I thought I'd write something light, since I've been so serious lately. I'm going to tell you a true story: When I was a kid, I was a turbo nerd in the city of St. Louis, MO. I was interested in the idea of aliens. I watched Sightings. I never missed an episode of X Files. I watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I wanted to be able to experience a UFO sighting. I wanted to be an alien research scientist. In between discussing the latest episodes, my friend and I used to actually try to find all of the constellations, and other parts of the galaxy but since my eyesight was so poor, the only things I could actually see were the big dipper, and The Milky Way on occasion. I enjoyed the hell out of it anyway despite my lack of corrective lenses, and my frustration with not being able to find any of the other constellations. But here's the thing: I couldn't get into Star Trek like that. My first experience with Star Trek was with the very first episodes with Nyota Uhura. I liked the idea of her being on the show, but later I figured out the following when it came to science fiction: These mother fuckers are traveling all across the galaxy, meeting all kinds of extra terrestrial life forms, they talk to them, eat their food, trade goods, and in some stories, have sex with them (Babylon 5, cough cough), but they couldn't handle the possibly of an actual Black person doing anything more that being an intergalactic secretary when portrayed on television. And when she kissed the captain, all hell broke loose. Folks want to say that was a groundbreaking thing that took the TV by storm a very long time ago, but they gloss over how people are still getting killed for being in interracial relationships to this day.
These mother fuckers took the time to write these imaginary shows where all kinds of leaps and bounds have been crossed and conquered, but let a Black person become a character in their books, then all hell breaks lose. They can't handle Black stormtroopers. They can't handle anybody Black in their imaginary worlds because that's not how they imagined the character in the book that gets portrayed in the movies. They get bent out of shape regarding the portrayal of Black characters that don't even exist in real life. But a Black James Bond is simply out of the question????? But White washing history is fine (Gods of Egypt)?
Are these people's heads so so far up their own asses and are they living that far in their own head that they can't see the levels of bullshit they're on?
They have enough imagination to create a whole genre of books, movies, etc, where things are so advanced, and they've moved so far along. They can fuck aliens. And not any real aliens, but creatures they made up in their heads. But let a Black person show up and they threaten to boycott the movie because the storm trooper was Black. Click the link and read the page. You'll have to do a bit of scrolling in order to connect the images with the theories listed. You see how bizarre that is? That shit looks like some sort of intergalactic fetish porn or something. I mean, really. Don't get me wrong. I'm not mad at them at all. It's incredibly hilarious if you look at it in the right light. I'm not interested in being included in their fantasies like that. I just find it funny that all of the leaps and bounds they go through to create such worlds where they get to experience all of these things, and meet all kinds of beings, but they act like Black people can't exist on the current planet they inhabit. And if they do exist, they are on some extra limited shit. I mean, Black people can't even build pyramids because it had to be some sort of advanced civilization that did it. And it couldn't have been a Black one so it must have been aliens.
Life is such a rich tapestry. These motherfuckers is crazy and all the way out to lunch...Gawd Damn! And that's why I don't really mess with science fiction and fantasy like that. The sky is nice and all, and Babylon 5 does alright, but that fascination I had when I was a kid is surely gone.
*No shade being thrown to anybody who is Black and into astronomy. I know how some people do. Don't try to mix me up with that "flat earth bullshit." I'm still for the actual study of all sciences. Even if deep down, I think the only reason people want to travel to different planets is because once they finish fucking this one up, they'll busy the poor with the task of cleaning up their messes while they peace out and take their money with them only to complete their next conquest. And shoutout to Nyota. Because representation matters. That is all.
Come to think about it, respectability politics has many many nooks, crannies, valleys and pockets that a lot of people haven't even examined. Here's my take on it.
When we think about respectability politics, we automatically think of people with professional careers like Dr. Huxtable (Bill Cosby's character), Don Lemon, Ben Carson, and (for the better or worse) Stacey Dash. We think about the rhetoric that comes out of their mouths. We think about Black on Black crime, clothing, jobs church, Martin Luther King, ...well, you get the point. But I see the following:
Nobody actually takes a look at how harmful respectability politics are. They condition people to beg for respect under certain circumstances. It's more of a "Am I doing it right? See my clothes, I speak 'properly', and I denounce anything remotely Black. I'm good, right?"
