tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39005357869799087342024-03-18T22:03:25.659-05:00America's Birth Defect - RacismLike the red wine stain on a white tablecloth, the history of slavery and racism in and on this country is a stain that, although faded, will always remain. It is the birth defect of the United States.Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-2427943468786583432020-05-08T12:48:00.002-05:002020-05-08T12:48:47.950-05:00When our race is seen as a weaponIt has been a while since I have written in this blog, life sometimes gets in the way. During my absence from writing in this blog, the racial situation in the U.S. has not gotten better, it has gotten worse. My heart, my spirit, is heavy with sadness and worry.<br />
<br />
Every day, every day, I awake to news stories of black people being executed by the police. It seems that nearly every week or so, there is a news story of yet another police officer being cleared of any wrongdoing in the execution of a person of color. I use the words execute and execution because the word killing seems too soft, too gentle for what is occurring. It almost seems as if there is a war on people of color in this country. There is this phantom of the scary, big black (insert any race/ethnicity other than white here) man. Shoot first, and then prepare answers for the forthcoming outcry. <br />
<br />
A few years ago, I first heard the phrase that our race is seen as a weapon. I had to think about that for a while before I understood fully what the writer of the phrase meant. Most states have laws that allow a private citizen, or police officer, to defend themselves if they feel their life is in danger, ESPECIALLY IF THE SUSPECTED CRIMINAL is armed, armed being the key word here. A fleeing person of color is often deemed armed, the arm being the color of their skin.<br />
<br />
I have come to know too many names of young black men whose names I should have never known: Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Antwon Rose and most recently, Ahmaud Arbery. This is just the short list. There are so many more and my black mother's heart weeps. <br />
<br />
My heart, my spirit was particularly hurt by the murder of Antwon Rose. Strangely, his murder closely paralleled the murder of Louis Hardy in Pittsburgh in 1965 by a white police officer, down to the acquittal of the murdering police officer. It was why I was not surprised by the acquittal of the police officer who murdered Antwon Rose in 2018. In 1965, Louis Hardy was watching some men (including his brother, Richard) shoot craps (an illegal activity) in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. The cops arrived and everyone fled, including Louis (called Mickey by his friends). Louis was shot in his back as he fled. Initially, the police officer, Robert MacBeth, claimed he fired two warning shots into the air but that he was running across 'rocky ground" and tripped and his aim was off and that is how Louis Hardy was killed. It was an accident. The officer was not initially charged. Following a public outcry, the officer was charged with murder and then manslaughter. Nearly six months later, Officer MacBeth was acquitted. Officer MacBeth lived to nearly 60 years old. Louis "Mickey" Hardy was 25 years old when he was murdered.<br />
<br />
And now, we have the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a young, unarmed, black man who was simply jogging, by two white men (a father and son) in Georgia. Initially, the two were not charged. Of course not, the father is a close friend of the Georgia governor (and a former police officer). Again, following a public outcry the two men were charged. Ahmaud was murdered in February. His killers were not arrested and charged until May 7th, again following a public outcry.<br />
<br />
I want justice for Ahmaud but I fear that is not to be; there are too many cases of justice denied.<br />
<br />
People of color cannot disarm themselves when their arm is the color of their skin.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">T</span><br />
<br />Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-30161790647252352022017-09-26T14:22:00.002-05:002018-06-19T22:54:55.290-05:00I'm tired. No, I'm weary.There is a difference. You can be tired because you only got four hours of sleep last night. You can be tired because you worked a 12-hour shift. Weary implies a sense of being completely used up, used up to the point of being empty. Tiredness has usually to do with the physical, the body. Weariness has to do with the mind and is often accompanied by tiredness of the body.<br />
<br />
Today, I'm weary. <br />
<br />
I'm weary from trying to explain to white people our journey.<br />
I'm weary from explaining white privilege to white people.<br />
I'm weary attempting to prove and show that racism still exists.<br />
I'm weary of the N-word being flung about as soon as some black person doesn't "follow the rules" of being one of those good Negroes.<br />
I'm weary of continually stating that my people built this country on land stolen from my Native ancestors.<br />
<br />
We've tried. You set the rules and we tried our best to follow them. You keep changing the rules and we tried adapting to the new rules.<br />
<br />
You said we were stupid and ignorant. We became educated and worked hard.<br />
<br />
Despite the free labor we provided at threat of being beat or worse, we worked and worked and worked.<br />
<br />
You said we were dirty, nasty and lazy. Yet, you had us as slaves in your kitchen preparing your food and cleaning your homes. Following "emancipation," you allowed us to clean your homes and take care of your children.<br />
<br />
We wanted to vote because, as Americans, that was our right and would give us a say in government. You created poll taxes, literacy tests and other obstacles to prevent it and when that didn't work, you resorted to outright violence, murdering and maiming us, leaving our bodies swinging in the wind as a reminder to colored people "who forgot their place." <br />
<br />
Following "emancipation," we wanted to own land since we saw that was a way to provide for our families. You created the sharecropping system which was just legalized slavery. We fled North, seeking better paying jobs. It wasn't that we were wanted up North, you just wanted to break the unions. You paid us less and put us in the most dangerous jobs in the steel mills where we were often injured, maimed or killed.<br />
<br />
Still, we persevered. Locked out of "mainstream" colleges and universities, we created our own. We attended and sent our children to school and obtained our degrees only to find ourselves, for the most part, locked out of higher-paying positions. When Affirmative Action programs were created, you shouted "unfair," "discriminatory" and called us EEO hires. <br />
<br />
It's okay that we can fill your stadiums and arenas. It's okay that we can make you laugh, often by making jokes at our own expense. We can sing and dance for you. You'll even buy our music. But, we can't forget our rightful place. We can't dare to think that were are equal. And, we can't dare forget that we are, and always will be, OTHER.<br />
<br />
I'm tired, y'all, weary. Now, you want to tell us when, what and how we can protest. We've forgotten that we're supposed to be "happy Negroes." "Look at where you've come from." "You're millionaires, what are you complaining about?" You feel you get to tell us that racism no longer exists. You feel you get to tell us to stop seeing racism at every turn. You feel you can tell us to get over it, shut up, stop raising "thugs,," stop using and selling drugs, stop having so many babies you can't provide for, get off welfare and get a job and on and on, ad nauseam. <br />
<br />
Sadly, I don't think the struggle will ever end. Sadly, I don't think the battle will ever be won. Sadly, I think racism will always exist. There have been times, especially since the last election, that I've just wanted to pack my bags and leave, give up the struggle and move to another country. But, I am a 6th generation American. My sons are 7th generation Americans. My grandson is an 8th generation American. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY AND I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!! You can keep changing the rules and we will keep on fighting for our dignity and our rights!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-73592968870586784382014-08-30T17:00:00.001-05:002014-08-30T17:00:42.444-05:00The Birth Defect<br />
A birth defect is defined as a physical or biochemical abnormality that is present at birth and that may be inherited or be the result of environmental influence. It is further defined as: an abnormality of structure, function or metabolism, whether genetically determined or the result of environmental interference during embryonic or fetal life. A birth defect may cause disease from the time of conception through birth, or late in life.<br />
<br />
I have long maintained that the stain of slavery will forever remain on the United States. Like the red wine stain on a white, linen tablecloth, the history of slavery and racism on this country is a stain that, although faded, will always remain. You can rub and rub at the wine stain on the tablecloth, but despite all your efforts, despite whatever solvent you use, there will always remain a remnant of the stain. Slavery and its racism is the remnant that remains on the United States. It is the birth defect of this nation.<br />
<br />
Condoleeza Rice, once said this: <st1:country-region style="font-style: italic;"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic;"> doesn't have an easy time dealing with race … obviously, when this country was founded, the words that were enshrined in all of our great documents that have been such an inspiration to people around the world … they didn't have me [sic] for an overwhelming element of our founding population. And Black Americans were a founding population," Rice said. "Europeans and Africans came here and founded this country together. Europeans by choice and Africans in chains and that's a not a very pretty reality of our founding. I think that particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today.</span><br />
<br />
The definition of a birth defect concludes that a birth defect may cause disease from the time of conception through birth and later life. Such is racism in this country (and others). It is a birth defect whose genesis began at the very beginning of this country. It is an allegory that handily lends itself to racism in this country.<br />
