According to some African Americans, they lose either way
So Barack Obama is going to be nominated (officially) as the Democratic candidate for the US Presidency this week. A historic moment, one might say. But not everyone is happy. Some folks think that his candidacy (and possible win) will actually make it harder to advance anti-racist (i.e. anti-black) policies and programmes.
And of course, if he hadn’t won the nomination or if he doesn’t win the election, it’ll be because too many Americans are racist and therefore more affirmative action-type steps need to be taken to give black Americans a chance.
Racism, discrimination, and the US’ history with it is pretty damned complex and I am far from an expert (wouldn’t it be nice to be an expert in something for once), and since I’m in an ethnic minority for the moment, please allow me to vent: it sounds as though PC affirmative action-types are determined to be victims, no matter what good news there is.
If I was a US citizen I would probably support Barack Obama, since electing someone with a family history of political achievement (Bush) doesn’t seem to have worked out too well in the ‘good governance’ stakes. Obama’s message of hope and change is indeed very inspiring. Equality and anti-discrimination activists should be concentrating on making things fair for every person who is disadvantaged, not making things more fair for people who are perceived to be disadvantaged because they are black.
I think a huge disservice has been done to the cause of equality by affirmative action — making a particular group of people even more different by demanding they be treated differently, better, because they are different? The whole point is to level the playing field, irrespective of race, creed, gender, or (where reasonable) physical ability. Black, Hispanic, or Asian Americans might sometimes rightly think they have been passed over for university entry, a job, a promotion, because they were black, but wouldn’t their peers also be rightly aggrieved if they were prevented from advancing in their professional lives because there was a candidate “of colour” with equal skills and experience and the organisation had a strong affirmative action policy?
No equality doctrine is going to be perfect, but I think after all this time with a strong civil rights movement, there needs to be a shift in thinking. Policies need to be aimed at children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, say those whose parent(s) can’t afford to nurture them because they have to work so they can eat, or whose parent(s) are deliberately neglectful (for whatever reason), or they have a physical disability, and so on. Give them as good a chance as possible to be educated well, and once they finish their education (secondary, tertiary, or vocational), it becomes up to them to make the choices to succeed or fail.
If they are raised and educated in a truly fair environment (let’s leave bad parents out of the equation for the moment), discrimination based on uncontrollable factors would definitely be minimised within a few generations, and those who have the drive and ambition to do well will have had every chance, and society will be less distorted.
(But face it, there will always be shitey people around, so bigotry will never be totally eradicated.)
What are “racial feelings”, exactly?
Singapore arrests man for racist blog:
The 24 year-old was arrested late on Tuesday for posting material on his blog “which may wound the racial feelings of another person”, police said in a statement.
“Racial feelings of another person” reads to me like he offended someone’s racist feelings. The standard of English is falling, everywhere I look.
(I like being playful with the English language, but a poor command of English in public communications is just, well, bad form.)
You just hate me ‘cos I’m black (again)
Estelle attacks ‘blindness to black talent’:
“There is a fashion for YWFs - young white females,” said Paul McKenzie, editor of the urban music magazine Touch. “They are the ones who are given the money and the time, and most importantly, people are patient with them. Duffy, if she hadn’t had this hit, would have been given a second chance, and a third. Estelle wasn’t. The people who hold the purse strings are looking at trends rather than talent. If you’re not a young white female - in other words if you’re black - I can imagine that is incredibly depressing.”
Hmm. I don’t listen to young black men and women (or young white men and women) doing soul and R&B and hip-hop because… I don’t like soul and R&B and hip-hop. They should be thanking their lucky stars I’m not into that kind of music, since I’m such a cheapskate I only buy the S$11.90 Special Singapore Editions once a year anyway!
Besides, if what Paul MacKenzie says is true, it’s not about race, it’s about what makes money (well, knock me over with a feather). Can talented young black women musicians not create a demand for their ‘product’? Are they mad that what is considered ‘black’ music is mainstream enough for white chicks with nice voices to get in on the action? But if soul music had never gone mainstream, the record companies would be accused of being racist, wouldn’t they?
I also have a question. How many successful (commercially or critically) bands / acts that do NOT do soul, R&B, or hip-hop feature a strong black presence? There are loads of people of every colour trying to do R&B (mostly poorly), but when it comes to black people doing rock, pop rock, or indy, I can really only think of Hootie and the Blowfish and the the Dave Matthews Band.
BTW, didn’t Leona Lewis just get her first Billboard no. 1? She’s not a YWF.
You just hate me ‘cos I’m black
So there’ve been words because next year is 200 years since the abolition of the slave trade in the UK. There are people unhappy that the government has not issued a full apology, although they’ve said it was profoundly shameful and they express “deep sorrow that it could ever have happened…”
From Esther Stanford, secretary of Rendezvous for Victory campaign:
“What is now required is a dialogue about how we repair the legacies of enslavement, and we’re talking about educational repairs, we’re talking about economic repairs, family repairs, cultural repairs, repairs of every kind that we need to recreate and sustain ourselves - it will cost.”
If there are people who need reparations from countries that benefited from the African slave trade, it’s the people of Africa who live in violent, impoverished conditions. Those who live in countries like the UK are generally better off, IMHO. It’s probably going to be quite unpopular and very un-PC to say this, but when it comes to African descendants in the UK and US, when does it stop? When does self-victimisation stop and personal responsibility for individual circumstances start?
There are many examples of African descendants (or other races that have been disadvantaged) who have done well. And I’ve seen many people just perpetuate their own cycle of poverty by whining that they’re being treated prejudicially and SHOULD get a better start and make no real effort on their own.
I think there is certainly a lot of racism going on, between all different races — it’s human nature. What makes a difference is how we choose to act. I do think that if we keep harping on about race, people can’t help framing things in a racial context, for good or bad. And I think the huge task is to teach history and social studies in an objective manner as possible, and not treat race, minority, diaspora, or whatever, as such a defining characteristic. I don’t care what colour anyone is, as long as they try to live a good life and treat people the way they want to be treated. And that’s all that should matter between you and I.
Bill Cosby still rocks
This Cosby show is undeserved:
Though Cosby’s comments were harsh, they are also right on target. And if some blacks are upset with the comedian, it’s probably more for telling tales out of school - airing the community’s dirty laundry - than for launching an unjust diatribe.
Hear, hear. I’m all about dirty laundry that needs to be aired. It’s a good thing in my book that he stands by what he said.
Otterman commented in an earlier post, “I realise we tend to critique only our own race,” and rightly we should, since we are the only ones who will keep us from falling into an abyss of self-complacency and -importance.