Dude...REALLY??????????????????????????
By the by...I don't think you're a racist...I just think you're fuggin dumb. Good luck with that. Oh...and to Mrs. Sosa...DA HELL WERE YOU SMOKING TO LET HIM DO THAT?
Sammy Sosa speaks about skin lightener: 'I'm not a racist'The award-winning drama Skin tells one of the most unusual and moving true stories to emerge from apartheid South Africa. Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo, The Secret Life of Bees) is a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners (Sam Neill, Alice Krige) who are unaware of their black ancestry. Her parents are rural shopkeepers serving the local black community, who lovingly bring her up as their 'white' little girl. But at the age of ten, Sandra is driven out of white society. The film follows Sandra's thirty-year journey from rejection to acceptance, betrayal to reconciliation, as she struggles to define her place in a changing world. Official Web Site
It's showing in the DMV at the E Street Theater which is cool because I LURVE, LURVE, LURVE Landmark Theaters!
Hi Monica!!
I'm writing from Rome and I found you on the web! I need a little help for my university dissertation... Can you help me?I'm writing about Harlem Renaissance and Zora Neale Hurston as the woman who give voice to woman in general, an anticonformist woman who help her contemporary to fight for their voice to be listened in the 20s. Eventually, I wrote a chapter about Michelle Obama, because I thought that while Zora open the door to women, Michelle today is the most powerful woman in the world. And she's africanamerican. So that means that things are changing. While I was studying it through some sources on the web, I found out the reportage by Soledad O'Brain "black in America". So, in my work, I started to write that media in US gives a stereotypical image of a black folks that doesn't represent you, because media just talk about tragic stories... Have I understood the fact in right way? I also wrote that, after this CNN's reportage, a lot of women (and men) on the web opened blogs and recorded youtube's video to defend themselves, and to tell the world that black folk is not what media say. I found out your video... but -as you can notice- my english is quite horrible... I don't understand completely what do you say!
Hi C!
Here is the section on my blog regarding RACE: http://creoleindc.typepad.com/rantings_of_a_creole_prin/race/
Look through that as there are some very poignant conversations regarding being Black in America. After you read...send me some specific questions and I will answer them for you.
I hope this is helpful.
Monica Mingo
Ok... I just finished reading the part about CNN on your blog.
First
of all, I would like to tell you (just to share my opinion with you as
we are talking about it!) that I completely agree with you! Well... I'm
writing you from Italy and I didn't know about the CNN reportage until
I found it out on the web, while I was researching something about
sexism in America.
Ok... I'm writing my questions for you:
1) do you think that the distort image that CNN gave about african american women is due to sexism (and racism)?
2) You talked about "Latino in America": if this programme would exist, what do you think they would talk about?
3) Don't you think that programme like this, talking about the life of 1 GROUP of people in America, contribute to a division between the american folk?
4) Can you tell me how sexism affect your life? (IF sexism affect your life!)
5) How sexism affect life of Black women in general? And what about white women?
6) Do you think that, as Michelle Obama is the most powerful woman in the world today, something will change???
Thank you for your help Monica. I'm quoting you and your blog in my work.... can I????
Waiting for your answer, I wish you to enjoy the day!
c.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
How would YOU answer her questions?
What say you? Would you buy for your daughter? So In Style Barbie
If you were watching ANTM you're a fuggin idjit. Stay off my site.
Now...I need to know who in the hell DARED call the President a LIAR in his chamber. I need to know that ish STAT. I NEED TO KNOW THAT SHIT STAT!
HOW DARE YOU? HOW.DARE YOU? ***THE BASTARD HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS JOE WILSON OF SOUTH CAROLINA!
I have been reeling from the nonsense that has been going on for weeks now regarding health care LIES and narrow minded FOOLS deciding he isn't good enough to speak to their damn children. I'm bout sick of this. As an American I'm ashamed. As a BLACK WOMAN...I am IN-FUGGIN-CENSED.
If folks think this current climate is one that will be upheld in a manner by which folks keep turning the other cheek you've lost your damn mind. I am soooooooo pissed.
