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March 18, 2013
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Thoughts About Beyoncé’s Release of “Bow Down” and “I Been On”

Naturally, whenever Beyoncé’s name comes up, Most of Black Twitter reroutes all discussion to her. It’s a testament to relevance and social capital, which cannot be denied. The stans, fans, non-fans and miserys get to tweeting.

Beyoncé released the mix, sort of a preview, to her songs “Bow Down” and “I Been On.” Below are my initial thoughts on it after I listened to it twice yesterday, and I tweeted a few things. (If you’re viewing this on Tumblr dashboard, it’s easier to view via the web, actually.)

By this last tweet I am referring to the consistent placement of Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Rihanna as “anti-feminist mascots” juxtaposed to White women, mascots who supposedly aren’t “living up” to the invisible rubric of feminism as an absolute destination. I am NOT here for it. They especially love to trot out examples of Black women “failing” feminism (for which they think they are the gatekeepers of), yet will also trot out White women (like Lena Dunham) as an example of its success.

@FeministGriote eloquently explains why doing this is problematic:

Too many feminists are thirsty for celebrities to join the movement as if that will validate the movement. Feminism requires work. Feminism is all about praxis, having high profile celeb women identifying as feminists will not better the lot of women in the United States.

I sent a few more tweets yesterday.

(Correction…number of nominations should have been 45 not 54)

Today, I listened to the song a few more times and the opera-like parts, the confidence and the bass STILL give me life. Certainly, as with any other music (Contrary to popular belief, Black music is NOT the only music that contains elements of sexism or misogyny, nor is it the only type of misogyny in our institutionalized sexist, culturally misogynist, rape culture-defending, kyriarchal society. The implication that it is, is inherently racist.) as I tweeted above, I mentioned how the lyrics aren’t my favorite because of certain misogynist elements (though now I wonder if she simply replaced “haters” with “bitches;” maybe the gendered analysis we’re making is incorrect for “Bow Down” but still accurate for “I Been On”), but the sentiment of confidence and walking into that confidence is great. It’s the same element of confidence that people despise in Quvenzhané, Willow and millions of non-famous Black girls and women everywhere. Gee, wonder why? *rolls eyes*

I also sent a few more tweets in response to some criticisms that I saw on Twitter and on a few blogs.

Of course no one is obliged to like her music. It just fascinates me how very few people are able to articulate their dislike of this song preview or any of her music without racism, sexism, ageist sexism, misogyny, misogynoir, the politics of respectability, ahistorical notions regarding the actual style of her music (i.e. “this song is not pop enough” complaints; um…she gets down and dirty in many of her songs like “Upgrade U” and “Diva” for two; the grit and aggression in her voice is not new), and rose-coloured hindsight glasses (i.e. “women used to be soooo soft in their music; those were the good ol days!”).

Black women have a long history of aggression (along with a myriad of emotional expressions—it’s never been one-dimensional) in their music whether we’re talking about 90s female hip hop artists or Black female blues singers of the past. Dislike the song, sure. Critique it musically. Critique the elements that may infer sexism or misogyny, sure. But keep the bigotry out of it. At least keep it the hell out of my Twitter mentions.

Related Post: Life Is But A Dream - Beyoncé’s Documentary on HBO

Tags: beyonce music twitter social media culture celebrity race gender racism sexism misogyny misogynoir ageism male privilege ruffled feathers hue and saturation womanism feminism feministgriote

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March 16, 2013
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Black Shaming of Black Consumerism

If Black people are going to critique consumerism in a capitalist society, go ahead. I love that critique. We’re all consumers here, and not just of tangible purchasable goods (that are made overseas by slave labor…I should know, I, just as millions of people in America, own many goods made in China; Western privilege), but of actual people (i.e. celebrities), invisible concepts (i.e. kyriarchy, for one *sigh*) and ideologies (i.e. the ridiculousness of American exceptionalism, prosperity gospel and other victim-blaming ideologies).

However, if such critiques are limited to Black people and shaped by internalized White supremacist thought and classism, I am not interested.

This morning, through a retweet (because I refuse to follow men like this) I saw a Black man once again shaming Black people who stand in line to purchase Jordan sneakers. I own 1 pair of Jordans that I bought in 2004. I didn’t stand in line for them, but I like the sneakers. Anyway, he then compared their purchases to White Americans’ purchases, of course placing the latter ones above the former, and mentioned his corporate job as a badge of honor. Below are my tweets in response to this nonsense, which is not limited to this one person (I’ve seen it occur many times) nor just to Black men (Black women have done it too; in the past, I wrote about a Black woman who shamed Black people for not being able to afford a restaurant that she ate at, and how the tweet sparked a material consumption vs. experience consumption conversation).