And I say GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! to all of that and I say that we should re condition ourselves to demand respect by not begging for it. I say we should actually look at all possible avenues respectability politics tends to invite itself into.
Take the older generation. Some of them are firm believers in the 'begging for respect' avenue. They are so into it that they talk all kinds of crap about those who aren't like them. This creates the "I'm better than you because :
I dress better than you
I make more money than you
I look better than you
I speak more eloquently than you
I'm smarter than you" argument.
They do it openly and gratuitously to the point where kids pick it up. They will imitate it in various ways. The older person might be on the phone talking about what "This (insert derogatory name) did" how, "he/she ain't shit." The kids will not only look down on people they feel are inferior to them, they will do two things:
KILL each other, or
become a "special snowflake".
When I say "special snowflake" I'm talking about the Don Lemons and those who talk bad about people who they think don't fit their idea of whose worthy of their attention and who isn't.
This is why same Black people say disparaging remarks about other Black people, and they may do this in White spaces as well in order to distance themselves from the rest of "the others". This is also why a lot of young Black people kill each other. It's because they see another Black person and they treat them like their rival. It's also the same as why some corporate Black people (that list of folks I mentioned earlier) will spend time throwing salt at other types of Black people they feel who fit their idea of inferiority. There are two forms of death mentioned, one verbal and one physical. Enter "The Dirty Dozens" here. It was supposed to be a fun game where each jokester uses language in order to demean the other person. Each person takes a turn, and tries to one up the other with the funniest joke about their opponent. Now I've played this game, as long as it was clear that it was a game and not something to be used to insult another person and make them feel inferior. But this game was also used to hurt people, or verbally kill someone. I suspect the hurting comes from the type of argument I mentioned above.
Needless to say, this is a generational problem. Respectability politics have been carried around since its inception, and it's very toxic. It needs to be completely removed from our teachings and lessons. The older generations really need to quit dragging down other Black people and passing it on to their kids. This is why the kids kill each other. This is why we have some Black people:
being so willing to sell each other and themselves out by dry snitching on themselves and friends
writing entire raps about killing other Black people
are disrespecting the women
are completely ignoring the efforts of Black women in favor of Black men (inside and outside the corporate setting)
scrutinize other Blacks who are trying to start businesses
hate those who are poor or not as "attractive" as them
define who is a "real nigga" or "the baddest bitch"
Not only that, they are doing a lot of these things in order to be liked, or in order to get money; from Clarence Thomas to any mainstream rapper that surprised some of us regarding how they got signed. But here's the thing: I get it, we need money. All people invested in capitalism need money regardless of their race. But at what cost are we willing to go there in order to get it?
Solutions, you ask? Well here it is. I think we need to divorce ourselves from respectability politics all together. We need to break up with it and cut that shit off, for real. It's killing all of us. Some of us won't be able to make it out. Just ask Clarence Thomas and Mia Love. But some of us will and can. Now I'm not saying that we all will be able to magically get along with each other and live in harmony, but divorcing respectability politics and re conditioning ourselves would be a great start because you can't cuss out and mistreat your people in order to get them to unify. If Morgan Freeman can wake up after providing the mantra for "self professed 'color blind' people" then there is a still a bit of hope in my heart.
You know what? America worries waaay too much about what's going on with Black people and Dylan Roof is proof of that. He said that Black men rape his women, and that we are taking over even though he killed mostly women. His manifesto mentioned Trayvon Martin, Black on Black crime and Black on White crime not being reported (even though the cases mentioned have been resolved and the aggressors have been tried and sentenced accordingly).
That sentiment is as old as this country, and it still gets passed down to several generations.
Has anybody ever figured how America is invested in making sure that White people are viewed in the best light possible? Could that be why they pretend crime doesn't happen in their neck of the woods to the point where less than favorable statistics get hidden and couched in "soft language" if the media grabs hold of the information? Have they figured that America really needs a "bad guy" so after they thought they were done making sure the Native Americans were thoroughly portrayed as the bad guys, they continued to put their focus on Blacks?
