Colorism Does Matter in the Case of Fantasia

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

It is unfortunate that Fantasia had to address the issue of colorism at a time when unwise decisions and straight gutter behavior in her personal life undermined the truth of skin color preference in the media that has been going on forever.

Before I start my piece, I too as a married woman would’ve been on the hunt for Fantasia, right after I dealt with my hubby. So I speak as a sister who is in love, and celebrates the sacredness of marriage.

Now let me continue…

I cringed at Fantasia’s reality show (especially her coon brother Teeny) and oft-bad hair days of many unflattering shades; but I cannot turn a blind eye on how much negative press she has gotten since her emergence into the limelight or should I say blind-light.

Fantasia, a functioning-illiterate, high school drop-out and young single mother when she won the American Idol competition became the butt of jokes that many people snickered loudly after she publically confessed her educational flaws and social status.

She became the ignorant welfare-mother with the predictable dead-beat black baby daddy that we oft-hear too much since the Moynihan reports of the 1950s.

Fantasia fits perfectly into the quintessential black woman that mainstream America imagines—uneducated, lonely and poor. The fact that she is darker in her brown complexion with broad facial features and big-ole booty, made it easier for the jokes and perceptions to continue.

She is the Jezebel, the Mammy, the Sapphire, the Aunt Sarah and Peaches in Nina Simone’s infamious song, “Four Women.” Hell, look at how Nina Simone herself got treated. Or for that matter, Shirley Chisholm, Cicely Tyson and even Gabrielle Union who can’t land a job if she sucked every director in Hollywood.

Fantasia is aesthetically displeasing from the lens of a supremacist mindset that has never embraced brown-skinned ladies as the epitome of beautiful.

Truth be told, America is still trying to convince themselves that Michelle Obama is pretty with its overemphasis of her grace and charm.

It took an exposé of her affair for Fantasia to articulate what she had been feeling and thinking for a long time. Hollywood, America, and the black community still operate from a skin color hierarchy.

Of course her claims were done in wrong timing. I agree that her accusations were misplaced and serve as no excuse to contributing to the disruption of a family and fellow black woman; but her charges of a biased, color-eyed media are dead-on.

This is the part of the industry I loathe. High-yella folk (still) get all the fun, and frankly much of the good jobs. Of course they are surveillance and limited, but it is a truth that they enjoy a certain movement than those who are more closely associated to our African ancestors.

And in my opinion, folk like Alicia Keys are privy to celebrating an Afro-centric flair (braids and all) and a hood swagger more than an India.Arie who is blasted and maligned as a bohemian hippie and alternative artists who is pushed to the periphery.

Wait, There Were Black People at Glenn Beck's Rally in DC?!?!

No but seriously, I had no idea that the black "Garbage Pail Kids", as my cousin Chauncey DeVega so affectionately calls them, were in attendance this past weekend. I guess having a few black folks along for the ride as you return the Civil Rights Movement to it's rightful roots of the uber-white republican party isn't a bad thing.

And what's a true Black Republican/Tea Bagger without any mention of Dr. Dre, right? Can't really be mad about that even as it comes from the self-loathing kind, right? Besides, just like Alveda King, Dr. Dre isn't even a real doctor, nor has a Ph.D. But I suppose there's no denying that like roaches, black folks were there.

The fuck was this dude talking about below?



Did this muthafucka have finger waves?

H/T Jack & Jill Politics

52% of Americans Approve of Barack Obama's Handling of Race Relations

I'm kinda fatigued by all the polling data that's released everyday as it relates to president Obama. But this information I thought to be quite interesting to share because it involves race. And as an expert professional racism chaser, unlike some of you, I'm interested in just how people view him in all our "post-racial" glory:

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Barack Obama's 52% approval rating for handling race relations is the only issue among 13 tested in two recent Gallup polls for which the president receives majority-level approval. In fact, a majority disapprove of the job the president is doing on eight of these issues, with his worst scores for his handling of immigration and the federal budget deficit. (source)

According to polling results, 52% asked approved of the way Barack Obama is handling race relations, while 38% disapproved. I'm really not sure if this is a good, or a bad thing; however, there's some irony to this being the only area to receive a majority approval, given the climate of racial and political resentment.

As with any poll, I'm always curious to know just who the respondents were. More specifically, I think it would be interesting - at least in the interest of race relations - that a conversation with said respondents could be expanded. I'd like to know just exactly what in their opinion(s) is he doing, or not doing right.

Is the fact that he rarely speaks on, or totally ignores racially sensitive issues outside of some poor black guy being wrongfully arrested in his home, an indicator of him doing a "good job" with race relations?

Some black folks will tell you that he does a disservice to the black community with his deafening silence on issues that directly impact the black community. Conversely, there are some white folks who believe him to be racist, by showing preferential treatment to blacks in America.

As a black man who happens to be America's first black president, is Barack Obama specially obligated to speak on, or advance a conversation on the most polarizing issue, that is race relations in America?

So which side of the fence are you on? Do you approve or disapprove of Obama's handling of race relations?  Is the president living up to the expectation of him transcending the racial construct in America?

Even if he fails miserably at everything else, when it's all said and done, as a country, would race relations be better when he's long gone? What are your thoughts on how president Barack Obama has handled race relations?

Glenn Beck Admits He Doesn't Agree With Martin Luther King Jr.

"You lyin', you ain't never met Dr. Martin Luther the King!" - Coming To America 

I'll be honest, I didn't pay any attention to this fake-ass poli-religious big tent revival in DC this past weekend. I haven't seen any coverage However, if you're interested in reading a take on the event as seen through the eyes of a Black Liberal who attended the event. I suggest you folks hop on over and checkout my man AverageBro's recap of the event over at The DailyKos.

No, seriously, read his recap; over 500 comments; it's hilarious!

But anyway, as I mentioned I purposely didn't pay any attention to actual event. However, I was interested in the bullshit that often comes in the form of congratulatory high-fives once it was over. You know, like, Yeah son, we totally took back MLK from Black America, son... Yeah, white civil rights... biiyatch!! Um, you're not gonna be able to convince me that nobody ever said that backstage; even Beck has a hypeman.

In particular, I wanted to hear from Mr. Beck; I wanted to hear his thoughts on the event. I figured he would be interviewed with a "mission accomplished" banner in the backdrop, while standing on a Navy carrier; but alas, my appeasement wasn't as lucky. Instead, this is what I got via Fox News Sunday:



Did you hear that crap? This coming from the same man who before the rally claimed he sought to "pick up Martin Luther King's dream that has been distorted and lost."