What did YOU think of the speech? Were YOUR questions answered? Do you still have questions? What did YOU think of him being called a LIAR by some fool?
Kids Didn't Hear Obama, But Will Be Bussed for Bush
B'WHAT?????????????????
**UPDATED** Here is the link with the email addresses of all the members of the Board of Trustees. Please send them an email to voice what this means to you. Don't start it with B'WHAT?????
WHEN I SAW THIS ISH VIA BELLADOMANI I WAS FLOORED...JUST FLOORED! THEY ARE KIDDING ME WITH THIS SHIT RIGHT? RIGHT? THIS SHIT CANNOT BE GOING DOWN RIGHT? RIGHT?
GOTDAMMIT I'M SO PISSED RIGHT NOW I'M SPITTING!
THOSE OF YOU IN ARLINGTON I HOPE YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIG INTO SOME AZZES WITH THE SWIFTNESS!
WOW.
JUST...WOW.
Monica "FLOORED, STUNNED" Ming
I was watching "Coming to America" the other day and it struck me that the light skinned sister was made to be all good and pure and the dark skinned sister was um...erra...different.
I thought about "Jason's Lyric" today and the light skinned son was trying to do better be better...but the dark skinned brother was nothing but trouble.
I thought about several of Tyler Perry's movies where the dark skinned guy was beating up on a light skinned woman or where the light skinned man ended up being the one who saved the woman.
And now I can't stop thinking about instances of color coding in Black movies. Not in movies where Blacks are being exploited mind ya...but in movies by Black people ABOUT Black people.
Have you ever noticed it? Are you noticing it now?
And this is why I love me some Mr. Cosby. While folks like Travesty Smiley and that cockeyed Michael Eric Dyson are trying to mak money off writing books and shit that bash him for daring to speak his damn mind he's GIVING money. I remember years ago when he tried to give Southern University some money to fix their dang problems and they didn't want the money because it came along with advisors and Mr. Cosby was like...hell no...the advisors you got now are the reason yall in this mess in the first place.
That dude rocks.
Light skinned vs. dark skinned India style playas. Fair and Handsome
How do you think this happens in a country like India?Darkie / Darlie toothpaste is manufactured by a company in Taiwan. For a really long time it was called Darkie, the racist term used to describe Black people. Then...it was renamed Darlie because of racial sensitivity.
The product was named Darkie because it "gets your teeth as white as a Black person's." The product is VERY popular in some Asian countries.
What say you? Do you find this offensive?
What has YOUR experience been like?
What triggers your sense of pride at being Black?
What would you like to change about being Black?
Do you children understand issues of skin color?
When was the first time you had to discuss skin color with them?
Have they ever been touched negatively regarding?
Do they have more interaction with other skin colors than you did growing up?
For those of you of other skin colors...what has your experience with Black people been like?
Plus beer.
What say you about today's beer with the President and Vice President? Do you think it will accomplish anything regarding a national discussion on race relations? Do you think this could be the start of something good?
Do you WANT it to be?
Someone said to me today regarding the situation with Professor Gates:
"You know this was an episode of "Sanford and Son" right?"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
That person is prolly right.
I consider myself a fair and balanced person when I want to be and I find that I want to be here. I find myself looking at this situation and not being sucked in even as I KNOW my father would have reacted MUCH MORE HORRIBLY than it is alleged Professor Gates did. I find myself reading the police report filed and being able to see it play out EXACTLY as the policeman said it did.
I find myself thinking that Professor Gates seems to have been more influenced by anger because the policeman didn't know who he was because he feels he's a "celebrity" and not just because he was a Black man.
We've all heard of this happening with celebrities. They get to thinking that they need to be treated differently and are INSULTED if they are not recognized IMMEDIATELY.
INSULTED I TELL YA! INSULTED! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?????
I have stated since this all began that I don't agree with Professor Gates even as I UNDERSTAND.
And I do.
I understand. Lord knows I do. But it doesn't mean it was right.