Could it be they kept that legacy going by distributing propaganda about Blacks in America to the point where people in other countries ate it up? Could that be the result of why people from other countries come to The States and cape so hard to the point of compromising their integrity by any means necessary? I'm not just looking at Bobby Jindal, and Brown border patrol members. I'm looking at Don Lemon, Rachael Dolezal's husband, Mia Love, Ben Carson, and Raven Symone, etc I'm looking at YOU too.
Could it be that White America is so obsessed with Black people to the point of trolling their spaces in person or online, or by disguising themselves as Black in order to make any and all issues about them because they felt left out (Rachael Dolezal, John Howard Griffin cough cough) instead of creating their own UNIQUE lane that gives White people flavor without stealing the seasoning from other people's cabinets? And when something along the lines of that gets brought to their attention, they show up in droves just to make disparaging comments or throw racial slurs at said Black person even if their messages are positive, or change the subject by derailing the conversation, or by presenting loaded questions they really don't want an answer to.
Could "feeling left out" be the reason why they enter all of our genres of music under the guise of "making it better"? Could this be why when they enter our genres, they win all of the awards, and become the "standard" even when their songs really aren't that great? Could it be that whenever a Black person speaks about issues in this country, somebody comes from out of nowhere to say #NotAllWhitePeople or #AllLivesMatter even though that's a given? Could "feeling left out" be the real reason why White people feel the need to say "Hey! We're oppressed too because freedom of speech and political correctness is ruining us!" every time they're faced with consequences for doing or saying something really messed up?" Could this be why whenever they get caught doing or saying racist things, they find a non White person to cosign the foolishness as if they can never stand on their own two feet and be accountable for anything?
The whole thing looks like a metaphor for The Spice Trade to me because they steal from those they feel are lesser in order to make money. It's like they said, "Fuck substance, get money." and actually lived by it.
Google "The Spice Trade" to see what I'm talking about.
Anyway, Any time some racially motivated crime happens where Black people are the victims, it's always about fear. Fear of Black people. It's why Black people have to "be approachable" It's why respectability politics exist. If you look at respectability politics and examine the definition, it really means "What does a person have to do in order to be 'respectable' to the people or person in power?".
But they fail to recognize that when Black people did for themselves, were respectable and pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, it wasn't enough so they had to burn down Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma out of rumor based fear and jealousy.They also stole the farmland belonging to Black farmers.
(Google "Black Wall Street, Little Africa" and "Whitecapping" to see what I'm talking about.)
Respectability politics are designed to keep Black people begging to be respected. That's it. Respectability politics are why victim blaming exists. It's why older people don't respect younger people. It's why some Black people choose to talk mess about those they feel are "not respectable" to the point of Black shaming. It's also why each time something racial happens, some Black people choose to engage in shaming their own. I can't do that because I can see what's going on. Each time a Black person shames their own, it continues the cycle of supremacy. They can say something along the lines of "See? They don't even like themselves! Haha!"
Respectability politics are a trap. It's a deep long, winding trap that has corners and pits that people don't really look that far into. That being said:
I have faith in the young people. I see what they're doing. BUT sucking up to the mainstream media and big orgs is NOT the business. It's a form of respectability politics. They want to be liked SO bad that they clique up with people that don't have their best interests in mind.
Those orgs, and mainstream media look like the creepy person with the rape van talking about "candy" or a "free puppy" to me. They are designed to kidnap people and do what Ralph Ellison mentioned in his book titled "Invisible Man":
"Keep This Nigger-Boy Running".
They do it by derailing people and controlling how they move. They appoint a "leader" and that leader may report to someone else. That someone else could have a paycheck (candy or free puppy) in store for those following them, or they might simply deny access to things or issues that need to be addressed. And the media sucks it up so people could bask in it (asking Black people for forgiveness).
