A young White man called my husband and me “nigger” yesterday. It surprised me so much that I was speechless for several moments. It’s not that in 58 years I’ve not been called nigger. I’ve certainly been called that behind my back and I’ve been called that to my face on occasion. This threw me because it was so unexpected, so out of the ordinary, so uncalled for that I was dumbstruck. That one little word reminded me that no matter what I’ve accomplished, no matter the number of degrees I amass, no matter the level of success I achieve, in this country I am first, last and always a nigger.
The terrorist act perpetrated at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church this past Wednesday was another way of reminding Black people we are less than nothing in this country. These words do not come lightly nor without thought but with the entire history of Black people in the United States.
Our ancestors came here as slaves relegated to the stature of property. Once the travesty that was slavery ended, the Jim Crow ushered in a different kind of slavery called sharecropping. Laws were instituted to keep Black people from achieving any modicum of real freedom. Black people were killed on a whim. They were lynched for any minor transgression as the system that was supposed to administer justice blindly did so as it was blind to the wholesale killing of Blacks. Those few who were able to rise above were generally athletes or entertainers like Jack Johnson and Bessie Smith. A select few writers and academics, notably Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, were able to fight their way through the inequities of Jim Crow to achieve a measure of success. Black engineers and inventors were accorded a degree of esteem because of their achievements but their names have been lost in the history books. Dr. Charles Drew who separated blood cells from blood plasma, Garrett Morgan who invented the traffic light, Alice Parker who created a new heating furnace that provided central heat and Dr. Daniel Hale Williams who performed the first open heart surgeries. These pioneering individuals have been lost to the history books. Some were never accorded their due. Yet even as our whole story is missing from American history, Black people are told to be good, law abiding, forgiving, peaceful Americans while in the same breathe those telling us these things are blaming us for economic downturns, a failing education system and over burdened criminal justice system and the general breakdown of American society.
It seems every month a new atrocity is visited among Black people in America. Another Black man is killed. A Black woman is assaulted. When we take to the streets, we’re labeled thugs and trouble makers. When we appeal to the justice system, we appear as sheep being led to the slaughter. When we speak of revolution, we’re seen as angry and unruly. When we speak of forgiveness, we’re coddled like good little boys and girls. At what juncture are we going to say enough is enough?
It is time we woke up and smelled what’s being shoveled. It’s time we awakened from the fallacy that the overall White society in America will like us or love us because we achieve or entertain or win athletic championships. It’s time we recognized that White American society is not going to save us. It’s time we realized we are always the ones doing the forgiving while others continue to harm, maim and kill us. It’s time we stopped being apologetic for loving ourselves and our people. It’s time we make America recognize that we, too, are full citizens of this country and that we will accept nothing less than all the rights and privileges that citizenship entails. It’s time we make America face the ugly truth that its history and its present are steeped in racism and that we call it out. It’s time we stopped playing along to get along. It’s time we stopped doing what we keep doing and expecting different results. That is the definition of crazy. It’s time for us to stand up straight and strong and make sure those who’ve gone before us did not die in vain. It’s time Black America. It’s time.
Author of Thoughts of a Fried Chicken Watermelon Woman, available on KarenFordOnline.com, Alibris.com, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and BooksAMillioninc.com.
SOCIAL ISSUES | POLITICS | RACISM | INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!
More than 1,000 people gathered at St. Sabina to join in the festivities of a block party hosted Spike Lee and Father Michael Pfleger. With clouds threatening to drench the party goers, attendees enjoyed free food, music, and raffles and had an opportunity to take photos with the world renowned director.
There was a disc jockey playing music that enticed many to dance, children played games and basketball while others sat on their porches enjoying the day. In addition to the appearance of the usual subjects like the Rev. Jesse Jackson and radio personality Cliff Kelley, actors John Cusack, Chicago Bull Joakim Noah and NBA coach Craig Hodges were out meeting members of the community.
Conspicuous in their absence were Ald. David Moore who originally denied signing the permit for the party in his ward, Ald. Will Burns (4th) who has led much of the backlash against the title Chiraq and Mayor Rahm Emanuel who almost never misses an opportunity to stand in front of a camera.
Originally Moore was opposed to signing the permit because he doesn’t like the title. He stated he spoke with the residents, some of whom also do not like the title, but they informed him they wanted him to sign the permit.
