Inspired by a recent post by Beauty Addict, I spent some time browsing PostSecret recently. It’s one of my favorite sites — favorite ideas, really. Just that anyone with something deeply buried can share it with the world. I came across this one.
That’s how I felt, too.
Growing up in the Caribbean — where more or less everyone is a shade of brown, and where my people identify themselves as “Trini” rather than Afro or Indo anything first — it’s easy to really believe in a true, happy melting pot. As I got older, the blinders fell away.
The racism in Trinidad exists, although nothing shocks me quite like American-in-your-face prejudice.
But still, even as a 27 (almost 28) year old woman living in a part of America where again, more or less everyone is a shade of brown (whether or not they want to acknowledge it), I sometimes let myself still believe that racism isn’t as rampant as I suspect it is. That we really have come a long way since the Civil Rights movement, and equality isn’t a distant light at the end of a dark tunnel, it’s practically here.
Then I’ll read something like this, which I saw on The Drudge Report yesterday: MLK Party Causes Uproar on Texas Campus.
Students at Tarleton State University hosted a party in which white students dressed up in the most stereotypically black costumes. The photos on The Smoking Gun tell the whole story. Revelers came “wearing gang apparel and Afro wigs, carrying malt liquor, handguns, and fried chicken, and even one woman dressed as Aunt Jemima.”
I am not a violent person… but seeing this girl pose with her 40 in hand, wearing her costume made me want to smack the smile off her face.
I saw this douchebag in his “I Love Chicken” teeshirt, and it made me so angry.
I was upset when I had first seen the Ms. Peachez video for Fry That Chicken, that my own people would produce these kind of embarrassing images. But the message I got from the Texas college MLK party cuts so much deeper down than that, I mean, even that “black people do it so why can’t I?” defense (that I noticed came up a lot during the Michael Richards incident) can’t excuse this kind of stupidity.
There is no excuse for picking out an old-school mammy Aunt Jemima costume, given the history of that particular advertising icon.
Still, one of the students tried to explain the rationale for the event: He “noted that the party was started a few years earlier “because one of best friends is black or African American, whichever you deem politically correct, to be his day not to dishonor him.” He added, “So I do apologize if you felt any disrespect because none was intended.“” Then he took the photos down from his Facebook page, and “stated that the party was not meant to be “racist or discriminating.””
Oh, well that certainly cleared everything up. That ol’ “some of my best friends are black” card sure comes in handy. Funny how there apparently aren’t any black people at the party, though.
Sometimes it feels like race relations are progressing, and there are honest attempts to heal old wounds. I was pleased to see that 71-year-old Klansman get arrested for his crimes forty years ago. But these party photos are the images of regression, and they are other clear indications that something is still rotten with race relations here.
They’re trying to roll back the hands of time in Fulton County, Georgia — the white part of the suburbs are pushing for secession from the impoverished black neighborhoods. So much for the illusion of integration there.
This goes back to my MLK Day post, how much longer do we have to dream?
I’m not sure how many of you know the expression I used as the title here, we say it a lot in my family and my American husband had never heard it before. “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”
Wishing and hoping and praying hasn’t gotten us far. I think the time for us to wish and dream is over. I believe that it’s up to us to make positive changes, to dispel this kind of ignorance. But — and I want to hear from black and white readers, here — honestly, what can we do to make things better?
I was disheartened too when I read about this party over at racialicious.com. It is deeply disturbing to me that a part of a generation of youngsters who (for the most part) grew up in intergrated schools and were exposed to “diversity” and “multi-culturalism” since they were tiny tots are rebelling against it in such disgusting ways. This kind of subversive/post-ironic/hipster/’PC-backlash’racism is at the very least pitiful, and at its worst, destructive. They know exactly what they are doing, but they wink and nod, telling you that you are the one with the problem because you are upset–portraying it as though they were merely playing dress-up and anyone who diagrees with it is the “No Fun Police”. Add this to the negative portrayals in the media (oft-times perpetuated by us) and the disregard of history and no wonder you have things like this happen.
I believe that education and activism are keys in changing society. Obviously, this college bunch have no concept of “higher learning”.
