The latest This Week in Blackness is titled “Black People and White People Are Different.” It’s based on the popular style of jokes that permeated the ’90s in comedy clubs across the country. You’ve probably heard some form of joke like, “White people talk like this, black people talk like that.” The interesting thing about the video title is that some people will become enraged and yell, “Ugh, you’re highlighting and promoting differences between races and this will do nothing more than to continue to heighten the tensions that already exist!” Others will respond with an emotionally flat, “Duh.” A weird byproduct of the post-racialization of America is the desire that some have to stomp out anything that sticks out as “other” between the races. When one points out differences in treatment or experiences (like I do, regularly) they’re immediately attacked and called a bigot or racist (like, well, here on this site, for example).
As people try to erase the differences between different races they end up saying really silly things. A great example of this is the “I don’t see color” meme. The point of this inane statement is to say that when they look at a person they see the content of their character not the color of their skin.
“Listen, if I saw that you were black I’d have all sorts of negative thoughts and ideas about you, but because I’m so above this I can’t even see that you are obviously a deep shade of Negro.”
The “I don’t see color” line is one of the most insulting and ridiculous things I hear from the mouths of both liberals and conservatives. You can’t see my “content” unless Google came out with yet another product that I’m not aware of (Content of Character Instant™). Personally, I want you to see my color. I’m black. In modern day America my “color” has shaped my experiences for better or worse. Most people of color don’t need you to look past said color and differences; we need you to not judge us based on those things.
The title “Black People and White People Are Different” might be misunderstood by some. They take it as “Blacks and whites are different and everyone else is the same” and that’s not what’s meant by it. Someone could write the headline “straight people and gay people are different” or “scientists and entertainers are different” and it would be equally as true. Our experiences create our perspectives and we live our lives based on our perspectives. The key is simply acknowledging that, as opposed to trying to say we’re the same. Two people in what some would call the exact same situation can have very different experiences based on their race, gender, sexuality or cultural background.
Please take a look at the latest episode of This Week in Blackness as I examine this a tad (read: way) further.
As of late, the sentiment that racism is over has been stated to me or friends of mine in numerous forms numerous times. And, as of late, this hasn’t come from other Negroes (which for a brief period in ’08 it did). This reoccurring phenomenon has often come from non-blacks in various stages of unrest due to our, ahem, “complaining.”
I’m always overjoyed when someone takes my observations about problems in our society due to race as complaining. It makes me feel like they care, you know? They care enough to take time out of their busy day to attempt to make me feel like crap. That’s amazing.
You do know that’s what you’re doing, right? When you start yelling/writing letters about the complaining Negroes it feels like a direct punch at anyone who might have noticed race-based issues in our country. You’re not speaking about some nameless dark horde seeking to conquer this nation via government programs.
You’re talking about me. My mother. My friends.
I always wonder what the speaker/writer of these words is hoping to accomplish with these statements. When they decide to explain to us that we just need to get over “it,” what’s the best-case scenario in their mind? Do they believe that the black person will have a moment of clarity? A sunbeam will break through the cloud of our discontent and we will suddenly have the insight of those who can see how racism is over? When you tell a Negro “get over it” are you expecting a hug afterward? The Negroes will shed tears of joy at their newfound enlightenment and go get a job? Inquiring minds want to know.
Well, just in case you thought any of those things, let me assure you: It won’t happen. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to marginalize the already marginalized and possibly get a glass of wine thrown at you — depending on your vicinity to said marginalized Negro.
White people saying “nigger.” That’s always pleasant, right?
White people saying “nigger” while minimalizing the feelings of racism? Even more pleasant. Like a massage. A really racist massage.
The drama that has been this past week’s news cycle due to someone simply expressing her right to free speech (if you go by Dr. Laura’s resignation interview on CNN) has once again brought race to the forefront of American media. The popular memes of “blacks can say it, why can’t whites?” and “No one should use the word!” are running rampant throughout the blogosphere. The underlying uncomfortableness of the discussion of “nigger” being in the everyday American vernacular comes from the underlying uncomfortableness of blacks being in everyday America.