<br />
It has been my belief, my fervent hope, that dialogue, honest conversations about race, will begin the long, difficult journey to reconciliation.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Blessings,</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tee</span></h3>
<br />Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-56864436136692443902014-08-17T17:44:00.000-05:002018-06-19T23:13:30.841-05:00White Privilege or Systemic Injustice?I stumbled upon a webpage recently entitled, "Ask the White Guy." <a href="http://www.diversityinc.com/ask-the-white-guy/ask-the-white-guy-is-the-oxford-dictionary-definition-of-racism-too-white-for-you/"></a> In the referenced post, he states "The concept of white privilege confuses and frustrates many white people, especially people who don’t perceive themselves as being in a position of power (a recent comment started with “I grew up in a trailer park”)" I agree with him.<br />
<br />
I have had many conversations with white friends who struggled with the concept of white privilege. They have been quick to point out the fact that they are not rich, that they haven't been hired at a job simply because they're white, and more. I like the way Peggy McIntosh <a href="http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html"></a> describe white privilege as "an invisible backpack." White people walk out the door every day with this invisible backpack on their shoulders. Most are not even aware it is there. They have carried it for so long, they no longer feel its weight, they've forgotten entirely that it is there. It is an old friend with which they are comfortable. This backpack allows them to shop (or browse) in a department store without being followed out of a fear of them shoplifting. Because of the backpack, when they are not hired for a job for which they applied, there is no wondering if the reason was because of their race. The sons of white people are not automatically deemed dangerous and suspicious for they, too, wear an invisible backpack. Some white people may say, "I've been followed in a store" or, one of my favorites, "I grew up poor, I didn't grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth." People who think this way lose sight of the fact that the backpack is invisible. Invisible is defined as unseen, not perceptible by the eye. In that vein, the fact that the backpack is invisible does not, in any way, negate its presence. <br />
<br />
Now, let's consider the experiences of those who lack this invisible backpack (mainly people of color). It occurs to me that a good place to start would be what many people of color consider when naming their children. I suspect this is most common in black families. There is for many a, in my opinion well-founded, fear that a name that is too "ethnic" sounding will cause problems and roadblocks in the child's life. For example, when a recruiter considers a resume and the applicant's name is Jamal, Shaniqua, Ahmed or even Ebony, the recruiter can reasonably guess that the applicant is non-white. The reaction is similar when the applicant's name is Jose, Jesus, or Armando, especially if the surname is Perez, Gonzales, Hernandez or Sanchez. The recruiter often makes certain assumptions about the applicant prior to even interviewing the applicant. While the assumption may not be something as ignorant as "I bet this person can dance and likes rap music," there is a perception by many whites that black people and other people of color are inherently inferior, both in terms of intellect and education. This unconscious racism may cause the applicant's resume to undergo a higher level of scrutiny in an effort to find some reason to exclude the applicant. And, the resume often ends up in "File 13", a euphemism for the trash can.<br />
<br />
I know there are those who, upon reading these words, will say something to the effect of, "here we go again. Not all white people are racist." Still others will call this playing the race card, a phrase I despise and will dismantle in another post. Racism is not always blatant, conscious, or perhaps even intended. Often, racism is so embedded into a psyche that a person seemingly forgets that it is there. For some reason (racism?) the black race is usually considered to be monolithic. Though this presumption may not be spoken, there is a belief that all black people think, act, and oh yes, eat the same (they all eat watermelon and fried chicken). <br />
<br />
Continuing our journey into the experiences of black people who, unfortunately, do not have access to the invisible backpack, let's contrast some experiences with those of white people who wear the backpack. Very few, if any, white people fear that something happened, or didn't happen, to them because of their race. The only exception I can think of would be the rare times a white person applies for a job at a black-owned firm. Most black parents give what is called "the talk" to their black sons. This talk instructs the son how to behave when (not if) they are confronted by a white person, especially law enforcement. Notice I said "when," not "if." Trayvon Martin's father no doubt had this talk with Trayvon and his older brother. Perhaps Trayvon forgot or felt safe because he was within his own neighborhood. This forgetting or false sense of comfort cost Trayvon his life. Both of my sons are fine, upstanding, college-educated young men. Both have been pulled over numerous times by the police, for superfluous reasons. My younger son was out one night with a group of friends. My son was the only black man in the group. When they left the club at 2:30 in the morning, my son (and his friends) crossed in the middle of the block going to their cars. Out of nowhere, blue and red lights began flashing and a police car pulled up on my son. Dressed in non-baggy khakis and a polo shirt, my son (remembering "the talk") immediately stopped walking. The policeman told him he had "jay-walked." Despite the fact that he was walking, he was asked for his driver's license. After running his credentials through the system, my son was given a ticket for jaywalking. None of his white and Hispanic friends (who crossed with him) were ticketed. This citation (a $200 citation) was considered a moving violation and my son fought it for months, not wanting this walking violation to affect his driving record. <br />
<br />
For the most part, white people can wear their hair in any style they choose, excepting probably, some strange colors. Yet, black people have to consider whether wearing their hair in a natural style will affect their chances at employment. Even in 2015, afros and other natural hairstyles make some people "uncomfortable." Lacking the backpack, housing in some neighborhoods is still not available to blacks. There is a fear, often unspoken but often spoken, that property values will go down if blacks, or other people of color, move into a neighborhood. The better schools are in the better neighborhoods, which are often unavailable to blacks. Though the Fair Housing Act of 1968 ostensibly made "redlining" illegal, redlining still exists. While blacks and other minorities may not be denied outright mortgage loans, they are often steered to higher-priced loans. <br />
<br />
The lack of the backpack has long accounted for the disparity in wages of whites versus people of color. The median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly available government data from 2009. <a href="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/07/26/wealth-gaps-rise-to-record-highs-between-whites-blacks-hispanics/"></a> Whites rarely, if ever, suspect that their black counterpart is earning more. Most blacks have accepted as fact their white counterpart is paid more.<br />
<br />
As an anecdotal tale, I will relate the story of a young man I will call Granville. Granville has a masters degree in engineering. He works for the largest employer in his city with about ten people reporting to him. With the exception of one man, who I will call Robert, he wrote performance reviews and recommended salary increases for the people working under him. Each year, his boss told him, "oh, I'll do Robert's review." Robert, was a white man with only a high school education. When a friend of Granville's left the company, she told Granville that Robert made $10,000 more a year than Granville. Oh, incidentally, Robert complained privately to his friends that Granville "was an affirmative action hire." Did I mention that Granville graduated high school and undergraduate school summa cum laude? Did I fail to mention that Granville attended one of the best high schools in his city and both his undergraduate and graduate degrees were from an Ivy League School? <br />
<br />
What many white people fail to understand, fail to get, is that this legacy of racism and white privilege is the backpack that blacks have carried on their backs, in their psyche for generations. It is not a matter of walking around with a racial so-called chip on their shoulders. It's a matter of accepting what has always been and will most likely continue for generations to come. There is a weightiness to this. It is a heavy burden that is ever-present and tiring. Imagine that each day, every day of every year, someone placed a heavy sack on your shoulders with which you had to walk out the door and carry with you throughout your day. It didn't matter whether you were going to work, the grocery store, the airport or a restaurant, the sack was there, weighing you down.<br />
<br />
Undoubtedly, there will be those who will say, "it's not that bad," "you're too sensitive about being black," "things are better than they used to be," and a perennial favorite, "I'm not like that, I have black friends." It is, in my opinion, impossible for a white person to truly understand what it would be like to walk in the shoes of a black person. Even the ones who tried, such as the man who colored himself black for an experiment, were able to "go back to being white" at the end of the day.<br />
<br />