Like Burns, Moore is using this title to justify what has been a lack of economic development in the Englewood neighborhood for years. Since the late 1970’s, economic development has been lacking in the newly formed 6th and the 17th Ward.
For many years, Halsted Avenue between 61st and 79th streets was a lively, vibrant business thoroughfare. Anchored by the now defunct Wiebolt and Sears department stores on 63rd and Peoria and 63rd and Halsted respectively and Franks department store on 79th and Halsted, there were a plethora of clothing stores, shoe stores, Walgreen’s, Woolworths, jewelers, Huck Finn donuts, bakeries and banks. In addition, the neighborhood supported three large movie theaters – the Englewood, the Empress and the Capitol.
In an effort to keep Blacks from shopping at the Evergreen Plaza mall, Mayor Richard Daley closed Halsted to traffic, tore down houses two streets east and west of Halsted to create Halsted Parkway and effectively signed the death knell to the area. The department stores anchoring the area which also included Carr’s department store on 63rd and Lowe, closed. The movie theaters closed and slowly all the other businesses closed. Eventually a mishmash of stores remained. The city eventually tore down the stores, rebuilt the Green Line train station and built a new campus for Kennedy-King College. Driving north or south of the campus, there is still little economic development. The newest businesses are a White Castle and a Burger King. Halsted is still plagued with block upon block of vacant lots and abandoned buildings.
Words have power. We have seen that over and over again as racists, misogynists and homophobes spew hatred. Maybe the title Chiraq will evoke comparisons of Chicago to Iraq. However many people think of Al Capone and his mob when they think of Chicago and that has not stopped tourists or conventioneers from pouring into the city. Those people have never dropped by the streets of Englewood to view the city. They stay within the environs of the loop, the near north side and the Gold Coast. The title of Lee’s film will not change something that was never happening anyway. This was going on long before Spike Lee set up shop at St. Sabina and will be the case long after he and his crew are gone. Who or what will Burns, Emanuel and Moore blame then?
There was a disc jockey playing music that enticed many to dance, children played games and basketball while others sat on their porches enjoying the day. In addition to the appearance of the usual subjects like the Rev. Jesse Jackson and radio personality Cliff Kelley, actors John Cusack, Chicago Bull Joakim Noah and NBA coach Craig Hodges were out meeting members of the community.
Conspicuous in their absence were Ald. David Moore who originally denied signing the permit for the party in his ward, Ald. Will Burns (4th) who has led much of the backlash against the title Chiraq and Mayor Rahm Emanuel who almost never misses an opportunity to stand in front of a camera.
Originally Moore was opposed to signing the permit because he doesn’t like the title. He stated he spoke with the residents, some of whom also do not like the title, but they informed him they wanted him to sign the permit.
Like Burns, Moore is using this title to justify what has been a lack of economic development in the Englewood neighborhood for years. Since the late 1970’s, economic development has been lacking in the newly formed 6th and the 17th Ward.
For many years, Halsted Avenue between 61st and 79th streets was a lively, vibrant business thoroughfare. Anchored by the now defunct Wiebolt and Sears department stores on 63rd and Peoria and 63rd and Halsted respectively and Franks department store on 79th and Halsted, there were a plethora of clothing stores, shoe stores, Walgreen’s, Woolworths, jewelers, Huck Finn donuts, bakeries and banks. In addition, the neighborhood supported three large movie theaters – the Englewood, the Empress and the Capitol.
In an effort to keep Blacks from shopping at the Evergreen Plaza mall, Mayor Richard Daley closed Halsted to traffic, tore down houses two streets east and west of Halsted to create Halsted Parkway and effectively signed the death knell to the area. The department stores anchoring the area which also included Carr’s department store on 63rd and Lowe, closed. The movie theaters closed and slowly all the other businesses closed. Eventually a mishmash of stores remained. The city eventually tore down the stores, rebuilt the Green Line train station and built a new campus for Kennedy-King College. Driving north or south of the campus, there is still little economic development. The newest businesses are a White Castle and a Burger King. Halsted is still plagued with block upon block of vacant lots and abandoned buildings.