The reason why whites can’t say “nigger” is because they (past tense they, relax) used this word when black people were enslaved, beaten and raped for hundreds of years. Then, when blacks were free, whites continued to use the word to highlight that we were not one of them and to clearly articulate the fact that many considered us to be less than human. Just a “nigger.”
So when the discussion of “nigger” usage rears its head, as it does every few years, we always get to have an interesting game of amnesia where some folks try to pretend they forget why the word is bad for Caucasian usage.
“I didn’t own slaves. Why should I be punished for what happened in the past?”
That’s one of my favorite lines. Apparently not being able to use the word “nigger” is some sort of punishment. This argument is used any time the legacy of slavery and oppression is discussed in America. “I didn’t do it” is looked at as some sort of impenetrable force field of righteousness. And let’s be honest: They’re right. “They” didn’t do it.
But America did.
And you, my friend, are American — or you chose to live in America and by American rules. You may not owe black people anything, but America surely does. America, contrary to Pat Buchanan, was built by black people. America owes its reign as a first-world country to the millions of blacks that died in slavery providing free labor so that this country could rise to the top of the global food chain. And we all know that America will never repay black Americans what they are actually owed, so to question policies and general rules of politeness because “you didn’t do it” is truly absurd. If America is at war you may be drafted. The rule that “whites shouldn’t say ‘nigger’” is just another aspect of being American.
I watch a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. Whether it be “Battlestar Galactica,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” or “Spartacus,” I’ve probably seen every episode and can argue minute points that really, really help me with the ladies. Regardless if it’s a battle set in the not too distant future or ancient Rome, the underlying concepts of these shows are all based on a common theme that people can relate to no matter what their background is: the battle between good and evil.
Now, we can sit and argue about “what’s good or evil” and get our philosophical game on, but that’s not my point at this moment. When I speak of good and evil it’s a pretty straightforward concept. Helping people? Good. Hurting people? Bad.
This is a simple rule that is often followed when telling stories. I realize in the 14-year-old portion of my brain I’m constantly in some sort of cosmic battle where I represent the side of righteousness against the horde of monsters. This is exactly how it plays out when I’m in line at the DMV. I’m fairly sure Voldemort or Sauron has specifically handpicked these particular workers to conquer my soul. Nine times out of 10 they totally win. But this is also how I approach race and politics.
When asked, “Where do you fall along the political spectrum,” I often answer, “I consider myself ‘anti-evil.’” When I see malicious attempts at hurting people I will often side with not hurting people. It’s weird, I know. I think stopping insurance companies from bankrupting families and denying healthcare is a good idea. I think maybe we shouldn’t racially profile Hispanics in order to deal with our immigration issue. Apparently this makes me a crazy socialist Nazi to some, but to me, I’m on the side of light.
I will continue fighting for what seems like obvious ways of helping: squashing stereotypes, speaking up against injustice, and, on occasion (read: all the time), mocking. If this was all playing out like some big-budget blockbuster movie my superpower would be sarcasm sprinkled with awesome snark. That’s how I cut down the forces that would rather marginalize my experiences and label me “caught up in race.” I will throw on my superhero hat, tilt it to the side, and happily tell someone to go fuck themselves for the betterment of society.
Making fun of evil is a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it, right?
The summer of 2009 was an interesting one for race in America.
Between Pat Buchanan being his usual batshit crazy self, the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation, a Philadelphia swimming club kicking a bunch of young black kids out due to their “changing the complexion” of the pool, and a host of other wacky nonsense I was fairly sure we were living in some of the worst times in the last few years of race. It would take some sort of powerfully magical spell cast upon America for it to become more racialized than things were last year.
Then came summer 2010.
I don’t know where to begin.
I honestly have spent most of this summer baffled, confused and insulted by virtually all race-related events/scandals. I’m constantly being told (on the Internet and by Fox News) that I (and most minorities and liberals) am somehow making everything about race. Due to my apparently progressive views I obviously want to demonize working-class whites.
“It’s not about race!”
Well, fine. You’ve convinced me, guys. It’s not about race. It’s about idiots. Idiots who want to ignore race and history in America. If it was simply about race we could talk about it. We could have this much-requested “national conversation on race with America” so that we could enlighten and move forward. We could share our differences in order to truly see how we are the same and have similar needs, wants and desires.
