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June 12, 2006
"Greeting or Slur"
This letter is in response to the Thursday June 8, 2006 article in the Metro News entitled, “Greeting or Slur”. I'm so tired of hearing the "N" word controversy, so I wrote a little somethin' somethin' in response.
Also, for the record, Minucci was found guilty of a Hate Crime in the beating of Glen Moore. I hope both idiots learned their lesson.
Black people love to play the race card when we feel slighted, but we are never willing to take responsibility for the role we play in allowing these injustices to occur. We will never gain respect from anyone, black, white or other if we do not demand it from ourselves.
I am a 31 year old Black woman writing out of frustration, anger and misery. Much of my anger is a direct result of my being Black and female, but not because I am ashamed of it-I just feel sorry for many of my brothers and sisters-white and black.
Black people have a history, culture and civilization to be proud of, and it has nothing to do with today’s celebration of “blackness,” which encourages violence, prison-inspired clothing styles, illiterate speech and abusive language which promotes the use of the n word.
I came of age when hip hop reached its zenith. I was proud to turn my television on and see groups like Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers; Boogie Down Productions with KRS One educate and entertain young people with their creativity and lyrical style. I won’t waste time repeating what is common knowledge to true hip hop fans-we are witnessing the demise of an industry whose primary goal is to sell ignorance, degradation, and self hatred to the highest bidder. We are being exploited not only by corporate America, but by our own people. I cannot sit in silence and allow it to continue. There’s no excuse for this in 2006. We all know better.
The n word controversy opens a Pandora’s Box of questions. If blacks use the n word, does it mitigate the racism associated with it or does the fact that black people use the word so callously does it promote it? If the n word is so harmless, then why do white rappers, who according to their affiliations should have carte blanche, refrain from using it? Black people are the only race to accept public humiliation and denigration in the movies, on television on the radio and in the streets. No other racial or ethnic group allows itself to be addressed in public by a derogatory slur.
I would like to switch to another situation which highlights the frustration I have with what is deemed black culture. It involves the NBA dress-code controversy. There is a direct correlation between blacks, hip-hop and the NBA. If you attend a basketball game you will definitely be inspired by the booming bass of the hip hop beats which hype the players up before they do their thing on the court. Some basketball players even moonlight as rappers. In rap videos, NBA jersey’s and paraphernalia are abundant and rappers like to compare their lyrical style to their favorite player, etcetera, etcetera.
The NBA owes the hip hop community a debt of gratitude-if it weren’t for hip hop, their merchandising wouldn’t sell as well as it does. Also, it markets a lot of its gear to the hip hop audience. So why did the NBA take offense at the way the players were dressed, and what does this have to do with the n word?
If blacks view themselves as subordinate to other races and continue to treat other cultures with more respect then their own, (you see this a lot in rap videos with the celebration of Asian, Latino and Arabic influence)allowing others to capitalize off of it then we will remain undervalued and disrespected. We don’t care enough about representing ourselves in a dignified matter then why should anyone else?
The Nicholas Minucci trial is an excellent example of the worst case scenario of the power of this hateful word. He claims he was using as a term of endearment, yet he was he was beating the crap out of a black man. Hopefully this horrible incident will teach those idiots who think the word is harmless, a lesson. Black people are not the only ones to use this word-Latino’s, some of whom hate to consider themselves black use the word as well. They did not suffer through slavery, racism and the segregation that created this hateful word, how dare they embrace it? This is what is most appalling and offensive!
I have no respect for those who use this word and embrace its foolish connotations. It is sheer ignorance and stupidity. In the year 2006 there is no excuse for this.
Posted by renee at 10:36 AM | Comments (1)
June 6, 2006
More Confessions...
i don't expect that too many people will like what i have to say-most people don't harbor such resentment towards their grandparents. Well, most people don't have a grandmother like mine. i apologize in advance to those of you who will be mortified by what I'm about to say, but if i don't write this piece, the headlines of tomorrow's news may read: ASPIRING YOUNG WRITER/STAR MURDERS GRANDMA WHILE SHE PRAYS. Since my grandmother is not cognizant of any other piece of literature besides the bible, and she doesn't care about anything that any of her grandchildren do unless it has made her lots of money or gained her some type of nototoriety, I am safe for now, because she will never read this. But you will. Some will consider me evil, for speaking of my grandmother like that, while others may identify. Just because her blood runs through my veins does not mean I have to like her.
I can never understand a woman who prays so hard for good things to happen to he family and loved ones, yet when they come to her she admonishes them, swats them away as though they were flies. She speaks to them with an accid tone-the God that she prays too must not like her family too much. I can only assume she acts that way because God told her to. That's her justification for every thing.
It's bizarre, when my father was alive, she was still miserable, but she was bearable. Now, she's just intolerable. But i try my best to appease her. I don't ask for anything. I buy my own groceries, even pay her rent, premium cable and phone bill. Well, let me be clear here, the premium cable was my idea. I wanted to get her to like me. It didn't work. She told me she never needed cable-she'd be fine with the grainy television she'd been watching for damn year 100 years. That's how old my grandmother is, I think.
However, she wouldn't have had "mama's family to laugh her ass off at each and every night. Nor jeopardy-which next to Jesus Christ, is her other religion. It intrigues me that a woman who abhors formal education (She kept calling my Master's degree a "stupid degree," when i was unable to find a job)so much would enjoy a program like jeopardy. But then, I figured it out. It makes her feel smart. Thereby regaining control of a generation that think they know it all. They don't. They never will. Of course not, Grandma knows it all. I go into her room while she's watching this show, because I'm trying to bond. She notices me coming and becomes as stiff as cardboard. Her face stony and mean. I sit on the edge of her bed. Here comes Alex with the first question. I don't know the answer, but I pretend to-my how delighted she was, years of tension escaped her face when she saw that I was wrong. Hey Grandma...if that makes you happy...then I'm happy too! To be continued...
Posted by renee at 8:46 AM | Comments (0)