Well, he admitted that he wasn't King, nor was he alive at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. I wasn't alive then either, but I know damned well that what he said proves just how out of touch with reality he is!

Oh the burdens of white privilege...

The only thing or the only line anyone white ever focuses is the "judge a man by the content of his character and not the color of his skin," line, as Beck alluded in his interpretation of King's dream. Sadly, this is what King's "dream" has been reduced to...

I'm sorry, but economic inequality was the crux of the Poor People's Campaign; it was a lot deeper than the assumed, "hey let's give a n*gger a job because he just might be a good n*gger," bullshit.

But of course it's probably too much to expect a white multi-millionaire like Beck, to understand just what the March on Washington was about.

Hell, why exactly would Glenn Beck bother to agree with that aspect of King's "dream" when the people in attendance were mostly older, white, and living better than the average American.Truthfully, I doubt anyone in attendance had an actual clue as to what Martin Luther King Jr.'s work, and legacy is truly about.

Murfreesboro Mosque Fire: Another Example of anti-Muslim Rhetoric Gone Wild

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

So, we have all heard the protests of those who claim that the planned Islamic Center NEAR Ground Zero is disrespectful towards the families of 9/11 victims. So, other than pure hatred, what is the excuse for the people opposed to building a mosque and Islamic center hundred of miles away in Murfreesboro, TN??

Early Saturday morning, someone poured flammable liquid over four pieces of equipment at the construction site of a planned Islamic center in Murfreesboro. Federal officials are investigating this as a possible arson.

Controversy has been surrounding the plan to build a center to serve the 250 Muslim families in the area (who have been using a suite in a local office building to hold services.) The planned facility includes a mosque, a community center, and athletic fields, and is slated to be completed gradually over the next few years.

But, many in the Murfreesboro community are angry over the proposed religious center. Some claim that their concern is about zoning and traffic issues, while others have made very clear that their objections are based purely on anti-Muslim sentiment.

After months of vocal opposition in meetings and in the media, apparently someone has decided to take their anger and transform it into violence. And the local Muslim community is frightened.

A local religious freedom group, Middle Tennesseans for Religious Freedom, plans to hold a “candlelight vigil in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse on Monday in response to the fire. “We simply cannot allow the actions of a few destructive individuals to go overlooked by Rutherford County residents,” said Claire Rogers, a spokesman for the group. “It’s truly a shame that we have reached this point, but it is up to us to ensure the intimidation goes no further.” (source)

Anti-Muslim bigotry has risen to epic proportions in this country. And criminal acts committed against Muslims or the property of Muslims like this recent arson attack go largely unnoticed in the media. Or, they are tacitly condoned by the majority of "good, God fearing Christians".

Imagine if this had been a Christian congregation that had been the victim of this attack. It would have been national news. And there would have been the ever present "Was this terrorism?" question asked by every media outlet. But, since Muslims are the victim, Americans smile and nod and think it is OK.

I truly find it mind boggling that a nation that was "founded" by people who LEFT their homes to seek religious freedom has evolved into a country so intolerant to people of different faiths.

It is a perversion of the concept of "freedom". But, realistically, this country NEVER practiced the ideals it preached. And this is just one more example. Besides, they were burning down black churches not too long ago.

This is Glenn Beck, & This is Your Brain on Glenn Beck

Pictured above is just one of the brain-dead doofuses who attended Glenn Beck's spiritual awakening event in Washington DC. Yep, Glenn Beck can't be racist because, well, Beck doesn't own slaves, but black people do.

But this being a corporate sponsored, "Beck Inc.", shindig, one has to question whether this patriot was making the above point or lobbying for a return to the good ole days when slave were owned by white folks.

SIDENOTE: Mauitania doesn't exist; there's no such country.

I'll let you make your own conclusions; I mean this is Glenn Beck we're talking about, right? Surely there'll be no fear-mongering from him or anyone at his event; Glenn isn't into that sorta thing.

So yeah, maybe it was that this asshole just got the wrong message especially since Glenn is clear on the type of person he is, and just what he's about. Which to some, sounds like an Al Green tune: Love & Happiness.

Surely we'd hate to think that he's channeling Beck with the message that Obama's plan includes white slavery. Thankfully the folks at Media Matters are around to help us:



Pics courtesy Gawker

Slave-Catcher of The Week: the I HATE MYSELF AWARD GOES TO...Alveda King

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

Vomit, puke, spit and loose bowels to a confused chick who thinks that her blood relation to MLK has allowed her to inherit his wisdom and intellect.

A speaker @ the right-wing rally on the Washington Mall with Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and the rest of the insanity yesterday had even my great grandmothers flipping in their graves. An avid conservative, tea bag supporter, she epitomizes the crisis in black political, social and religious organizations.

Simply put, we are in such a chaotic state, some will be happy to drink Beck's red and purple koolaid.

One thing I do agree about, she has courage because I know a couple of relatives are ready to snatch the shit out of her pimping her dead uncle's name and work.

Another thing I agree is that she is lacking common sense.

On Fox last night, she said that MLK would have been proud of Glen Beck and his message on the mall.

WTF

Her rationale to taking a stance in the name of MLK is that she stands as the expert on all things Civil Rights because her uncle was an ultimate ride-or-die activist. According to her, her blood relations makes her an automatic heir.

Now, I have crackheads, thugs, a couple of perverts, and hermit in my family. I am not the expert on any of those philosophical existences, and didn't inherit those thinkings. So what makes this chick think MLK passed his on to her.

Tom-coon-foolery.

Eco.Soul.Intellectual's 7 Conspiracy Theories

1. Wyclef Jean put in his bid to run as the Haitian-Head-of-State because Lauryn Hill's return to the stage is really about to make him look stupid. Now who needs a psychiatrist?

2. Korean women who wax black women are really trying to rip the black off of them. Trust me, I've got a rash on my thighs and a fucked up bikini line to show for it. It's official, I'm switching to an Indian salon. They know something about kinky hair.

3. Former White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rodgers accepted the CEO position at Ebony so she can get back closer to her secret love, Barack Obama. Go get your man...but watch out for Michelle. She don't play that shit.

4. Wig glue damages the brains of lace-front wearers into thinking that their new hairline really looks authentic.

5. The Miami Heat merger was conducted by two Santeria priests and Fidel Castro in a Jewish synagogue. But I ain't hating, I'm putting 30 chickens, a goat and seven white candles on LeBron and dem.

