As I scan the blogsphere looking for content I am finding lots and lots of race related articles commenting on Eric Holders recent “nation of cowards” speech.
This is getting as much traction as the Magic Negro’s race speech in Philadelphia during the campaign.
I keep feeling compelled to bang something out on the keyboard because this is getting so much play. As I said before I wish I cared more about this issue, I just don’t get the obsession. Maybe I’m becoming to numb or insensitive to the issue. I mostly believe that we simply “over think” the issue.
Years ago I found the following that I posted on my old blog:
Whites, in fear of appearing racist, are likely to avoid contact with Blacks, according to a study from Northwestern University. The study, titled "The Threat of Appearing Prejudiced and Race-Based Attentional Biases," tested participants using Black and white faces with similar neutral expressions or similar happy expressions and showed that many whites "worry about inadvertently getting in trouble for somehow seeming biased," according to the study. "Think of it as initially turning your attention to something that poses a threat or causes anxiety and then ignoring it because you don't want to deal with it," said Jennifer A. Richeson, associate professor of psychology and African-American studies and faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern. "These low-level psychological processes happen dynamically, and our tests indicate that people probably avoided the neutral black faces because they provoke anxiety, not necessarily because of racial animus."
I'll let you folks figure that logic, some folks are just hell bent on continuing to promote the idea that this nation is filled with a bunch of racist Negro hating cretins ignore the obvious result of the 2008 presidential race.
The country just elected its first black president. Even factoring in the white guilt angle no other nation in the world has ever elected to its highest office a member of a racial minority that was subject to legal segregation just 50 years earlier. However that little tidbit just seems to be lost on many of these race baiting posts I’m reading. This is a nation of cowards because average Americans aren't "comfortable enough with one another to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us"? Our historic actions apparently don't speak louder than our lack of words.
I understand that most Americans don't talk enough about race because they've learned from long experience that such efforts are often futile. White people in particular can’t win that argument so many are like why bother.
I learned long ago that I can’t make white people like me in addition I don’t care if white people like me or not. I’m pretty good company and if your racial biases keep you from discovering that then you have the bigger problem.
Somewhat related;
I had a discussion with a friend about the shitty service a group of us received at a local Lawrence bar.
My friend who is black just went on and on about how the young white owner of this bar exhibited “racist” signals while serving us.
Without going into details of the restaurant experience itself, I understood how much of our restaurant encounter could be seen as “problematic” but to always underscore bad restaurant service with racism is quite a stretch in my book.
For me to always equate poor restaurant service with some sort of racial biased towards me reeks of narcissism. Poor restaurant in many cases is just that, poor service.
He (my black friend) accused me of having the “Republican” mindset of saying there is no racism, anywhere, anytime. Apparently all of us Negros are compelled to wear our “whitey racist shoulder chips” 24/7. Not speaking up and standing up to racist, bar and club owners or racist service is some sort of heresy.
I explained to him that I stopped giving white people the power to shape my mindset years ago. Besides when the color of my skin overshadows the color of the money in my pocket that person has much deeper issues far beyond what I care to deal with.
Lawrence is one of this nation’s hubs of liberalism, yet the Negros in this town are scarce. Negros don’t work here, even at the University, I always found it interesting that a town that celebrates a legacy of fighting against slavery is frankly a very uncomfortable place for Negros to work socialize or party for that matter.
I’ve had black dudes tell me that they avoid the bar scene here because of the unspoken easiness white folks here have with black people.
I know I’ve said many times that white people are unable to hide their feelings very well when it comes to black folks which is partly the reason why so many black folks keep the racial shoulder chip in place 24/7.
Nightlife venues here have been discouraged from having musical acts or D.J’s that play Hip Hop or rap type music because Lawrence was seen as neutral territory (between Topeka and Kansas City) for black folks to hang and party on Friday and Saturday nights, which then brought in your typical Negro criminal element.
Violence and robberies increased, white people became nervous so keeping venues as white as possible is the norm now.
But this is typical around the country not just here in Lawrence.
I was actually once stopped at the door by this redneck bouncer years ago of one club because I was told that the club had reached its capacity, which I knew was bullshit because I knew the owner and he had invited me to attend the event.
I remember being shocked initially but racial incidents seem to amuse me because many whites equate hostility towards Negros as some sort of power play when it actually shows redneck insecurity.