Words have power. We have seen that over and over again as racists, misogynists and homophobes spew hatred. Maybe the title Chiraq will evoke comparisons of Chicago to Iraq. However many people think of Al Capone and his mob when they think of Chicago and that has not stopped tourists or conventioneers from pouring into the city. Those people have never dropped by the streets of Englewood to view the city. They stay within the environs of the loop, the near north side and the Gold Coast. The title of Lee’s film will not change something that was never happening anyway. This was going on long before Spike Lee set up shop at St. Sabina and will be the case long after he and his crew are gone. Who or what will Burns, Emanuel and Moore blame then?
Monday, June 8, 2015
Serena, You Go Girl!
The bad, bold and beautiful Serena Williams won the French Open yesterday. Instead of being lauded on social media for this achievement, she was once again the victim of racist, sexist rants by the many nameless, faceless cowards who denigrate both her and her sister year after year, victory after victory.
Since the Williams sisters exploded into the world of professional tennis in the late 1990’s, they have redefined the game as only they could. They are tough, athletic and competitive, no more so than when they face each other. Between 2001 and 2009, they have faced each other in eight Grand Slam singles finals. No one before and seemingly no one in the near future has close to achieving what these two ladies have achieved in tennis. Yet with all their achievements, not only in tennis but in acting and fashion, no one has had to endure as much vitriol as these two women.
Sheer moments after her win, Serena was compared to an animal. The favorite comparison is that of a gorilla. She was compared to a man and declared as horribly unattractive. It’s a sin and a shame that she is not celebrating her win with millions of congratulations from adoring fans. Instead she is met with the type of hatred that is generally reserved for likes of Hitler or Mussolini.
One of the most consistent criticisms of the Williams sisters is that they are built powerfully and therefore have an unfair advantage over their opponents. Sure, both women are strong with well defined muscles. But couldn't it also be said the reason why they are so formidable is because they are fierce competitors and strategic about how they play. Could it be they are so tough to beat because they are competitive to a fault and play each match as if it were their last? Maybe they have been and continue to be the best in women’s tennis because they are simply the best. And those critics (predominately White males) are angry because they feel their game has been sullied by two Black women.
Since Africans first arrived on this continent, Black people have excelled in every facet. Black people are scientists, inventors, doctors, politicians, Supreme Court justices and now even president. Yet the stigma remains especially when it comes to Black women. In this day and age, Black women are still deemed unattractive to the “average” man. Our voices are too loud, our butts are too big, we are unfeminine, we are angry. We are always something but that something is never anything good unless we are mamas or mammies, cooks or cleaners. Wasn’t that one of the messages of the film The Help? Yet with the accomplishments Condolezza Rice, Mae Jamison, Halle Berry, Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey to name a few phenomenal Black Women, we are still on the bottom rung in the United States, destined to be the stereotypical angry, emasculating, ugly Black women.
Social media is a great tool. It has allowed us to expand our circle of friends and acquaintances to include people from around the world. We are able to share ourselves in ways we had only imagined. We can not only talk to folks in other countries but play games with them as well. We get news instantaneously and we are on top of everything. Yet this wonderful tool has also allowed the nameless, faceless jerks and assholes among us to espouse hate, racism and misogyny with abandon. Surely this was not the intent of Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone or Evan Williams, the creators of Twitter. I would also imagine that Mark Zuckerberg and the four other co-founders of Facebook never envisioned their creation would give pander to the worst among us.
Through all the negativity Serena and Venus have had to face, they have remained gracious. When Danish player Caroline Wozniacki mocked Serena by stuffing her shirt and skirt with towels at an exhibition match in 2012, Serena responded that she thought Ms. Wozniacki’s joke was in bad taste. She very adroitly sidestepped the racism behind this little stunt. Neither sister has taken the bait when sports commentators have made comments about their grunts, their attire, their strength or their figures. They remained above the controversy when sportscasters compared them to animals saying they would be better suited to posing for National Geographic. The only time either sister has commented about the racism they constantly face on and off the court is their refusal to play the BNP Paribas tournament in Indian Wells, California which Serena has boycotted for more than a decade. The sisters were called nigger more than once and even threatened with bodily harm. What this says about them is courage under fire. What it says about the American public is something much worse.
