Michelle Obama On The View: I Love Michelle Obama!!!
I notice the Republican party and even the Occidental media are constantly “attacking” Michelle Obama and I was trying to figure out the reasons why. Why does Cindy McCain always get off so easy yet Mrs. Obama is getting all the grief? The reason Michelle Obama is being attacked relates to both racism and sexism. If you watch the clip from “The View” I agree with Whoopi Goldberg’s comment that Michelle represents a positive image of black women. Thank you Whoopi girlfriend for speaking the truth!
The representations of black women in the Occident tends to be very racist and sexist. The media would rather the public pay attention to the stupid games of supermodel Naomi Campbell then the elegant sophisticated Michelle Obama. Naomi Campbell is the kind of stereotype of black womanhood the mainstream loves. Michelle shatters these racist and sexist stereotypes she is a hard working, intelligent, beautiful black woman and she doesn’t take crap from anybody.
The American media of course are going to “attack” Michelle Obama because they want to remind her because she is a black woman she has ” stay in her place”.
Where are the mainstream liberal feminist groups? Why aren’t the feminists rallying to support Michelle Obama? Laura Bush defended Michelle Obama and I was surprised. At least Laura Bush the current first lady has enough class to speak up and say Mrs. Obama was being unfairly attacked. The question has to be asked why are the white heterosexual liberal feminists silent?
Oops I forgot white liberal feminist organizations such as the NOW Organization are too busy supporting their “white sister” Senator Hillary Clinton. After all in the mainstream white heterosexual feminist movement white heterosexual women are at the front of the bus and women of colour are supposed to be silent at the back.Let’s not forget white heterosexual women have white skin privilege, access to power through the marriage market, patriarchy, and the resources of the Mythical Norm.
Also don’t think for a moment that the mainstream white feminist groups aren’t racist against Mrs. Obama because she’s an outspoken black woman. Michelle Obama has a lot of power she is Barack’s wife. According to the information I have learned there is no way Hillary Clinton is going to be Barack’s Vice President candidate. The racist and misandrist attacks against Barack Obama from some white heterosexual feminists such as Gloria Steinem and Geraldine Ferraro must not be forgotten.
Now Hillary has lost her opportunity to become the first white female USA president I doubt white feminist groups would bother to stand up for Michelle Obama. Remember the 1982 black feminist classic “All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave” edited by Gloria T Hull, Patricia Bell Scott, and Barbara Smith?
Everyone should take the time to read “All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave” it is the essence of black feminism and it points out why black people we must support one another.
The book also points out the fact there is a racial divide in the feminist movement. The genesis of “All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave” is to uplift black women and black people to realize the more we help ourselves the better off we will be.
“All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave” highlights the fact black women are treated as invisible by black men, white men, and also white women. Black women are often being forced into a tug of war to choose between their race and gender. “All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave” points out black women should not choose. Racial and sexual oppression affects black women’s lives and these issues cannot be ignored.
In the book black feminists such as Patricia Bell Scott, Gloria T Hull, Barbara Smith, and other black female scholars break down the reasons why black feminism is so important. You can get a copy of “All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave” at the local public library.
Michelle Obama is in unchartered territory she is a very strong opinionated black woman and white America can’t handle that. It is ludicrous and ignorant for white people to suddenly think Mrs. Obama should forget about the issue of “race”, “gender”, and “class” just because her husband is the Democratic Party Candidate. I honestly believe there is a fear in the mainstream of Michelle Obama and the right wing are trying to neutralize her by saying she’s “too black”.
It is clear to me if you read between the lines Michelle Obama is viewed in the Occident as being “too black.” Remember Michelle’s comment about “being proud of my country.” The white media and the Republicans had a field day with Michelle’s comment. However, what right do white people have to tell a black woman about America’s turbulent history?
Yes, now in America there are more “opportunities” for people of colour to rise up the social ladder in North America. However, the “change” is still not over and it would be foolish for people to suggest racism and sexism no longer exists. The racist and sexist attitude of the Occident is that Michelle Obama is “complaining”. The racist attitude is black people we should just “forget” the past and move on. We cannot just forget history and turn the page because history can also be repeated.
Does being too black mean Michelle Obama should just ignore the incredible racism and sexism in North American society against black women? Yes, Barack Obama is making history in America and the world by winning the Democratic Party nomination. Finally, it appears change is taking place in North America and it is about damn time. However, Barack Obama is still not in the White House yet. Despite the Occident claiming that “change” is occurring doesn’t mean white liberals and white Republicans really want social change to occur either.
The Occident are far too busy trying to paint Mrs. Obama as though she is the classic stereotypical angry black woman. Michelle Obama is a breath of fresh air she’s such a shrewd politician she will not allow the Occident to get away with attacking her.