Not even by a lil bit.
From what I understand the policeman in question was voted by his peers as the diversity trainer in their department. Peers of all skin colors. I'm not saying that I believe it absolves him of all racist situations but I'm going to say that it makes it pretty difficult to believe that his actions were that of a racist cop and not those of a policeman who was well within his rights to place under arrest someone who was being disorderly.
Someone who talked about the man's MAMA.
Nobody BET.NOT say nuttin bout my damn mama. And I MEAN that ish.
Chris Rock stated once that the most RACIST person on Earth is an old Black man. When Chris first said it...it was funny. When you THOUGHT about it...it was less funny and more of an "it is what it is" kinda situation. Older Black men have seen and experienced things that shape them into who they are today. The elders in MY family? Oh yeah boy...racist as a MUG! Why? Cuz they have bee treated like shit before by someone when race was an issue and they RECOGNIZED IT AND NEVER GOT OVER IT.
Is it right?
No.
Do I understand where it comes from?
Yes. My issues make me snap crazy regarding all sorts of stuff on occasion.
Do I want Black children of today and tomorrow to have the same experiences that shape them in the same manner?
No.
It's time for the cycle to break.
I have an Uncle who is dealing with early onset Alzheimer. If he said some racist ish tomorrow (which he likely will) I will keep my mouth shut and not upset him further. His experiences in life and mine are NOT the same and who am I to belittle his experiences? Who am I to tell him that it's not like that anymore cuz he very well COULD run into the same situation again.
If asked directly I will tell him why I don't believe as he does or...I might not say a word because, again, I don't want to upset him further.
Society needs to recognize that just as folks want to look through rose colored glasses to view racism...it's just not possible for some people in some situations. Society needs to recognize that just because we have a Black President does not mean that the everyday Black man is seeing the benefits of better race relations on THEIR home front.
AND...society needs to understand that sometimes an old man is a curmudgeon REGARDLESS of his skin color, pedigree and education.
I think Professor Gates wrote a check with his mouth that he couldn't cash. I think he cried wolf.
I think the policeman let an old man with a cane goad him into an action he didn't WANT to take after he'd followed proper protocol.
I think had it been an old White guy with a cane he could have likened the man with someone he was related to and figured that hey...it's just old Uncle Curmudgeon cutting the fool and he's of no harm to anyone and hey...or mama's taught us when we were in kindergarten that WORDS DON'T HURT.
I think the neighbor did the right thing by calling the police when she saw folks trying to "break in" her neighbor's home. Hell...I've called the police on my neighbor before when they showed up unannounced after being gone for a year and I looked out and saw an Asian man walking around the back of the house and the lights on. I will NEVER forget how he looks again mind ya...but when I didn't KNOW him...I didn't "know" him.
I think all of the people involved just CRASHED into each other at the worst possible time with a Bermuda triangle of events.
I think that no one is 100% WRONG nor a 100% RIGHT and that we are going to hear about this crap and feel the effects for a long, long time.
I don't know Professor Gates. He is not my friend. I "know" him from the media and from his GROUNDBREAKING PBS Special on Blacks. I don't agree with his behavior...but I understand.
Here's to hoping he sits down somewhere and reflects on what he could have done DIFFERENTLY.
Here's to hoping the policeman sits down somewhere and reflects on what he could have done DIFFERENTLY.
Here's to hoping the neighbor sits down somewhere and reflects on what she could have done DIFFERENTLY.
And here's to hoping MY neighbors call the police if they ever see someone trying to "break in" to my home. I promise if it's me...I'll just show my ID.
Hey...I'm my father's daughter sure...but I ain't his throwed off racist-cuz-he's-been-discriminated-against-and-is-tired-of-that-shit azz AT.ALL.
So dude locked himself out of his home and was trying to "break in" with the help of his cab driver.
A passerby called the police.
The police showed up and asked him to step outside.
Mr. Gates said no this was his home.
The policeman says Mr. Gates refused to cooperate.
Mr. Gates said he showed his identification.
