Beware of the Black Guy

A Washington Post writer opened a can of racial worms about two weeks back when he theorized that President Barack Obama couldn’t show what some consider “enough rage” over the BP oil spill _ or over anything, for that matter _ lest he conjure the image of the “Angry Black Man.”

See columnist Jonathon Capeheart’s article here:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/06/rage_why_obama_wont_and_cant_g.html

With all this petro in our oceans and washing onto our shores, this was the LAST story line I was thinking about, but now that it’s out there, let’s consider the question: Do black men have to be careful _ maybe even more careful _ than the rest of society when it comes to expressing anger?

As a black man, I am obviously biased, but I would say yes. I feel many black men today can be revered but are still feared, especially by non-blacks. This isn’t to suggest that all non-blacks fear black men, but I do think this is probably the group of which they are most likely afraid.

I have also had some experience with the issue. From a young age, I recognized my distinction from non-blacks and even from black girls in terms of how I was treated by members of the majority race.

When I was about 11 years old, I was riding my bike with four of my boys (who happened to be black) and we stopped in a neighbor’s driveway. The police were called and came to our homes. As an intern at a major newspaper, I can remember standing up too quickly from my cubicle and drawing a startled, anxious response from my non-black co-workers.

For those of you reading this post who aren’t black men, this might seem a silly topic to you, and I’d hardly expect you to understand. Capehart’s point, however, is not unique to black men. All kinds of people draw looks of discrimination and cause a chain reaction of bad body language simply in this country for being who they are: the disabled, interracial couples, homosexuals, Arab-Americans.

Clearly, not all people feel the same way about these folks and others. But there is enough prejudice and stereotyping to go around. Black men face their challenges and will probably always be the target of certain misconceptions. But in 2010, that is a minor challenge considering from whence we have come. Still, it is worth understanding, mentioning and discussing.

So let’s do that here, and then move on.

Majority Mind: "Get Rid of the Bad Blood"

Below is a link to an article by Fareed Zakaria in the June 7 edition of Newsweek. It takes a similar line of logic to our "Get Rid of the Bad Blood" post, but tackles a different topic. It addresses President Obama's foreign policy and his critics. Check it out and post a comment here on Majority Mind.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/29/obama-vs-al-capone.html

"Get Rid of the Bad Blood"

RT @lwhack 4 IL Dems #blagotrial is like the "war" after Michael Corleone's 1st murder in The Godfather, but less honorable, hope 4 #freshstart #change

Yes, it is today. Disgraced Former Illinois Governor goes to trial for numerous corruption charges. The outcome is uncertain. Pundits, lawyers, jury members, judges and residents will all have opinions on what will happen.

But the outcome of the trial is NOT what I want to talk about. You see, we know the Illinois political reputation well enough by now. And at this point the nation and the world know there is "Bad Blood."

There is a laundry list of convicted and accused Illinois politicians. You know it, our you can Google it. Point is maybe, just maybe, this Blago Trial will lead to a "war." Like in "The Godfather" when Michael Corleone offed that mob boss and the police captain at the Italian restaurant. After that there was an all out "war" between the "five families." Things could have gotten better, many would say with "The Godfather II" that conditions worsened.

With the contentious fall election with anti-incumbent sentiments, with a dismal economic forecast hitting Illinois especially hard and with people being sick of "politics as usual" maybe some of the "Bad Blood" can be washed away.

But political change of this magnitude arrives like the slowest glacier, instead of at the speed of hurricane waves, but maybe this new low can rechart the course of Illinois. But it is up Illinois citizens of all backgrounds to rise up and get politically active in this non-presidential election year (in HIGH numbers). It is up to incumbents and "New Blood" politicians alike, to wash their hands of any "Bad Blood" and move forward with real solutions, that help real people as their core motivation. If Illinois makes this type of investment years from now we can be looking at a better state. If not, the "war" might just give birth to another. Or worse, there will be little or nothing to fight for.