I am tired of the “let me throw other Black people under the bus so that Whites will like me” type of criticism of Blacks by Blacks that I see on Twitter. Further, I am tired of the idea that anything a White person does or chooses is automatically superior. Whites and Blacks in America have a lot of behavioral overlap and pathologizing Black choices while worshiping White ones, especially when the choices are exactly the same is irritating to see. This is the essence of White privilege when Whites do it and internalized White supremacist thought when Blacks do it.

I am not here for the classism. Rarely are the purchasing choices of degreed Black people who are socioeconomically in the middle class policed and shamed as much as poor Black people’s choices. In general, poor people’s choices are heavily misrepresented and heavily policed.

When White males sit outside waiting for an iPhone made in China while Black males sit outside waiting for Jordans made in China, both expensive, and both unneeded, the question is one of consumption in a capitalist society, style, ascribed intracultural value, personal choice and Western privilege. However, the latter purchase is not pathological solely because someone Black is engaged in it.

I watched the news a lot during the recent holiday season and I saw how consumerism was glorified in the media. News outlets spent weeks at malls creating segments solely about consumption. It was treated as a beautiful thing and an American pastime. Most of the segments that I saw on 5 different networks were focused on Whites. Yet, when a new pair of Jordans are released and Black people stand in line for that, consumption then becomes a disease and pathology? Gee, why would this occur? People are trampled, injured and killed when White consumers are involved in these lines during times of heavy consumption, just as injuries occur in lines where Black consumers wait to buy Jordans.

Black people who engage in this shaming and pathology labeling are mimicking what they’ve learned from the racist portrayal of Black behavior and consumption. They internalize White supremacy and are engaging in classism, and it shapes their views on Black people. This is not about the growth of Black people. This type of shaming is not the promotion of self-evaluation for Black people. It’s hierarchy reaffirmation, plain and simple.

Tags: classism class privilege race internalized white supremacy racism white privilege consumerism capitalism jordans iphone media culture western privilege international social media twitter ruffled feathers kyriarchy essay secant poverty

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March 01, 2013
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Dealing With Men Who Are Anti-Racism, Yet Pro-Sexism/Homophobia

I just shared some tweets about an intense conversation that I had with a Black man who finds racism (and ironically ableism) to be appalling but homophobia and sexism to be “natural.”

It’s not about any person “winning” a debate but the mental decolonization of all of us and the liberation, of all of us.

Related Essay List: Patriarchy, Sexism and Misogynoir - An Intraracial View

Related Post: Black Non-Believers Are NOT Oppressing Black Christians, About A Troll Who Thinks To Be Black Is To Be Homophobic…

Tags: race gender racism sexism homophobia lgbtq christianity atheism black skeptics the black church male privilege heterosexual privilege stereotypes social media twitter ruffled feathers womanism feminism

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February 21, 2013
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#WhiteHistoryClasses, Race, Satire and Social Media

The satirical as well as historically, culturally and intellectually relevant trending topic #WhiteHistoryClasses took off by storm amidst Black Twitter yesterday (though many people, not only Black people participated), and it was started by @BrokeyMcPoverty (who also has a post on PostBourgie about it).

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As usual, during Black History Month (and interestingly enough, this month, more than any other culturally identified month angers many Whites), many Whites take an antagonistic and ahistorical stance regarding White supremacy and racism and presume that simply because the label “White” is obscured from something, it wasn’t intended for Whites. This is one of the key facets of Whiteness. Everything from pretending television channels aren’t primarily centered on Whiteness (since they aren’t ALL specifically labeled “White Entertainment Television”), to an ahistorical stance on affirmative action to ignoring how history itself is constructed is the stance that is necessary to maintaining a White supremacist view of the world. Thus, naturally, anyone who rejects White supremacy as a whole is viewed as a “reverse racist” by some individual Whites. A facet of White supremacy is that the rejection of it is to become that which you are rejecting, a racist—which is logically fallacious, of course.