6. Carol Daughter's products lost their quality once they expanded. I really miss the hair oils that were concocted in a kitchen sink, but had so much love in them.

7. Black bloggers are heavily surveillanced by the New York Times, Washington Post, Perez Hilton and TMZ to jack our shit.

Blog on...EcoSoul

White House Black Media Liaison Quits, But Why Was He Hired?

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

After scouring the internet to read the bio of recent and abrupt White House resignee, Corey Ealons, I am totally not impressed by his credentials for the position he was appointed.

When I read an article, I was like, Corey Ealons who? Who the hell is this guy, and what sky did he drop out of because it is not the chitlin' circuit black press that I know and study.

As of Monday, the former black press liaison announced his departure from the Obama Administration. However, his presence will not be missed if you read his experience. He doesn't have a lick of practice or knowledge of the black press and the negroness that it operates under.

According to the White House site, Ealons bio reads:

Corey Ealons, Director of African American Media and Coordinator of Special Projects
Ealons served as director of African American Media during the General Election for the Obama-Biden campaign. Prior to joining that operation he was deputy chief of staff and communications director for U.S. Representative Artur Davis of Alabama for six years. A communications professional for nearly 15 years, Ealons’ experiences include three presidential campaigns and active duty service as the public affairs director and photojournalist for the 3rd United States Infantry (The Old Guard), the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. Ealons graduated from the University Of Alabama School Of Communications with a concentration in public relations and political communications. (source)


Yaaaaawwwwnnnn.

I've worked for some black papers and frankly, he didn't have the pimp juice to deal with the "niggeration" (excuse my French) and back-handed bullshit that goes on in African-American papers.

Have you heard about the iron hand that Desiree Rodgers has to use to deal with the Tom-coon foolery @ Ebony. She had to bust them out for paying a white firm goo-gobs of money to upgrade their image and robbed them of their money. Then they hired a junior flip of an executive who was just a fresh face without the backbone to create real change.

Or maybe Desiree has found some twisted way to get back under the thumb of Obama by getting in through Ebony. She is quite the cunning little diva. I absolutely love her. Go get your man Desiree, but be careful. Michelle looks like she will blacken your high-yella tell with a South-side right hook.

Alveda King is Not the Member of the King Family We Need to Hear From Today

So while folks on the left are either bitching about Glenn Beck's re-enactment of the Klan marches on Washington DC circa the "honorable days" of America; or celebrating the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historical and now watered down "Dream Speech". Allow me to present to you the King that America needs to hear from right about now.

Sorry Alveda King; yes you are MLK's niece. However, America isn't in need of hearing from a buck-dancing house negro in concert with Glenn Beck and company today. Your uncle was a man of principle, who with good conscience acted in the interest of progress.

“I’m speaking at the Glenn Beck rally because Glenn and I have had many conversations about faith, hope and love...Glenn asked me about the philosophy and the strength to love that my uncle Martin had. I’ve been sharing that with Glenn and I’m hearing and seeing Glenn embrace those principles. Where those principles are bound, and they’re not just rooted in the American Dream, but in the faith of our Father.” - Alveda King (source)

Sure she has the right to her religious beliefs and convictions. But to lend herself to an effort which co-opts the very social and true moral principles in the interest of justice that her uncle stood for, is beyond me.

But then again, it shouldn't be a surprise, considering that most religious conservatives (especially the black ones) treat the constitution as they do the bible; they love to talk about it, but forget what's in it. Which makes perfect sense if you're willing to speak at a "Beck Inc." sponsored event where you share the stage with Sarah Palin.

And then there's this from Salon.com:

“In 1994, she released a letter condemning Coretta Scott King’s support for abortion and gay rights, saying it would bring ‘curses on your house and your people ... cursing, vexation, rebuke in all that you put your hand to, sickness will come to you and your house, your bloodline will be cut off.’

“[...] Lynn Cothren, Coretta Scott King’s openly gay special assistant for 23 years, recalls Alveda’s vocal opposition to a hospice for AIDS patients in her neighborhood. Once, says Cothren, Alveda brought religious tracts to the King Center and encouraged him to repent.

“‘Mrs. King dealt with it," said Cothren, ‘and she didn’t pass out any more tracts.’”

Hear that AIDS infested black community? Repent!! And this coming from a woman willing to stand on the stage with Glenn Beck, on not only the anniversary of the "Dream Speech", but also: the anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, the death of W.E.B. DuBois, and the fifth year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. All in an effort to assist in turning back the hands of time to an America that was much more honorable.

So, considering that the working poor are all but two heartbeats away from life support in the Doldrums that is the U.S. economy. Given that we're still engaged in two military conflicts overseas. I instead of highlighting the "Dream Speech", I feel it appropriate to highlight his message on the war in Vietnam. A war which up until now, went down in history as America's longest military conflict. Which ironically, is similar in many ways to the war in Afghanistan. A war which I'm sure he would be opposed to, as he was the war in Vietnam.

Can Anyone Give Me a Ride to DC this weekend??

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

I REALLY want to go to the rally Glen Beck is holding on the 28th. I really, truly, I want to witness this historic event. I want to stand amongst the fine examples of American patriotism who will be on hand this weekend to disrespect the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. "Restore Honor" to America. I want to buy some of the patriotic merchandise that I am sure the rally attendees will be hawking. Something with an American flag prominently displayed.

And I want to burn it. Even Glen Beck himself believes it is my right to do it. But how many of his rabid fans would want to see ME burn for doing it??

I would love to see the reaction on the faces of the ignorant masses attending this event, the drooling populace who Beck spoon feeds with his own special brand of hatred. These good, "Christian", "patriotic" Americans who believe that the US is REALLY the "Home of the Free".

Am I "Un-American"? Hell yes, I am, and proudly so. Until the American people come to their senses and recognize this country's role in supporting violence and oppression all over the world, I will not be ashamed to call myself "Un-American".


I will not salute the flag or sing the "Star Spangled Banner". I will not participate in that special brand of "patriotism" that believes in American exceptionalism. I will not applaud the actions of Americans here and abroad that are designed to oppress others.

I will not show pride in a nation that believes that it is our inherent right AND duty to police the world. I will not encourage loyalty to a government that believes in "democracy" only when the results of "democratic" activities fall within a certain VERY NARROW "acceptable" range.

