There a are alot of White pundits (both Conservative and Liberal) discussing
the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie, "Django Unchained" but as usual, the
opinions of Black Folks, especially the more militant minded are ignored. I
guess we should be seen and not heard.
I applaud the movie (It's not The Nat Turner Story but we'[ll take it) and I
think that many White people are really bothered, not only by being reminded of
the horrors of slavery while they celebrate "Peace on Earth" but by the image
of a Black male committing justifiable homicide against White people. While
there have been many movies like Roots that have shown the beatings and murders
of Black people, there have been relatively few with a Black dude getting a
little payback. Also, although you have many 'hood films that glorify Black on
Black violence (Boyz in tha Hood, Menace II Society) there are virtually no
movies that have talked about the killing of white people.
Also, the recent Drudge Report post that used the "N word" several times in a
caption shows the blatant hypocrisy that the right wing exhibits in regards
to issues of race. Even though Drudge may claim that he was making a point,
would he use " Hymie" or "Christ Killer" over the caption of an article about
Jews? Or would he put "Faggot" over a caption about homosexuals? I think not.
They would be calling for his head.
Unfortunately, he seems right at home with using the N word.
If we are to move forward as a country, the hypocrisy of
"Holly'hood" and the media must end.
Showing posts with label N word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label N word. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Laura Schlessinger's Crazy Cure for Racism
Laura Schlessinger's Crazy Cure for Racism:
Do We Blame Dr. Laura or Dr. Dre?
Paul Scott
A broken, elderly black man limped into his doctor's office last Tuesday afternoon. His neck bore the scars of numerous lynching attempts and his back the welts of years of severe beatings. Reflected in his eyes was the pain of seeing his mother and sister raped and being powerless to do anything about it. As he described in vivid detail his many thoughts of committing suicide, the physician just sat emotionless in her chair. Finally, she scribbled on her prescription pad, "take two doses of the "N word" and call me in the morning. LOL..."
Last week, talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, came under fire for using the "N word" multiple times to help a caller get over her racial "hypersensitivity." While the purpose of the conversation was, supposedly, to give the caller life changing advice, in reality, Schlessinger was merely trying to help her predominately white audience get over their collective guilt of harboring white supremacist attitudes as she soothed them with the old standard, "Black Comedians use the N Word, Why Can't I" Therefore, if it's cool in Compton it must play well in Peoria.
Newsflash for Dr. Laura. Not all black men walk around grabbin' their crotches, showing their dirty drawers and dropping the "N bomb" like there's no tomorrow. I, personally, have never made a habit of using the word and have spoken out against its use on many occasions. Also, activists such as Gary, Indiana radio host, Kwabena Rasuliu have led multiple protests against those in the Hip Hop world who have used such ignorance as a marketing tool.
However, folks like "Sgt. Schlessiger" and her Right Wing Storm Troopers, continuously, use black entertainers as justification for their racist rants. The comedians to whom Schlessinger referred do not speak for me nor do they speak for most people of African descent. It is unfortunate that, while folks like Dr. Laura can name black comedians who use the word, they cannot name one Afro-centric historian who has put the word in a social or historical context and can explain how it became a term of black endearment.
So, herein, lies the major problem facing this country in terms of race relations: historical and cultural ignorance.
Although, the use of the "N word" pops up as a topic of discussion every few years, most people, black or white, do not know the historical origins of the word.
The word "nigger" is derived from the Portuguese adjective "negro" which was used by the early slave traders to describe their new found "property." So, when it crossed the Atlantic , "negro" was ,eventually, transformed into the word "nigger;" different spellings but for all intents and purposes, having the same meaning as they both infer that black people are less than human.
Black psychologists have suggested that the use of the word by African Americans is a subconscious response to white supremacy.
In his book, "Black on Black Violence: The Psycho-dynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in the Service of White Domination" the late psychologist Dr. Amos Wilson wrote, " through identification with the aggressor, the subject attempts to magically transform himself from the one being threatened to the one threatening; from powerlessness to powerful: from inferior to superior."
It must be noted that the degradation of black people for comedic purposes started with white black-face performer Thomas Rice's Jumpin' Jim Crow in 1830, predating early black comedians such as Moms Mabley and Redd Fox by more than a century. Not to mention that most black entertainers work for white owned companies.
While comedian Richard Pryor used the "N word" extensively in some of his early stand up routines, later in his career, following a trip to Africa, he publicly vowed to "never call a black man nigger again."