As a college student, a born and bred southerner, and as current Texan I was disgusted. I saw the report on this last night on ABC. The “well I have a black friend” excuse does not cut it with me and has worn its self thin.
I live in North Texas in the Dallas Ft Worth metroplex, the metroplex encompasses dallas Ft Worth and a bunch of surrounding suburbs. There is this suburb within Dallas called Highland Park. Now this area it one of the richest areas in North Texas and there is nothing but white families that live there. So at Highland Park High School they have had what they called gangster day where they dressed up in grills and other sterotypical black attire. Then they had one day at the school where kids came dressed up at an inmate, gardeners, maids, and other outfits that mocked the hispanic and black workers.
The funny thing is I grew up in North and South Carolina, hot beds of racism and discrimination since colonial times when they began to use slave labor to grow, cotton, rice and indigo and long before America even thought of breaking away from the crown. These states have a much longer and much more sordid racial history than Texas. I never saw outright racism or experienced any personally until I moved to Texas my junior year of high school. It seemed like everytime I turned on the TV there was some kind of racial issue going on with either blacks or hispanics here in TX.
My thing is some white folks will sit up in your face and laugh and when they get behind closed doors they mock blacks and thier culture.I don’t think every white person is like that as a matter of fact one of my best friends is what. As they saw a few rotten apples can spoil the whole bunch, that is how I see this situation. It is situations like this that make blacks suspicious of whites. I hope proper and immediate action is taken against these students.
not only are they dumb enough to participate in these parties, but they took pictures and posted them.they will never live this down.
What the white people did at this party is disrespectful, but, it is not suprising and definitely nothing new. I can’t even be angry. My view is F*** what white peope think or anyone else for that matter. The truth is black/brown people are still at the bottom of the social class and that will probably continue to be for my life time. Of course as it is said time and time again, black people have no unity for a number of reasons. But, I think black people should organize to build our OWN people up, so black people can become a dominate force in society. Our dollar power and unity will only then be a force to be reckoned with. We can’t expect white peope to do it because they are going to worry about what they can relate to and that is definitely not the plight of black people in our society! Right now hip hop is our leader of black men and that is even watered down because White People control it. So yes, I believe we do need another leader for our people, that white people will sabatoge and eventually kill. But this time when a leader is killed black people need to have there own army to fight back. We do need another vision, and more action to elevate our race. Oh and yes black people and comedians talk about what we do as a race. Comedy is the funny and intimate portrayal of life. As black people we laugh WITH each other, even if the laughter masks pain. You KNOW when another party or race of people is laughing AT you and that makes a big difference.
This whole thing also reminds me a lot of Borat, and those frat boys who tried to sue Sasha Baron Cohen after the film exposed their racism. I know part of the change has to be on our end, improving the way we present ourselves in music, film, publishing, media. But for every positive change, it feels like there is an equally negative incident to offset the shifting balance.
On the one hand, it does sting to see people who don’t look like me dress up in something they think would portray me. On the other, why should it hurt any less when someone who sort of favors me (Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, etc) puts on a fat suit and a dress and pretends to be something they should be familiar with (black women) in a disturbing way? I don’t know what sparked the new trend of “let’s pretend we’re black” parties, but these kids are not more integrated than a Abercrombie & Fitch catalog — the ones I know who have participated went to prominent majority schools and all had the same black friend who bent over backwards not to be “one of those black guys”. Unfortunately, I think the schools’ responses to these parties create more backlash than they do understanding. The only solution I’ve ever known to work was having an open and honest dialog with my white friends when they did something stupid, but that’s a very limited solution.
this really ties into the media, and the previous post.there needs to be a balance in the images,then when these things happen we can say, out of all the images of Black people that’s the one they chose,instead of well that’s all they see so that’s what they chose. does that make sense? i just don’t know Bella.
Don’t these kids have anything better to do with their time? It’s sad because these are the leaders of tomorrow. They should know better.
Bella,
Question for you.. I noticed that on some websites Trinidadians are referred to as Afro or Indo Trinindadian. Is that a new phenomenon or is it an Americanization of the term. I know there are racial issues in TT, but it seems that all of consider themselves to be TT. My hubby is from Trinidad, and he says that the split terms are silly, and no one uses them. He grew up there,and graduated from high school there.