Factor into this, the indisputable fact that this country made its wealth by the free, unpaid labor of its black slaves. When slavery finally ended, the newly freed slaves were told essentially "go be free." People who had been enslaved for centuries were turned out, literally, on the road to fend for themselves, penniless, landless and many with families scattered across the state and often in other states. These were people whose native tongues, customs and religions were beaten out of them. These were people whose family units were largely destroyed and scattered. Yet, even then, they were looked down upon, beaten, lynched and thought to be less than 100% human.<br />
<br />
There are generational, hidden, invisible scars that cover the black race. That is not to say that black are sitting on some kind of "pity pot," crying woe is me. Rather they have learned how to cope and live with the system that exists. Is it any wonder that some have checked out of the "legit" life and chosen other ways to survive? Is it any wonder that many black men have left their families because of an inability to "be a man" because of the system that oppresses them? A system that destroyed their family unit centuries before? What has centuries of racism and its accompanying white privilege done to the psyche of the black man? Why are we, in 2018, still celebrating the first "black person to ......?" Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-78489660569036444732013-07-18T23:19:00.001-05:002015-11-01T21:27:45.754-06:00Will America Ever Truly Be My Home?The title of this post is a rephrasing of an article I read today written by a Trinidad-born woman who, following graduation from college, had decided to return to Trinidad. Her thoughtful piece <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/07/16/goodbye_to_my_american_dream/?upw"></a><br />
details how, despite living in different areas of the country in different environments, among different cultures, she never felt a sense of belonging.<br />
<br />
As a genealogist of 30-plus years, I have discovered that I am a fifth-generation American. My children are sixth-generation Americans and my grandson, a seventh-generation American. My family has been in this country longer than many, if not most, European-Americans. This doesn't include those ancestors who were Native Americans. Yet, like the writer of the referenced article, I ofen feel that I don't really belong. Yet, there are many here in this country who still don't see black people as "truly American." Yet, for the most part, we remain "the other." Yet, my educated, standard-English-speaking, non-baggy-pants-wearing sons are deemed suspicious, dangerous, worthy of being followed, attacked and even killed, solely because of the color of their skin.<br />
<br />
Kidnapped, stolen, enslaved, beaten, lynched, stripped of native culture and tongues, Africans were bought to this continent literally kicking and screaming. The retelling of the conditions and treatment in which the kidnapped Africans were encased is unnecessary. We know, or should know, the history. We even have many who would tell us that, "We need to get over it." "That was a long time ago." "My grandparents never owned slaves." Yet, America won't "get over it." <br />
<br />
We can educate ourselves at some of the finest institutions. We can gain employment at excellent organizations that enables us to purchase homes in gated communities, send our children to excellent schools, enroll them in extracurricular activities to build their character and help their communities. Yet, we remain the other. We still don't belong. <br />
<br />
I've heard the question asked, "why do we keep trying to belong to a country that doesn't want us?" I can understand the sentiment. It's like the child who continually seeks his parents' approval, yet never gains it. It's like the abused wife who, despite her best efforts, can never satisfy the unreasonable demands and expectations of her husband. Dare I say it's like the cotton-picking slave, whose bleeding hands and feet traverse the cotton fields from sunup to sundown furiously picking the bolls in an effort to avoid the lash of the overseer, yet never seeming to be enough, do enough, be something other than the other, seeking favor, seeking acceptance.<br />
<br />
I have friends who, tired of the fight to be more than the other, have just chosen to live within the system, eking out a living knowing the constraints. I know others who have fled the country to become ex-pats in countries they feel are more embracing. I admit to having strongly considered the latter in the past. Yet, I strongly feel that this country is as much, if not more, mine than most European-Americans. Yet, the melanin content of the skin of my sons conveys danger to many. <br />
<br />
There are times when I doubt that we will ever belong. There are times when I suspect that is the agenda. Yet, this is my country. This is the country of my ancestors. Unlike the author of the referenced article, there is no African "home" to which I can return. The name, tongue and location of that African home was beaten out of my ancestors more than 300 years ago. I don't belong, but I'm not going anywhere.<br />
<br />
It's 2013 and Trayvon Martin didn't belong either. Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-16203662287366591882013-07-06T16:06:00.003-05:002013-07-06T16:06:36.092-05:00Have we become complacent?Last week, social media was abuzz with chatter about the B.E.T. Awards, Being Mary Jane and whether Beyonce was again pregnant. Yet, there was little chatter about a landmark piece of legislation that was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court. <br />
<br />
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down (many say gutted) a large portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This landmark legislation was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The Act was implemented to overcome legal barriers that prevent African-Americans from voting under the 15th Amendment of the Constitution. <br />
<br />
As a little refresher on the pertinent point, The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The 14th Amendment was enacted in 1868 and granted citizenship rights to emancipated slaves. It said that if states don't give voting rights to black men, they cannot then count them as part of the population for purposes of gaining seats in the House of Representatives. (Women did not gain the right to vote in the U.S. until the 19th Amendment in 1920.) Southern states vigorously and violently opposed the right of black men to vote, yet they wanted representation in Congress. <br />
<br />
In 1870, the 15th amendment was ratified. It stated that voting rights in states cannot be withheld on the basis of race, color and previous position of servitude. Despite the ratification of the 15th Amendment, southern states still fought giving the ability to vote to black men. They instituted poll taxes and literacy tests for black men. White people were "grandfathered" in and did not have to take such tests or pay poll taxes. This was the impetus to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. <br />
<br />
The Voting Rights Act was a landmark act. It prohibited "states from imposing any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure ... to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color." This is the Act that was gutted (by a vote of 5-4) by the Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
During the run-up to the 2012 Presidential Election, many states attempted to enact "Voter ID" laws. This is the 21st Century version of the old poll taxes. Realizing that the minority will soon by the majority and that this new majority more and more votes Democrat, Republicans had to find a new way to deter and dis-enfranchise voters. The various voter id laws are one way to do this. Another is the re-districting that is going on in many southern states. Without the protection of The Voting Rights Act, in its entirety, many blacks and people of color will be unable to vote. Failing to attract minorities and many young people to their party, the extreme Right is seeking other means to disenfranchise voters of color.<br />
<br />
Of course, Congress and the Legislature can pass new legislation to enact new law, but with the Republicans fighting tooth and nail, it will be an uphill battle.<br />
<br />
Young people need to learn the history and become involved in the process. Rather than worrying about whether Beyonce is again pregnant or discussing 50 Cent's latest troubles with the law or who won what award at the B.E.T. Awards, get involved in what affects your future. Learn your history and HIStory. <br />
<br />
Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-89170622945945460652013-07-06T15:20:00.000-05:002013-07-06T15:20:29.149-05:00Finally, I write about TrayvonI've held off writing something about the Trayvon Martin case. It was not because I had become jaded to the senseless attacks and murders of young, black men. It was not because I wasn't surprised at yet another case like Trayvon's. It was because Trayvon was my son, my nephew, my grandson or even my brother. <br />
<br />
During the year since Trayvon's murder, I have found one thing quite interesting, to use a word. When Trayvon was first attacked and killed, Zimmerman was identified as a white man and in his early images, he appeared to be just that, white. His mother is Peruvian and his father is white. By the time he was finally charged and arrested, he had (it appears) gained a tan and was now identifying as Hispanic, no doubt on the advice of his lawyers. I found that interesting because the majority of Peruvians do not identify themselves as Hispanic. Rather they identify as Mestizo, which historically has reflected European and Spanish ancestry or European and American Indian ancestry. Somewhere in a back room, it was decided that if Zimmerman appeared and self-identified as Hispanic, perhaps it would be less likely that he racially profiled Trayvon. After all, minorities do not racially profile other minorities, right? Racial profiling is something only done by whites. <br />
<br />
Today I read a post wherein the author attempts to make the point that blacks kill other blacks, and whites, routinely and it doesn't make the news. She/he asks the question why is it news when a non-black kills a black person? Many, if not most of the commenters on the post agreed with the author of the post. My response is that a question like that would make sense in Utopia. In Utopia (at least as I visualize it), there would not be the stain of racism. Young black men would not automatically be deemed suspicious and possibly dangerous. White people would not invent some random black man as the perpetuator of a crime and BE BELIEVED. My black sons would not be routinely stopped while driving. My younger son would not be selected out of a crowd to be ticketed for jaywalking (he was the only non-white among his friends and it was 2:30 in the morning. <br />
