Good White People?

For a race that seems to hold most of the social and economic power in the world, Sistah Souljah asked a very pertinent question here. If you really believe and stand for a cause, you will raise you arms and fight for it no matter the cost.

Sunday Quote: on savagery

Courtesy of 'Womanist Musings'

"I absolutely promise, that if you look at the evils committed by Blacks honestly, it will pale in comparison to the history of violence and oppression committed by Whiteness and yet it is Blacks who are told that we are savage. There is nothing to be ashamed of. People are trying to survive in a world that exploits them at every turn."

Read the full post. It's riveting.

One can only listen in absolute horror at the sound of someone that has internalized colonialist belief systems. An individual who not only attempts to defend the evils of white supremacist domination by deflecting attention away from the cause of these measures - racism by making generalized and false statements about how we are all akin to savagery and in that nothing should be said about the damage done by European Imperialism and then goes on to side with those that have done this damage in an act of blatant self-loathing that shows up in a number of ways. Strong beliefs in racial stereotypes about one's own race which is somewhat pathological. It's as if one takes on the internal eyes of the oppressor, assuming a subliminally racist mindset that hinders them from seeing their own in an individualistic manner. Strange.

Of Being an "Exotic" in a Different World

I've never been a stranger to that feeling of being set-apart of feeling somewhat other-worldly. It's been interesting and it's grown my character to a position from which I can face society with a somewhat opppostional gaze. Not one that is strictly combative, but rather one that is never too afraid to shy away from critique. Although being black and being a woman is a tough venture, I say in all honesty - it has given me the opportunity to see the ugly nature of the way in which our world operates. Being part of a group of people who are considered to occupy, by default the lower regions of the social heirarchy has saved me from naivete, from seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. So, if you were to ask me if I could go back and alter my gender or race before I had been born. My answer would be a definite "No". I feel that there is still much work that needs to be done, many strides to be made by women of colour that to be one, aside from giving me plenty of reason to see and witness changes made in the world around me, provides me with the responsibility of making somwhat of a contribution to altering the general ways in which black women especially are viewed and henceforth treated.

Just Couldn't Agree More

If only all of us could think a bit more in these terms (including me). We're all guilty. Each one of us. Eluding the forces around us that compel our minds to create divisions where none should exist is hard work. But it is a work that must be done. Consciously. Each day, each minute, each second. "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me" - precisely.

Typical Attention-Seeking / Why Care Anyway?

Hello, 24 hours and what do I miss. John Mayer gives a ridiculous interview in Playboy and makes some iffy statements that nobody should actually be paying attention to because I feel as if he is being rewarded for his deliberate attention-seeking ways by being given attention. I did not even read the interview in full. But Black Snob offered some opinions and insight and so have racalicious

Why am I even bothering to talk about this guy. I don't know. This celebrity-obsessed culture of ours. Douchebags will always be douchebags.

But hold on...despite my embarrassment in the fact that I am paying attention to this absurd interview. I should say this. I am in no way despaired by the fact that he doesn't find women of African descent attractive. As Snob said, that is his business. We all have preferences anyway. This somehow kind of reminds me of the way in which black men will gloat it in your face that they are dating a non-black woman. As if some kind of vengeance is being taken on the collective black female population for reasons unmentioned. I take it they have past heartbreaks that cause them to hold grudges. Why everybody in everybody's business. I don't know that brother at the mall who is with a white girl. Who is he? Don't know. Should I be jealous for someone who I am not only not attracted to at all but do not even know? I don't know John Mayer. There's no reason for me to feel awful about his statements. It really is his business. As it always should be. Attraction to someone usually transcends the superficial. Someone can be attractive but have zero levels of class, zero morals, zero personality and zero character. would that person be suitable for a long-term or serious affair. Heck no. That's that. The opinions and beliefs of strangers on the street, on the telly or wherever bear no importance to my emotional, personal well being or sustenance.