But it’s not about race.
It’s about a lack of understanding of how America’s incredibly fucked-up history has affected its people. It’s about praising the Founding Fathers as the pinnacle of political thought although they participated in one of American history’s greatest travesties, i.e., slavery. Tim Wise gave a speech at July’s Netroots Nation where he told the story of a poor white man who wrote him complaining that Wise doesn’t talk about the hardships for poor white America. He claimed that Tim Wise, who is an outspoken author and orator on race in America, seems to only focus on the black struggle and that Mr. Wise himself had forgotten about him and other struggling white Americans.
Tim then alerted him that maybe he should care about the black struggle as well. If it wasn’t for the racializing of public programs that would help him and other struggling whites in times of need perhaps there would be more help for all poor folks. Maybe if the term “welfare” wasn’t connected to brown skin then politicians wouldn’t campaign on policies that require leaving so many of the nation’s poor to fend for themselves in a country that is built for the haves, not the have nots.
But it’s not about race.
See? I’m totally going along with this thought process now! It’s not about race. It’s about horrendous politics. It’s about capitalizing on the fear of “other” whether that other be race, nationality or religion. It’s about Americans being delusional in how everyday life plays out. It’s about being completely oblivious to those who don’t have your life experiences. This isn’t a race thing. This is a failure to acknowledge the worst of our society’s actions and their systemic effect.
First, I have to wake up every morning and say a minimum of 68 “The White Man Is Evil” meditations, which is then immediately followed by my morning run (I have to be in shape … for the revolution). I take wide strides while listening intently to my Farrakhan and Rev. Wright mixtape. (Yes, there’s a mixtape.) Then I come home and sing Negro spirituals to remind myself that slavery happened. That way, when I run into white people (which I try not to, but it happens … like scurvy), I can be at maximum rage level and can scream at them for all the ills that are within the black community.
Some of you are thinking to yourself, “I knew it.” And to that special, very stupid group I say “calm the ‘eff down.”
People think I’m way more angry than I actually am. Am I annoyed at 95 percent of race and political news that I come across? Absolutely. But I’m not an angry militant. I’m just … observant. (Black Truth #7) I’m not looking for things to be pissed off about. I have never woken up in the morning and thought, “Ya know what I want? To complain about racism. MAN, that would be awesome.”
I much prefer to do silly things. I was slightly obsessive over my Kill/Death ratio on the XBox 360 game “Modern Warfare 2″ (I still suck.) I’m a big fan of the TV show “Chuck,” and I’ve threatened to throw my television out of the window if “Lost” ends badly. (Fool me once, shame on “Battlestar Galactica.” Fool me twice…) I enjoy regular old crap way more than discussing race. Of the top three things that I want to do in a day, discussing race and politics is never in the mix. Know what makes me happy?
Brunch.
Yes. I brunch (verb). I love the look of confusion on people’s faces (black or white) when I first tell them that. (It’s almost as if you can see their eyes saying “Does he know he’s a 6-foot, 200+ pound Negro? You guys don’t do that.”) (Black Truth #6)
But it’s true. Salmon carpaccio, a medium rare cheeseburger, and a mimosa at 2 in the afternoon is what I like to call “perfect.” I often mix my bursts of outrage on Twitter with random boasts of Brunching Hard. To some this is really confusing. You can’t rage against the machine and then immediately post a ridiculous boast of brunching aptitude with a Twitpic of food! KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES IN ORDER.
Nonsense.
To stay embroiled continuously in debate over the deep-rooted issues in this country is to say, “I don’t want to laugh unironically, ever.” I can’t sign up for that. I tell people who read my posts that they’ll have to absorb some hip-hop references, geektastic mentions, and some brunch bragging to deal me. I’ve even taken it to another level. I recorded the following video as an ode to my brunch love. A bit of hometown pride mixed into one of the silliest yet most enjoyable things I’ve produced to date. Please take a look at the official music video of “We Brunch Hard.” I hope you enjoy it.
Now if you will excuse me, I have to go stare menacingly at white babies.
Elon James White on "This Week in Blackness" 