Class Titles That I Tweeted:

  • How To Keep Feminism FOCUSED - Removing Pesky Derailment On Race, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Class & Ability
  • How Lena Dunham and Lisa Lampenelli Champion Feminism But Beyonce and Michelle Obama Do Not -
  • Gender and Racism - How The REAL Racism is From White Men, Not White Women, Who Are Just Kidding.
  • Da Fuck Is Intersectionality? - Using AAVE While Questioning Anything Outside of White Supremacist Feminism
  • Grassroots Org. Theory - Using SlutWalk to Marginalize Black Women Via Racial Slurs and Ahistorical Analysis #whitehistoryclasses
  • Race & Domestic Violence - White Women’s Creative Ways To Attack Black Women Victims of DV From Rihanna To The Unfamous
  • African-American Women and Modern Social Media - How To Integrate White Women Into ALL Natural Hair Spaces
  • From Victorian Dresses To Bamboo Earrings, At Least Two Pair - Using Fashion As A Ticket To Everything But The Burden
  • Cultural Appropriation - Examining Typical Black Overreaction To Theft And How It Stymies White Creativity
  • Social Media & Race - Trending Topics/Tumblr Writers Are WORSE Than Past/Present Oppression of People of Colour 
  • Social Media and Race Magic - Turning Blacks Into Human Google or Google Scholar Apps To Research Race For Free #whitehistoryclasses
  • Social Media and Modern Employment - Using Technology To Violate Protective Class Laws #whitehistoryclasses
  • Black Heroes & Social Media - Creating Photo/Text Memes of MLK
  • and Rosa To Defend Racism, Which Doesn’t Exist
  • Erasing Rosa - Focusing On The Phrase “No” In 1955 Is More Important Than A Lifetime Of Activism Of Rosa Parks
  • Parental Boycott Theory - Examining Effective Strategies For Obscuring and Removing Morrison Lit From Schools
  • Race & Education - Handcuffing Black/Latino 5-7 Yr Olds To Improve White Test Scores Compared To Rest of Globe #whitehistoryclasses
  • Broken Brown Bodies and Pulitzers - Examining A Pure Coincidence Between Colourblind Photographers and Race
  • Glamour Aid - Using Fame and Ignoring Racism & Colonial History To Save Continents #whitehistoryclasses
  • White Liberation Theory - How White Men In The 1% Are Heroes While People Of Colour Kill The Free Market #whitehistoryclasses
  • Advanced Criminology - How Stand Your Ground Laws and Protection of White Men Is Central To A Free Republic #whitehistoryclasses
  • Psychology of Gratitude - Examining Why Blacks Can’t Be Happy When They’re Called “Articulate” or “Strong” #whitehistoryclasses
  • Blackface - How It’s Not Racist To Do It If You’re Jewish and Fighting Anti-Semites Who Won’t Allow You To #whitehistoryclasses

  • No Country For Nuance - Methods For False Equivalence, Ignoring Privilege and Rewriting History #whitehistoryclasses
  • Rubber and Glue Theory - How To Effectively Accuse People of Colour Of Racism Anytime They Challenge Racism
  • Race and Humor - Examining Black Satire As Anger, While Limiting Their Emotional Range and Being Ahistorical #whitehistoryclasses
  • Satire Essentials - Examining How Satire Is “Racism” When Blacks Use It To Examine Actual Racism
  • Love and Race - Coping With The Rejection of White Supremacy and How Whiteness Is NOT Universal
  • Universal Whiteness - Black Resistance To Systematic Oppression/Racism Is Equal To Hating Individual Whites #whitehistoryclasses

I’ve actually written straightforward essays that confront the issues beneath the satire that I suggested in most of the class titles; they’re all throughout my blog since its inception—not a single thing is arbitrary or untruthful. This is what is most compelling about this trending topic—the LIVED experience, collective anecdotal evidence, empirical evidence, spoken word narratives over time and the actual documented history (not even just the truthful history but even some of the whitewashed history) STILL confirms what is behind these tweets. In other words, Whites are not interested in THEIR OWN history…even as THEY have written it. James Baldwin was so right…

Tags: humor social media twitter race racism white privilege white privilege and semantic warfare education culture cultural hierarchy ruffled feathers essay secant brokey mcpoverty

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February 19, 2013
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“That’s A Witness!”

Whenever someone would confirm a thought that my late mom had, or agreed with her, before she even found out that they did, she would say “that’s a witness!” I loved that.

In this case, Son of Baldwin is a WITNESS.