Mr. Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Mr. Gates had been traveling and prolly was pissed that he had to do some damage in order to get into his own home so yeah...he prolly was cussing. He was prolly insulted that someone called the police on him cuz he looked more like someone who would be breaking into such a home (through the front door mind ya...*BLINK*) instead of someone who owned the home.
Now I'm not saying I agree with him cutting the fool with the policeman and getting a few things off his chest regarding being BLACK IN AMERICA AND YET UNIDENTIFIABLE AS THE TYPE OF BLACK MAN HE IS AND INSTEAD BEING STEREOTYPED AS THE TYPE OF BLACK MAN THE MEDIA CONTINUES TO PERPETUATE AS BEING THE ONES WHO ARE ALL THIEVES...
...but I will say that I understand.
I, Monica Mingo, UNDERSTAND cussing someone the FUCK out on your property that is questioning if you own the property even as I would be grateful that they would question a thief who was breaking in too. Just something about that mortgage payment that makes me feel like I should be able to cuss SOMEBODY out hell.
Thoughts? Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested
I.HATE.CNN!
Look at what I got in my email today. A lovely gift from CNN! How AMAZING is it that the day before their Part 2 airs these uninformed news people are scouring the internet looking for folks to support them and are NOT doing enough research to know who is sympathetic and who isn't!
Yall KNOW how I feel about that bullshit CNN pumped out last Summer and now that they're about to put this shit out again...MY OPINION HAS NOT CHANGED!
THESE FOOLS CAN'T EVEN DO THE RESEARCH TO DETERMINE IF I'M IN THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE OR NOT AND ARE CONTINUING TO PROVE THEY THINK ALL BLACK PEOPLE ARE LIKE THE ONES THEY FEATURED IN THAT NONSENSE LAST SUMMER! I.HATE.CNN!
CNN's "Black in America 2", will be airing July 22nd and 23rd. I think
that your readers will really be interested in the issues BIA 2
addresses, especially while Black America still faces so many issues.
We're working very close with CNN and this is a great opportunity to
introduce your site to the network, as we send weekly reports
highlighting the sites featuring the series. ICED and CNN is eager to
know your opinion on the subject matter and topics and I would
definitely appreciate a look on your site with one or both of the clips.
Thanks so much!
Steve Harvey speaks about the hardships of being a single parent.
Tune in to CNN's Black In America 2 special premiering on July 22 &
23, 2009 at 8PM ET.
http://www.dailymotion.com/user/thatsfunny/video/x9x4wt_untitled_news
Colin Powell speaks about rebuilding the family and investing time
into today's youth. Tune in to CNN's Black In America 2 special
premiering on July 22 & 23, 2009 at 8PM ET.
http://www.dailymotion.com/user/thatsfunny/video/x9vmke_cnn-black-in-america-2-colin-powell_news
What ideas do you have for empowering at-risk kids?
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/black.in.america/community/issues3.html
How are entertainment heavy weights like Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry
and Spike Lee changing black stereotypes in Hollywood?
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/black.in.america/community/culture3.html
So the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is celebrating 100 years this down over in Nuevo York. According to a friend who is there, "I ain't never seen this many Black people at one place! It's set up like the DNC too with each state having their own section!"
I'm not a member...but have lots of family members who are.
Some of them are prolly in New York right now but hey...how would I know for sure unless I called them?
Hmmmmmm...
N.E.WAY.
The NAACP has gone through it's drabs and dribbles since the Civil Rights era wherein they were most respected of their carbon life thus far. President Obama is addressing them today and, of course, everyone is trying to get in for that. My friend who is there has plans of getting REALLY close to folks who are shoe ins today to see if they can slide in with them. I'm hollaring imagining my friend getting Mr. Harry Bellafonte coffee, tea, water, and chocolate all day in 10 minute intervals. LOL!
My questions to you:
Have you ever been a member of the NAACP?
Would you ever?
Were your parents members?
Do you believe they are relevant today?Why?
Why not?