<br />
We don't live in Utopia. We live in a country stained by slavery and historical racism. We live in a country where all of the things mentioned above regularly occur. For those ignorant of our history, there was a time when blacks were routinely beaten, lynched and otherwise murdered and nothing was said or done. Most black families have ancestors who simply "disappeared." No one in the family knew what happened to them, many figured the klan got them. Can't exactly do that now days. So, we have the Zimmermans of our time.<br />
<br />
Rather than America, black, white or other, embracing Trayvon's as a son who was tragically murdered, funds sprung up to provide monies for the defense of Zimmerman, the murderer. There has been ongoing debate as to whether Zimmerman was standing his ground by following a young man, a teenager, who was doing nothing wrong - and murdering him. Indeed, it was weeks before Zimmerman was even charged with a crime. Had it not been for the outcry from the black community, I doubt he would have been charged.<br />
<br />
As the trial winds down to a close, I fear the outcome. I fear that Zimmerman will be acquitted and yet the death of yet another young, black man goes unpunished and will be, in some quarters, celebrated.Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-89660149017770786932012-11-15T10:47:00.000-06:002013-01-02T12:36:04.367-06:00Reaping What Was SownI read a blog post earlier today that inspired me to finally write something about the recent re-election of Barack Obama.<br />
<br />
The post <a href="http://http://www.blackonomics.com/2012/11/"></a> has, in my view, a general theme of the United States reaping what it has sown. It got me thinking of what I now called the New Majority. Rather than the oxymoronical term minority/majority, the demographics of the majority in the U.S. has changed. The majority is no longer white.<br />
<br />
The name of my blog is America's Birth Defect - Racism. Oddly to some, the name came from something Condolezza Rice said in an interview. Racism founded this country, made this country rich and for the most part did it with the free labor of slaves, indigenous peoples and poor whites. The white and wealthy elite have reaped the benefits of this stolen labor for centuries. Indeed, the major reason for the break from England that resulted in the Revolutionary War and the subsequent birth of the new nation was England's burgeoning abolitionist movement. Slavery was profitable and necessary for the new country. The Founding Fathers (most of them slaveholders) were willing to fight rather than give up the free labor necessary to build their new country.<br />
<br />
African slaves and their descendants did not take the envisioned eternal stripping of their freedom lying down. From the onset, resistance, uprisings and other challenges were constant. Blood was shed, lives were lost, but the resistance continued. Freedom, and the longing for it, is something innate in a man, regardless his color. <br />
<br />
As the centuries passed and the country grew, others of color joined the slaves and indigenous peoples in the building of the country. In later years, immigrants both legal and illegal, came to the U.S. in hopes of a better life for themselves and their families. Most were treated as second-class citizens, but still they came and their numbers grew. Initially, many if not most of these immigrants were so happy to be in the country they psychically shrugged off their second-class status and treatment. But, these people watched, learned and waited - patiently - as did the descendants of the formerly enslaved. <br />
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the majority was busy reaping the earnings of the system they had created. Perhaps the thought, the wish, was that the second-class citizens though finally deemed 100% man rather than three-fifths were too ignorant to watch and learn. Please let me digress here by discussing, briefly, what came to be known as the <i>Three Fifths Compromise</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
As the new country grew and developed structures for the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of members of the new House of Representatives, the slave population also grew, especially in the south. This meant the slave population in a state determined not only the wealth of the state, but also its tax obligations. The northern states objected to this because it would mean the southern states were wealthier, while the southern states, of course, objected because of the larger tax burden to be placed on them. Thus, began what was actually a series of compromises, one in 1783 and another in 1787 that determined that slaves were only three-fifths of a white man. <br />
<br />
<br />
And the disenfranchised, second-class citizens continued to labor, watch and most importantly, learn. Added to this rapidly growing group was the LBGT community, also a rapidly growing and politically significant part of the population. Yet, despite its wealth, education and other legacies, the majority group didn't pay attention, occasionally throwing tidbits of political crumbs at the minority group. Busily counting and continuing to amass their wealth, they failed to notice the growing size of the disenfranchised group and probably didn't even consider that the latter group might be also learning.<br />
<br />
<br />
However, the minority group never stopped watching and learning, until 2008, when the black face of an African-American man named Barack Obama emerged as a serious threat to their complacency. By then, it was too late, and we all know the result. By 2012, the minority, disenfranchised group was no longer the minority. They asserted their political and re-elected Barack Obama. In their egocentric, arrogant complacency, the former majority group was so confident that their candidate would win they were celebrating before the final returns were counted. In fact, their candidate, Mitt Romney, wrote only an acceptance speech. (A fact that to this day truly stuns me!)<br />
<br />
<br />
I have no sympathy for the former majority group. They are reaping EXACTLY what they sowed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings,<br />
<br />
<br />
Tee<br />
<br />
Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-79226924974748919902012-01-14T14:42:00.002-06:002012-01-14T15:03:03.571-06:00White Privilege - Part 1Most of my blog posts are spurred by personal observations or experience. What spurred me to write this post today was watching HGTV for several hours. As I watched several shows featuring multi-million homes [one worth $185M], I again noticed that every homeowner was white. This caused me, once again, to think about white privilege.<br />
<br />
Some may ask for a definition of white privilege. Still others question its very existence. There are many who have written about white privilege and who have defined it. The concept of white privilege almost demands a discussion [and definition] of "race." I will save that discussion for another blog post. I like to define white privilege as the inherited ability to have access to resources that are: (1) taken for granted [often not even thought about]; (2) an inherited sense that one is not "the other;" and (3) inherited power. <br />
<br />
I must add that while white privilege is most evident in wealthy white people, white privilege also extends to non-wealthy white people. In North America, white privilege is the norm. Peggy McIntosh [a white woman], who travels and lectures extensively on white privilege describes it much more eloquently than I in her article <a href="http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html">"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."</a><br />
<br />
A white person born in the U.S. is born with access to many resources that remain unavailable, at least in large part, to non-whites. This includes better schools, homes in better neighborhoods, ability to gain job interviews and land jobs, lack of denial for resources solely because of skin color and automatic acceptance into a club that excludes non-whites. There are social norms and expectations, based on historical events and current practices, which elevate whiteness to be the norm. <br />
<br />
The advantages of being white are numerous. Probably the most important advantage is the sure knowledge that decisions made about you are not based on your race. You're confident in the knowledge that the reason you were denied housing, a job or college entry, was not because of your race. White people can choose to be around people who look like them most of the time. White people see themselves widely represented [positively] in all forms of media. A negative action, behavior or crime committed by a white person is not an indictment of the entire race, e.g., the white people on "The Jerry Springer Show" do not represent all white people. <br />
<br />
Some people argue that the problems are socio-economic based and not race-based. "Poor is poor," many say. While socio-economics do, indeed, play a role in access to resources, a child born with white skin is automatically a member of an exclusive club, a club whose members already have the advantage. Consider, also, two men in their fifties, one black, one white. The white man [born into white privilege] has already climbed the ladder of success. At a young age, he had access to better educational facilities, access to better, higher-paying jobs [with benefits], access to partners successful in their own right or with inherited family resources, the ability to purchase one, two or even three homes and the ability to pass on these privileges to yet another generation. By his mid-50's, he is no longer chasing the dream. He has lived and experienced the dream and is now looking forward to years of leisure - if he so chooses. The non-white man, on the other hand, is still chasing his dreams. He began his life as "the other," already behind, not a part of, the norm. He spends his entire life being pre-judged and then judged by the color of his skin. His skin color may deny him access to better schools as a child, prevent his entry into higher education, relegate him to entry-level jobs and deny him access to financial resources. In short, he has spent his entire life attempting to prove that despite him being "the other," he is capable, he is intelligent, he is not this, he is not that. Even in his mid-50's, he lacks the financial security of his white counterpart. Instead of looking forward to a leisurely retirement in a few years, he is still struggling just to make ends meet.<br />