A notorious racist thug is holding a rally to "restore honor" to the nation by moving it even further to the right than it already is. On the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech. I am sure EVERY speaker will attempt to hijack MLK Jr.'s message and contort it to fit their racist, xenophobic, imperialistic agenda. This is so not acceptable.

I wish I could be there. Only to tell the attendees of this rally what monsters I truly believe they are.

Note: For those who are interested Al Sharpton and the National Action Network will be hosting a counter demonstration to "Reclaim the Dream" on August 28 as well.

You Can be President of the US, but not of your Middle School Class... if you're BLACK?

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

So, apparently, in this, our SO CALLED post racial America, if you are Black, you can be president of the United States, but for the students of at least one middle school in Mississippi, until today, you could not be president of your class.

Yes, it is sad but true. Nettleton Middle School in Nettleton, Mississippi recently released its guidelines for students running for office. And one of the "qualifications" for the office of class president was whiteness.

The highest office a Black student could hold at Nettleton Middle School was vice president of the 8th grade. Out of twelve available offices, 8 were reserved for whites, while 4 were set aside for Black students. Apparently, the school believed that for children, "good moral character" (another requirement for holding office) included accepting segregation.



In the same tradition, the guidelines for the school's homecoming court does not allow for the election of four INDIVIDUALS, but rather for two COUPLES - one Black and one white. Apparently, they want to avoid the appearance of supporting miscegenation if students of opposite races were to be chosen as King and Queen. And, these rules are in place DESPITE the fact that the school principal is an African American woman!

I guess that goes to show that those "at the top" are often just a figurehead for those who REALLY hold the power!

The policy of segregated elections has apparently been in place for 30 YEARS, and was ONLY CHANGED TODAY after an "emergency meeting" of the school board. The impetus for the meeting? A parent, Brandy Springer, alerted the media to this discriminatory policy. Of course, the school superintendent Russell Taylor had a ready excuse on hand (we all could have predicted this one).

"It is the belief of the current administration that these procedures were implemented to help ensure minority representation and involvement in the student body,"

"Therefore, beginning immediately, student elections at Nettleton School District will no longer have a classification of ethnicity. It is our intent that each student has equal opportunity to seek election for any student office."

Source

So, in order to ensure "minority representation" you relegate Black students to only lower offices? And expect nobody to see it for what it really is - blatant racism? And it took 30 years and a media savvy parent for you to "see the light" and change the policy??? Bravo, Superintendent Russell. Bravo, Nettleton School District. (rolling my eyes)

Mississippi has been extremely reluctant, even in recent years to move past its history of segregation. It was only last year that, partially through the efforts of Morgan Freeman, Charleston HS in Mississippi integrated its prom. And while the students seemed to enjoy the new, inclusive prom, a group of white parents decided to sponsor their own, private prom in protest.

And this year, a federal court had to intervene to keep a school from creating segregated classrooms within its walls, and allowing white students to transfer to the districts remaining majority white school. But, this is a POST RACIAL America.

Brandy Springer, the mother who originally alerted the media to this travesty, withdrew her children from the school, and claimed that even if the election policy is changed, the attitude would remain, and she does not want that kind of influence on her kids. I hope she sticks to her guns and does not send her child back into that toxic environment!

Whatever You Do, Don't Call the Cops! (Even if you ARE one!)

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

Larry Jackson has been a police officer for six years. So, when things got out of hand at his daughter's 21st birthday party, a 911 call should have been perfectly reasonable, right?? WRONG!! Larry Jackson got his ass kicked by his fellow officers.

Of course, Larry Jackson is a Black man, and his "colleagues" who stormed his house and assaulted him, his guests and multiple family members were white. So, automatically, Larry Jackson was looked at as a suspect by the pigs.

"They didn't treat me like a house-owner calling for help," he said. "Everyone who lives in the 113th Precinct is not a perp." (Source)

Larry Jackson was kicked and pummeled with batons. He has multiple bruises and a broken hand as a result. He was also pepper sprayed. He was pushed on top of his 82 year old mother in law, who was knocked out momentarily. Oh, and get this. HIS gun and badge have been taken, and he has been placed temporarily on modified duty!

Instead of protecting the Jackson family from the people who were disturbing their daughter's party, the police looked at the Jacksons as criminals, and went on the attack. So, the Jacksons were the victims of the REAL thugs, the ones in uniform, instead of the SO CALLED "thugs" they originally called 911 to protect them from.

It is obvious that the police officers WOULD NOT have treated Larry Jackson this way if he had been a white man having a party with his white family. But, automatically, Jackson was seen as a criminal by the police because of the color of his skin. His uniform and badge were not able to protect him, because as soon as they come off, he is just another ________. (I think you can figure out what goes in the blank) to those who are supposed to "serve and protect". And that is a damn shame.

So, if you are Black, do not call the police if you are in trouble. Call your uncle. Call the dude up the block who you know can get the situation under control quick, fast and in a hurry. Call the crazy old cat lady in the house next door. But, whatever you do, don't call the cops, because you might end up with a beat down like Larry Jackson. Or, you may end up dead.

[VIDEO] Pastor Terry "Burn A Koran Day" Jones Gets PWNED by Chris Matthews

Bitch, Kiss My Corns & Scrub My Feet

By Eco.Soul.Intellectual

Sometimes you gotta put your foot in a little ass, and recently it was a narrow, pale Korean ass talking a whole bunch of shit in Atlanta.

You've already heard the news. An overweight black woman was charged extra at a nail salon because of her weight. According to the owner, big asses are breaking the spa chairs; resulting in an extra charge to cover future repairs.

Uhhhh, aren't you supposed to put maintenance and repairs in your budget?

And since I've lived in Atlanta, I can verify that there ain't nothing but big booties and thick chicks all through that city. Sooooo, maybe that salon owner needs to pack her shit and relocate.

That is why I'm calling women of every race who is over 200 lbs to visit that salon in Decatur and break all those bitches chairs. Get your feet all crusty and squat the fuck on them chairs and dare a bitch to tell you to move.

According to fat studies, discriminating against overweight, obese, fluffy, and big-boned people are grossly under-reported biases.

This incident is beyond insensitive, but to tell you the truth, I've been to Korea, and have spoken to some cool folk over there who keep it real on the perceptions that are spread in the country about African-Americans.
When I was in 18-years-old in Korea, a woman suggested that I could stand to lose some weight. I cringed but looked at her figure that was just nipples and an asshole and laughed. Perceptions of body beauty are definitely cultural.