I will have to find out about Jamaica, where I am from, because everyone is considered Jamaican for the most part.
AppleDiva, your hubby is right! I think those are divisive terms, and we definitely didn’t grow up using them. A Trini is a Trini is a Trini. But recently — and I will attribute this to Americanization because everything you guys do here eventually trickles over to the rest of the world — I’ve noticed people labelling themselves “Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian.” But those terms are new to me and I don’t know anyone who actually uses them.
I think this is a trend that I have noticed lately with alot of my ‘white’ friends or those who can pass. I mean recently in the UK, an indian actress on Big Brother was bullied by her white housemates specifically for being ‘ethnic’ ie. eating with her hands, bleaching her facial hair.. things to her which are quite normal. Now that raised alot of debate in the UK. However I noticed as an outsider,in debate with friends some have been quick to say that people of color are so sensitive. However I feel that we are the first generation (30 and below) who are quite unsure how to deal with racism because its underlying. I know when someone is categorically making me feel “otherised” however how I confront is quite PC..you often wonder is it cultural ignorance??? I dont just some of my thoughts on the subject.
Btw in highschool, I also had a school mate who dressed up as buckwheat..complete with black face paint…really struck me as f****D up..cause i wouldnt ever consider coming in with a painted white face and say i am a white person.
The reason why these incidents, and the many other incidents that occur everyday in this country that we will never hear about, MUST outrage every US citizen with a nonracist perspective is very simple. These “black face/cooning†parties create an atmophere that dehumanizes those that they mock. Yes, as an educated black women who does not fit these stereotypes, maybe I should be upset that some black people act in a way that makes theselves vulnerable to racist imitation but, that would be equal to “blaming the victimâ€. So, let me give you an example as to why this behavior is unacceptable.
Last year in Florida, the state where I live, a young boy died while in the custody of the FL Sheriff’s Dept at a bootcamp for juveniles. At first, the medical examiner released an autopsy that the boy died from “sickle cell trait†that was aggrevated by the physical activities he had participated in prior to his collapse. The M.E. came to this conclusion, even after viewing a tape of the boy prior to his death, that shows him being chocked, punched, kicked and kneed, by several sheriffs. It was later concluded that the boy died from extremed dehydration and exphyxsia. His death has since been ruled a homicide and those involved will be on trial in the near future.
Why is the above story an example of the effects of this supposed innocuos behavior, by proprted friends of minorities, you may ask? Well, b/c, i f these “innocent†prejudices did not exist, we, as a just society, would not think it OK to try to cover up the death of a CHILD. Whether that child was a gangbanger, whose pants hung down to hes ankles with a mouth full of gold is NOT relevant. He life is/was VALULABLE and he did not deserve to die like an animal and have gov’t employees try to convince his mother that it was genetic.We continue in this society to value white life over black/brown life b/c of acts like those that took place in TX and CT. Another example would be the mother in CA, who had been hospitilized for mental disorders, told her case worker she was going to harm her children, ended up killing them, being sentenced to prison. While another mother in TX with no history of being hospitilized for mental disorders, no threats to anyone the day she killed her children, gets a new trial, is sentenced to a hospital and could, possibly, be out in less than 10 years.
It is important as good citizens that we do not allow this type of behavior to go unchecked. If I feel I can mock you with out reprise, why will I care if you are mudered, mistreated, abused or in any way victimized? The answer is I will not.
Just sayin…
Damn, those kids are ignorant m*****f******, this is one of many reasons why i am so disappointed with people of my race(white). These kids disgust me and make me sad to think that this is the generation that is going to be in charge one day,( not in my country if i can help it)! These kids think its funny to prolong stereotypes and they think putting on a bandana and wearing some gold teeth is portaying themselves as black. These kids are so far past help, i think they will be prejudice and dumb for the rest of their life. I knew people like this when i was in junior high, they would tell racist jokes, make ridiculous stereotypical statements that they truly believed and would constantly use racist epitaphs. They mostly learned this hateful speech from their parents or grandparents, which is the basis of the problem. Schools in my area, at least, probably spent about 20 min out of all three years of junior high to talk about slavery and the civil rights movement. The fact that our country(government) has never really apologized or had open discussions about slavery or the brutal civil rights era could be why our youth feel it is ok to be prejudice and disrespect other races. The fact that in recent years we have had people in congress who have had ties to the KKK doesnt show our youth that we as a people abhor racists. Most of these kids are hateful and think that what they are doing is okay, this racism must stop! If these pictures had never made it in the news they would probably be having their party again next year doing the same thing. The only time we ever see apoligies is when someone gets caught, its ridiculous! It’s time to sit down and talk to these kids about why they thought this way (after they get their a** kicked, of course) not just get an apology and then send them on their way to do it again or to breed their hatred in the workplace when they get older. I wish i knew what we could do to make things better, I think communication is the only answer. Conversations between all races with open honesty.
