Love for the People
Hello all,
Hey guys, here's the first Sunday post from BLOG, and it's going to be a huge one. I wanted to give a quick shoutout to a good friend, and also wanted to answer a comment left on our BLOG site.
First, the shoutout. My good friend Chronobull as you see in the upcoming IM conversation, serves as a 'barometer' to the site, and always gives input on how he feels the site is going. 'Preciate ya Chrono. Well, here's a little of the conversation we had about the last blog:
chronobull: i think you were kinda overstating the significance of the kings of comedy
The Good Doctor: when i posted the initial question, i thought so, but felt obliged not to throw the topic away entirely
The Good Doctor: so i chained it with others who do the same thing
The Good Doctor: i should've put more examples of those who do so...namely, the hip-hop industry
The Good Doctor: i tried to take a positive endeavor and show how it could've been more powerful. dig?
chronobull: yeah
chronobull: 50 cent would've been a good example.
The Good Doctor: it's amazing how we think alike. honest confession here
The Good Doctor: i wanted you to respond because i knew how you'd feel
chronobull: you know, on the one hand its positive to see a black man doing such big things in various ventures in different branches of the entertainment world, but who has absolutely zero sense of a responsibilty to better the community
Now, for the comment. I'll actually go ahead and post the comment here in its entirety...it was a response to last week's 'Kings of Comedy' blog. And heeeeeeeeeere we gooooooooooo:
Ashleyfamu said...
So, on a change of subject, something's come to my attention in this great city of New York that made me want to address this blog. My question: How do you prefer your racism? Covert, under-the-table, cutting-the-eyes, clutching-the-purse when you walk by discrimination...or in-your-face, what-you-doing-here, blatant racism?
I thought living in the South would be the biggest challenge for a black person. But no, that's where we get the first kind of racism that I mentioned. I never had to look racism in the face...just kinda glimpsed it out the corner of my eye. Then, not only did I move north, to a big city (the biggest in the states?), but I also moved into the professional world, and the difference is as plain as paint on the walls. And not just from whites or against blacks. A few exhibits, if I may:
Exhibit A - Saturday night, mixer for professional students in the neighborhood of my ivy league university. Black bouncer. A group of 3 whites walk up, he asks, "Oh, are you with the law school? Go right in, party's in the back." Then a group of 3 blacks and a mexican walk up, directly followed by another group of 4 whites. The bouncers tells the group of blacks, "hold on a sec" and asks the whites behind them "oh, hey, you're with the law school right? Go right in, party's in the back." Did I mention that the 3 blacks and the mexican are enrolled in law school?
Exhibit B: young mexican woman (mentioned in A) enters the law school bldg of said school wearing a jersey and basketball shorts around same time as some members of the majority race. White Doorman swiftly approaches her -walks past any other students - and asks "do you have any business in the LAW SCHOOL"??
Exhibit C: young well-dressed black male is walking toward residence hall of said law school. Doorman is standing a bit down the street, outside. doorman promptly begins following man down the street and then into the building to demand what business he had at the building (sound familiar).
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do? How do we deal with the discrimination around us? How would you deal? And how do you prefer your racism?
--------My response----------
Well Ashleyfamu,
Concerning how I ‘prefer my racism’, I’m conjuring up a prose statement that is aptly titled “How I Prefer My Racism”. Thanks for the motivation, love. At any rate, let’s talk about the situation at hand:
I understand where you’re coming from, being a full-time sportswriter, or, should I say in a field where minorities are prevalent. It appears that certain genres, jobs, and even locations are discriminately associated with certain races. This is unfortunate, because what happens, as shown in your Exhibit A, even people within their own race can be so blinded.
Now to your questions. You asked the following:
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do?
How do we deal with the discrimination around us?
How would you deal?
And how do you prefer your racism?
Well, let’s go straight down.
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do?
Well, being a young black person myself (turned 22 as of July), I believe a young black person should focus on making it, and not focus so much on racial injustices that we’ve seen can be broken in the past. The truth is that we as humans are divided and separated over for the most part, the melanin content that determines our skin pigmentation.
Acts 17:24-26 says that (24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
I say that to say we are ultimately members of one race, and that is the human race.
Now, what I’ve done there is what young black people, no, let’s say people don’t often do. They don’t often break down their situation, nor do they research it to find out the intricacies, and thus the solutions to a problem. That’s what I would recommend; I recommend sitting down and thinking about solutions to problems, and looking and understanding dynamics so that if you don’t agree with them, you can certainly change them.
How do we deal with the discrimination around us?
