Harry Reid has accidentally and belatedly given the world a teachable moment about the ongoing and rabid colorism and racism that poison all arenas. Young black men are arguably far more colorist than Reid. Have you really watched any music videos lately? Have you heard about how Fluff Daddy/P-Diddy contractually rejects brown women in his liquor ads? Are you aware of a wannabee rapper named Yung Berg and how he brazenly degrades women with “dark butts”? Have you heard the similar and typical lyrical worship of women who are only “half black” in songs like Nelly’s “E.I”? Heard the hit song “She Fine” by country rap star Hurricane Chris that uniquely reveres the yellow skinned bi-racial Halle Berry? Did you notice that only all of the yellow skinned people in the film “Precious” were angelic? Ever witness the constant brutally racist and eurocentric misogyny that poisons countless black men’s websites like: http://www.byroncrawford.com/ ?...
I created, produced, and hosted popular talk radio shows in Atlanta from 1986 until 1996. As a native Chicagoan, I am still traumatized by the shameless colorism and racism that callers incessantly flaunted. I distinctly recall every dark skinned black person who ran for mayor being brutally slandered and disrespected during every election cycle. During that unforgettable decade, any candidate that did not have yellow skin and “good/(read: curly/straight/silky…) hair” need not apply. It is refreshing to see the new mayor of Atlanta finally look like most of the black voters.
Most students are proudly illiterate in America. Obama is an expert reader. His verbal skills are a global asset. Perhaps his only real worth as a blackish role model is how he demonstrates the universal power of verbal and literary acumen. Again, we have foregone a teachable moment regarding how linguistic skills can empower students much more than any incoherent slang or dimwitted rap lyrics.
Obama expertly evades his blackness daily. He has openly refused to attend numerous black events. He has refused to utter a single word about Oscar Grant or Sean Bell. He has legendarily gutted HBCUs. He has blatantly ignored the horrid poverty and violence in Chicago beyond his karmically failed Olympic bid. He has left blacks uniquely hopeless and universally homeless. He has left blacks most jobless and most joked. Obama has become deliberately green as he has flagrantly and exclusively acted as president of the mega-rich.
Shame on the arrogantly ignorant and boldly biased turbo partisan politicos for pretending that Reid did not speak racist truths!!! This denial is especially tragic as Obama continues to do everything he can to dodge blackness and remain rigidly blackish to American voters and global fans. Obama and his robots rushed to quell and silence this necessary racial conversation. It is yet another tragic example of how instantly the blackish Obama evades all black issues.
If Sarah Palin or any other Republican had spoken the exact same words that Reid did, Obama and none of his fans would ever be rushing to silence their fallout. Our nationally collective teachable moments have been nullified by amorally biased hypocrisies. Like blind partisanship, ruthless colorism and rabid racism will rage on unchecked and unchanged. SHAME!!!
Read more from Alicia Banks at Eloquent Fury