Personally I love watching the sisters beat the hell out of their opponents. I cheer with each point and cry whenever either loses. A match with either Serena or Venus is like watching a gifted surgeon. They are strong, competitive and brilliant strategists who play the game at a stratospheric level. They never crack under pressure. They never pay attention publicly to the racists or the misogynists who give them hell. I admire their game but I admire their dignity even more. They are better women than me. But for all that admiration, I would love it if one of them broke decorum just once and said to all the naysayers “Kiss my bodacious Black ass.”
Since the Williams sisters exploded into the world of professional tennis in the late 1990’s, they have redefined the game as only they could. They are tough, athletic and competitive, no more so than when they face each other. Between 2001 and 2009, they have faced each other in eight Grand Slam singles finals. No one before and seemingly no one in the near future has close to achieving what these two ladies have achieved in tennis. Yet with all their achievements, not only in tennis but in acting and fashion, no one has had to endure as much vitriol as these two women.
Sheer moments after her win, Serena was compared to an animal. The favorite comparison is that of a gorilla. She was compared to a man and declared as horribly unattractive. It’s a sin and a shame that she is not celebrating her win with millions of congratulations from adoring fans. Instead she is met with the type of hatred that is generally reserved for likes of Hitler or Mussolini.
One of the most consistent criticisms of the Williams sisters is that they are built powerfully and therefore have an unfair advantage over their opponents. Sure, both women are strong with well defined muscles. But couldn't it also be said the reason why they are so formidable is because they are fierce competitors and strategic about how they play. Could it be they are so tough to beat because they are competitive to a fault and play each match as if it were their last? Maybe they have been and continue to be the best in women’s tennis because they are simply the best. And those critics (predominately White males) are angry because they feel their game has been sullied by two Black women.
Since Africans first arrived on this continent, Black people have excelled in every facet. Black people are scientists, inventors, doctors, politicians, Supreme Court justices and now even president. Yet the stigma remains especially when it comes to Black women. In this day and age, Black women are still deemed unattractive to the “average” man. Our voices are too loud, our butts are too big, we are unfeminine, we are angry. We are always something but that something is never anything good unless we are mamas or mammies, cooks or cleaners. Wasn’t that one of the messages of the film The Help? Yet with the accomplishments Condolezza Rice, Mae Jamison, Halle Berry, Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey to name a few phenomenal Black Women, we are still on the bottom rung in the United States, destined to be the stereotypical angry, emasculating, ugly Black women.
Social media is a great tool. It has allowed us to expand our circle of friends and acquaintances to include people from around the world. We are able to share ourselves in ways we had only imagined. We can not only talk to folks in other countries but play games with them as well. We get news instantaneously and we are on top of everything. Yet this wonderful tool has also allowed the nameless, faceless jerks and assholes among us to espouse hate, racism and misogyny with abandon. Surely this was not the intent of Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone or Evan Williams, the creators of Twitter. I would also imagine that Mark Zuckerberg and the four other co-founders of Facebook never envisioned their creation would give pander to the worst among us.
Through all the negativity Serena and Venus have had to face, they have remained gracious. When Danish player Caroline Wozniacki mocked Serena by stuffing her shirt and skirt with towels at an exhibition match in 2012, Serena responded that she thought Ms. Wozniacki’s joke was in bad taste. She very adroitly sidestepped the racism behind this little stunt. Neither sister has taken the bait when sports commentators have made comments about their grunts, their attire, their strength or their figures. They remained above the controversy when sportscasters compared them to animals saying they would be better suited to posing for National Geographic. The only time either sister has commented about the racism they constantly face on and off the court is their refusal to play the BNP Paribas tournament in Indian Wells, California which Serena has boycotted for more than a decade. The sisters were called nigger more than once and even threatened with bodily harm. What this says about them is courage under fire. What it says about the American public is something much worse.
Personally I love watching the sisters beat the hell out of their opponents. I cheer with each point and cry whenever either loses. A match with either Serena or Venus is like watching a gifted surgeon. They are strong, competitive and brilliant strategists who play the game at a stratospheric level. They never crack under pressure. They never pay attention publicly to the racists or the misogynists who give them hell. I admire their game but I admire their dignity even more. They are better women than me. But for all that admiration, I would love it if one of them broke decorum just once and said to all the naysayers “Kiss my bodacious Black ass.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)