Now don't get me wrong, I've met some cool Koreans. But I also know how the pursuit of capital in this society will twist the worldviews of many. Ask the black folk who support the Arizona immigration bill.

Unfortunately, in the eye of many immigrant merchants, black Americans are mindless consumers who are trusted as far as their dollar hits the cashier's hand.

On the flip side, that sister could stand to lose some pounds. Regardless if black folk like them thick or not. She was a little unhealthy. And I'm saying this becuase I love my sisters and we collectively need to work it out more.
Plus, the former patron prolly went there to get a cheap discount that exploited workers who sit in those toxic fumes all day. And I bet you a thousand dollars, she found another Korean owner who is talking more shit under her breath while she exfoliates the dead skin from her swollen feet.

Pay a little more money and go to a salon that respects you and your swollen ankles.

Blog on...EcoSoul

Racism is Finally Over, But...

Black people, listen, I got an idea. How about we all have a meeting, preferably in February when it's the only time of the year that we're prideful, to discuss just how "we" use the word nigger. Yeah I know that subject comes up every week, and yes I know unlike me, some of you are sick of it.

But I think it's a conversation that should be had; because quite frankly, if it's up to us to end racism, shouldn't we at least take the first step in removing the word from our vocabulary? I mean, us saying it has to be the obvious reason that "silent nigger" exists. See, that's what we have to talk about, folks.

You see, there's verbal nigger, and then there's silent nigger. Most of you are concerned about verbal nigger, or the verbalization of the word. Then there's silent nigger which is the something simple like, I dunno, getting pulled over by the cops for driving 5 miles below the speed limit being in the "wrong place".

Silent nigger is the inherent systematic racism that plagues black folks and other people of color. Silent nigger has prisons across the country chock full of black folks. Silent nigger is the reason some of you pay higher interest rates on your mortgages and loans than do white folks with lower credit scores.

Silent nigger was the trigger for housing bubble...

Silent nigger is the very reason there was need for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. A landmark piece of legislature championing the cause of equality, and the protection of the rights of minorities.

So you see, while some of youse people are concerned about black folks employing verbal nigger, silent nigger has, is, and continues to kick us in the proverbial black ass.

Alvin Greene Gets Kicked Out of a South Carolina Restuarant

Sometimes I cringe visibly in public when I'm in the vicinity of niggerish behavior; and by vicinity I mean, well, let's just say the same country; foreign niggeration doesn't affect me as much; for all I know those people are from Detroit; you know, that third world country in the Midwest?

But anyway, my man Alvin Greene is back in the news and in true Alvin Greene form - the kind that makes you stare off into space with a perpetual drool hangs from your lip - he's finally proven to be an embarrassment to me. Can you imagine that? Me? Yeah, the one guy who's been team Alvin all along?

This from The Hill:

South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene was ejected from a South Carolina restaurant by police on Tuesday after his companion got into a fight with other patrons, the Associated Press reports.

According to police, Greene had originally been invited to address officials at a monthly meeting of the Oconee County Democratic Party, but the invitation was rescinded following Greene's Aug. 13 felony indictment on charges of disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity, after he was accused of showing pornography to a college student.

Seneca Police Chief John Covington told the AP that Tuesday that Greene showed up at the event despite the withdrawing of his invitation, whereupon his female companion began to fight with other patrons. Organizers called police, who escorted Greene and his companion, who was not named in the report, from the restaurant.

So you're running for Congress and you get kicked out because of some hoodrat chick? A chick probably upset because she wasn't gonna be able to stuff her swap-meet Gucci knock-off purse with delectable edibles known to elude the hoochie-mamma kind? You know she told the hood of her new-found status, right?

C'mon son!

Get kicked out of a movie theater for talking too loud or something like that. Not from an event where people had to get dressed up in their Sunday's best!

And what was his ass even doing attending the event?!

Sorry, I'm not gonna buy the "nobody told me not to come," line. Somebody had to call and inform him that his me-so-horny-ass wasn't welcome. But I guess when you think you should be an action figure...

There's Nothing Funny About Rape: The Bedroom Intruder Speaks to Antoine Dodson

Listen, I know funny, and this shit right here isn't funny. Matter of fact, attempting to be funny and riding the wave of the Antoine Dodson train is an epic fail in my book. Why in the hell would you pretend to be an attempted rapist? Sorry, but rape in itself is one of the highest of violations of one's human rights. Yes I and a several million people laughed at/with Antoine Dodson and the now famous viral video from which his family now benefits. But, err, sorry dude, I don't see anyone auto-tuning or laughing at you in the future.

Further, checkout and see how Kelly feels about the attack:

The Day That White Supremacy Cried: Adolf Hitler is a Black Jew Like Sammy Davis Jr.

In one of his stand-up routines speaking on race as always, my man Paul Mooney warned white folks that if they shook their family tree hard enough, that a "nigger" would fall out. Which is funny because I've noticed that when it comes to any claims of racial heritage by some of the white folks I've encountered, they never mention anyone of color.

Though many admit they're mixed like a a bag of Planters Nuts. It is very rare that one of them ever mentioned anything or any black folks in their lineage. For some, the only thing "exotic" about them is that one drop of Native American blood that crawls through their veins pridefully, and ever so slowly.

Yeah, they're mostly happy to tell you that "they got Indian in they family," like the black women who still rock that 1986 Janet Jackson baby hair on the side of their heads to this damn day; you know our folk are messed up like that...

But I digress.

Well, in what has to be a shocker within the circles of racist-wannabe-nazis, mein kampf reading, black boot wearing, bald-headed cretins, comes the news that the supreme overlord of the "Aryan Nation", Adolf Hitler, was a descendant of Africans and Jews. No seriously, that's some irony for that ass, ain't it?

Yep, how's that for a wake up call to embrace our new-found post-racialness; or, instead, be the impetus to write a suicide note with crayons if you loved the bastard. Some of 'em are going to deny these findings like some brothas do when they get women pregnant. And you know they are, maaaaaaannnnn!

For some, I see them chalking this up to be more of that Obama conspiracy crap. But let's be honest, can you blame them? Much like Louis Farrakhan eating a pork chop sandwich at the end of a sex tape with Bette Midler; this revelation is bound to scar your brain. No seriously, can ya picture that shit?