<br />
Most white people do not recognize their white privilege. It is as much a part of them as their white skin, their grandfather's nose, their great-grandmother's blue eyes. You get up every day and its existence doesn't cross the mind.<br />
<br />
My intent in this post, and indeed on all the posts in this blog, is not to anger, but rather to make the reader think, examine and discuss.Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-44681020702046231582012-01-13T18:11:00.000-06:002012-01-13T18:11:08.196-06:00How far have we truly come?Two recent stories have caused me to ask this question. <br />
<br />
The first is the federal lawsuit recently filed against Panera Bread. Panera, owned by Warren, Ohio-based Covelli Enterprises,operates about 200 stores in four states, allegedly has a policy of not placing "black, ugly or fat" people at the cash registers where they can be viewed easily by customers. It seems a white manager at a Pittsburgh-area Panera cafe was chastised by a district manager for having a black man at the register and told "“You know that is a death sentence for me and you if Sam [Covelli] would walk in and see him on register.” This manager was forced to relocate a black man who worked the cash register to the back of the cafe - out of the public eye. Both the white manager and the black employee are parties to the federal lawsuit. I should mention here that Panera is a franchise operation. The policy in question is alleged to be a policy at Panera's owned by Covelli Enterprises.<br />
<br />
As I read about this developing story, I thought about the numerous times I've visited a Panera cafe, both in Texas and in Pennsylvania. If memory serves, there has been only one time that I've observed a black person at the cash register. The son of a friend worked at Panera in Warren, Ohio for about five years. He worked in the kitchen. Pittsburgh is a city with about 26% African-Americans, many of whom patronize Panera. Is it wrong to expect to see someone who looks like you at the cash register? Are black people noticing the lack of representation in stores and restaurants, or as some suggest, are black people "too sensitive?"<br />
<br />
The second story that triggers this post is a story today concerning a landlord [Jamie Hein] in Ohio who posted a "white only" sign on the pool gate of her apartment building. On 12 January 2012, Hein lost an appeal with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission regarding her posting of the sign. The background? A tenant of the apartment has a bi-racial daughter. The tenant, his fiance' and his child attended a pool party. The bi-racial daughter was the only non-white at the pool party. Hein later questioned him about the "chemicals" used in the daughter's hair. She then claimed that the "grease" in the daughter's hair "muddied" up the pool water. She subsequently put up the sign below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWy_jCfuQ08Lx3pFOivdc1F1uyQymBKn8hpmEzm3idfRI8KbP3XEMkBdozeuf3Hx6_Wz07wk41UnH8GsSvO8FqwxdT1MZ-sNNxReqfmA6Ep3ZVJHp2PT8UNdk0WI7YUVzHyDycMtEqgXS/s1600/whiteonly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="239" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWy_jCfuQ08Lx3pFOivdc1F1uyQymBKn8hpmEzm3idfRI8KbP3XEMkBdozeuf3Hx6_Wz07wk41UnH8GsSvO8FqwxdT1MZ-sNNxReqfmA6Ep3ZVJHp2PT8UNdk0WI7YUVzHyDycMtEqgXS/s320/whiteonly.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When the complaint was filed, the landlord claimed the sign was merely "a decorative antique." The Commission ruled the sign, which read "Public Swimming Pool, White Only," violated state housing discrimination laws, and dismissed landlord Jamie Hein's claim that it was simply a decorative antique. Despite filing the appeal, neither Hein nor her attorneys were present for the hearing regarding the appeal.<br />
<br />
So, I ask, how far have we truly come? This is 2012, the 21st century! Yet, there are still ignorant, biased and racist people who, I guess, believe that black people are still "the other," that black people are somehow inferior to white people and who, in their racist ignorance, still feel empowered to make such policy, display such signs.<br />
<br />
The birth defect remains!<br />
<br />
Blessings,<br />
TeeAuthorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-15920559402559657322010-09-19T02:26:00.002-05:002010-09-19T03:18:20.764-05:00Blame it on a black man – or woman<span xmlns=''><p>Earlier this week, I read a story about Bethany Storro, a 28-year old white woman who was allegedly attacked and whose face was doused with acid during the attack. The now-disfigured Ms. Storro alleged her attacker was a "black woman with a ponytail." <a href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39221785/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/'>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39221785/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/</a> As it turns out, this obviously disturbed young woman made up the entire story; she doused herself with the acid. This is yet another incident of "blaming it on a black person," except in this case, instead of the usual black man (using the infamous sketch of the fake black man), the alleged attacker was a black woman. Same story, same lie, different gender. It seems in this country there are many who believe that blaming a black person instantly makes his/her story believable. It's a two-fold racist mindset, the mindset of the person who makes up the story and the mindset of those (usually non-black) who automatically believe the story. Many, if not most, black people usually just sigh when we hear yet another of these stories. I remember when I first saw Susan Smith on the news report relating her tale of being car-jacked by a black man who kidnapped her children. I intuitively knew she was lying. Fake tears or not, there was something about her story I found unbelievable. Of course, as we all later discovered, her story was completely fabricated; she murdered her sons. <br />
</p><p>What's sad to me is how often these stories, lies, occur and what's even sadder is that even in 2010, many people still believe their lies will be believed, and are believed by many. This has occurred so often that there is now a website that has chronicled these stores. <a href='http://www.thegrio.com/slideshow/blame-it-on-black-infamous-racial-crime-hoaxes.php'>http://www.thegrio.com/slideshow/blame-it-on-black-infamous-racial-crime-hoaxes.php</a> About ten years ago in San Antonio, a middle-aged white woman was allegedly kidnapped from the parking lot of an Albertson's grocery store. She was then taken to a remote hilltop, doused with gasoline and set afire. As she lay dying from her injuries, she described the black man who was her kidnapper and assaulter. Police later discovered the woman was about to be indicted for embezzlement from her employer and – wait for it, THERE WAS NO BLACK KIDNAPPER/ASSAULTER. She doused herself with gasoline and set herself afire. Police discovered a video of her purchasing the gas can at a nearby Wal-Mart and another video of her filling the gas can with gas at a nearby Valero gas station.<br />
<br />
Lest we think this kind of lie is a recent phenomenon, I must remind you of the infamous Rosewood Massacre. In January, 1923, nearly the entire population of the black town of Rosewood, Florida was massacred and property destroyed. Why? A married white woman had been beaten by her white lover. Needing to explain her injuries to her husband, she, blamed it on a black man. A murderous mob quickly gathered and went on a rampage, killing black men, women and children. Today, Rosewood is classified as a ghost town. The State of Florida didn't even acknowledge the incident until 1986, 63 years later. Even then, the state minimized the number of blacks who were killed. Survivors of Rosewood still alive today, are loathe to talk about it. The movie, <span style="font-style:italic;">Rosewood</span>, depicted this massacre but sadly, <span style="font-style:italic;">Booty Call</span> was released the same weekend and drew the larger crowds.<br />
<br />
</p><p>I could relate numerous stories such as the one described above, but the point is that the black person is a convenient and believable culprit/scapegoat to many. What is it about the black race that demonizes it so much that people can easily and readily create these stores, these lies? What lies in the minds of those who readily and easily believe these lies? Is the legacy of racism in this country still so strong that even in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, these stories, these lies occur so often that many of us barely even click our teeth or shakes our heads in dismay? Is the stain of slavery still so deeply embedded in our culture that the black person will forever be a handy scapegoat for the maniacal ravings of a lunatic mind?<br />
<br />
One bright spot in all of this, at least for me, the police in many areas have what appears to be a heightened awareness of the blame it on a black man lie. Unlike the Charles Stuart case in Boston in 1989 where the police went on a find the black man rampage, it seems the police are more aware of the possibility that the alleged black man criminal may not exist. <br />
<br />
I still have hope.<br />
</p><p><br />
</p><p><span style='font-family:Script MT Bold; font-size:14pt'>Blessings,<br />
