This is a comment by dragnet on the post “Gabby Douglas Wins Gold – Black Girls Rock!“.
“The girl was clearly head-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition—seeing her bring home the gold was definitely a proud moment.
“But something else disturbed me besides the talk about her hair—and that was the chatter about her identity. I read more than one comment where (white) people would deem it unfortunate that she was labelled as ‘African-American’ instead of just ‘American.’
“Rant:
“Part of the reason black people find it so difficult to identify as just ‘American’ is because we’re never really seen that way by the majority. One of the core thrusts against Obama is that he’s not really ‘one of us’, that he was born elsewhere, and doesn’t have American values. In some ways, he’s the best of what American black culture has to offer and he’s still deemed an outsider by large swaths of the electorate. But when we embrace that outsider status by openly identifying ourselves as people of African descent, or black, we’re then told that we should be ‘American’ without any additional qualifiers. The hypocrisy is as mind-boggling as it is damaging.
“(End rant.)”
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Photo credit: Flickr / seanmcmenenemy
The author of this comment makes it sound as though “white” commenters are somehow a monolithic hive mind. They ten claim that where a contradiction appears to exist it must e hypocrisy.
Let me help you out here: white people, like any other group of people, are individuals who frequently disagree with each other. We’re all better off if this basic truth can be remembered.
Well, Obama’s hardly amongst the best and brightest. Or if he is, he’s hidden it pretty well. Both by bucketing his light and hiding his records.
Nobody outside of Illinois would have heard of this guy except for Jeri Ryan’s scruples, and the illegally unsealed divorce proceedings. That speaks to being connected to the Chicago Way than any inherent talent.
Yes read Malcome Gladwell’s “Outliers” for an interesting spin on bootstrapping
If it’s ancestors, I can get all up tight about the Revocation of The Edict of Nantes. Hell. Before that, some of my Hugenot ancestors harried Catholic Henry’s army on the way to Coutras. After our Henry won, he decided, after all, that “Paris was worth a Mass”. Louis furniture was all the chances we gave French kings. So we scattered. Does anybody really think experience is inserted Lamarckwise and carried down the generations? Some folks have said that Obama got himself bootstrapped by others. Nobody has that many doors–or divorce decrees–open so effortlessly for him. So, anyway. How ’bout… Read more »
I imagine Halle Berry gets followed around a lot of places. No idea who Kravitz is.
You have any evidence that Obama was shadowed? This would be in the days before larcenous flash mobs, I imagine?
But, whatever Obama decided, what does that have to do with him showing the best of black American culture.
Yes well Lenny Kravitz is the Jewish Jimmi Hendricks.
No I have no evidence Obama was shadowed- my brother was opening on attitudes.
I agree Obama bootstrapped the hell out of himself and is representative of some kind of 1st generation American drive…..
Now then how can Obama show the best of “African American” culture?
Is this different from Black American culture?
What is the buy in to rep AA culture?
Slave ancestors? (this week it is reported he has an Amercian slave ancestor- on his Mother’s side…..)
Montgomery boycott ancestors?
Or is it just Dark Skin?
I was on a rant a few years ago-
Why are Halle Berry and Lenny Kravitz considered black?
My brother shut me up “because the get followed around in department stores”.
I don’t know when or how Obama decided to become African American but can imagine he just threw up his hands one day & decided to go with the crowd wisdom…
What, exactly, is Obama’s black American culture? His mother was white, from Kansas, iirc. His father was Kenyan, his stepfather Indonesian. He lived in Indonesia. He attended a tony private school. He attended various colleges where, in his own words, he sought out Marxist professors and friends. A mentor was Frank Marshall Davis, an active communist.
What would you say about reflecting black American culture regarding Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, John McWhorter, Walter Williams?
You seem focused on birther propaganda. Not seriously engaging in the discussion. You speak as though you were close, personal friends with President Obama. I hear the underlying hate in your tone. I came to the discussion to inject the idea that one person’s comment or opinion does not represent the entire population of blacks. I am American. I’ve never labeled myself as anything else. I don’t care how the world sees me for it is how I see myself that adds the most value to my life. The roots of racism didn’t start with the Black, Hispanic, Native Americans.… Read more »
orlaque.
Who’s focused on birther propaganda? And what’s wrong with seriously disliking a guy whose performance and stated goals and BFF (Van Jones, et al) are loathesome, and….who won three elections by getting divorce proceedings illegally unsealed?
And who’s speaking as close friends with Obama? Quotes would be handy.