I associate discrimination with ignorance. And I feel in turn that the cure for ignorance is knowledge, and with knowledge, wisdom. The truth is that non-minorities understand the dynamics of race, it’s just that they choose to use that knowledge for unholy applications, and what many would call oppression. That’s the no. 1 way to deal with it, is empowering oneself with knowledge. Now the more militant readers are mad because I’ve played passive with the first two questions, well, up to this point. WE KNOW that being passive doesn’t always work, and more or less makes you susceptible to getting your head bust, let’s be real. This is why opposing discrimination head-on is also a viable tactic; Exhibits B and C were situations where such a theory would be applicable. At times, discrimination is allowed and continued because we excuse the ignorance of others. Direct application of knowledge in this situation may prevent future outburst of racial uncomfortability. In other words, pull their card :-)
How would you deal?
Well, being a sportswriter in the lovely state of South Carolina (I can hear the snickers now), I understand that some simply don’t understand that minorities are gifted in more areas other than athletics and dance. Surely history has provided examples time and time again, however, such references aren’t mentioned as much as they should be in educational settings, and the lack of such makes minorities and non-minorities ignorant alike. How I deal is simply being aware of the fact that I am one of a gifted group of people that was blessed with the power of building pyramids, of helping to build America, and helping to sustain time-lasting traditions and being able to overcome any obstacle with the power of the mind. This knowledge will allow me to approach fields, go into venues that people feel I shouldn’t be.
It’s funny really, how people respond to minorities at golf clubs. Despite the overwhelming success of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods (who gets some blog love this week), minorities are somewhat still viewed as nothing more than an annoyance on a golf course, or rather, someone to carry your clubs. I’m not a racist by any stretch, friends, I’m only responding to what I see. Golf clubs are clearly not the only groups seeing non-minority status, of all the staff writers at my newspaper, I am the lone African-American, this in 2005.
Long story short, the best way I deal is by breaking down the doors in places where people feel I don’t belong. I deal by representing, no, over-representing, making my presence known in a positive manner, not only to show that I belong just like anyone else, but understanding that I’m an ambassador, one who’s blazing a trail because there will be more like me that’s “coming to dinner” like Sidney Poitier*.
Love you all,
The Good Doctor
Oh yeah, the poem "How I Prefer My Racism" will be out this week, and this week's blog on Tiger Woods will post on tomorrow.
*Poitier, not only a groundbreaking actor, also was in the movie called "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", a movie about a black man dating a white woman who meets her parents. Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher fans may find similarities in their movie "Guess Who". Take care friends.
Hey guys, here's the first Sunday post from BLOG, and it's going to be a huge one. I wanted to give a quick shoutout to a good friend, and also wanted to answer a comment left on our BLOG site.
First, the shoutout. My good friend Chronobull as you see in the upcoming IM conversation, serves as a 'barometer' to the site, and always gives input on how he feels the site is going. 'Preciate ya Chrono. Well, here's a little of the conversation we had about the last blog:
chronobull: i think you were kinda overstating the significance of the kings of comedy
The Good Doctor: when i posted the initial question, i thought so, but felt obliged not to throw the topic away entirely
The Good Doctor: so i chained it with others who do the same thing
The Good Doctor: i should've put more examples of those who do so...namely, the hip-hop industry
The Good Doctor: i tried to take a positive endeavor and show how it could've been more powerful. dig?
chronobull: yeah
chronobull: 50 cent would've been a good example.
The Good Doctor: it's amazing how we think alike. honest confession here
The Good Doctor: i wanted you to respond because i knew how you'd feel
chronobull: you know, on the one hand its positive to see a black man doing such big things in various ventures in different branches of the entertainment world, but who has absolutely zero sense of a responsibilty to better the community
Now, for the comment. I'll actually go ahead and post the comment here in its entirety...it was a response to last week's 'Kings of Comedy' blog. And heeeeeeeeeere we gooooooooooo:
Ashleyfamu said...
So, on a change of subject, something's come to my attention in this great city of New York that made me want to address this blog. My question: How do you prefer your racism? Covert, under-the-table, cutting-the-eyes, clutching-the-purse when you walk by discrimination...or in-your-face, what-you-doing-here, blatant racism?
I thought living in the South would be the biggest challenge for a black person. But no, that's where we get the first kind of racism that I mentioned. I never had to look racism in the face...just kinda glimpsed it out the corner of my eye. Then, not only did I move north, to a big city (the biggest in the states?), but I also moved into the professional world, and the difference is as plain as paint on the walls. And not just from whites or against blacks. A few exhibits, if I may:
Exhibit A - Saturday night, mixer for professional students in the neighborhood of my ivy league university. Black bouncer. A group of 3 whites walk up, he asks, "Oh, are you with the law school? Go right in, party's in the back." Then a group of 3 blacks and a mexican walk up, directly followed by another group of 4 whites. The bouncers tells the group of blacks, "hold on a sec" and asks the whites behind them "oh, hey, you're with the law school right? Go right in, party's in the back." Did I mention that the 3 blacks and the mexican are enrolled in law school?
