The Drop Squad

[IotaNet]

Tsunami wrote:
I am curious as to how the Drop Squad would determine the African-American "ideal." And who has the right to impose his or her opinion of that "ideal" on anyone else? The definition of a sell-out is a very subjective thing. Not to mention, some people have such a warped sense of what it is to be African-American. These days "being down" and "keeping it real" has taken on such twisted definitions. Heck, many of us on this board may be considered sell-outs, in certain circles, for various reasons (like the way we speak, where we live, where we shop, where we work, our political affiliations, where we chose to go to school, or because we chose to go to school, etc.)

Tsunami is so on-point here! (As was DoggyStyle regarding Colin Powell.) It's a dangerous thing to get into "Blacker-than-thou" discussions.

We are very adamant about white people labeling our race as a "Monolith" but on the other hand we also want all Blacks to subscribe to a common agenda. We can't have it both ways.

There is room for many shades of Blackness and many variations of thought/action. Nobody has the right to define Blackness for an individual except that individual.

And, oh by the way - folks need to really get up offa Bryant Gumbel.

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IotaNet
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Alpha Eta Chapter, Spring, 1980

Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity
Zeta Nu Chapter, Spring, 1979

[This message has been edited by IotaNet (edited July 18, 2001).]

[Ideal08]

Ok, this is not about "defining Blackness," in my opinion, this is about working with individuals who are working AGAINST the struggle. You can be an "oreo," for lack of a better term, and not be a sell-out. The peeps I'm talking about are UNDOING everything that we (in our service as BGLO's) are DOING. That's what I'm talking about. If I'm trying to keep kids in the community off of drugs and in school, the drug dealers are working against me. If I'm trying to keep affirmative action and someone Black is trying to get rid of it, they are working AGIANST me. But I guess it's cool if we still have house negroes in 2001. I guess.

But beyond this, can we PRETEND, just for this thread, that we are not trying to define anyone's blackness or sellout or whatever, and just say who we would drop? We're not starting the Drop Squad, we're just talking about it, lol. Or fantasizing, as Doggystyle put it.

[Tsunami]

Amen IotaNet!