Perhaps, the group most influential in popularizing the word during the Hip Hop Era was NWA (Niggas With Attitude) of the late 80's and early '90's. However, the group was managed by Jerry Heller, a white man, who was also the co-owner of their record label, Ruthless Records. So, there have always been white business men who have supplied white Americans with an avenue to, vicariously, live out their racist fantasies through black entertainers.
While some may make the argument that it is only entertainment, the contradictions within this statement are many.
One example is that although Jewish comedians such as Jackie Mason and Adam Sandler, may make Jewish jokes, none of their stand up routines would ever be used by outsiders to make light of the Jewish Holocaust.
Also, attacks on the black community seem to be the only topics not off limit by the entertainment industry. Black entertainers from Professor Griff of Public Enemy to the late Michael Jackson had their careers negatively impacted by, allegedly, making anti-Semitic comments or songs. Ironically, Ice Cube, one of the founders of NWA was boycotted in the early 90's by the Korean community over a song he made in regards to the murder of 15 year old Latasha Harland, who was shot by a Korean grocer.
So, we see the real double standard at play.
If we are not careful, the controversy over Dr. Laura's statement will go the route of the infamous Don Imus incident as civil rights leaders and right wing media pundits will find a way to put the blame totally on rap music; blaming Dr. Dre instead of Dr. Laura.
In order to stop the Dr. Laura's of the world, this country must engage in a massive reeducation process. African Americans must learn all they can about their culture and pass the information on to future generations. Also, white Americans must be willing to hear the truth about the African American experience no matter how uncomfortable it might make them feel. This will not come from educators who fear backlash from school boards nor newspaper editors who are more concerned with offending their advertisers than serving the public good but will come from Afro-centric historians and scholars who are brave enough to speak truth to power without biting their tongues.
Unfortunately, this cure is too big a pill for most folks to swallow.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired .com. For more information about the Intelligence Over Ignorance lecture series on Race, Rap and Revolution contact (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Do We Blame Dr. Laura or Dr. Dre?
Paul Scott
A broken, elderly black man limped into his doctor's office last Tuesday afternoon. His neck bore the scars of numerous lynching attempts and his back the welts of years of severe beatings. Reflected in his eyes was the pain of seeing his mother and sister raped and being powerless to do anything about it. As he described in vivid detail his many thoughts of committing suicide, the physician just sat emotionless in her chair. Finally, she scribbled on her prescription pad, "take two doses of the "N word" and call me in the morning. LOL..."
Last week, talk show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, came under fire for using the "N word" multiple times to help a caller get over her racial "hypersensitivity." While the purpose of the conversation was, supposedly, to give the caller life changing advice, in reality, Schlessinger was merely trying to help her predominately white audience get over their collective guilt of harboring white supremacist attitudes as she soothed them with the old standard, "Black Comedians use the N Word, Why Can't I" Therefore, if it's cool in Compton it must play well in Peoria.
Newsflash for Dr. Laura. Not all black men walk around grabbin' their crotches, showing their dirty drawers and dropping the "N bomb" like there's no tomorrow. I, personally, have never made a habit of using the word and have spoken out against its use on many occasions. Also, activists such as Gary, Indiana radio host, Kwabena Rasuliu have led multiple protests against those in the Hip Hop world who have used such ignorance as a marketing tool.
However, folks like "Sgt. Schlessiger" and her Right Wing Storm Troopers, continuously, use black entertainers as justification for their racist rants. The comedians to whom Schlessinger referred do not speak for me nor do they speak for most people of African descent. It is unfortunate that, while folks like Dr. Laura can name black comedians who use the word, they cannot name one Afro-centric historian who has put the word in a social or historical context and can explain how it became a term of black endearment.
So, herein, lies the major problem facing this country in terms of race relations: historical and cultural ignorance.
Although, the use of the "N word" pops up as a topic of discussion every few years, most people, black or white, do not know the historical origins of the word.
The word "nigger" is derived from the Portuguese adjective "negro" which was used by the early slave traders to describe their new found "property." So, when it crossed the Atlantic , "negro" was ,eventually, transformed into the word "nigger;" different spellings but for all intents and purposes, having the same meaning as they both infer that black people are less than human.
Black psychologists have suggested that the use of the word by African Americans is a subconscious response to white supremacy.
In his book, "Black on Black Violence: The Psycho-dynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in the Service of White Domination" the late psychologist Dr. Amos Wilson wrote, " through identification with the aggressor, the subject attempts to magically transform himself from the one being threatened to the one threatening; from powerlessness to powerful: from inferior to superior."
It must be noted that the degradation of black people for comedic purposes started with white black-face performer Thomas Rice's Jumpin' Jim Crow in 1830, predating early black comedians such as Moms Mabley and Redd Fox by more than a century. Not to mention that most black entertainers work for white owned companies.