Quite naturally you're going to assume it to be a "set up by the Jews," meant to discredit Minister Farrakhan; especially if you're a member of the Nation of Islam. I guess it's sorta like waking up one day and finding out that your wife has been having sex with your best friend. Yeah, that's some stuff you never get over that may make you wanna kill yourself, and/or somebody.

I suppose hearing or accepting the truth is a human flaw, no?

STORY HERE

District Court Judge Upholds Davis' Death Sentencce: If Troy Davis is Executed, and None of Us are There to See it, Did it Really Happen?

So while everyone was focused on the appropriateness of the DOJ seeking an "Ebonics Linguist" in Atlanta yesterday; or the obvious publicity stunt that was Fantasia's VH1 Behind The Music broadcast last night. Totally unnoticed and ignored by the media (and court of public opinion) was a judges ruling in the Troy Davis case to determine his innocence yesterday:

A federal judge on Tuesday emphatically rejected Troy Anthony Davis' claims that he was wrongly convicted of killing a Savannah police officer in 1989.

In a 172-page order, U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. said Davis failed to prove his innocence during an extraordinary hearing in June ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court. Davis, on death row for 19 years, now has one final appeal before his death sentence can be carried out.

"Ultimately, while Mr. Davis' new evidence casts some additional, minimal doubt on his conviction, it is largely smoke and mirrors," Moore wrote. "The vast majority of the evidence at trial remains largely intac t, and the new evidence is largely not credible or [is] lacking in probative value."

Having reviewed the voluminous court record, Moore concluded, "Mr. Davis vastly overstates the value of his evidence of innocence."

Davis, 41, was convicted of killing off-duty police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail 21 years ago as MacPhail ran to the aid of a homeless man being pistol-whipped outside a Burger King. The case has attracted international attention because a number of key prosecution witnesses either recanted or backed off their trial testimony. Other witnesses have come forward and said another man at the scene told them he was the actual killer.

The Supreme Court's order for a hearing on Davis' innocence claims was the first time in 50 years the high court had issued such a directive. In a footnote in his order, Moore suggested Davis should appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.


[...] Danielle Garten, one of Davis' lawyers, said she still believes in Davis' innocence. "We're obviously extremely disappointed with the court's ruling and we strongly disagree with its findings and conclusions," she said.

MacPhail, 27 and a father of two, was gunned down before he could draw his weapon. After the killing, Sylvester "Redd" Coles went to the police with his lawyer and told them he and Davis were at the scene. At trial, he testified he was fleeing the scene when shots were fired, leaving Davis as the culprit. Coles denied being the triggerman.

At the June hearing, Davis' lawyers wanted to call witnesses who had given sworn statements that Coles had told them after the trial he was the actual killer. But Moore did not allow these witnesses to testify because Davis' lawyers did not subpoena Coles to testify. If they had, Moore wrote Tuesday, he could have tested the validity of Coles' alleged confessions.

If Coles had in fact confessed to these witnesses, Moore suggested there could be an explanation --"he believed that his reputation as a dangerous individual would be enhanced if he took credit for murdering Officer MacPhail." Davis failed to prove the alleged confessions were truthful, Moore noted.

Moore answered one question posed to him by the U.S. Supreme Court. He found that executing an innocent person would violate the Eighth Amendment's ban against cruel and unusual punishment.

"However, Mr. Davis is not innocent," Moore wrote.

Of the seven witnesses Davis' legal team say recanted their trial testimony, "only one is a meaningful, credible recantation." The value of this recantation -- given by a jailhouse snitch who testified Davis told him he killed MacPhail -- is diminished because it was already clear the witness testified falsely at trial, the judge said. (source)

 Though I'm no legal expert, I haven't fully wrapped my head around this one. Hearing the news it was like someone had kicked me in the stomach. But I'm pretty sure whatever the feeling, it must be one hundred times worse for the Davis family, their closest friends and supporters.

CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL!

Of course there's going to be an appeal of this decision. But one has to wonder, at this point, will his conviction ever be overturned? Does anybody care? How else can he prove his innocence? I gotta admit, the silence from the people enraged by the Oscar Grant verdict sole'is deafening...

Does "fat" and "crazy" go hand in hand?

By Joanna (JuJuBe)

Obesity -- defined as a body mass index, of 30 or higher -- was associated with a 25 percent increase in the likelihood of major depression, bipolar disorder and panic disorder.

Although the risk of depression over a lifetime is about 20 percent, the study indicated that it is 28 percent among people who are obese, a statistically significant difference.

The link between obesity and mental illness was most pronounced among those who were more educated and had higher incomes. The association may be as high as 44 percent among individuals who had attended some college, according to the research. No significant differences between the sexes were found.

The study sparked debate over the chicken-and-egg question of which comes first -- obesity or mental illness. One expert suggested that the two conditions perpetuate one another.”

Source


I remember riding in a cab one day and discussing my experiences with mental illness with the driver. He told me “Just lose weight and all of your mental health issues will go away.” I was offended. 

But then I really sat and thought about what he said. I had to question whether there was kernel of truth to what he was saying. All my life I had told myself that if I was just thin, I would be happy. Then, these doctors had come along and told me that I was “mentally ill”- that I had a biological condition not related to my weight that caused me to suffer from depression, mood swings, and an inability to participate in health, mutually beneficial relationships.

It was so easy to accept the word of the doctors. After all, most people believe that an individual is fat because of their own laziness and lack of moral integrity. So, I had walked around believing that since my weight caused me misery, I had brought it all on myself. So, I quickly latched on to the “mental illness” theory because it meant that my issues were NOT MY FAULT.

Over time though, I have come to believe that the intersection of mental health and obesity is far more complex.

I have a condition called “borderline personality disorder” which presents as a severe problem establishing appropriate boundaries, obsessiveness, and fear of abandonment. A chemical component has NOT been established as a causative factor for BPD. It does not respond to medication. Most doctors believe that environmental factors (or “nurture”) have a larger role in the development of BPD than genetic or biological factors (or “nature”). Looking back over my life, I believe that I was so severely traumatized by the bullying I received as a child due to my weight issues that I developed maladaptive ways of coping which resulted in BPD.

Undocumented Workers: Illegal Invasion or Economic Scapegoat?

So with all this talk about a mosque being built next to strip club inside of ground zero, the immigration reform debate has been placed in the back of the minds of many (you can thank the media for that). I'll be honest, for the past week or so I haven't given the immigration debate much thought hey congress, the balls in your court). But that all changed yesterday when I heard somebody in support of the ground zero mosque being moved say:

Mexican Arab illegal immigrants are gonna sneak into the country at Ground Zero, enter into same-sex marriages all for the purpose of dropping off millions of jihadist anchor babies bent on destroying America, while they steal jobs from black people.