Do you believe they would be better suited if they embraced the causes of ALL people of color who may not have a collective, visible, respected voice?
And finally...do they need to undergo a name/brand change?
What say you?
Whew!
So I'm all caught up with the comments from the post about Roslyn's comment which was controversial to say the least. There were some good comments. Some ADDITIONAL controversial comments...and some comments that were just unnecessary. Some folks show their lack of communication skills by not knowing how to debate.
But hey...that's cool.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_obama_book_display.htm
I would like to believe a racist customer changed the book but it makes me wonder how the customer got behind the counters in the window display area to do such without detection.
What say you?
For years I've heard people say how hard it is to be Black and I guess I never really got it from their angle. To me, the people who were saying it were the people who'd made VERY poor choices in life that would have affected them negatively REGARDLESS of their skin color and I knew far more Black people who were living their life successfully than I didn't.
So yeah...I kinda developed the attitude, "You can miss me with that shit."
And I rolled onward because I rejected the notion.
These same people are the ones who will forever be victims because they refuse to take responsibility for anything that has ever gone wrong in their life. It's always because of the boss on that job or because of the omnipotent THEY who didn't like them and wanted to keep them down.
Never for a moment in the arrogance of their own victimization would they ever, EVER believe it had anything to do with them.
Never.
I would assume for those people, it's hard to live period and they label it as hard to be Black because that is what most of us identify ourselves with first. Our skin color.
So okay...moving on.
Lately, it's been hard being Black in America to me.
What say you Creole You? BLASPHEMY! Aren't you always celebrating Black people who are doing the damn thing, always have and always will?
Yup.
But dude...it's hard being Black in America to me right now because our number one enemy is trying to rush a rationalization of why WE are who WE are. That enemy THE MEDIA.
The media is on that bullshit yall. I mean really. We got used to them finding the scraggliest toothed person in the world to put on the news and got to the point where we could dismiss it as same old, same old but now? Now? We're being subjected, in the most IN YOUR FACE KINDA WAY, to being studied as one would observe a caterpillar turning into a butterfly for a science project. We've been put into a glass box and they are just standing around us trying to justify to the Right WHY OBAMA IS PRESIDENT. See Black people got brains too!
I guess that's interesting to an extent but I'll be damned if I don't find it insulting as hell. I'll be damned if 2008 seems to be the year the media felt we've evolved enough to finally be given a job worthy of one's education and accomplishments in life. I'll be damned if I allow them to scratch the years that proceeded when so many of us were qualified and did what we needed to do to get done what we needed to get done. I love Obama, lawd knows I do, but he's not the first successful Black man of power that I've known nor is he the man that is going to absolve racism.
I know I'm rambling and I know you've detected that I'm feeling some kind of way. It's a rare day when I can't get out of my head and heart what I want to say in the written word and I don't feel as if I've said what I'm trying to say here so Imma just give up and move on to something pretty and sparkly I guess. Hopefully I can wipe this frown off my face and move on with the rest of my day.
Dude...really? REALLY?
Yeah...for the first time in my life I feel it's hard being Black. Why? Cuz I don't like being touched and I damn sure don't like realizing that the media is trying so hard to justify me as to come up with new names and categories and shit for people who share my same skin color but not my same circumstances in life. For the first time in my life I feel it's hard being Black because I'm realizing that Black people will never be left alone long enough to actually just be Black.
We always gotta justify our existence man. Unless, of course, we're poor. Then...we're true to life.
*sigh*
Monica Mingo,
I found your video on CNN's being black in America and came over to your site. I spent a couple of hours looking around and reading a lot of the comments and it seems like you and the people that comment are fooling yourselves if you think you're living the black experience. Black people got it hard and I think CNN was really trying to help. We don't all have the kind of money you all seem to have with your private schools and maids. In fact, I think most of you are probably frauds that just want to make it seem like you're better than black people as this has happened all of our lives as it seems some black people want to be anything other than black. Also, it was no surprise to me to find that your husband was white. I kind of figured as much because you seemed the type that would think a brother wasn't good enough for you. So you see you can't really speak on being black in America and your readers aren't representatives either because it seems all of you want to be anything other than black and there isn't anything wrong with our culture even though most people want to distance themselves from all things black. CNN told the real story and not that fantasy land stuff.
