Black people officially have one less thing they can hold on to. For years, we could rest assured that when a report came out about a cat killing a slew of folks at once for what appears to be no reason, we could always rest assured that white folks were to blame. Yeah, they say we can’t blame The Man for everything, but we could put those on him.
Not no more. Not no more.
As if the DC Sniper didn’t absolve the race of responsibility for mass atrocities like this, now we’ve got the reports of this cat in Fresno. Buddy wound up being convicted while I was in London, so forgive me for being late on this.
What is going on with these nuts, man? It’s bad enough that we get blamed for so much in the US–including, but not entirely, making it hard for patrons to part at Yankee Stadium–but now we appear to have to take our share of the blame for loco shit like this.
Great.
The quest to be afforded all the priviliges afforded to white folks has officially gone too far.
With all the despair in the world, I’m sure there should be bigger things that get my goat. At the same time, I’ll never forget the disappointment I felt when I found out the sniper’s name was “John Allen Muhammad.” After knowing for months this was a white dude, I heard that name and knew it was a brotha. In fact, I started trying to figure out if I knew the nigga. Luckily, I did not.
Now this cat in Fresno. Heard the story from Lorrie–peep her artwork here–I was sure this was some nutty white dude. White folks were even sure this was a nutty white dude. Then they showed his picture, and he looked like Frederick Douglass. He’s black as water is wet. At last check, it don’t get no wetter than water.
And to top that off, a white dude was the top pick in the NBA Draft (that dude’s a monster, though). People, we are losing a grip on all the things we stereotypically rule! We no longer are the champions of relative sanity. Couldn’t even get the top pick in the draft. And Tiger ain’t strokin the golf club like he used to, so even our positive out of foray isn’t looking so good.
For the first time, I’m down for another one of these Million Man Marches. We gotta get this right, man. Maybe we can have a Million Nut March, get all them cats together, and ship ’em to some island.
Next thing you know, someone’s gonna tell me that Bobby Caldwell’s white.
Wait, someone just called me…
Shit, never mind on that one.
***
Also, I got an interesting e-mail about my last post. I replied to him personally, but I think it’s worth discussing on here. The e-mail read as follows…
Bomani, I just finished reading your wedding story. It was a nice
piece. But there were statements made in the story that seemed
odd to me. You made comments about being the only black there and
becoming the most popular guy at the wedding with the white
women(and you said Lindsey Lohan was wrong). This is what I don’t
understand about the “I’m so proud to be black and I want to
destroy white supremacy” crowd,why is it you get so much joy at
being validated by whites? Why is that a goal? Were you really
uncomfortable around whites or just angry at God for not being
white? And the fact that you now are comfortable with white
people, is that really a sign you have matured,or is it a sign you
no longer feel inferior? If you could I would a reply. I’m trying
to be nasty,I’m just curious.
First, I never said I was the most popular person with the white women there. For the most part, I hung out with the folks I came with, meaning the women were married or on the fast track to getting there with one of my friends. Can’t say too much about all the women there.
However, I’m not sure how anything said is an attempt to be validated by white folks. Personally, I’m encouraged when folks are willing to live and let live, particularly in this society that has a track record for not allowing people to behave as such. So yes, I dig the fact that I can be me around all these white folks and ain’t nobody trippin’. That doesn’t mean I want them to validate me. That doesn’t intimate that. That just means that I had a great time, as did everyone else, and wasn’t nobody trippin’. When race is a variable, that part about no one trippin’ isn’t common. The key for us to move past a lot of this dumb shit is that we just stop trippin’.
Did I ever feel inferior? I know history pretty well. Based on what has been done, if anyone should feel inferior, white folks should feel inferior to me. Most of the last 300 or so years have been indefensible. I have no idea why I should feel inferior, so I never have.
Angry with God? Did I ever mention I was agnostic? But why would I be mad about not being white? If I were white, no one would ever overestimate my ability to dance or play basketball. I’d never give that up!