Yeah, sounds asstastically ridiculous, right? What can I say, even I have idiotic friends; and sometimes we share them. Well, considering the minds we're talking about that are opposed to mosques and brown skin people, I guess what is said in the following video from The Real News Network is to be expected...

Pay attention to the lady at the 1:20 mark:



Listening to the supporters of SB1070 in the above video, and the occasional idiot who shows up and comments on this blog I encounter outside of the virtual world. I realize that there's a lot of work to do to counter years of racially stereotypical disinformation fed to the masses who fail to think critically, but act on emotion with regards to a true discussion on the subject; and this, is yet one of the reasons I blog.

Well, That's It... I'm a Womanist!

By Seattle Slim

Yup... I said it. 

I've been on my baby board for months and in that time I've seen so many ideas that just seem so ass backwards.  You may think I'm exaggerating a bit, but from what I've seen, I am seriously concerned about womanhood these days.   After all, these women have procreated or are trying to.   They are going to pass their bullshit on to their kids.

Several weeks ago, a girl asked our board if she should strip or be a prostitute because she couldn't find work.  When someone suggested school she guffawed, but prostitution was put on the table in the first place?   They told her to go with stripping, and some suggested prostitution under the right conditions.  They said it was safe and when I mentioned that stripping actually isn't all that safe, they wanted her to ignore that fact because it was "fun." 

Still other women said they would be a stripper if they were thinner or had flatter stomachs.  This is what we strive for?  One could make the argument that this is only the trajectory of this board, but if I had a dollar for every time I heard a woman talk about how she wanted to be a stripper, as if it's some awesome life goal, I'd be burning hundred dollar bills on a yacht off Ibiza.  Other women have gotten on and said that women who have talked about the sexism they face as females is a "self-fulfilling prophecy," whatever the hell that means.

Back when I first started frequenting the board, this video of seven little girls basically pussy popping was completely disregarded as something fun and exciting, nothing sexualized or nothing to prove the sexualization of little girls.

There was one discussion started by a black poster about her black friend who was promiscuous, and exhibiting some very harmful sexual tendencies, at least from a friend's standpoint.

When I mentioned that black women are at greater risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexual diseases, the white women in the forum would shrug it off and use themselves as examples. These are women who would later then deem themselves feminist.

When one talks about pornography and how exploitative it is, it seems like women are the first to defend an establishment that is in many ways not only racist, but extremely one-sided in how it only caters to men and has continued to be exclusively catering to men.

I believe in gender roles. I'm not interested in even being like men. I want equality in pay, and equality as a human being, but I'm not interested in "being like men". I'm a woman, and that to me, is something truly special. I appreciate the grit and the calculation that I bring to the table, because it's different from my man's grit and calculation.

And while we as women have achieved so much, there is still plenty of work to the be done, especially when it comes to the issues women of color face.

But I can't turn my back on men. I do believe in teamwork. I do believe in our boys. I find that as I get older, I get tired of the media telling men what's masculine and what's not, as if they know any better:


It's disheartening to read about women portraying their husbands as neanderthals. These are the same women that already have lowered standards because they see their men as such. How can you rise above, if you don't have to rise?

We may have gotten to a place where we can do so much more than our mothers and grandmothers and their progenitors, but do we really have the right to aim low?  Don't we owe them more? 

This label is fluid for me, as you can have several schools of thought within an ideology, but at the end of the day, I believe that women, especially women of color, need to be less preoccupied with being "one of the boys" and setting the bar within our own sex.

Black Man Almost Catches a Beatdown by Mosque Protesters (He Looked Muslim)

Muslim is the New Black... Literally!

So you think these rabid-bigoted-assholes protesting the mosque at ground zero aren't racist? Wanna see how racial profiling works? Yeah, pay attention Arizona! OK, watch the following video and check out how the mob converges on a black man walking through the crowd who they assumed to be Muslim.

A man who as it turns out, actually is a union carpenter who works at ground zero, and is not a Muslim. But I suppose it wasn't a good idea to be of a dark hue and wear a white kufi-like hat on your head, and try to go to fucking work when they're idiots around who are bent of denying the right to religious freedom.


Yep, and did you catch the, "he must've voted for Obama," lined blurted out by one of the protesters? This fucking country is insane! But I suppose just like the racial and homophobic slurs tossed out at congressional members walking in to vote on health care reform several months ago, none of this actually happened.

This from the guy who filmed the video, lefthandedart:

A man walks through the crowd at the Ground Zero protest and is mistaken as a Muslim. The crowd turns on him and confronts him. The man in the blue hard hat calls him a coward and tries to fight him. The tall man who I think was one of the organizers tried to get between the two men. Later I caught up with the man who's name is Kenny. He is a Union carpenter who works at Ground Zero. We discussed what a scary moment that was for him. I told him that I hoped it did not ruin his day.

I tell you what: I'd love to see them try and run up on Farrakhan like that.

Oh the Religism...

Social Commentary: Whips & Chains – Subjugation via whips

By guest blogger Folk from BFDS

Whips have a long history that is botched in blood and enslavement. Used to subjugate animals and men alike. A weapon of metal intimidation and extreme agony and pain.

The one who stands over the subservient individual who has fallen prey to the pain inflicted by the whip feels a sense of 'god-like' power of emotional, mental, and physical control over the slave of the whip. A feeling that the weapon is an extension of the user. A feeling of power than corrupts for generations and to this day has controlled generations of weak minded individuals to fall and bow to the control of the whip.

The whip has evolved over the generations. For thousands of years the whip was simply a stiff handle with various forms of flexible protrusions. The type of protrusion defined the main purpose of the device. However, in modern society the whip has evolved into so much more. That handle has become a steering wheel. And that steering wheel is attached to an automobile.

Yes, Folk talking about the modern day whip. Initially the urban slang word for an expensive automobile, which has become the term for any automobile. And unlike like the whips of the past that subjugated generations of slaves the modern whip brings about a mental and psychological enslavement that the original whip could never achieve.

Why Should Anyone CARE if Barack Obama is a Muslim?

By Joanna (JuJuBe)

I really wish Barack Obama WAS a “secret Muslim” as so many people in America choose to believe. I wonder what would happen if President Obama and his family were found studying the Qur’an covertly in the White House. Would there be attempts to oust him from office for the offense of not being a “good Christian”?