</span></p><p><span style='font-family:Script MT Bold; font-size:14pt'>T</span></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-40201918186167344812009-09-17T13:47:00.000-05:002009-09-17T14:18:31.459-05:00When Are White People Going to Get Over It<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1PQjQR6pZRuoChfZBvrsO-xjxTUmKYQ7BdZ5MjKCazLPtXMY5OuUsWBXmqXLcmVTa7e7QQhFxkqcbVIgAkzQIAFvoY3PXxLzIzHr1YjADbe8IVeHL-w6lS_GEzy41HkDjSnW7ELV2sL7/s1600-h/andrew_manis2009-headshot-med-smaller.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1PQjQR6pZRuoChfZBvrsO-xjxTUmKYQ7BdZ5MjKCazLPtXMY5OuUsWBXmqXLcmVTa7e7QQhFxkqcbVIgAkzQIAFvoY3PXxLzIzHr1YjADbe8IVeHL-w6lS_GEzy41HkDjSnW7ELV2sL7/s320/andrew_manis2009-headshot-med-smaller.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382517849507337522" /></a><br />I thought this was so powerful that I am posting it here in its entirety.<br />-------------------------------------------------<br />When Are White People Going to Get Over It by Andrew M. Manis<br /><br /><br />For much of the last forty years, ever since America “fixed” its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, “When are African Americans finally going to get over it?<br /><br />Now I want to ask: “When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?<br /><br />Recent reports that “Election Spurs Hundreds’ of Race Threats, Crimes” should frighten and infuriate every one of us.<br /><br />Having grown up in “Bombingham,” Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than “talk the talk.”<br /><br />Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.<br /><br />We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster<br /><br />But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we’re back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we’ve proven what conservatives are always saying — that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to “assassinate Obama.”<br /><br />Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, “How long?” How long before we white people realize we can’t make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites?<br /><br />How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations?<br /><br />I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do?<br /><br />How long before we starting “living out the true meaning” of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that “red and yellow, black and white” all are precious in God’s sight?<br /><br />Until this past November 4, I didn’t believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don’t believe I’ll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here’s my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I’m going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people.<br /><br />Second, I’m going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I’m going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can “in spirit and in truth” sing of our damnable color prejudice, “We HAVE overcome.”<br /><br />It takes a Village to protect our President!!!<br /><br />**************************************<br /><br />Andrew M. Manis is associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia and wrote this essay. It first appeared in the Macon Telegraph.Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-46903556012077479612009-02-12T17:39:00.001-06:002009-02-12T17:41:50.687-06:00Anybody but a black woman!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PFeJoTo93ZuPVXnXPf5M5HytcMDLwM5NuXQquTGXhncQvc6SbuOmNOAd6r-cK9hOQlZlJLSUV3Kc14i1C6ewFhQNNX3ylw4D75vCUQ8AL73UNeHxFJX9gfc_wGQCSRZe885PXtlOY82Q/s1600-h/noblackwoman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PFeJoTo93ZuPVXnXPf5M5HytcMDLwM5NuXQquTGXhncQvc6SbuOmNOAd6r-cK9hOQlZlJLSUV3Kc14i1C6ewFhQNNX3ylw4D75vCUQ8AL73UNeHxFJX9gfc_wGQCSRZe885PXtlOY82Q/s320/noblackwoman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302060229001531650" border="0" /></a><br /><span xmlns=""><p>Like many single women, I've signed up on and read many profiles on the various Internet dating sites. Each of these sites has a section where the member can indicate the ethnicity of the person they're seeking. Nine times out of ten, regardless of the ethnicity of the male member, every ethnicity is selected but a black woman. I've heard all the imbecilic reasons why some men don't date black women: they're gold-diggers; they're too aggressive; they want to wear the pants; they bring too much drama/baggage; they're too demanding; and my personal favorite – black women smell different (actually read that in a blog about interracial dating).<br /></p><p>Recently, I read a blog that asked the question: <em>Do black men hate black women? (<a href="http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-black-men-hate-black-women-im-being.html">http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-black-men-hate-black-women-im-being.html</a>) </em>The question was prompted by the apparent support of Chris Brown in the alleged beating of Rihanna. While I believe that the support of Chris Brown by many has more to do with the acceptance of, the tolerance of, domestic violence, I do believe that the black woman gets little respect by many. We've talked endlessly about how supportive the black woman has been of black men throughout our history in the United States. During slavery, we watched as our black men were whipped, sold off and even murdered and still – black women stood by their men and supported their families. Post-slavery, when black men were either denied employment or only able to secure menial employment, we still stood by our men. Fast forward to 2009, and it seems, to many, that black women are the least desirable women on the planet.<br /></p><p>Don't get me wrong, black women have some ownership in the problem. After watching numerous court shows and other shows, like <em>Maury, </em>I see that many black women have so little self-respect or are so desperate to have a man, any man, that they put up with anything and often try to buy a man to keep him. Then, there are also the women who really do bring a lot of drama to a relationship. The young son of a friend stated, in front of his white girlfriend, that the brothers date the white girls because they know they don't have to bring their A game. There's a certain dichotomy in the two views. In the latter view, brothers know that they're not bringing what they should to the table. In the former view, black women are too demanding and require too much.<br /></p><p>I read an article a few years ago that stated that black women should seek Asian men. The view was that Asian men and black women were the two most undesirable groups on the planet. The comments to the article were quite interesting. One Asian man stated that Asian-American had, for the most part, adopted a white culture standard of beauty and in that standard, black women were not seen as either feminine or attractive. He further stated that black women were too aggressive and as a result an anathema to Asian culture. Well, there's another group of men who don't want black women!<br /></p><p>Many black women are reluctant to date outside their race. I've heard many black women state, <em>there's nothing like the love of a good, black man." </em>Also, since it is said that most women seek their father in the mate they choose, it is probably only natural that most black women seek a black man. So, do women who think this way remain single or mateless?<br /></p><p>Thus, the stain of slavery on the United States continues to emit repercussions. The black woman had no choice during slavery and its aftermath BUT to become strong, to become the head of the family, to become the major breadwinner of the family. Despite our men, and often our children, being sold away – or worse – we survived and continued on. Yet, we are despised, dismissed and derided by many because of our steadfastness. Other ethnicities, upon coming to this country, adopt the white standard of beauty, of <em>real </em>womanhood, that finds the black woman less than desirable. Many black men have also adopted this standard, choosing to date and marry, ANYBODY BUT A BLACK WOMAN.<br /></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-46458344223696948562008-11-19T23:36:00.001-06:002008-12-29T04:31:02.964-06:00The Election Backlash<span xmlns=""><p>As feared by many, the backlash after Barack Obama's historic win was swift and ugly. In Springfield, MA, just hours after Obama's win, a predominately African-American church was burned to the ground. <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/11/12/election_backlash_feared_in_church_fire/">http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/11/12/election_backlash_feared_in_church_fire/</a> On Staten Island, NY, a young Muslim teen was beaten by white youths who shouted "Obama" as they beat him. <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/staten_island_teen_gang_beat_m.html">http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/staten_island_teen_gang_beat_m.html</a><br /> </p><p> Police around the country have documented hundreds of hate crimes in just the two weeks since the election. The saddest incident I read about was where second-grade schoolchildren were chanting "Assassinate Obama." I just couldn't fathom six and seven year-olds spouting such hateful invectives. At Baylor University in Waco, TX, a noose was found hanging from a tree. The university president now says it was a "old, forgotten rope swing and not a noose."<br /></p><p> In Snellville, GA, one white resident had this to say following the election: "I believe our nation is ruined and has been for several decades and the election of Obama is merely the culmination of the change." Another white resident of Snellville has this to say: "There is a large subset of white people in this country who feel that they are losing everything they know, that the country <em>their forefathers built</em> has somehow been stolen from them." (emphasis added)<br /></p><p> In school rooms across the country, many white teachers have cut off discussions of Obama's victory. Whether this is out of fear of class disruption or the teachers' own inbred racism is unclear.<br /></p><p>William Ferris, Senior Associate Director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina recently stated: "Change in whatever form does not come easy, and a black president is the most profound change in the field of race this country has experienced since the Civil War. It's shaking the foundations on which the country has existed for centuries." He added, "Someone once said racism is like cancer. It's never totally wiped out, it's in remission."<br /></p><p> Racist paraphernalia depicting Obama has increased at least ten-fold since the election. A friend recently suggested that I Google "Obama nigger." I was amazed, disgusted and saddened by the results of that search. Another friend told recently of an e-mail sent to members of a group to which she belongs. She is the only African-American in the group. The e-mail contained a picture of the White House with rows and rows of watermelons on the lawn.