While comedian Richard Pryor used the "N word" extensively in some of his early stand up routines, later in his career, following a trip to Africa, he publicly vowed to "never call a black man nigger again."
Perhaps, the group most influential in popularizing the word during the Hip Hop Era was NWA (Niggas With Attitude) of the late 80's and early '90's. However, the group was managed by Jerry Heller, a white man, who was also the co-owner of their record label, Ruthless Records. So, there have always been white business men who have supplied white Americans with an avenue to, vicariously, live out their racist fantasies through black entertainers.
While some may make the argument that it is only entertainment, the contradictions within this statement are many.
One example is that although Jewish comedians such as Jackie Mason and Adam Sandler, may make Jewish jokes, none of their stand up routines would ever be used by outsiders to make light of the Jewish Holocaust.
Also, attacks on the black community seem to be the only topics not off limit by the entertainment industry. Black entertainers from Professor Griff of Public Enemy to the late Michael Jackson had their careers negatively impacted by, allegedly, making anti-Semitic comments or songs. Ironically, Ice Cube, one of the founders of NWA was boycotted in the early 90's by the Korean community over a song he made in regards to the murder of 15 year old Latasha Harland, who was shot by a Korean grocer.
So, we see the real double standard at play.
If we are not careful, the controversy over Dr. Laura's statement will go the route of the infamous Don Imus incident as civil rights leaders and right wing media pundits will find a way to put the blame totally on rap music; blaming Dr. Dre instead of Dr. Laura.
In order to stop the Dr. Laura's of the world, this country must engage in a massive reeducation process. African Americans must learn all they can about their culture and pass the information on to future generations. Also, white Americans must be willing to hear the truth about the African American experience no matter how uncomfortable it might make them feel. This will not come from educators who fear backlash from school boards nor newspaper editors who are more concerned with offending their advertisers than serving the public good but will come from Afro-centric historians and scholars who are brave enough to speak truth to power without biting their tongues.
Unfortunately, this cure is too big a pill for most folks to swallow.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired .com. For more information about the Intelligence Over Ignorance lecture series on Race, Rap and Revolution contact (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Duane "Doggie Dogg" Chapman
Duane "Doggie Dog" Chapman
OK, I admit on one of those nights that I had nothin' better to do better to do, I have watched Dog:The Bounty Hunter on A@E. After all, ain't too many "hoods" in Hawaii so my racial Spidey sense wouldn't start tinglin' like it would if I was watching Cops. Plus, I thought the dude was kinda funny in a retro "Macho Man Randy Savage meets Chuck Norris" kind of way. Plus he would always give the person he arrested a cool public service announcement-type lecture before he dropped him off at the slammer. But that was before the infamous phone call that landed him a permanent spot in my "Racist Bastard Hall of Fame..."
For those one or two people who haven't heard the clip of Chapman dissin' his son's black girlfriend, let me give you the Cliff Notes version...
Seems like tha Dog's son taped a phone conversation and sold it to the National Inquirer with him rantin' about the N-word being a household word in the good ole wholesome Chapman crib and he was worried that the girlfriend (known affectionately as the N-word) would one day reveal the mystic secret of the Chapman place that the man of the house was (once again) a racist bastard...
What really ticked me off was the "cry me a river" explanations that followed that sounded like a lesson in Snoop Dogg apologetics without the "supposed" cultural justification and political "sophistication."
He went on to follow the instructions on page 101 of the (again) "Racist Bastard" handbook in the chapter "What to Do When You Stick Yo' Foot in Yo' Mouth."
Simple...Talk to your PR people...Go on TV and cry like little .....um...punk...and find the first black "leader" you see to vouch for your not being (and I say again) a racist bastard..
Sadly, with Black folks, this formula works more times than not...
Once some black "priest" pardons the person from his sins, he goes his merry way and all is forgotten...
Plus the new post Michael Richards/Don Imus trick is to put the blame on Hip Hop. So, I'm just waitin' for tha Dog to say that he was just practicing for the new Hip Hop album he has coming out just in time for the holidays called (I can't resist, just one more time)
"Diary of a Racist Bastard."
Although A@E cancelled production on the show, look for it to return around the the first week in December when Don Imus returns to radio.
Will I be one of the people protesting the return of Don Imus...
Yep...
Will I be calling on folks to email A@E with the email title in all caps "FIRE THE RACIST......" (OK, I promised)
Yep...
You have to draw the line somewhere if not you will forever find yourself forever dissed.
Far as I am concerned Duane Chapman : The Hawaiian Hatemonger can find a short volcano cliff and take a long walk...
Min. Paul Scott can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
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