I just wrote about dealing with a person of colour, a Twitter troll, who asserted that by supporting LGBTQ people (which again, includes Black people) I am the one that is a White supremacist, not him. Well, Son of Baldwin just reminded me of an essay that he wrote confronting the same thing, an essay I recommended in my 32nd Read This Week feature, no less. He writes:

It’s simply a case of the student trying to impress/outdo the teacher (Peep, for example, how American evangelicals are financing the anti-queer movement in Uganda; what’s old is new again). But don’t try to argue this point with so-called conscious black folk. Like their misogyny, their anti-queerness is legendary. They want the mythical, all-heterosexual Africa of their fantasies, not the one that actually exists/existed. And they will fight you to the death to preserve it. They will say it is YOU, not THEM, who is turned out by white supremacy. Ignore them. Pity them. But do not believe them. They are wrong.

In this case, the person who asserted that bigotry is our birthright was an Arab man, not a Black one, but if you read the rest of Son of Baldwin’s essay, you’ll see how this same stance is shared by many people of colour, sadly, because of White supremacy, and how they are convinced that bigotry, not resistance, is the way to freedom.

Tags: sonofbaldwin lgbtq homophobia race racism gender sexism trolls bullying intersectionality stereotypes misogyny ruffled feathers essay secant social media twitter misogynoir

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February 19, 2013
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About A Troll Who Thinks To Be Black Is To Be Homophobic…

I just had to deal with an Arab man on Twitter who asserted that me supporting the LGBTQ community (which of course, includes Black LGBTQ people) is being “Westernized” and “disrespecting my ancestors.” Also, like a typical, unintelligent man, being that he was losing the debate, he then moved on to attacking my hairstyle. Men are so pathetic with that; aesthetic insults or violent threats whenever their stupidity is exposed. After a certain amount of stupidity and asking him 4 times to leave my mentions, and him launching assaults at other people who follow me, I filed a report with Twitter. (If you ever need to file a report—not sure if it will help because I know filing reports with Tumblr doesn’t help, for example, click here.)

Obviously the problem is that in his mind, all LGBTQ people are White and all homophobes are Black. (I won’t even get on the fact that he dared to insult my ancestors with the presumption that they were homophobic versus Whites who were loving and welcoming of LGBTQ people.)  Even many White people in the LGBTQ community take this stance and will use racist statements to defend themselves when they encounter Black homophobic people.

First of all, The Black community and the LGBTQ community intersect. I don’t care how many times only men who are cisgender, wealthy and attractive like Anderson Cooper are used as the face of the LGBTQ community. That’s not a full picture of the reality of that community which is permeated by varying races, sexual orientations and gender identity/presentations, classes, ability/edu levels and more.

What this bully failed to realize is that everything that he asserted that is being “Americanized” or “Western” is the DIRECT OPPOSITE. He asserted that being pro LGBTQ is a Black person “trying to fit in” with American Whites, again revealing his illogical and inaccurate assumption that all LGBTQ people are White. (I could solely stand up for Black people and in doing that it would include LGBTQ Black people as they ARE A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY. PERIOD.) Standing up to bigotry has been the fight of Black people’s lives in America, and to claim that resistance is White supremacy versus it being the direct opposite of what is expected of us in a White supremacist society is him being obtuse and ahistorical as hell.

I don’t call myself “American” per se, as I identify as Jamaican Black, but I was raised here with my siblings, first generation of my family too, and I truly identify with the Black experience here and other places. This person asserted that no one Black should call themselves American (while also tweeting racist and homophobic things about Black people—and he should be an “ally” as a person of colour? Please…) and one of my followers on Twitter had this to say about this troll’s comments:

I read his comments. If we can’t call ourselves Americans then no one can.

To which I replied:

This country belongs to those who built it. Descendants of those who built it fighting against WSCP is not being “Western.”

(WSCP = White supremacist capitalist patriarchy)

In summary, by not being a homophobe, an Arab man decided that I am being a Westernized White supremacist. How truly sad and warped his ideas of what is White and what is Black in this country must be, and his perception of liberalism in regards to the LGBTQ community is one that has not had a truly intersectional analysis. If he thinks Whites here are patting Black people on the head with love and encouragement when we resist and fight injustice, he obviously knows not one true thing about race and America. If he cannot see that standing up against bigotry hurled at the LGBTQ community directly connects to Black struggle and Black women’s feminist struggle—that fighting all oppression is key to resistance, he knows nothing of resistance or the quest for liberation. He, not me, is the White supremacist.

