I'm sorry, but I can't get all emotional/sympathetic for Ayanna or any other person of color who purposely goes on these shows for the publicity, then acts an ass/gets all new to the game, whether they feel their behavior is justified or not. There ARE better ways of dealing with perceived or real acts of racism; hitting a person on national televisoin is not one of them. I don't think losing one's mother to cancer can be used as an excuse.
Ayanna HAD to have understood the game; she has been on an MTV show before. Thus, she understands that these shows are heavily edited to fit the producers' desired plot lines (slutty guy/girl; troubled gay/lesbian; innocent do-gooder; angry black guy/girl, etc.). She also understood that she was playing the role of "fiery/angry black woman". So, just as some on this board are saying the Norwegian guy shouldn't receive any sympathy (he should have known better), IMO, Ayanna shouldn't either (cuz she CERTAINLY should know better). Hitting someone is not right, and Ayanna's behavior simply played into MTV's and the wider world's perception that blacks are emotional, volatile people who act on instinct and can't think rationally and long-term.
It's really sad how we as a people will coddle even the most inappropriate speech and behavior from one of our own, making excuses all the way, but have a freakin' coronary about others' inappropriate speech and behavior. We always use the same tired excuse "racism in this country gives us a right to act an ass," or something to that effect. Yes, I understand that the lingering effects of racism do pervade our existence and thus inform our actions, but the blatant sting of racism dominated our foreparents' every move/opportunity, and most of them didn't cut the fool like some of us feel free to do.
Right is right and being black doesn't always give us carte blanche to forget the good sense our foreparents gave us.
Sorry for the book yall!
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