<br /></p><p>The Secret Service, which investigates all threats against a President or President-Elect, would not provide numbers, but reports are that since November 5<sup>th</sup>, there have been more threats targeting Obama than any President-Elect in history. Perhaps the one that was most chilling to me was the betting pool in Maine, where for $1, bettors could join a pool and pick the date closest to the date that Obama would be shot. There was a sign that read "Let's hope we have a winner."<br /></p><p> The Southern Poverty Law Center documented 888 active hate groups in the U.S. in 2007. Surprising to many, California leads the nation with 80 active hate groups. Texas is second with sixty-seven. Please note that these are <strong>active</strong> groups, groups who have members, regular meetings and who no doubt act out their hate.<br /></p><p>To my knowledge, the last of the slaveholders died some time ago. Yet, the stain, the legacy, of slavery remains. Much of the hate acts are committed by young adults in their twenties. At the base of racism is ignorance and fear. I, and many other people of color I know tire of the necessity of educating those who are ignorant. We tire of being the only person of color in a group. We tire explaining that we don't all love watermelon. We tire explaining that just like them, we are not monolithic. Yet, the teaching, the conversations, must continue, must expand, must envelop those who need educating. To not do so, confines the anger, the disappointment, the hurt within us.<br /></p><p>I pray for the safety of President-Elect Obama and his family.<br /></p><p><span style=";font-family:Brush Script Std;font-size:16;" >Blessings,<br />T<br /></span></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-3885101100727380662008-11-07T21:39:00.001-06:002008-11-07T21:41:04.760-06:00To Whom and What does Barrack Obama Owe?<span xmlns=""><p>Tonight on my drive home, I was listening to NPR's <em>Latino U.S.A</em>., a show I frequently listen to and enjoy. One of the guests, an Hispanic man whose name escapes me, talked about how the Latino voters in Florida, Colorado and Florida won the election for Obama. He then went on to talk about what Obama now owed Latinos. His comments gave me pause. As I've read, studied and discussed issues of diversity and ethnicity over the years, one thing I have concluded is that there are more commonalities between groups than differences. As I thought about what the guest said, I realized that, despite my being African-American, I've never felt that any politician owed anything to my ethnic group. Rather, I support candidates who support issues that concern classes rather than ethnic groups of people.<em></em></p><p><em> </em>Issues such as teenage pregnancy, job losses, drug use, access to higher education, poverty and lack of health care are issues which, in my opinion, cross all ethnic lines and have more to do with class than ethnicity. I was uncomfortable with the notion that Obama now owes Latinos, in this man's opinion. My discomfort propelled me to look up the demographics of the recent election. According to <em>U.S. News & World Report, </em>the demographics of Obama voters in the most recent election were: African-Americans – 96%; Hispanics – 66%; Women – 56%; Unmarried women – 70%; White men – 41%; Hilary Clinton supporters – 84%; and Under 30 – 34%. These demographics are based on exit polls so there is, of course, margin for error.<br /></p><p>I think what troubled me was the notion that rather than Latinos voting for Obama because there is displeasure, great displeasure, with the Republicans and their actions or lack thereof on items that concerned their community, Latinos voted for Obama to obtain some kind of quid pro quo for Latinos. The speaker went on to say that Obama owed Latinos and should at least appoint several Latinos to his administration. He further added that Obama was now beholden to Latinos. I am not one of the 4% of African-Americans who did not vote for Obama. I was an early supporter of Obama. Nonetheless and despite the fact that 96% of African-Americans voted for Obama, I don't feel that he is beholden to the African-American community. As proud as I am to see an African-American elected president, my support of Obama had very little to do with his race. I supported him because he talked about issues and solutions that affect me and people like me: His recognition of the dwindling middle class; his recognition of the inability of many to pay for higher education for their children; his hope to use diplomatic approaches rather than the war-mongering of the current president; his constant talk of this country being <strong>one</strong> country, rather than a country split into red and blue; and, his ability to retain his composure while facing often withering attacks. Do I expect Barrack Obama to be a messiah? Certainly not. I do believe and hope that he will attempt to tackle the problems and issues that affect the 95% of this country who are not wealthy.<br /></p><p>I have long maintained that the issues in this country are socio-economic and class-based rather than race. After listening to the guest on <em>Latino U.S.A.</em> this evening, I had visions of Latino groups pressuring Obama to do this, appoint this one, get this bill passed, etc. If we are to ever move past the issue of ethnicity in this country, we must get past the notion that each group has to advocate for themselves, rather than for the good of the larger group. One of my favorite words is commonalities. I have long felt that we should celebrate our individual cultures and heritages, but it would be the focus on commonalities that will further our progress, not as individual "races," but as members of the one race that really matters – the human race.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p><span style="font-family:Braggadocio;">Blessings,<br />T<br /></span></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-43082828820213804672008-11-03T22:59:00.001-06:002008-11-04T00:05:14.049-06:00Standing at the Precipice<span xmlns=""><p><br /> </p><p>My country, the country of seven generations of my black and red ancestors stands at the edge of a precipice tonight. Tomorrow, November 4<sup>th</sup> will be an historical date in the history of this country – regardless of who wins. The United States will either have its first African-American president or its first female vice-president. I am unabashedly an Obama supporter. While my support of him is not solely based on his race, I am mighty proud of him and this country. I honestly doubted that I would live to see the day when a black man would occupy the oval office as commander-in-chief. I doubted whether my sons would live to see such a day. I <em>hoped</em> my nine-year old grandson would live to see such a day. <br /></p><p>As this day approaches, I think of my father who passed away at the age of 82 in March of this year. I think of his early support of Obama and though I know he's beaming down from above as this day approaches, I sorely wish he were here to cast his vote and celebrate the victory. I also think of my ancestors, both African and Native, whose blood enriches the soil of Virginia. I think of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, the three civil-rights workers who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in 1964 for attempting to register blacks in Mississippi. I think of Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collins, the four little girls murdered in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. Denise, Cynthia, Carole and Addie were my contemporaries. These little girls were killed in Sunday School at the 16<sup>th</sup> Street Baptist Church. This election is for them, too. I think of Irene Morgan, who in 1946 refused to give up her seat on a Greyhound bus to a white person and was jailed. I think of Rosa Parks, whose courageous act in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama helped to begin the crumbling of the Jim Crow South. I think of W.E. B. DuBois and his <em>Talented Tenth</em>. Specifically his words, <em>one in ten black men becoming leaders of their race in the world, through methods such as continuing their education, writing books, or becoming directly involved in social change. He believed they needed a classical liberal education to reach their true destiny as what would in the 20th century be called public intellectuals. </em>I think of Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth and, oh so many others, countless and often nameless. And, of course, I think of Dr. King, who knew we would get to the mountaintop though he would not get there with us.<br /></p><p>My heart, my mind and my spirit is full. Words fail me at the pride I feel. Pride not only in this black man, Barack Obama, but also pride in my country, that finally, blessedly, hopefully, we are finally <em>beginning</em> to make progress on the racial stain that has blighted this nation since its birth. I give thanks to all those who fought and died for this day to be possible. We stand at the precipice.<br /></p><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:maroon;" >Still I Rise!<br /></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:maroon;" >You may write me down in history<br />With your bitter, twisted lies,<br />You may trod me in the very dirt<br />But still, like dust, I'll rise.<br /><br />Does my sassiness upset you?<br />Why are you beset with gloom?<br />'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells<br />Pumping in my living room.<br /><br />Just like moons and like suns,<br />With the certainty of tides,<br />Just like hopes springing high,<br />Still I'll rise.<br /><br />Did you want to see me broken?<br />Bowed head and lowered eyes?<br />Shoulders falling down like teardrops.<br />Weakened by my soulful cries.<br /><br />Does my haughtiness offend you?<br />Don't you take it awful hard<br />'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines<br />Diggin' in my own back yard.<br /><br />You may shoot me with your words,<br />You may cut me with your eyes,<br />You may kill me with your hatefulness,<br />But still, like air, I'll rise.<br /><br />Does my sexiness upset you?<br />Does it come as a surprise<br />That I dance like I've got diamonds<br />At the meeting of my thighs?<br /><br />Out of the huts of history's shame<br />I rise<br />Up from a past that's rooted in pain<br />I rise<br />I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,<br />Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.