White guy perspective here (American / Cuban) who grew up in Miami, FL. Certainly this extremely complicated issue, one that is often deep rooted from how we grew up. I remember being a kid (I’m talking a very impressionable age like 7 to 10 years old) and watching shows like The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, etc on TV only to be ridiculed by my “oldschool” Cuban babysitter (my single mother was always working to make a better life for me) in an obvious disapproving tone to turn off all these shows with the “Negritos”. She never understood why I was always watching these shows. Being so young, I didn’t look at Bill Cosby as being Black, I just thought he was funny. With comments here and there from my babysitter I learned that I must be different from Blacks. So over time, although I harbored no ill feelings toward Blacks, whenever I went anywhere I was consciously aware of (and still am) when I see a black person that they are different from me.
In junior high, going to a Christian school, there were no shortage of your mama, fat, Jew, Black jokes etc. I have certainly been guilty of falling into this as well. The thing is, as I got older and matured, being an intelligent person, I realized that such things are divisive and plain wrong. I learned that there are good and bad people from every race and to judge people on the “content of their character.” I had to deprogram myself from my upbringing.
Even till this day, now that I am in my late twenties, every once in a while a friend of mine will throw out a “how’s it going nigga??” or more rare an actual offensive Black joke.
Now here is the important part, my suggestion for those Whites who would like to do their part to have racism end. When someone you know or even don’t know someone who throws out a “nigga”, Black joke, etc, you need to step up and tell them not to say such things, that such things are wrong, for them to please not say it again, especially around you.
Standing up can be very difficult to do. Especially against a friend, it can be easy to let a remark slide. Usually, your friend will understand where you are coming from and don’t really mean anything bad by it. Sometimes though, they will tell you to remove the stick from your ass. Nonetheless, this is a healthy and necessary confrontation. And if they have a problem with it, you should really question whether you should even be friends with them.
Another suggestion for everyone here, is to just be nice to each other, and treat each other with respect. Be cool. And that with every positive interaction between Whites and Blacks and whoever else, we take a step further in the right direction.
One of my favorite stories that my mother has told, is one about when she first arrived to the United States from Cuba. It was the early 60s when in Florida there was still separate water fountains for Blacks and Whites, even different beaches. There was a growing tension between Cubans and Blacks because with the sudden influx of Cubans, they where taking a lot of jobs away from Blacks in the area. Well, my mother, still a teenager, was driving late at night, when suddenly her car broke down. She didn’t know what to do and at the time could barely speak english. All of the sudden She became absolutely terrified as she saw three huge Black guys approach her. As the story goes, they pushed my mom’s car to their shop around the corner and fixed her car free of charge. This interaction had a powerful positive impact on my mother. Obviously, we don’t need to render services for free, but with each positive interaction we all have with each other, the more progress there is and the better things become.
I’ll tell you this, my generation is crucial to the future of race relations. My kids definitely will not hear any anti-Black sentiment from me like I received from my babysitter. I’m happy to see my sister raising her children right. I see the differences. My nieces and nephews certainly have less prejudices than my sister and I had to deal with.
In wrapping up here, I think we all have come a long way. I don’t deny that we still face major challenges, but I am optimistic about our future if we all just do our part.
