively before Jan 1? Why not make the change at the start of your school year? Or why not at the start of your company's fiscal year? (okay, maybe not the company's fiscal year, but you get me) I just think it's strange, and, whatever the reasons people offer, it still boggles my mind a bit.

Now, this is no slight to those who have their yearly resolutions (especially if they actually stick to them), but it's just not something I can seriously get into. Whatever the case, have a happy, safe, and prosperous new year. :-D