Related Post: A quote by Nikki Giovanni on being American Black

Tags: trolls bullying race racism lgbtq homophobia intersectionality stereotypes gender sexism misogynoir misogyny ruffled feathers essay secant social media twitter

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February 16, 2013
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Regarding The White “Harlem Shake”

I’ve read some interesting perspectives regarding this latest dance meme such as Son of Baldwin’s short post on this, noting cultural appropration, but I have also read some posts and seen some tweets where Black people are criticizing other Black people…for criticizing White cultural appropration. Yeah…that happens. Anyway, I am not about that life, and I sent some tweets about fellow Black people taking this stance:

I keep hearing arguments from Black people such as Black people should be “happy” about White cultural appropriation, solely for their own pleasure, White LIES that they “invented” this dance and logically fallicious arguments that state that to adress this particular instance of appropration means that we forgot the multitudes of preceding instances of appropration or forgot our own culture. These are lies. These Black people think aligning themselves with White supremacy means that they are being more “rational” than Black people who have something to say in opposition to this, but to me, they’re just being more self-defeating and internalizing White supreamcist thought.

One thing that some of us need to understand is that someone White using what we create for their own pleasure, production and profit is not the same thing as them loving us, the people. What greater recent example of this than White police officers arresting the rapper 2Chainz, and then asking to pose with him for a photograph? As I tweeted earlier today:

I am not required to applaud White cultural appropration in any instance. Just like fellow Black people can share opinions that reinforce White supremacy, I can share ones that challenge it. And, doing so doesn’t mean that I am blinded with rage in every case; I honestly laughed at the predictability with which this latest meme unfolded.

Oh yeah and…no, they aren’t even actually doing the Harlem Shake, the correct dance.

Oh yeah and…I prefer the original Harlem Shake over this current version of the “Harlem Shake.”

Related Posts: The Cycle of Cultural Appropration, Nikki Giovanni quote on Black Culture, Whiteness Is NOT Universal

Tags: harlem shake dance race white privilege culture social media twitter ruffled feathers internalized white supremacy cultural appropriation music 2chainz prison industrial complex racism celebrity

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December 22, 2012
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Django Unchained. Sweet Baby 8lb 6oz Jesus, Deliver Me From This Film!

I am genuinely sick of this film. What I am also sick of is:

  • The over the top and endless defense of the film and Quentin Tarantino by some Black people, especially Black men. I find it to be rather pathetic. If they feel that patriarchal masculinity and its associated violence is so critical to their identity that a film where “yay some Black men get to kill White ones” makes this film a quintessential part of Black American history (beyond laughable, using the word “history” and this film in the same sentence), so be it. What can I do? I at least hope that they will stay the hell out of my Twitter mentions with their illogical and patriarchal arguments.
  • People, Black or White, behaving as if there is no possible way that they could everrrrrr see anything problematic whatsoever with this film. Get the hell out of here with this immature anti-intellectual nonsense. Go away with that. You damn near have Black teachers, physicians, lawyers and writers, people normally considered “smart,” banging their head on a desk in perplexity as if we’ve not done this dance with Hollywood since The Birth of a Nation. I don’t have the tolerance for this, so again, stay away from my social media spaces with the nonsense. I cannot be bothered.
  • People as brilliant as Kerry Washington and as reasonably smart as Jamie Foxx defending this nonsense. Sure, actors can take on ANY work they choose. ANY work. And yes, the quality and availability of work for Black actors, especially Black women is minimal. But, as one of my Twitter followers pointed out so well (in reference to the Nina film, but still applicable in general), Hollywood, the actors and the audience are ALL CULPABLE in the response to these films. These two are going above and beyond defending this as some critical race exploration because the film cannot stand alone on its merits. The excuses have become overwhelming now. It’s as if they are begging critically thinking Black people to believe their spin. This film is neither romantic to me nor feminist, both words used to describe it.
  • Quentin Tarantino himself. After the utterly disrespectful response he gave in regards to the film Roots, as if this spaghetti western nonsense can even hold a candle to Roots (even if the film has room for critique, the book is good) is laughable and White supremacy in action. He is a reprehensible human being to me, and I do not like his films. I will say that he does try to hire people with certain aesthetic sensibilities, but ultimately the content. The content! Poison.
  • While I do not like the film, IF Jamie and Kerry are so quintessential and pivotal to this film, where in the high holy hell are their Golden Globe Nominations? No one finds it interesting that the White men (Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Waltz and Quentin Tarantino himself) involved in Django Unchained were nominated for Golden Globes but not Jamie nor Kerry? Further, are we just going to ignore the fact that (though I LOVE her) Kerry thinks being whipped by choice in a film in 2012 is somehow respecting our ancestors? And, the nonsense on The Melissa Harris-Perry show this morning regarding this film was unbearable. Yet again a window was opened for Toure to share more of his ignorant views on Black women. He should not even be allowed to discuss slavery on television after his Twitter stunt regarding it.