E-Fresh, daps to you. I enjoyed reading your post. We must break the cycle. Thanks again for sharing your story. 😀
I’m saddened but not surprised by the behavior of these clueless individuals – this is what people do, find someone, anyone, to mock in order to feel better about themselves. I agree wholeheartedly with E-Fresh’s suggestions. White folks need to check white folks on their racism (as should any race when it’s own kind is being ignorant). I also think that we underestimate the impact that day-to-day interactions have. We all know the golden rule but not enough of us consistently practice it. Treat others with the respect that you’d like to be treated – simple advice, but obviously not easy for many folks…
Many years ago, before I was born, someone put out a book or article (I forget, and for obvious reasons, I don’t really want to Google it) titled “The Negro Problem in America.” In response, Ebony magazine put out an article whose title was printed in white text on a black cover: “The WHITE Problem In America.”
Racism is a WHITE problem. I don’t care what anybody else thinks or says…race relations will not be improved in this country until WHITE PEOPLE start to take responsibility for the problems we continue to have.
One way white people can work to change race relations is to admit and acknowledge that WHITE PRIVILEGE IS REAL and that THEY ALL benefit from it in some way, and they do so at the expense of people of color. The fact that some whites dare to equate injustices with statements like “If it’s okay for them to call each other the n-word, why can’t I use it?” and “I’m a victim of reverse racism!” is a testament to how BLIND they are to this privilege. There’s an entire branch of studies dedicated to this (whiteness and white privilege) and a simple Google search will reveal a lot. GET EDUCATED about what race and racism really is about in this country.
Researching white privilege, and coming face to face with it, will undoubtedly engender guilt in white folks. Pay attention: GUILT IS NOT ENOUGH. You can cry yourself to sleep every night, but if you wake up the next morning and keep on pretending that nothing serious is happening, you’re part of the problem. Pay attention to all the ways in which white superiority and supremacy is implemented in American society. Look at the media. Look at where you live. And then ask yourself how you can effect change within your circles of influence. And this is where E-Fresh’s suggestion comes in…and it’s just a start. It requires you to be unpopular, and you probably will be called names, but those who talk the talk about equality for all will have the courage and fortitude to bear the stigma of (gasp!) actually walking the walk. And think about this: You will be walking in the shoes of the courageous white folks who fought for equal rights for all races before you. Maybe this should be called a New-Age Civil Rights Movement…one led by whites, for whites. Actually, it already exists: it’s called the antiracism movement. Google it. Check it out. Do you have the nerve?
Okay, just so you know, I’m a writer, and since I can’t edit my previous post, I’ll just do it here. What I meant to say was:
Those who talk the talk about equality for all SHOULD have the courage and fortitude to bear the stigma of (gasp!) walking the walk.
Much better. 🙂
I am appaled by the behaviour of these students but as someone else postes previously noto actually surprised in any way – ignorance is so prevalent these days…
A lot can be said about the way race relations are going but i believe that whether you’re black, white, cuban or something else, the key attitude of intelligent folk needs to be responsability. Blacks ( & others of course) need to understand that when we behave in a foolish way we are not catering to anything else but the stereotypes of ingorant people.
The burden of transmission is upon the non racists of this world ( this situation is not America -Centric unfortuantely) – we need to explain & transmit to people around us ( the younger generation especially) why we are each responsible for the way our communities are portrayed but also experienced.
If we do this on an individual scale, the dream cannot help but become a reality but how many are willing? This is the question…
This country has a legacy of racism that will not go away soon. The best thing that we can do is to know who we are and embrace our own heritage. I am not offended by the stereotypical parties and images because I know that I came from greatness. Actually, I find white racists’ignorance rather amusing.
Proof that while race relations in the US and in the world at large for that matter have come a long way, we still have a long way to go before the journey will be complete.
As I tell anyone who comes down to live in the south when they comment about race and the racial divide etc. they see, “Welcome to the place where you are reminded Where you truly live.” Racism is alive and well and breeding idiots. In the south, from Georgia to Texas and everywhere in between you cannot hide from it. It lives and breathes in your face on the daily. This time they got caught. This time they got embarassed. Trust, somewhere in Dixie somebody is saying, doing and behaving in a way that does not benefit or respect people of color, and is doing whatever it is in the folks face on the daily!! I will keep working for a better tomorrow by volunteering and speaking up and pointing out racist terms etc. and I hope others start looking into ways that they can assist as well. We have a long way to go, that is true, but if we all do something towards the problem it will get the attention it needs to be dealt with and hopefully some day eradicated.
something else to think about is how we(Black folk)talk about each other in the presence of people from other cultures. many of the assumptions people come to is followed by, a Black person told me, so it must be true. some of the myths i’ve had to debunk is, Black people don’t do winter sports, Black women can’t grow long hair,ebonics is the official language of Black folks, Black folks don’t swim,Black men can’t be gay,all Black people listen to rap music,as Black women get older we all get fatter. the sad part is that a Black person told them this, and they take this misinformation back to their communities and pass it on as truth.
