You are NOT Black Enough

[CrimsonTide4]

Interesting article I received today and wanted to share it with you all, the enlightened ones.

Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2002 00:41:09 +0000

'Blackness' Is a Phony Issue

By Julian Bond*
Washington Post, Sunday, September 1, 2002; Page B07

As a longtime and now nonpartisan observer of African American politics, I
am constantly confused and irritated by the charge that Candidate A or B
isn't "black enough."

Whenever African American candidates compete against each other, the
allegation of insufficient "blackness" quickly surfaces. It did when I
entered politics more than three decades ago. It did in recent congressional
elections in Georgia and Alabama. And it has in the District of Columbia.

The accusation surely doesn't refer to skin color; everyone so charged has
had ample melanin to be readily identifiable as having descended from
African ancestors.

Instead, it seems to refer to language, education and personal style -- as
if these attributes were or should be readily identifiable as "black" and
"nonblack."

Take Washington's Mayor Anthony Williams, now facing reelection. Williams
has been accused of not being "black enough" because:

He wears bow ties. How "black" is bow-tied Nation of Islam leader Louis
Farrakhan?

He received an Ivy League education. What should we make of Paul Robeson,
Columbia, 1923? Or W.E.B. DuBois, Harvard, cum laude, 1890?

He speaks in grammatically proper sentences. What does that say about
articulate Malcolm X?

He plays tennis. What about Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson, not to mention
the Williams sisters?

He wasn't a warrior in the '60s civil rights movement. Are those of his
generation condemned to political irrelevancy because they were born too
late?

He's a non-native carpetbagger. What does that say about Mississippi-born
and Memphis-raised Marion Barry, who had lived in Washington six years when
he first ran for office?

Washington's voters will make up their minds based on their perceptions of
the various candidates' platforms, promises and past performances. The
degree of their "blackness" isn't measurable -- or relevant. There are no
DNA tests for that.

I will not endorse any candidate. My NAACP position requires
nonpartisanship. But having been born black and remained black for 62 years,
I am as well qualified as any to comment on this foolish and dangerous
phenomenon.

Silly charges about adherence to an imaginary black aesthetic based on
college choices, speech patterns, clothing styles and leisure activities
cheapen the political process. They reflect an unhealthy insecurity in those
who make them -- and in those who reject them, a healthy respect for
democracy.

African Americans properly reject as racist allegations from others that we
all think, look and act alike. Why should we impose these reactionary
notions on one another?
************************************************** **

*The writer is a distinguished professor at American University and a
professor of history at the University of Virginia. He is board chairman of
the NAACP.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

[Steeltrap]

Julian Bond's beautiful on the outside (when he was a younger man, verry handsome) and beautiful on the inside.

I actually saw this on Yahoo! full coverage/African American News, and he's very correct. We aren't a monolith and we shouldn't be expected to have the same views on EVERYTHING.

And besides, I am so sick of people saying someone else isn't black enough because of things such as usage of proper English, style of dress, what types of music you listen to and leisure activities. Everyone's different, raised in different styles.

For instance, my mother STILL corrects me if I slip into slang, and I'm nearly 40 years old. I like what I like because my parents exposed me to things such as jazz, gourmet cooking, fine wines, et al.

Can you tell that I've had to wrestle with this ignorance myself?

[JJSP01]

AMEN!! AMEN!! AMEN!!!

Let the church say AMEN again!!!

[FeeFee]

Great post, as usual, CT4! I too am sick of people commenting on how "black" a person is supposed to be. In this day and age, I figured things like this would be a thing of the past. I guess not!

[Love_Spell_6]

I am only 24 years old, and I have faced the "not black enough" stigma as well. It seems that many of my peers feel that if you speak proper English, don't wear logo heavy clothes, want to do outside activities such as white water rafting, rock climbing, etc., you have somehow forgotten your heritage. It is so sad that some folks just want to lock you in a box, and suggest that doing anything outside of that is unacceptable. Sometimes the people who make these statements are the ones themselves who are locked into a box! They fail to venture outside of their familiar surroundings to see something different.

[Salience]

Originally posted by Love_Spell_6
It seems that many of my peers feel that if you speak proper English, don't wear logo heavy clothes, want to do outside activities such as white water rafting, rock climbing, etc., you have somehow forgotten your heritage.

You'd better talk about it!

And isn't it ironic, that, "keeping it real" is supposed to mean acting impoverished, ignorant, and embittered? What on EARTH do Polo, BMW, and Blahnik have to do with our African and American-American heritage?

[Eclipse]

I saw this article as well and agree with Julian Bond's article.

I live in GA (4th Congressional District) and many of US felt like we were supposed to vote for Cynthia McKinney, the incumbent, instead of her equally Black challenger, Denise Majette. Charges of Majette being a "Tomette" and a "Republican" (which in the heavily Democratic district was like talkin' about someone's momma) flew from the McKinney camp to Majette. It's sad that what should have been a good "may the best woman win" race turned into a race baiting one. The really said thing was the race was not really about the issues or what either candidate could do for the district, but about who was "black" and who wasn't. I hate it when we do that to each other..

[Sugar_N_Spice]

Originally posted by Salience


You'd better talk about it!

And isn't it ironic, that, "keeping it real" is supposed to mean acting impoverished, ignorant, and embittered? What on EARTH do Polo, BMW, and Blahnik have to do with our African and American-American heritage?

Thanx CT4, for posting a great article (as usual!).

That's exactly how I feel, not only regarding politics, but in my personal life as well. I was always teased as a child growing up b/c I spoke proper English, earned good grades, and had goals. I was told that b/c of these things, I spoke and acted like "white girl". WHATEVER! "Keeping it real" does not equal acting or being uneducated and ignorant, w/ no goals and aspirations, esp. when the people pretending to keep it real are not themselves, sporting Prada when they haven't even paid their rent...

Hmmm...I wonder what those same people are doing with their lives now?!