<br />Leaving behind nights of terror and fear<br />I rise<br />Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear<br />I rise<br />Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,<br />I am the dream and the hope of the slave.<br />I rise<br />I rise<br />I rise.<br /><br /><strong>Maya Angelou</strong></span><br /> <br /></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-45959716105001002992008-10-28T18:02:00.001-05:002008-10-28T18:02:45.334-05:00Make it believable – Blame it on a black man<span xmlns=""><p>The hot news last Friday was the story of Ashley Todd. This 20-year old woman claimed on Wednesday to have been mugged by a black man at an ATM in Pittsburgh. The story made national headlines because Ms. Todd, who is white, gave a detailed description (6'4" black man, black shirt, jeans and black sneakers) of the man who mugged her and, after the mugger spied a McCain bumper sticker on her car, returned to hold her down and carved a B for Barack Obama on her cheek. The story was accompanied by photos of Ms. Todd with black eyes and a clearly visible B on her cheek. When I first heard the story and read the discussions about it, my skeptic alarm bell went off big time. First, being a Pittsburgh native, I wondered about what she described as "a bad part of Pittsburgh." Bloomfield is a mostly white, working class neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Nobody would describe Bloomfield as a "bad part" of the city. Secondly, I wondered why the B on Ms. Todd's cheek was written backwards. It is unnatural, and very awkward to write backwards. I wondered why a mugger who had just committed a crime would return to his victim, hold her down and take the time to not only carve a letter on her face, but to take the additional time required to carve the letter backwards. Pittsburgh police considered the story suspicious from its onset. Today, <strong>Ms. Todd's story was revealed to be a complete fabrication.</strong> There was no mugging. There was no sexual assault. She evidently carved the B onto her own cheek (obviously using a mirror). Most importantly, <strong>THERE WAS NO 6'4" BLACK MAN.</strong></p><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p>This is just the latest evidence of what seems to be an inbred reality in the hearts of many in the United States. If a white person really wants their story to be believed, <strong>blame it on a black man.</strong> We all know that evidence of this abounds in our culture, not only in recent history, but in the entire history of black people in this country. Perhaps the most infamous incident in recent history was the story of Susan Smith. Ms. Smith fabricated a story of being car-jacked by a black man who subsequently kidnapped her two children. Most black people who heard the story doubted it from jump. We know the drill. Sadly, we were correct in our skepticism and it was later revealed that there was no black man. Ms. Smith sent her car with her two small sons into a lake in a warped belief that without her children she would be able to resurrect a relationship with the son of the rich man in town. Then there was the story of Charles Stuart. Stuart was a white man in Boston. He claimed he and his nearly nine months pregnant wife were carjacked by, what else, a black man. This black man shot Stuart and his wife. Stuart survived. The baby was delivered successfully but died a week later. Mrs. Stuart died the first night. The city of Boston was outraged. Boston police went on the rampage, determined to find and arrest the black man who had committed such an horrendous crime. The black community was harassed non-stop. Black men of every age were accosted by the police. Police eventually arrested and coerced a confession from a young black man. Of course, the end of the story was <strong>there was no black man</strong>. Charles Stuart didn't want a child. He shot his wife and himself. He murdered his wife and caused the death of his son. Being the coward he surely was, Stuart committed suicide by jumping into Boston Harbor. </p><p><br /></p><p>Going back a little further, there is the infamous story of Rosewood, Florida upon which the movie <em>Rosewood</em> was based. In 1923, a black man supposedly raped a white woman. The strong, prosperous and self-sufficient town of Rosewood was destroyed by avenging white men. "Official" reports claim that only something like eight people died. "Unofficial" reports report scores of black people were murdered. Of course, <strong>there was no black man</strong>. The story was invented by a promiscuous wife who feared her husband's reprisal. I suspect if there had been such a thing as a witness sketch of the suspected black man back in 1923, he would be an identical twin of the black man in the Stuart, Smith and Todd sketches.</p><p><br /></p><p>As I discussed this latest hoax of the criminal black man with my younger son today, he reminded me of the incident that happened several years ago in San Antonio. The story broke on the evening news that a white woman had been kidnapped from the parking lot of an Albertson's. She was then taken to a wooded area (coincidentally not far from my home at the time), doused with gasoline and set afire. Someone noticed the fire and called police. With her dying breath, the woman described the black man who had committed this horrendous crime. She died a few hours later at the hospital. We all know the ending of the story, but I will relate it here anyway. The woman was about to be arrested for embezzlement from her employer. There was a videotape of her purchasing the gas can from WalMart. There was video of her filling the gas can at a Diamond Shramrock gas station. There was no abduction. <strong>THERE WAS NO BLACK MAN</strong>. The woman set herself on fire. Her dying words were a lie! I remembered at the time thinking that even as this woman lay dying, her last words were a lie about a black man. </p><p><br /></p><p>As a black woman living in the United States, I ceased being surprised a long time ago by stories like Ms. Todd's, Mr. Stuart's or the woman in San Antonio. Despite all that black people have contributed to this country, in many corners of it black men are considered natural suspects, men who are not to be trusted, men whose greatest wish is to ravish a white woman, men who, when encountered on the street, should be feared. As a mother of two black sons and as a grandmother of a black nine-year old grandson, it saddens me to realize, to accept, that no matter what education they attain, no matter what success they may achieve, they will always remain the proverbial suspect by many. Mr. Stuart and the woman in San Antonio were middle-age people. Perhaps some might conclude that they had "old school," racist thinking. Ms. Smith and Ms. Todd, however, were women in their twenties. The message is clearly that this racist thinking and conniving is not limited to the older generation. There are two sides to this coin. First, there are those who continue to perpetrate the lie of the criminal black man. The other side of the coin is that, even in 2008, many people automatically believe the story about the black man who committed a crime to be the truth. What does this foretell for the future of my sons, my grandson and all the other black men in this country"? Government statistics show that most crime is intra-racial, that is the victim and the criminal are the same race. Nonetheless, stories about <strong>the black man</strong> who committed a crime must be disproved, rather than proved. </p><p><br /></p><p>I wonder even if Barack Obama is elected president if this will change. The specter of the criminal black man will remain – and be believable.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style=";font-family:Brush Script Std;font-size:18;" >Blessings,<br />T<br /></span></p></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900535786979908734.post-13913318273771268562008-10-28T15:02:00.000-05:002008-10-28T18:19:35.629-05:00The Birth Defect of a NationWhat is a birth defect? A birth defect is defined as an abnormality of structure, function or metabolism, whether genetically determined or the result of environmental interference during embryonic or fetal life. A birth defect may cause disease from the time of conception through birth, or late in life.<br /><br />I have long maintained that the stain of slavery will forever remain on the United States. Like the red wine stain on a white tablecloth, the history of slavery and racism on this country is a stain that, although faded, will always remain. You can rub and rub at the wine stain on the tablecloth, but despite all your efforts, despite whatever solvent you use, there will always remain a remnant of the stain. Slavery and its racism is the remnant that remains on the United States. It is the birth defect of this nation.<br /><br />Condoleeza Rice, said this recently: <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><st1:country-region style="font-style: italic;"><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic;"> doesn't have an easy time dealing with race … obviously, when this country was founded, the words that were enshrined in all of our great documents that have been such an inspiration to people around the world … they didn't have me [sic] for an overwhelming element of our founding population. And Black Americans were a founding population," Rice said. "Europeans and Africans came here and founded this country together. Europeans by choice and Africans in chains and that's a not a very pretty reality of our founding. I think that particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today.</span><br /><br />The definition of a birth defect concludes that a birth defect may cause disease from the time of conception through birth and later life. Such is racism in this country (and others). It is a birth defect whose genesis began at the very beginning of this country. It is an allegory that handily lends itself to racism in this country.<br /><br />It has been my belief, my fervent hope, that dialogue, honest conversations about race, will begin the long, difficult journey to reconciliation. This blog is the beginning of what I hope to be such dialogue. I will write and post the writings of others about racism, America's Birth Defect.<br /><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Blessings,<br />T<br /></span>Authorteehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719557513645013818noreply@blogger.com0