Now, though some people on Twitter (not my usual followers, they are excellent and amazing critical thinkers like some of the people I interact with on Tumblr) pissed me the hell off regarding their over the top defense of this film and its director, some genuinely did not understand how this film is any more than “Black men killing White men” (as if that is “normal” and okay, alone), and wanted to read more about why perhaps Django Unchained is not my favorite film of 2012! Here’s some great reading below on the topic, just to get started. In no way is this even remotely conclusive. It’s just to get started:

Now, if a Black person wants to see this film anyway, fine. However, when I am discussing why I do not want to see the film with other people who do not, and other factors like White supremacy and the media, white privilege and expectations of controlling narratives, patriarchal masculinity and revenge violence and related topics are in our conversations, do not come into my damn mentions on Twitter, on my blog or any damn space telling me to be quiet and pleading your case for this nonsense.

If it is “just” a film, and media has zero impact on our lives, by your definition, then WHY are you in my mentions? People who don’t even follow me on Twitter are SEARCHING the film’s name with Twitter Search to find those not interested in the film to argue with. I am not doing that in the reverse. I would never enter someone’s mentions demanding they do not see the film. Is Quentin paying these people? Nah. Of course not. Why would he? Internalized White supremacy is a helluva drug and many people are so high in my mentions, they would not need to be paid to promote this insanity in this way.

And yes, this is a damn rant. I will get back to writing my usual essays momentarily…

Tags: django unchained racism sexism film quentin tarantino media celebrity kerry washington jamie foxx white privilege patriarchy capitalism patriarchal masculinity misogynoir ruffled feathers slavery race gender toure internalized white supremacy culture cultural hierarchy

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December 11, 2012
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Patriarchy Is Not Logical, Boo

So, I had to laugh yesterday when a boringly patriarchal Black man accused me of only wanting to “crush” Black men. I was wondering with what racial, gender, economic or political power I was going to do this crushing with. In most cases, without a weapon (or even with one), I could not even do that physically. I most certainly cannot sociopolitically.

What he meant was by not digitally giving him head by worshipping and co-signing his patriarchal tweets or for some Black men, even complimenting their avatar, I seek his destruction.

You see, male oppression (in the context of a man and woman of the same race) = hurting his feelings. That’s it. He would not dare criticize the White supremacist capitalist patriarchal systems and institutions that he seeks to emulate versus eradicate. Achieving patriarchal power is quite too important to him to critique the White men who deny it to him in many ways. Thus, blame Black Women 101 starts.

The absolute funniest part is that he claimed that being a Womanist “blocks” my logic. Because…worshipping patriarchy is logical and has brought Black men so much joy and peace? Please see The Middle Passage. Please see lynching. Please see Prison Industrial Complex. Further, how logical is it to consistently disregard knowledge and research of socialization and cultural norms (though ALL research is subject to inquiry), not biology, as the primary cause of “gendered” behavior. Why? Because Steve Harvey or a random pan-African heterosexual able-bodied Black male who is sexist and homophobic said so?

He tried the boring “it’s biological for me to dominate and control you” argument. This is always fun when Black men or other men of colour start this argument. They NEVER have a good answer as to why White men should not be able to dominate and control them since Whites feel biologically superior to Blacks and other people of colour. Feel. Because that is what it is. A feeling based on bigotry. Even the ever so worshipped Thomas Jefferson had a collection of writings filled with lies and pseudoscience to justify White domination. Centuries of medical practice reveal this.

Black men like this need to read Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington and learn their goddamn history. Then they can read Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, as a start on their ideas of superior gender. Then read bell hooks. Then read all of the Black foremothers’ writing. Then read James Baldwin so they can be reminded of how Whites think Black men are inferior and how they as Black men are using the same flawed arguments Whites do against both of us as flawed arguments against Black women. While they do all this reading and studying though, they can stay the entire fuck out of my Twitter mentions. Feminist Black men need only apply.

Tags: patriarchal masculinity patriarchy male privilege gender race essay secant intersectionality sexism misogyny misogynoir cultural hierarchy social justice stereotypes social media twitter ruffled feathers womanism feminism steve harvey homophobia prison industrial complex slavery james baldwin thomas jefferson gif

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December 10, 2012
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Though he wrote this in regards to Django Unchained, it applies to ANY form of art or media expected to depict Black people or any other people of colour. It’s damaging whether through an uncritical White lens or a person of colour with internalized White supremacy issues. This also reminds me of something incredibly powerful that @SonofBaldwin wrote in regards to the Nina film.