If there are any young people out there, all I could say is this:
Don't be gullible and watch what people say and do. Move accordingly. Stay focused on what matters and don't let anybody derail the issue. Watch for snakes and wolves. Don't sell your$elf out in order to gain friends. Those friends may not be who they say they are. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." is more than just a facebook meme or rap lyric. The real trick is knowing exactly WHO your enemies are. Keep moving forward. And remember there is no one singular direction. Choosing singular directions is a good way to allow yourselves to get derailed. Stay focused. Be safe. Be prepared. Be brave. Be brazen. Just BE.
Ok. I know you're tired of hearing about this woman, but I promise this is going to be my last post about her. A lot of people have jumped all over themselves to defend this woman. Now I already mentioned those supportive of the #Transracial movement and what their motives are, but here's a flip side that no one has explored. The twist is that it has a lot in common with that movement and here's why:
I said that the transracial movement is about the attempt to redefine what race means, and how it's really about White Supremacy. Look deeply at who is defending her and why. I already addressed what White and non Blacks have invested in Rachael Dolezal, but what about Black people who share the same sentiment? The same people who defend her are the same ones who:
Believe that those were Michael Jackson's biological kids.
Gave such a pass to Bill Clinton because he "got head" under the desk of his White House office while he was president.
Let their White and other non Black friends say "Nigga" because they were the ones who gave them permission.
Didn't feel "Black enough" in the first place because other kids called them "sell out", "oreo", etc "because smart equals 'wanna be White'."
Married a light skinned person in hopes their children wouldn't be dark skinned like themselves.
Have a complex about Black women, but have voiced it through various negative behaviors towards them.
The ones who want to be accepted so bad by White people that they use the "black on the inside" argument to appease them.
The ones who secretly believe that White women are fragile and need to be coddled, cared for and protected.
9. The ones who are afraid of White backlash against them. (job, etc) Long story short, these people wanted to be accepted by White people so bad that they will compromise all and anything in order to feel better about themselves. For those who say otherwise really need to GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! Here's why:
Take a look at any and all anti Black propaganda. They told us our hair is bad. They told us that we are dumb and that education is for White people since it was once illegal for Black people to read or write. As a result, sometimes kids who got gassed up by their parents and other adult relatives, took "being smart" too far to the point where they alienated their peers. The kid might have just been socially awkward,which caused them to feel angry about the experience. This could have caused the kid to resort to sticking their nose in a book and claiming that people don't like them because of their intelligence, when in reality, they were just a cornball ass kid that annoyed the hell out of people.
They told us our complexion is bad and that a lighter tone is better and more approachable if you're born Black (see one drop rule), so darker Black people married lighter Black people in hopes the children weren't as dark. They told us that Black women are loose, hoes who deserve what they get if they look "seductive"via history, rap music, etc, so men cat call and treat women like shit when they get rejected. As a result, many many slurs were invented to portray women and those slurs are littered throughout our music. The mainstream music thrives on Black shaming, denigration, and belittlement while so called lyrical artists remain overlooked. The media enjoys parading Black people who shame their own in order to promote and keep anti Black sentiments.
As a result, this creates insecurity, vulnerability, a low self esteem, and resentment, which leads me to the following observations. Now people have been talking about this so much, BUT they've been focusing on the wrong things. They want to compare her with Black women wearing blonde weave, skin bleaching, and straightening their hair. But this argument goes back to how they didn't fabricate entire racial identities to live lives as White people, nor did they fabricate hate crimes.
They want to bring up Black women in interracial relationships. They want to talk about how Black women in said relationships can not be pro Black, while comparing that Black woman to Rachael and her antics while ignoring her husband's role in the whole thing. In fact, he was complicit in the whole thing and is just as guilty as Rachael is.
But they fail to understand that none of the other women and men in interracial relationships tried to fake an identity to the point of accusing people of rape and hate crimes while wearing Blackface.Those men and women went through life as their birth race. Not only that:
People have been trained to view White women as weak, fragile and needing to be protected. This is why they cape for her so bad. They echo what they've been taught to believe and they don't even know it. But I see exactly what they're doing and why...
Like I said before, believing in the legend of White Supremacy will make a person do strange things, including calling this woman "a diamond without all of the blood behind it." <<Yes. Her husband actually said that.
