Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty Implies that Blacks Were Happy Pre- Civil Rights << Hmmm let's take a look at this, shall we?

The latest buzz around the internet surrounds a Phil Robertson of a popular show called Duck Dynasty. He has been in the news for his views on homosexuality, (which laid grounds for a prompt suspension from the show) and now he's on notice for his views on Black people. He said the following about growing up in Louisiana around Blacks during the pre Civil Rights Era: "I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash. We're going across the field. ... They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, 'I tell you what: These doggone white people' -- not a word!" The CNN article mentions he also said the following via a quote from GQ Magazine: "Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues,"


Ok. Everyone is all up in arms regarding this statement that implies that Blacks were indeed happier without the "pre entitlement" and "pre welfare". Think about that for a minute. I mean really think about it. Sure this statement sounds like something that every White person said about Blacks during that time period. Of course Robertson would say that. I wonder what person thinks that the Blacks would indeed bare their soul to him or anyone like him during that time period. Speaking ills of their situation to the wrong person could get a person hurt and or killed. That being said, I would be very interested to hear stories told by the Blacks he used to work with. It may be possible that he could have glossed over any racial incidents that occurred during that time, because back then, anybody who dared to even think or attempted to question Jim Crow laws were subject to very harsh treatment, that which could include lynching, burning down homes, disappearing, and murder, and that's when jail time and/or beatings didn't work.


Now let's take a look at the other part of the quote that stood out for me: " I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash."


Think about this for a minute. He said he's with the Blacks because his family is White trash.

This implies that Whites get equated with Blacks if they are poor,hence the term "white trash". It seems that Whites really don't want to acknowledge their so called "trash", just as they don't want to acknowledge Blacks as a whole. They would just like to sweep them both under the rug and pretend they don't exist. I feel the issue that needs to be brought up is why so called, "White trash" is treated the same as a catch all for Blacks as a whole. Now if the NAACP was on their job, they should have brought this question to the forefront, and forced the question to be answered while it was all over the media. Then we can sit back and watch the responses, and the NAACP could cry foul depending on how the response is met.


What does one call Blacks that don't fit in the so called "trash" category? Is there a name for that? Does it exist? Then again, it seems there is a term for it. It's called "uppity".


I'm not defending this guy by a long shot. I'm just saying that whenever somebody says something like this, instead of just getting outraged, why don't we take the time to break it all the way down while it's in the spotlight? This way, one can see how the public responds to it, and then we can be the judge on how people react, and whether or not they are perceptive to truly addressing the issue.