Though he wrote this in regards to Django Unchained, it applies to ANY form of art or media expected to depict Black people or any other people of colour. It’s damaging whether through an uncritical White lens or a person of colour with internalized White supremacy issues.

This also reminds me of something incredibly powerful that @SonofBaldwin wrote in regards to the Nina film.

Tags: culture film gender internalized white supremacy race racism response and reason ruffled feathers social media sonofbaldwin twitter white privilege django unchained

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December 07, 2012
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"I love how mainstream culture does this. Mockery and denigration are ALWAYS the first steps in cultural appropriation. It happens with everything Black people do. EVERYTHING. I’m not making this up. EVERYTHING. Creation of fresh, unique thing by Black folks —> Mockery of thing by White mainstream —> Limited appreciation by select White mainstream —> Open (but still limited) appreciation of said thing by White mainstream —> Open acclaim of White practicioners of said thing —> Open appreciation of said thing by Blacks and cultural acknowledgment of said thing’s creative roots —> Lauded “universality” of said thing."

— @sassycrass

Her tweet response to the ridiculous story that Fox News did on the phrase ”a ratchet,” which @LouisatheLast pointed out as them using “ratchet” as a noun, when it is primarily used as an adjective in AAVE.

I think they did this wrong on purpose. When Whites are in the mocking phase of cultural appropriation, it’s important to make mistakes as to reveal “distance” from said disdained thing. Accuracy doesn’t matter until much later in the cycle. And…it is a CYCLE.  

Tags: quote sassycrass twitter social media ruffled feathers response and reason aave white privilege and semantic warfare cultural appropriation television media white privilege racism

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December 04, 2012
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10 Types Of Annoying Tumblr Users

They exist anywhere, but are definitely prevalent on the Tumblr platform…

1) People who bully bloggers who write about social justice (or consider themselves “social justice bloggers”), and are ANGRY when they are not allowed to bully, when their lies are bust wide open by facts or when they behave as if not being allowed to bully is somehow infringing on their rights, as if being an asshole is a “right.”

2) People who don’t understand the first amendment. It has absolutely shit to do with a “right” to leave harassing comments on personal blogs or the “right” to even be replied to. People like this remind me of the utter failure of education in the U.S.

3) People who don’t like people of colour, or women, or LGBT people yet spend their free time trolling their blogs and picking fights in the name of White supremacist capitalist hetero-patriarchy.

4) People who think minority Tumblr bloggers have to have “balanced” representation on their personal blogs, especially when this translates to “why are Black women’s photos on your blog? What about meeeeeeee!” Fuck outta here…

5) Spoiled, undereducated Whites who report (to Tumblr) “harassment” by people of colour, if people of colour respond to a racist post with actual facts.

6) People who do not understand the difference between a reblog and plagiarism.

7) People who interpret any difficult experience by a minority group with a reply of “well I don’t see why you think everyone is against you!” This proves to me that they are not critical thinkers and are condescending fuckwits.

8) The “ally” privileged trolls who produce no content whatsoever and simply copy ideas/essays from their juxtaposed persecuted group and expect to gain fame, accolades etc., for saying the same things that those in that persecuted group say daily. (Not all those who view themselves as allies do this trash, but some do.)

9) People who expect anyone who mentions anything related to social justice to ONLY blog about that or to become their personal social justice educator, as if they have nothing else to do. Google is your friend. Google Scholar is your best friend.

10) People who complain about every single post someone shares on Tumblr, yet refuse to unfollow their blog.

Luckily, I’ve found some great Tumblr users to interact with and blogs to subscribe to that makes my experience here really great, even amidst all that I listed above. Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram are my favorite social media networks.

Related Posts: 10 Twitter Etiquette Tips For The Fully-Engaged Critical Thinker and Twitter User, The “Right” To An Opinion vs. The Actual Opinion

Tags: social media twitter tumblr ruffled feathers essay secant culture racism sexism homophobia womanism feminism social justice patriarchy patriarchal masculinity male privilege white privilege class privilege lgbtq

Text
November 14, 2012
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Mainstream Media & Accountability With Social Media

When the mainstream media tries to portray something as “the Black opinion” and is sourcing social media as the source, let’s demand AT LEAST TEN tweets on the topic. Ten sounds few? Of course it does. It literally is TOO FEW. (I am not even addressing how ridiculous it is to have look for a ”Black opinion.”)