We are so conditioned in society to accept “whiteness” as the center of the universe that we don’t even question it. bell hooks reminds us in her outstanding book “Outlaw Culture” we must be “enlightened witnesses” to racism and sexism. Fox News has the audacity to call Mrs. Obama a “baby mama”. The term is offensive but Fox News reeks of racism. First off, Michelle Obama is a married woman she is not a “baby mama”. Would Fox News ever make such a racism and sexism comment about Cindy MCain? Of course not.
I applaud Michelle and Barack Obama for all their hard work I think for some people they really can’t handle the fact black people are now in powerful political positions. The anger in the Occident is they really don’t want to see the United States have a black president they would prefer the status quo the Mythical Norm.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Apologizes To Aboriginals.Was The Apology Sincere Or Just Politics?
Earlier this year the current Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd apologized for the genocide against the Aborigines in Australia. Suddenly in June 2008 the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has a “conscience”. Prime Minister Harper has apologized for the history of systemic racism and discrimination against Canada’s First Nations Peoples. Canada’s treatment of indigenous peoples is strikingly similar to Australia.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has an image in Canada of being a very cold, callous, and brutally efficient man. Perhaps Harper utilized this opportunity to humanize himself make himself appear to actually be human and have a heart? One wonders if blood actually flows through Prime Minister Harper’s veins? Is the blood toxic or is it pure?
Harper is a very shrewd politician he has always come across as very aloof, obnoxious, arrogant, and very bitter man. Harper and his public relations team most likely want to improve his image in the international community as well as improve Canada’s image.
Unfortunately, the mythology that Canada is a “multicultural” paradise is false. There is a racial hierarchy in Canada and the racist attitudes against Canada’s First Nations People still exists. One of the racist ideologies is that the First Nations People’s just want “hand outs” from the Canadian system.
However, we cannot just turn the page and ignore history. The truth is Canadians must remember that the Residential Schools also involved a lot of child abuse against children, misogyny, the total destruction of families, and the eradication of Native cultures and languages.
The legacy of the racist Residential School system still exists today and just a simple speech by Prime Minister Harper will not remove the entrenched prejudices and biases against First Nations Peoples. The Canadian government must do more, the Canadian people we must demand more.
We cannot just let this moment slip through our fingers. Prime Minister Harper does not deserve accolades or platitudes what he deserves is a fresh bucket of hot water splashed on his face. Why did Harper take so long to apologize? Why now?
The Aboriginals in Canada encounter the most racial discrimination even though Canada is their land the rest of us Canadians are just immigrants. If you compare the histories of Canada and Australia you see a lot of parallels in the incredible amount of racism and prejudice against indigenous peoples.
For instance, in Australia the Aboriginal children known as the “stolen children” were forcibly removed from their homes and forced into residential schools. The residential schools were created to “civilize” the First Nations Peoples and make them conform and “assimilate” to “Canadian” values and culture.
I wonder what do people think? Is Harper’s apology good enough or is it just “words”? After all actions speak louder then words. What is Prime Minister Harper going to do to improve the quality of life of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples?
Do you think Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s apology to the First Nations people was sincere or just a way to score political points? Also why did Prime Minister Harper wait until now?
After all Kevin Rudd the Prime Minister of Australia apologized to the Aborigines in February 2008. Why did Prime Minister Harper wait until June 2008? Is Harper’s statement significant? I wonder what Canada’s First Nations People think about the apology?
Has Madonna Gone Back To Black?
The year 1994 for the first time in Madonna’s career she was in a slump. Madonna’s controversial coffee table book “Sex” had tarnished her career. The feminist community was upset with Madonna due to the sexually explicit photos in “Sex”. The mainstream media branded the pop legend as a washed up whore. Madonna was pushing the boundaries of sexuality exploring her sexual fantasies such as S&M, role playing, and lesbianism. Madonna was fighting the negativity and the misogyny.
It is interesting that Madonna will return to hip hop and R&B on her new album “Hard Candy”. Fans need to know this isn’t the first time Madonna has explored R&B music. Although Madonna’s record sales are still very strong internationally in North America her sales have dropped dramatically since the 1998 hit album “Ray Of Light”. Madonna desperately wants to obtain the interest of the youth music market so she is going back to R&B in an attempt to jack up her record sales.
Madonna’s last album “Confessions On A Dance Floor” was a moderate success selling 1 million copies sold in America. The sales are a disturbing trend for Madonna she’s losing the youth audience and market. However, Madonna’s 2003 album “American Life” was a flop by her standards the album only went gold. Madonna realizes she isn’t connecting with young music fans and on “Hard Candy” she hopes to reproduce the success of “Bedtime Stories”. So does Madonna only go black when her career is in a slump in North America?