I would LOVE to see a Muslim in the White House. Maybe THAT would be an indication that America actually embraces the ideals it was SUPPOSEDLY founded on. I thought I would never see a Black president. I cried when Barack Obama was elected because I THOUGHT it showed progress. I did not believe that his election heralded a “post racial” society, as so many like to claim, but I thought it meant we were moving towards equality and justice. Of course, the rise of the Tea Party and the virulent anti-Obama sentiment across vast populations proved me wrong. And the anti-Muslim rhetoric running rampant across this country is further proof that we are NO WHERE NEAR a fair and just society.

I wonder if there will ever be a Muslim president…. Frankly I do not see it happening any time soon. The fact that so many American’s are “concerned” that Barack Obama is a “secret Muslim” is proof enough that anti-Muslim sentiment is the rule in this country. Because it is surely not Obama supporters who believe he is a Muslim. It is not proponents of religious freedom who are concerned with his religion. It is the people who HATE him, and use “Muslim” as a slur, an attempt to make Barack Obama look like evil personified.

I was reading an article today about the belief that many Americans seem to share: That Muslims are simply evil. That Islam is the religion of only the scum of the Earth. That the Qur’an advocates violence relentlessly. I have to wonder how many of the people who are SO anti-Muslim have actually READ anything from the Qur’an. Better yet, if they are so convinced that the Qur’an promotes a violent agenda, I have to wonder if they have ever read the Bible. Because from what I can see, the “Word of God” that Christians hold so dear is filled with murder, rape, and sexism.

Candidate Carl Paladino (R-NY): Let's Put Welfare Recipients in Prison; Teach Them Responsibility & "Personal Hygiene"

Yes, because we all know just how funky those "welfare queens" are as they drive their Cadillacs to the check cashing and/or local liquor stores. I swear folks, you cannot make this shit up; that is, unless you believe in small government, and are a supporter of the Republican party. You know, a party made up of fat cats who don't give a damn about the poor and working class folks struggling to stay afloat in this economic shit storm:

Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino said he would transform some New York prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where they would work in state-sponsored jobs, get employment training and take lessons in "personal hygiene."

Paladino, a wealthy Buffalo real estate developer popular with many tea party activists, is competing for the Republican nomination with former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio. The primary is Sept. 14.

[...] Throughout his campaign, Paladino has criticized New York's rich menu of social service benefits, which he says encourages illegal immigrants and needy people to live in the state. He has promised a 20 percent reduction in the state budget and a 10 percent income tax cut if elected.

[...] Paladino laid out several plans that included converting underused state prisons into centers that would house welfare recipients. There, they would do work for the state — "military service, in some cases park service, in other cases public works service," he said — while prison guards would be retrained to work as counselors.

"Instead of handing out the welfare checks, we'll teach people how to earn their check. We'll teach them personal hygiene ... the personal things they don't get when they come from dysfunctional homes," Paladino said.

[...] Paladino told The Associated Press the dormitory living would be voluntary, not mandatory, and would give welfare recipients an opportunity to take public, state-sponsored jobs far from home.

"These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of cities," Paladino he said.

He also defended his hygiene remarks, saying he had trained inner-city troops in the Army and knows their needs.

"You have to teach them basic things — taking care of themselves, physical fitness. In their dysfunctional environment, they never learned these things," he said. (source)

Yep, let's criminalize the poor; it's nothing new really. Shit, all they do is sit at home and smoke dope while watching reality shows on their fifty-inch flat-screen televisions as they suck working people dry, right?

Here's what one commenter of the above story on the site had to say:

I am a Democrat and I support this idea. Able-bodied people should have to work to receive income. If that's a state sponsored job collecting garbage on the side of the road, I'm fine with that. He's suggesting giving them training. What's wrong with that? The current welfare system is doing nothing but churning out criminals. Ridden Muni lately? Do you like the unruly kids that live in the projects? They are the future.

Of course this proves that some Democrats/Liberals are as "American" as Conservatives. So what you think RiPPa? I'm just glad that there are rich white folks who are willing to teach poor people how to act. Truth is, po' folk could stand to use some Grey Poupon in their pathetic crack-smoking dysfunctional lives [snark].

Feel like dropping Mr. Paladino a line to tell him how you feel?

Feel free to do so:

Paladino for the People
PO Box 447
Buffalo, NY 14205

TEL: 716-783-9400
EMAIL: info@paladinoforthepeople.com

The Curious History of Race Preferences

"Their leaders seem more intent on vying with blacks for permanent victim status than on seeking recognition for genuine progress by Hispanics over the last three decades." -- Linda Chavez on Latino/as

Linda Chavez, an anti-affirmative Latina favored by conservatives because of her last name, would have us think that Blacks, Latino/as, and other people of color are looking for handouts and preferential treatment. Ironically, it is she who has benefited professionally and financially by trading on her own Latina heritage. Like many conservatives, she claims that segregation was defeated and white prejudice almost completely eradicated after Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act . She goes as far as saying (as many black and brown enablers of racial conservatives do) that it has been liberals that have derailed Latino/a progress. I call those who deny the reality of racism racial conservatives. I have addressed their shoddy scholarship earlier (click here).

You might know of Chavez, she testified against Supreme Court Judge Sotomayor during Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings last year. Chavez has a particular dislike for Latino/as in general and for Puerto Ricans in partiucular, but I will not explore that today. I will address her sub-standard scholarship and self-loathing when I address Black and Brown conservatives at a later date. Chavez had to step down as a nominee for Labor of Secretary under the catastrophe known as the Bush II administration because, yes, she hired an illegal Latina immigrant. She denied knowing said individual was here illegally though the person in question contradicted that denial. Later, Chavez herself would issue an admission of sorts and was forced by Bush’s handlers to step down.

Therefore, if I call Chavez a hypocrite (she admonished Clinton appointees who did the same), it’s not character assassination, it’s an observation. Calling her a come mierda (shit eater) can be perceived as an attack on her character, but -- fuck it -- she’s a shit eater if ever there was one...

Chavez and other racial conservatives believe the United States has made better progress in removing racial barriers than progressives and people of color acknowledge. The shift began, they argue, during the 1950s. And when the Civil Rights movement succeeded in abolishing Jim Crow, white racism had all but withered away. As a result, at least according to Chavez and her masters, affirmative action programs are unnecessary and in fact are a form of “reverse racism.”