But, when they pass off TWO tweets (literally) as “the Black opinion” on something and source the 1000+ tweets refuting those two tweets as “a part of” said opinion (despite the latter being diametrically opposed to the opinion), there’s a problem Houston. 

The refuting tweets then help to expand the story, the blogosphere picks it up and then the mainstream media (news sites, news sites’ blogs and even television media/newspapers) pick it up. It becomes a spiral of mess. And, it is always those negative two tweets that are the source. No one ever asks to see a BODY of tweets to prove something. (There ARE times when a single tweet conveys a larger sentiment. But in those times, MORE tweets are easily found that connect to that one. An example would be the consistent, unrelenting bashing of Black women on Twitter and amidst the trending topics. Watching Twitter for one month easily reveals this. Easily. But stories with actual evidence are not of interest, apparently.)

If a YouTube video can get 15,000 comments where 80% of the comments reveal a similar sentiment, why is it SO HARD for the news media to actually require even 100 tweets conveying an opinion? Ah, because if the opinion is to the detriment of people of colour, especially Black people, there is no reason to actually do the sourcing, the work, the research, and look for nuanced views. White privilege means only Whiteness is permitted nuance.

Even the negative backlash to ”Rue” in the Hunger Games had sites that produced more than 20 tweets in response. I have yet to see 20 negative tweets in response to Gabby Douglas’ hair. (With my own eyes, I saw five.) I did see thousands of tweets refuting the “idea” of her hair being a problem. The reason why this works is because of the known complicated history of Black hair provides the fuel to claim that “everyone” was bashing her hair, despite in her specific case, that not being the case. It was not “everyone.” Most were cheering over her win and some were wondering why the media wanted the entire thing to be about Jordyn Weiber, not Gabby, and later, why they were so “thankful” that Aly Raisman could be their new non-Black focus. Most were against the idea of people bashing her hair, but many of these people (including me) should have stopped and demanded to SEE the tweets and comments insulting her hair. Because, they were beyond few.

When 68% of Black Internet users use social media sites and about 25% of Twitter users’ are Black, there has to be a higher standard of proof.  Two tweets? Five? Come on.

Related Post: 7 Predictable Ways That The Media Portrays Black Olympic Athletes

Tags: culture essay gabby douglas gender hair media natural hair race racism ruffled feathers secant social media television twitter white privilege white privilege and semantic warfare sexism misogynoir

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October 29, 2012
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The SHADE though Lisa! The shade. Her satire is ON POINT, and here’s why.

The SHADE though Lisa! The shade. Her satire is ON POINT, and here’s why.

Tags: humor social media ruffled feathers race racism internalized white supremacy twitter media television

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October 29, 2012
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When Bigoted Films Fail…

It amuses me when films that seek to spit on (i.e. marginalizes, invokes blackface, involves blatant White supremacy and colourism, uses hateful stereotypical archetypes for characters that are people of colour, or completely erases the existence of Black women etc.) the lives of people of colour FLOP financially. It’s hilarious—when they can’t even break even for the costs spent to create the film. For all of the criticism that capitalism rightfully deserves, when the market speaks and advises that NO, we are NOT supporting this film, I laugh. It’s my civic duty.

Like I tweeted yesterday: 

Now, obviously there are times where money should NOT be even remotely connected to speech. Politics, for example. We’ve seen what that has done. So no, that was not my angle with those tweets. (Further, some propaganda…*ahem*…I mean films, are NOT made for financial profit. They are made for other capital. Social capital. To control and destroy. I recognize this factor, where NO humor lies.) I am speaking specifically about media/art that DAMAGES us. We are NOT required to spend money on this. We CAN support quality media. Like one of my favorite activists and writers, Son of Baldwin wrote earlier: 

No. Actually, I DON’T go see movies JUST BECAUSE Black people may be starring in them. WHO wrote the story matters; the CONTENT of the story matters; the DEPICTIONS matter.

This speaks to something more important. NO, simply having a Black person (or other person of colour) in a project without regard to history, context and quality is NOT enough. Marginalized representation is NOT better than invisibility. In fact, it is a form of invisibility. If anyone REFUSES to allow you to just be or be portrayed as who you are, and insists that you solely exist as their negative, limiting interpretation, they do not see you. They do not see you. But see, Ralph Ellison already tried to tell us this. Some of us didn’t listen though.

Tags: colorism culture film gender internalized white supremacy media misogynoir race racism ralph ellison ruffled feathers sexism social media sonofbaldwin twitter white privilege capitalism