Although the 1992 disc “Erotica” sold 2 million copies the North American media bashed Madonna and called her a washed up pop singer. In 1994 Madonna always the shrewd businesswoman decided to change her image, sound, and go back to black music. Bedtime Stories is an R&B album it was a deliberate attempt by Madonna to crossover and obtain the R&B audience.
Madonna’s risk paid off her music “Bedtime Stories” sold 3 million copies in the United States. Madonna also reached black radio stations and acquired a new demographic.One of the best songs on the CD is “I rather be your lover” a funky duet between Madonna and Meshell N’degeocello. I love this song!
In 1994 Madonna had an infamous interview with David Letterman and she was very vulgar and petulant. Madonna says the media was picking on her because she is a confident woman expressing her sexuality. The song “Human Nature” explores Madonna’s feelings about sexism in society. Madonna hired the best black producers she could find she enlisted the help of superstars Dallas Austin, Dave Hall, and Babyface. Babyface wrote the biggest hit song of Madonna’s career the duet “Take A Bow”. “Take A Bow” was number one on the Billboard charts for seven weeks. Madonna’s image changed once again she decided to be more vulnerable and more gentle. “Secret” was also a hit reaching number three on the Billboard singles charts.
I like Bedtime Stories because it proves Madonna is a versatile singer. Of course Madonna isn’t Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, or Whitney Houston she doesn’t have the mega pipes. Madonna does have a way of conveying emotion with her voice though. I believe Madonna is a decent singer she’s not the best but she’s not the worst either. On the sleeve for Bedtime Stories you see Madonna on a bed she appears fragile and delicate her makeup is a light shade of blue. Bedtime Stories gave Madonna a lot of credibility with the public and music critics.
Richard Williams Is Correct Tennis Is Racist. Why Is Billie Jean King Still Reticent And A Pernicious Hypocrite?
It appears the WTA and the Williams family may have a major legal battle in 2009. Larry Scott the CEO of the WTA is not only stubborn his attitude towards the Williams family also demonstrates his complete lack of respect for the biggest stars in the women’s game. Scott has a lack of class and sensitivity to race issues. I shouldn’t be surprised though after all Scott is a white heterosexual upper class male he doesn’t have to think about race relations since he is the mythical norm. Larry Scott and the Indian Wells organizers want to force Venus and Serena to play Indian Wells in 2009.
The WTA have basically stabbed the Williams family in the back with this new rule making the Indian Wells event mandatory. The WTA never forced Monica Seles to play the WTA championships in 2001 in Germany because she boycotted Germany after being stabbed in the back in Hamburg in 1993. It is about a matter of principle. Monica Seles statement was an important one a reminder of the apathetic attitude of the WTA tour in relation to the tragedy.
The racist German government had the audacity to allow Gunther Parche a man that attempted to murder Monica Seles on live television to walk free in Germany. I shouldn’t be surprised. Germany is a xenophobic nation African immigrants are set on fire and thrown off of bridges. Turkish families homes are torched by racist Neo Nazis and the German government is apathetic to immigrant concerns. How can Parche be free to roam Germany after there is video evidence of this monster trying to kill Monica Seles? The disgraceful German government message is racism and xenophobia is palatable as long as a German tennis player benefits from attempted murder. The German player Steffi Graf returned to the number one ranking and ruined women’s tennis until she retired in 1999.
The Williams family also believe in principles and the WTA should respect their decision to boycott the Indian Wells event. It is all about principles and values. The WTA and the white American tennis establishment have no respect for black people. The racist incident in Indian Wells must not be forgotten or ignored it was a disgusting, abhorrent, and disgraceful incident. The WTA and the white American tennis establishment have an apathetic attitude to the Williams family concerns they don’t care. It is just that simple I can’t be more blunt then that.
The Williams family boycott of Indian Wells is very important it is a political and social statement. The Williams family absence is forcing the white American tennis establishment to remember the racist incident. The articles by various white American sports journalists demonstrates whites don’t want to remember the racist incident.
The question the public should be asking is why is the WTA and the white American tennis establishment attempting to force the Williams Sisters to play Indian Wells? The reason is drum roll please……. the Williams Sisters are money makers. The Williams Sisters are the only superstars on the WTA right now. The Williams Sisters sell tickets faster then any other players on the WTA. The Williams Sisters are international superstars and the Indian Wells organizers want the prestige to return to their lackluster event. The tactics of Larry Scott and the Indian Wells organizers is not only pathetic it reeks of desperation.