Anyway, that ain’t me. I just said that I was the coolest cat there, which is a statement steeped in stereotype, yes. That was part of the humor of it. But really, it wasn’t much of a big deal, definitely not an indication of everyone that’s bothered by white supremacy.
I hate white supremacy with a passion, but I don’t hate white people. So, I’m gonna have a ball no matter how many of ’em are in the room. Just that simple. Damn who likes it or who doesn’t. Can’t hate white supremacy and then keep a scowl on your face when folks ain’t trippin.
And that’s all.
***
Been posting a lot lately. That’ll probably slow down next week when I start teaching a class at, of all fuckin places, Dook. I’m sure there will be stories.
11 thoughts on “My people, what are we doing?”
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“I’m so proud to be black and I want to
destroy white supremacy” crowd,why is it you get so much joy at being validated by whites?
This guy has to be one of the most ignorant motherf*****s alive. While I can’t speak from experience, let me just suggest that validation is a hell of a lot different than just being happy that you never once heard the term “jigaboo” during a single evening.
And mark my words, that “Angry with God” line tells us what’s really wrong. He ain’t pissed about anything in that wedding post. He’s mad you’re dragging the guy in Fresno through the mud. So what if he cornholed his daughters and nieces? He’s a God fearing man damn it!
People like this anonymous emailer are a big part of the problem with society. So, to our good friend Anonymous, all I ask is that you promise to never ever reproduce. The world will be a better place if you don’t.
P.S.: I, for one, am angry with God for not making me Black. Think about it. I’d be able to dance, play basketball, AND rap. I also feel cheated for not enjoying collared greens, grits, and black eyed peas.
I’d really appreciate it if some of you Black men and women out there would validate me. I could use it…
How the hell can anyone, regardless of ethnicity, not enjoy collard greens, grits, black eyed peas and for that matter creamed corn, corn bread, fatback, real mashed potatoes with the big-ass chunks of potato and the like? Good food knows no color.
I agree on one point. Cornbread is a gift from God.
For what it’s worth Bo…my brother called me a “Tom” because I remarked that I thought BET should be destroyed. Sometimes…folks just miss the boat.
All you can do is stand on deck and wave.
– **RPM**
Amen, Kirk…Amen.
He hath blessed me many a time.
I think his letter was more of a reflection of the discomfort some white people feel when black folks really DON’T give a damn about being validated by white people…that so-called “I’m so proud to be black and I want to
destroy white supremacy” crowd that could care less if white people approve….it’s like a new twist for the less enlightened.
He’s not comfortable with the fact that even though it’s not an issue for him, he doesn’t understand that white people can go their whole life without having to actively confront race as an issue, whereas black folks(and really, any visible minority) HAS to be conscious of it. If something is about to jump off, I’d rather not be the last one in the room to know about it cause I was on some “brotherhood of man” S***.
Plus, I mean- Damn, it was JUST a wedding. Brother was drunk, danced, sang and had a ball- while in the company of white folks. Not that deep.
Sheesh.
That comment is just evidence that some people need to get a life and stop trippin off stupid stuff.
I have no idea how homeboy came up with that from that post…
Oh. My. God.
You realize of course that if Bobby Caldwell isn’t black, I’m going to have to rethink my entire sexual history.
Understand that when I was a freshman at USC, his song was the biggest hit on the planet. All of us freshmen reasoned that his lyrics could only be talking about one thing: oral sex.
“made me do for love what I would not do”
“my friends wonder what is wrong with me”
So Bobby Caldwell gave us license to eat at the Y Cafe. We had an excuse.
Now you tell me it was a plot? A sinister manipulation of black male consciousness to make us believe we had more than one weapon in the battle of the sexes, born on the wings of the soulful singing of a white man!! We are undermined! It wasn’t our idea!
Dayum. Next you’re going to tell me that Al Jarreau is gay.
The Y Cafe has officially been added to the lexicon. And Al Jarreau is gay? Next thing you know, you’re gonna say something about Luther Vandross being a homosexual…
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