Coffy, once again I have to cosign with your post. Its difficult for me to get really angry at the pictures because I visit many websites/blogs on the web and you see many of “our” sites depicting the exact same foolishness. You will also read post where “we” are telling people “what is and what ain’t black culture”. So, I’m not surprised at all. We seem to fool ourselves into thinking just because many of the races are sleeping together that we really understand and respect each other.
@Honee, there are many lurkers on “our” sites, and they are not from our community,and the info they take back is not beneficial to us and only confirms stereotypes. which is why i feel i have to contribute on some sites, to educate us and the lurkers.
I saw this and I noticed that a lot of the kids (males) who typically dress in blackface and emulate blacks are members of the Kappa Alpha fraternity…I looked up the racially charged incidences at campuses across the US and this fraternity is responsible for a large number of them. This fraternity in my opinion is nothing more than an ivy league KKK, their charter should be revoked and they should be banned from ALL college campuses.
Hi Bella,
I just wanted to make the observation that that girl is very young and obviously not of any AfAm heritage. That girl (and most likely the majority of other white young ‘uns )doesn’t know anything but that she likes Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup and that red checkered fabric is cheap and looked cute on her. the 40 is the insult. unless of course, she’s just drinking the 40. then it becomes a misdemeanor,instead 😉
Anyway- i guess my point, in how to help bring about positive change , would be Education education education…(in SCHOOLS-relate that black history-all year round not just during a certain month.- , in community, at home (ONE WOULD HOPE!) but also intermingled with some understanding that a LOT of (YOUNG)white ppl don’t have a clue about old-tyme racism. the racism they are dealing with is evenly distributed, meaning black ppl can be just as racist as white ppl can be, now.
when you see someone like that,all young and stupid, maybe some concern for their ignorance and some gentle help in educating them about how hurtful they are being , would go a lot farther than Hating them,just cuz you THINK they are hating you. how you ,or any other black person (and not racist whites ) relates and deals with her is going to have a lot more influence than some stupid kids at a frat party.
(that shit should NOT be allowed on campus, tho. That is the OUTRAGE right there. the party planners should have been punished, i hope they were.)
you just gotta realize.. 9 outta 10 she ,personally, is most likely not thinking about you or any other black person.
i mean Lookit Her.. she’s 17 yo. she’s there, hanging with her (loserface)friends(one of whom prolly handed her that bottle-i’ll bet-look at her eyes. she knows shes being inappropriate, somehow),but she just wants to drink that beer, which will get her plowed, so she can loosen up and get herself …uh, plowed(laid).
if it makes you feel any better ,she prolly got grounded for staying out too late. 😛
~Laurie
k. i went and looked at the partypics. (i found you,Bella, btw-google-searching waxed eyebrows,of all things…- Whoopie’s pic came up and clicked on it -and now i’m here instead of doing my house work,like i should be :P.)
aaanyway… you can almost tell by those pics who’s racist and who is just trying to “be Cool” for the day. Chicken shirt man should be taken out and shot. he’s a poison pill,the dungarees guy offended me ,too, for some reason.. and some others.. , but alot of the pics look like it’s kids just trying to pretend they’re actually hip ,if only for one night. if you looked at it that way, you might even find a(albiet,offhanded)bit of a compliment out of some of the shots. one of the boys looked like he wished he could be like that (all hangin cool and on the downlow… ) forever.
white ppl have stereotypes, too,ya know. You could throw your own party. all you’d have to do is get a bunch of your friends to put on some mullet wigs and walk around with a stick up their ass. LOL. sorry…
ok. so now i AM being an ass. 🙂 – but just try not to take things too personally. not all fauxpaux are created out of malice.
