We have foundations which shower millions of dollars on the usual safe ‘Black Suspects ‘ but ignore the brilliance and glow of Black creatives like Oneita and others
Quite often of course even in the Black Artistic bandwidths we have cultural appropriation where the genius of unknown Black creatives is usurped by Black artists who have been affirmed and certified by White Artist Aristocratic and Owners of Arts and Letters in America ( Think Oscars, Grammys, NYC Art Industry Aristocrats, Kennedy Center etc etc)
@OneitaJackson Getting around to reading now while I wait for some light work to come in: I’m 22 pages in and I’ve already pre-ordered. Are you doing to be doing readings for this? It’s not mentioned in the BB post as far as I know, but some (especially Job Search For Tomorrow, of the ones I’ve read,) are begging to be read aloud.
I’ll have no problem finishing it today I’m sure, and I very well may text you to get an email address just to put my full thoughts down at some point, not that you aren’t already going to have enough white guys reviewing the book.
BTW …I am never going to delete the word Nigger from my tool box and portfolio …It is an insane request from others who seek that from me …Why would anyone ever seek to delete historical reality, words, ideas, etc from one’s ability to articulate an opinion or perspective ??
Why should I handcuff myself and silence my creativity and freedoms …Who really values self censorship and self control on matters of this nature ??..Why should any Black person in 2018 remove this word from their backpack because its now offends White folks / They have leverage and use this word and others for centuries and now I have to shut the fuck up?.. Hell No
Once a few moons ago I wrote a commentary which described slavery in America as a domestic holocaust for Black Americans …I was attacked form every room in Jewish venues and spaces because I dared to use a word they thought was theirs alone . …Imagine that a collective of people with the mindset and arrogance that they can only use words to describe evil and inhumanity !!! … Of course I told them to kiss my Black Arse …I will always have the agency and sovereignty to use any word or expression as I so desire to articulate evil and hate and racism in America …I have the same posture with the word Nigger
I have been on Detroit radio a few times and callers of all hues and both genders, different ages called in to tell me that l shouldn’t use the word. They wanted to talk about the cover only, not what was beyond it.
I’m not sure if I’m impressed or horrified that you posted your number publicly. TBH, my first reaction was to flag it, to try to protect you from your own action. I realise be this is, erm, hellishly paternalistic, but I can’t help the impulse: @orenwolf, you ok with this? @jlw?
I’m sorry if I am silly here, but I’ve been on this internet since the mid-1990s, and I have known online harassment and doxxing before I even knew that these could be categories.
Excuse my interference, it is kindly meant.
Oh, boy. Now I’m part of a problem. Or a syndrome.
As mentioned below.
You got me there, did you?
That said, this is interesting:
I’ve got slightly left-leaning friends* who would be on the barricades about this story and might angrily point out that this casual observation would
marginalise the experience of black people living in Germany.
I don’t see it that way, but find your perception encouraging. Personally, as a white German-speaking male who worked in West Africa, I often wonder about if I should talk to black people about their experiences, but usually choose not to. Partly because this would include assuming they don’t belong, and see beginning of the former sentence. Also, of course I see colour, but working with West Africans on a daily basis has changed my perception massively. Including my own privileges. I still grew up in an German-speaking white environment, and I know that racism is baked into my life on a level my knowledge of it cannot change.
Long story short, thanks for sharing the experience. It’s kind of uplifting to read a black person didn’t feel terrible in Germany. Especially because I know very well about systemic racism here.
And for completeness sake: Oh dear, I did it again, didn’t I ? Germanic syndrome…
Regarding cis/trans:
The usage is quite probably borrowed from natural sciences, most likely chemistry. That’s where most people hear about chirality for the first time.
'* Just FTR, as far as I can gather from the Sanders/Clinton kerfuffle, US politics would classify them as “left-wing extremists”. YMMV, obviously.
You are an interesting person. Thank you for sharing and thank you for trying to protect me, bless your heart.
Listen, I think you shouldn’t worry about my phone number, nor should you feel the need to ask anyone who doesn’t answer it how they feel about it.
It’s OK, honey.
When l was an opinion columnist at the Detroit Free Press, the Sunday circulation was 600,000. That means l had 60,000 readers. I interacted with many of them on my O Street blog. Never had any problems, as l demanded respect and treated people well. They even policed themselves on my blog, reporting to me that some of them misbehaved elsewhere on the Free Press site, but not on mine. They would also take up for me when a newcomer tried to be disrespectful to me. It was a great community.
I put my work phone number on every post, every column, and over the years, my phone hardly rang. Why? Pussilanimity. One time l inadvertently put my cell phone number in the paper on a controversial column and angry people called. I did not let on that it was my mobile number. No one cared.
“Let’s be honest,” “Honestly,” “May l be honest with you?” and their ilk are the scariest words on the planet. When people find it necesary to put on a coat of armour in preparation for the acceptance of truth, even for the simplest truths, l am mortified.
For example, a few years ago my friends visited the Netherlands and took my little black book with them. I inquired, from time to time, what they thought of it. They told me they hadn’t read it. They had two cross-Atlantic trips to read it, so l didn’t understand. It takes 20 minutes. Finally, after many months, the husband says, and l quote, “To be honest, O, we lost it in Amsterdam.” “Why didn’t you just say that, then?” I asked.
That whole Jack Nicholson thing becomes more profound to me every year.
Why might that be their reaction to MY experience? I am simply sharing a fact about MY existence in this body. (This is meant to be Socratic, not to lambaste, so please don’t take offense.) Why would my experience as a visitor be interpreted as anything other than MY experience? Have l some responsibility to report anything other than MY truth?
Are your friends left-leaning Americans? You should know they are among the greatest offenders in my book, in my life. Many of my very good friends are oblivious racists who reveal their bigotry in the most subtle ways.
Have you read the Preview Edition, LutherBlissett?
Get back to me–and make sure you invite your left-leaning friends, et al. to this forum. This is how we all learn and grow–l am loving it!
What, then, is the assumption when you talk to people who are not black about their experiences?
The Syndrome.
Thank you for being HONEST.
I would be interested in hearing more of your stories if you care to share. I am learning a lot this morning.
May l share a word about Detroit?
People come here from all over the world all the time. I know this because of my experience as a cab driver and professional fixer who has worked with international journalists. Many go back with fascinating and fabulous stories about Detroit’s putative “comeback” based on their experience. There is also great despair and devastation in Detroit, but that does not negate the experiences of the people who think the Motor City is all sparkly and shiny.
No, l don’t. It is well-deserved. You remind me of him when he talks about race. You might check out his book “Endowed, a comic novel.” One of the funniest novels about academia. It was featured on among mostly white professors and people in higher education. It starts when the professor confronts someone on a train. Actually, he doesn’t just confront him, he beats the guy up. Read about it here:
Detroit has horrible public transportation. I ride the bus. It affords me the opportunity to catch up on my reading. Just finished this February 4, 2018, article about white women and white power:
Hi! Thank you very much for the explanation!
I had never heard that term before and was flummoxed by it.
At the risk of sounding patronizing (not my intention), your book seems very interesting and I’ll put it on the reading list for my summer vacation. That’s some time away yet, but as I’m neither a native speaker, nor even have been to the USA yet, I expect working out all the references will take some time.
Anyway: thank you for posting the explanations and additional information in the forum; hope the book will flourish.
You’ll be able to get all of the actual content without knowing the references. During our phone call she explained several which went over my head; they make the stories a bit more fun, but you’ll get the point nonetheless.