SIP: Monica can't answer because she's in a meeting with her Butler going over the household menu for the month of September. He's suggesting lobster being flown in from Maine with Scottish bagpipers at the entrance of the castle that is 13700. After that, Driver is taking her to their private airfield as she and her White, rich husband who has everything (Hostess 2008) are dashing off to Beijing to watch a few rounds of the Track and Field competition. Their seats are waaaaay better than Bush's and Putin's and they are stopping along the way to pick up members of the Tribe as they head out. Please be packed and ready to roll out.
Thank you in advance for answering this young man and for being all packed and ready to go once Le Plane arrives. None of that CPT shit.
The Robinator: Sushi? You know I don't eat that ish! Please make sure the plane is fully stocked with Cheez-its and wine. Thanks. Oh...and tell Pilot I need to review his choice in music for the flight. I don't remember hearing any EPMD last week.
Look...we all know Black people with money. We just call them Black people with money. We don't sit around and make up new names for them and we damn sure don't sit around and wait on them to break us off a piece of their sumptin, sumptin. Newbos
Rappers and ballers need to be put up on a pedestal higher than they one they are craning their necks from now? I'm thinking this is not needed.
But maybe that's just me.
Maybe I'm the only one that understands that the entertainment industry is a numbers game and that we'd be better off focusing on the 99.9 % that WON'T become hip hop rapperiffic people or ball game players.
But maybe that's just me.
A new word for them? Newbos? Really? Really? For people who talk that shat about women in their music and put images of Black folks out there in the most NEGATIVE of lights all the while cabbage patching to the bank after selling out impressionable children HOPING for a mentor, a big brother, a damn FATHER FIGURE they can look up to?
We have enough words thank you very much. We also have words for people who wanna BE them so much as to have SUCH a fascination with them they take it upon themselves to make up a SHINY NEW NAME FOR EM...
That word?
WANNABE.
Lee Hawkins...GO SIT YO AZZ DOWN SOMEWHERE HELL AND STOP BEING THAT WAY! SHEESH!
I had to break it down for someone today that it is NOT a bad thing to be proud of AND share pride with Senator Obama because he's Black. You shouldn't VOTE for him just because he's Black no more than you SHOULDN'T vote for him just because he's Black either...BUT...his existence in this election finally proves to Black people that the aforementioned thought and perceived impossibility is no longer IMPOSSIBLE.
Like...White people have the luxury of not having the skin color of their President being talked about over and over again because our Presidents have ALWAYS been White. It's EXPECTED for them to have that possibility because their EXPECTATIONS match the REALITY of a White man being President. They have an honest visual of someone who shares their skin color in the position of the highest office our country has and say whatchu wanna say but REALITY versus EXPECTATION can be very, VERY visual. If you've never SEEN IT...sometimes it's hard to DREAM IT and I'm so glad that Senator Obama was capable of DREAMING IT bring the EXPECTATION closer to the REALITY.
I mean really...why couldn't a Harvard educated man REGARDLESS of his skin color not believe his path is on the road to the White House? Should be able to be a REALITY right?
Right.
Hell...most of the Presidents our country has had have been educated by the elite educational institutions.
So again...I wouldn't have ever voted for Senator Obama just because he's Black just as I would have never cast my vote for Al Sharpton. I've voted for White men all my adult life and no one questioned my choice being based on skin color. Pisses me off when it comes into question now.
Am I proud of Senator Obama? DAMN RIGHT I AM and I tell everyone who will listen. The man has shown us an entrance to a level that before now has been unattainable. His message of YES WE CAN for me is two fold.
Senator Obama makes me proud. He FORCES me to believe and I don't give a damn who tries to spin that cuz it is as simple as it is.
What about you? You think something is wrong with being proud of him because he's Black?
YES.WE.CAN!
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