Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Current Is Strong

Self-hate is a fast-moving river, and it's easy to be swept away by the current if you lose focus.


Among the many benefits all of us expect to reap from an Obama administration, one of the most overlooked is the fact that with a brother in the White House, it will be much harder for self-hating black people to hide.

This brother in New York got exposed relatively early. Juan Williams, who most of us already suspected had a ShD, "self-hating degree," recently confirmed his self-hate by labeling Michelle Obama as a potential albatross around President OBama's neck. He said that once she taps into her inner Stokely Carmichael, it's all downhill for Obama.

That's right, Juan Williams believes that an intelligent, beautiful, loving, career-oriented black woman who can also raise children will eventually cause the downfall of the most powerful black man in America.

If that ain't self hate, then nothing qualifies.

What I've noticed since Obama's election is that media companies are trying to find more black faces to put in front of the camera and offer opinions. Because of that, certain black people who hold self-hating beliefs are now being given a larger platform to tell the entire country about those beliefs. Consequently, black people are learning a lot more about who the haters are among us.

I'm not saying that every black person has to serve as a cheerleader of Obama, or fall in line with whatever the conventional Negro wisdom is about the world. I appreciate diversity in thinking, and it makes for more interesting debates. It's better for the world if people learn that black people can represent the entire political spectrum.

What I'm saying is that some black people have been quietly making a living espousing doctrines that are teeming with self-hate, and Obama's presidency has the power to expose them and their lies to the light of day. Before Obama, Juan Williams' comments about a successful black woman might have been only heard by a few bigots on Fox News. Now, those feelings are being heard by many more people, and I think some folks will reevaluate their opinion of him as an intelligent, albeit contrary, black person. Now he's the one that seems bitter and angry.

People who say hateful, mean-spirited things that are clearly based on their negative feelings about black people in general, need to be noticed by the world and publicly shamed. Sometimes shame is the best agent of change.

It's been very disturbing to watch the cottage industry of black self-hate that has grown in this country as many white conservatives have learned that the best way to say the nasty things about black people is to get a black person to do it. Unfortunately, the traitorous bastards who have been willing to spout these lies have often operated somewhat in obscurity because few black people paid attention to the news organizations that employed them. With the coming of Obama, not only are more black people paying attention, but the ridiculous remarks of these commentators are being picked up by a wider range of stations.

Obama is outing them like a Senator in an airport bathroom.

Obviously, I find this to be satisfying. I think these people need to bear the full brunt of their opinions, and they need to be shunned completely by intelligent, conscious black people. You cannot take every opportunity to denigrate and devalue black folks, and still expect to be treated with a modicum of respect.

Sadly, I doubt that this move towards public shaming will be enough to deter certain black folks from continuing on their chosen path. Many of them are so deluded, they actually believe they are doing the Lord's work when the parrot back accepted stereotypes and trite truths about black people for conservative white audiences. In fact, some of them view their ostracization as a badge of honor. Yet, I can't help but believe that is always better to shine the light of truth on those operating in the darkness of deceit.

If only to watch the roaches scurry.



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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get out of my head. LOL Like you I have noticed more of these self-hating Negroes coming out the woodwork since Obama was elected. Diversity of opinion is always good but cats like Juan and those of his ilk are not cool at all.

What he said about Michelle was just plain wrong, you don't say that about a man's wife and most certainly not the president's wife. People seem to forget that Michelle is an accomplished woman in her right, she is not some baby Mama along for the ride. Goodness, she was riding the Obama hope train long before any of us knew his name and beleiving and supporting him when many of us would have laughed.

What saddens me is that years ago I actually thought Juan was ok.

Big Man said...

I think a lot of black people had been fooled by Juan.

See, conservative opinions resonate with large portions of the black community. But, there is a clear distinction between being conservative and being a self-hater. These cats had been toeing the line, but it seems like with Obama they've become habitual line steppers, in the words of Charlie Murphy.

I wonder if the sight of an accomplished, beloved somewhat liberal black man drives them crazy. Before Obama, most of the prominent black people were easily dismissed as caricatures. No longer. That's got to be killing some of these cats.

ms. undastood said...

I want to honestly say that I have had moments of showing my self hating degree but I truly believe that I hate being looked down on because the color of my skin and the color of the skin of some people is the same. Like I hate for my race to be embarrased and stereotyped and because of their actions. And I hate when black people don't believe they can do better than the stereotypes that have been put into play. I hate the ghetto stereotype and how we couldn't possible be educated individuals from the suburbs. I have a self loathing issue sometimes but I am proud of my heritage and who I am but I hate having to fight to prove myself everyday.

ms. undastood said...

Oh yeah and I also wanted to add that I am so proud of Michelle and Barack. I look up to them and how there family is and what they have done so far. I empowered by that strong black woman Michelle. I believe that for a lot of people things will change, as far as the self hating, as President Obama continues to be the great black man he is. Like don't hate him or hate on him cause you don't know him or where he comes from. Some believe that they automatically can assume things about people right off the bat but you can't. What happens we assume people?

Anonymous said...

Big Man! Some sweet insight on this one. As a media/communications professional myself, this hadn't even occurred to me.

Big Man said...

Thanks for the comments folks

Imhotep said...

What's wrong with Michelle showing her inner Kwame Ture? we should all be so inclined! If there was no Stokely Carmichael, there would be no Barack as president.

What would be truly disgusting is if Michelle showed her inner Juan Williams.

Anonymous said...

He is horrid, the first positive high profile black woman (condi doesn't count) and he has to bash her, by somehow infering that being a proud black woman she is somehow a bad infleunce and threatening. that thought may be threatening to some narrow minded white people but not to the rest of the world




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