He Ain't Black Enuff
I was listening to the excellent Brian Lehrer show on WNYC-FM as he discussed the upcoming South Carolina election primaries with Leroy Chapman, government and politics editor at The State, South Caolina's highest-circulation daily newspaper.
During this segment, he took a call from a woman in East Orange, NJ who -- and I paraphrase here -- called Barack Obama a "perpetuated puppet', and alleged that he was essentially not black, and that he'd have to "compromise" too much in order to be president. All I could think of was what kind of person she expected to have win the presidency without compromise of one sort or another?
For real?
I took her comments to mean that she, perhaps, expected JoJo on the stoop to run, get people to contribute on the order of $200 million, and then run a national campaign where one needs to win the votes of approximately 60 million people -- many of them non-black, non-latino, and non-urban, and non-urbane. What, exactly does she, and those like her, expect?
At this point in the history of African peoples in America, shouldn't we just be pleased that a person of color, with roots on the continent, has a legitimate shot to be president of these United States? And why are we getting hung up on Obama's level of "blackness?"
And here's my ultimate question: what makes someone "black enough?" Because if Obama isn't black enough, I have a feeling that, I too, might have to hand in my Level 5 Black Card with the Ghetto validation, and Rhythm endorsement.
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Geez! I am SO SICK OF THIS MINDSET! As you said, who exactly would some in our community have run for president? It blows my mind to hear Barack Obama criticized as not being black enough. Who could be any more African-American than he? I mean his father was African and his mom was American. Like many of us, he comes from a multicultural and multiracial background. He's smart, he loves his family and is married to a strong black woman. I turn the question around: if there are challenges that one is not black enough the I ask... is there such a thing as being too black?
I find that many in our community equate "trying to act white" with striving and achieving in the academic and business world, with speaking English correctly, with learning about other cultures and exposing one's self to a myriad of experiences like classical music or world travel or reading the classics (and I include the Autobiography of Malcolm X in that category. Thank you very much). Why must we limit ourselves? For centuries in this country we have been denied - denied education, denied advancement, denied our basic human rights. Now we frown on people who excel in this area. Am I crazy, but does this sound like jealousy to you? It's the old crab in the barrel mentality - I see you making your way to the top and since I can't get there, I'm going to pull you down instead of allowing you to stand on my shoulders.
In case you can't tell, this topic makes me seeth!
TvGigi: Seethe on...seethe on. I'm with you on this. Too black, not black enough. Who cares?!?!?!? All this hateration is why we can't advance as a community. Bottom line: We are our worse critics! Why? Because we feel we're justified and qualified? Ridiculous.
There are those in our community who have nothing better to do than to ramble on needlessly and mindlessly about things they know nothing about, because they cannot come up with a legitimate reason to discredit - or throw their complete support behind - Obama. It's gotta be something wrong with him. Maybe he should have put Reverend in front of his name and maybe he would have proven his "blackness."
To Ms. East Orange NJ: Don't hate, appreciate. Until you can produce solid, indisputable evidence of how you have contributed to the betterment of your community, sit down, shut up, listen and learn.
Speak on it Girlygirl! And don't get me started on the whole religious thing and black folks. I'd have this blog on fire.