Recently I have been venturing out to various bars from time to time to shoot pool and have a beer and I will almost always be the lone darkie in any establishment and as I have said before this does not make me uncomfortable, I don’t know why even though many whites I encounter have a sort of uneasiness about me and I can tell it.
“oh there is a black guy in the place, no racist jokes if he looks at you smile and wave.”
However one thing that irks me is when I encounter white dudes that always address me as “Bro” which irritates the shit out of me.
If any of you white people who read this can explain why white dudes have this obsessive need to use Negro slang while talking to black folks or are insistent upon using “the brothas handshake” when greeting me, that is the more pertinent question to why some blacks cringe at the notion of hanging with white folks.
To me far too many white people (guys mostly) let their social/racial retardation get in the way of enjoying the company of people who are not like them also white people also feel the sudden urge to engage in Negro speak when hanging out with black folks when they are in the minority.
But hey despite all of that I’m doing my part to combat racism by going out to the occasional bar to show my willingness to socialize with white people.
Holder discussed weekend segregation as if it is just a matter of personal recreational choice: White folks go off to NASCAR and black people prefer to watch basketball.
But we don’t process the real reason Americans do not share racial vocabulary or opportunities for interracial dialogue is because of deeply entrenched racial residential and religious sponsored segregation.
If I’m not worthy enough to worship with you, I certainly would not be worthy enough to work with you, live next to you or party with you.
We don't spend our weekends together because we don't live in the same neighborhoods.
I read at one black website talking about Holder was the issue of housing segregation bemoaning the fact that housing segregation is not just a matter of personal choice noting that some real estate agents steer black families away from predominantly white neighborhoods. Some property owners refuse to rent to black families.
Take the work environment we can't talk our way out of employers who refuse to interview a job candidate if the name on the résumé "sounds black."
The obvious remedy is to not name your child after an adult beverage or a luxury automobile or some other fake ass African sounding name but hey…
There are hundred of thousands of acts of housing discrimination each year. Now I know we can't talk our way out of residential segregation, but I’ve also seen many black folks self segregating themselves too.
As a “community activist” back in the day I had black people tell me that they would rather live in a more crime ridden black neighborhood than live around white people who did not welcome them in the neighborhood.
News flash, white people are not under any obligation to make me feel welcomed and I’m not about to join in with the other race mongers on this never ending crusade to mentally crucify every white person who does not roll out the red carpet for me.
I live in a neighborhood surrounded by white folks and only two of our white neighbors bother to even speak to us even after living there for almost 10 years. Now is that “racism” shit I don’t know, but I have never lived in a neighborhood where the white folks were particularly “warm” maybe I’m immune to it. Frankly I prefer it that way because some white folks can get real nosey from time to time.
This is not just my personal take many of us Negros share the same view. Maybe the word got out and had not reached Mr. Holder by the time he gave that speech. LOL!
I’ve experienced countless bouts of racism, from growing up in racial isolation as a kid in Oakland to my job search years ago, to racial incidents at my places of work; some were amusing others not so much.
People I wish that I could be more philosophical on racial issues that divide us but I guess that I’ve simply learned to process racial matters from a more diplomatic perspective.
No matter what, I will always be a nigger to some and that type of mindset will always be at the core of any uneducated socially retarded Bubba.
The bottom line is this, incidents like the Imus controversy a couple of years back, this post cartoon controversy, Obama’s race speech, Rev Wright’s racial tirade and Holder's speech - are our national conversations on race. And they do not "foster a period of dialogue among the races," as Holder proposes. They foster anger, suspicion, and division. They consist of accusations, countercharges, and hard feelings and they are often difficult to understand. Get involved, and chances are you'll get burned.
Discussing these racial demons frankly to me is pointless, as long as folks differ on things from musical tastes, food choices, religious choices or favorite television shows we will forever seek out and find comfort with folks who are most like us.
Avoiding such dialogues isn't cowardice; it's common sense.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) — The mayor of a small Southern California city says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."
FUCKING LIAR!!
It’s one thing to be a racist fuck, it’s another to lie and say “Oh I never heard of that racist stereotype.” Whether you think racist stereotypes are funny, or cruel or are in poor taste, just like some racist jokes one thing folks can’t say is “I was unaware” or “Oh I never heard that before.” This country is a mutt bowl and the easiest way to make yourself feel better about yourself is to use racial stereotypes and utter racist shit to those like you.