my 2c
I personally- from what i’ve seen- think that, as a general rule ,Black ppl are much more family and community oriented than white ppl. OMG EVEN the hardest core Rappers will say something like” if my randmother ever saw me with a skull tattoo she’d whoop my butt.” I think that’s great!! big ole tuff guys worrying about what their grandma thinks…i love it:D
and if i were born black. i kNOW i would have been religious. Black Ppl have the BEST EVER church services. The denominations in this area have such a nice time. they dress up really nice, you can hear singing and laughing coming from inside. it’s a sunday visit of love ,not obligation.
I think Black ppl enjoy life a bit more fully and some of those kids are just trying to EMULATE -You know-try on a different pair of shoes for the day- and yes some are “jealous’ and some are just plain assholes. but i hope it’s mostly the former, i truely do.
k one more thing, then i’ll be on my way… i don’t care for the term african american. it ends up being a catch all.. and not every dark skinned person comes from africa. it’s foolish. it’s also like saying they are a subdivision of americans. they don’t go around calling whiteppl Euro-Americans,do they? no. if you are in America(and didn’t hop a fence or build a boat out of a truck-now THAT WAS ingenuity. they shoulda let those guys stay.- to get here)
you’re an AMERICAN ,end of story.
peace,Laurie
PS..You just Know it was chickenshirt bought the kfc and put the beer in those bags. i’d like to kick his ass.
11Good site!!!!!
N
True confession- I ended up here after searching “Aunt Jemima costume.” We named our daughter Jemimah after Job’s daughter in the Bible, but everyone thinks we named her after the pancakes. She’s 6 months old and I’m planning on hamming it up and putting her in an Aunt Jemima kercheif for Halloween.
I am part black, but it doesn’t show and hasn’t affected me much culturally, so admittedly I have not faced much racial discrimination. I do live in a very urban, diverse area where my dearest neighbors are black, Puerto Rican and Pakistani, my pastor is black, and his wife is Chinese, so at the very least I have been witness to a lot of things.
I am so sad for the decent black people I know who are burdened by these awful stereotypes, and frankly by awful statistics. Black crime is such a reality where I live, that most people in the city are racist- even blacks and hispanics. My black next-door neighbor, who takes impeccable care of his property and looks out for us as well, has lived there for decades and says the neighborhood went down when it turned black. I know highly professional black women who won’t date black men, and black women who cross they street when they see a strange black man approaching. I once heard a black guy ask the Chinese guy who runs our corner store, “YOU SPEAKIE ENGLISH???” We’re all racist around here! I fight racism every day in my own heart, because I do NOT want it to poison my thoughts about the black people I love and respect.
This Texas party sounds like it was way over the top, white kids laughing “at” rather than “with” their “black friend” (is his name Token? Does he occasionally cameo on South Park?). At the same time, I think there is a lot of geniuine humor out there that is based on racial differences (Chris Rock is brilliant; Eddie Murphy’s White Man is pretty hilarious too). I’m mostly Irish and can’t help but laugh at jokes about the alcoholism, women with 16 children, lack of birth control, evil nuns in the Catholic schools, even potato famine and the Catholic priest sex abuse scandals… if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry (or hang ourselves). Humor has been an Irish way of survival for centuries, so I find it hard to begrudge other ethnic groups a bit of biased humor. And to tell the truth, I am relieved when I meet black or hispanic people who are comfortable making the occasional racial joke, because it eases the tension that I feel as a white person, not wanting to offend anyone. As they say in Avenue Q, “Everbody’s racist, so relax”. Call me crazy, but I think when people make racial jokes that everyone can laugh at together, it’s a step towards healing. The difference is a level of mutual respect. My husband and I make fun of each other all the time and it’s ok because we love each other… if racial humor could be like that, it would be totally different.
Just want to say God Bless to all the lovely people here who are fighting every day to change the stereotypes and overcome the racial discrimination. I hope things get better.
The song they dropped on TI’s album was Swagga like
us. The very basic and simple traffic light to stop and admit cars onto
the California freeways is just a tiny step and a view of the future.
You have just constructed a very basic paper airplane.
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