Exhibit B: young mexican woman (mentioned in A) enters the law school bldg of said school wearing a jersey and basketball shorts around same time as some members of the majority race. White Doorman swiftly approaches her -walks past any other students - and asks "do you have any business in the LAW SCHOOL"??
Exhibit C: young well-dressed black male is walking toward residence hall of said law school. Doorman is standing a bit down the street, outside. doorman promptly begins following man down the street and then into the building to demand what business he had at the building (sound familiar).
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do? How do we deal with the discrimination around us? How would you deal? And how do you prefer your racism?
--------My response----------
Well Ashleyfamu,
Concerning how I ‘prefer my racism’, I’m conjuring up a prose statement that is aptly titled “How I Prefer My Racism”. Thanks for the motivation, love. At any rate, let’s talk about the situation at hand:
I understand where you’re coming from, being a full-time sportswriter, or, should I say in a field where minorities are prevalent. It appears that certain genres, jobs, and even locations are discriminately associated with certain races. This is unfortunate, because what happens, as shown in your Exhibit A, even people within their own race can be so blinded.
Now to your questions. You asked the following:
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do?
How do we deal with the discrimination around us?
How would you deal?
And how do you prefer your racism?
Well, let’s go straight down.
What is a young black person trying to make it supposed to do?
Well, being a young black person myself (turned 22 as of July), I believe a young black person should focus on making it, and not focus so much on racial injustices that we’ve seen can be broken in the past. The truth is that we as humans are divided and separated over for the most part, the melanin content that determines our skin pigmentation.
Acts 17:24-26 says that (24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
I say that to say we are ultimately members of one race, and that is the human race.
Now, what I’ve done there is what young black people, no, let’s say people don’t often do. They don’t often break down their situation, nor do they research it to find out the intricacies, and thus the solutions to a problem. That’s what I would recommend; I recommend sitting down and thinking about solutions to problems, and looking and understanding dynamics so that if you don’t agree with them, you can certainly change them.
How do we deal with the discrimination around us?
I associate discrimination with ignorance. And I feel in turn that the cure for ignorance is knowledge, and with knowledge, wisdom. The truth is that non-minorities understand the dynamics of race, it’s just that they choose to use that knowledge for unholy applications, and what many would call oppression. That’s the no. 1 way to deal with it, is empowering oneself with knowledge. Now the more militant readers are mad because I’ve played passive with the first two questions, well, up to this point. WE KNOW that being passive doesn’t always work, and more or less makes you susceptible to getting your head bust, let’s be real. This is why opposing discrimination head-on is also a viable tactic; Exhibits B and C were situations where such a theory would be applicable. At times, discrimination is allowed and continued because we excuse the ignorance of others. Direct application of knowledge in this situation may prevent future outburst of racial uncomfortability. In other words, pull their card :-)
How would you deal?
Well, being a sportswriter in the lovely state of South Carolina (I can hear the snickers now), I understand that some simply don’t understand that minorities are gifted in more areas other than athletics and dance. Surely history has provided examples time and time again, however, such references aren’t mentioned as much as they should be in educational settings, and the lack of such makes minorities and non-minorities ignorant alike. How I deal is simply being aware of the fact that I am one of a gifted group of people that was blessed with the power of building pyramids, of helping to build America, and helping to sustain time-lasting traditions and being able to overcome any obstacle with the power of the mind. This knowledge will allow me to approach fields, go into venues that people feel I shouldn’t be.
It’s funny really, how people respond to minorities at golf clubs. Despite the overwhelming success of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods (who gets some blog love this week), minorities are somewhat still viewed as nothing more than an annoyance on a golf course, or rather, someone to carry your clubs. I’m not a racist by any stretch, friends, I’m only responding to what I see. Golf clubs are clearly not the only groups seeing non-minority status, of all the staff writers at my newspaper, I am the lone African-American, this in 2005.
Long story short, the best way I deal is by breaking down the doors in places where people feel I don’t belong. I deal by representing, no, over-representing, making my presence known in a positive manner, not only to show that I belong just like anyone else, but understanding that I’m an ambassador, one who’s blazing a trail because there will be more like me that’s “coming to dinner” like Sidney Poitier*.
Love you all,
The Good Doctor
Oh yeah, the poem "How I Prefer My Racism" will be out this week, and this week's blog on Tiger Woods will post on tomorrow.
*Poitier, not only a groundbreaking actor, also was in the movie called "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", a movie about a black man dating a white woman who meets her parents. Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher fans may find similarities in their movie "Guess Who". Take care friends.
posted by The Good Doctor at 2:11 PM
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