The WTA and the white American media are attempting to develop the Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova and market her as a new star. Why is the WTA marketing a foreigner? Sharapova fits into the Eurocentric standards of beauty since she is tall, very thin, has blonde hair, and blue eyes. Maria Sharapova may have won a couple of grand slam singles titles but she comes across as very unpolished in interviews with zero class. There is also a problem with the fact there is a disconnect between Sharapova and the tennis audience. Sharapova has won a couple of grand slams she is obviously talented but there is nothing extraordinary about her game or personality. Sharapova is not a legend yet she doesn’t have the star quality, personality, or the ability to transcend sport like the Williams Sisters. On numerous internet boards tennis fans have commented about Sharapova’s ice queen persona. Sharapova comes across as very aloof, arrogant, haughty, and has a sense of entitlement. People across the globe recognize the Williams Sisters they do not know Sharapova.
The Indian Wells WTA event has become a complete farce and a joke for the past seven years due to the absence of the Williams Sisters. Last year Daniela Hantuchova beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the women’s final last year. Does anyone care about Kuznetsova and Hantuchova? Nope. Most people most likely never heard of either player. The Indian Wells event has been lacking serious star power for years it is now a D list event.
The organizers of the Indian Wells event refuse to make a formal public apology to the Williams family about the racist incident at the Indian Wells event in 2001. The arrogance of Larry Scott and the organizers of Indian Wells has no boundaries. The Williams family have boycotted the Indian Wells event and ESPN.COM has the nerve to publish an article by Greg Garber once again attacking the Williams family. Why should the Williams family help Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Pete Sampras part owners of the Indian Wells event make money?
Why have Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Pete Sampras never taken the first step in the healing process and made a formal public apology the Williams family? Are King, Evert, and Sampras too stupid to connect the dots? It is obvious the Williams family are very hurt and and rightfully so about the Indian Wells incident. I am not surprised that Sampras and Evert have been silent. After all, Pete Sampras has also made disparaging comments about the Williams Sisters in the media commenting about their tennis abilities and their hair. Chris Evert has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Williams Sisters for the past decade. Evert is a classic covert racist.
Chris Evert wrote a deleterious public letter in Tennis Magazine in the Spring of 2006 lashing out at Serena Williams claiming Serena has a lack of commitment to the game. Evert didn’t care that Serena was at the murder trial for her deceased sister Yetunde Price or that she had chronic knee injuries. Evert published the public letter to gain free press, publicity, and sell more copies of her tacky magazine. Visit the local public library and look for the Sping 2006 issue of Tennis Magazine read in the bold black print Evert’s disgusting letter. Would Evert ever publish a public letter slamming the white American female tennis players Jennifer Capriati or Lindsay Davenport? I doubt it. Why should the Williams Sisters help Chris Evert make money?
Why should the Williams Sisters support the Indian Wells event it doesn’t make sense? In this world you have to give respect to get respect. If Chris Evert had any ounce of dignity or class she would hold a press conference with the world media and make a real public apology to Venus, Serena, and Richard Williams. Seven long years have passed since the Indian Wells incident. The question the media should be asking why hasn’t Evert done anything? Why is Evert silent? Pete Sampras attitude towards the Williams Sisters is also abhorrent. Yet Evert claims she is an ambassador to Women’s Tennis so why hasn’t Evert made the first move for healing to occur?
It is also disconcerting that American tennis writers such as Greg Garber an employee of ESPN and Jon Wertheim an employee of Sports Illustrated refuse to acknowledge their roles in promoting racism against the Williams sisters. The racism and prejudice is so obvious and so is their hypocrisy. Why is there silence to this offensive bigotry?
The Williams Sisters are the most successful female tennis players of their generation they have a combined 14 grand slam singles titles. The Williams Sisters both have been ranked number one, and they have both won Olympic gold medals, and all the grand slam women’s doubles titles.
Some people are ignorant they act as though a racist bigot has to make a racial slur to be a racist. Racism is both covert and overt. When the Williams Sisters were dominating the game the American tennis experts said the Williams Sisters were “bad” for the game. When the Williams Sisters had to deal with the tragedy of their sister Yetunde Price being shot to death in 2003 obviously their priorities changed. The American tennis experts again slammed the Williams Sisters for their so called “lack of commitment to the game”.
Now of course, the white American tennis experts are very careful not to use any racial slurs on live television. However, the pernicious and deleterious racism of the American tennis experts is obvious to the discerning eye. Martina Navratilova on BBC television last year had the audacity to call Serena Williams a “drama queen” after she had her leg injury during her fourth round match at Wimbledon. Although Navratilova is a lesbian she also has bashed the Williams Sisters ever minute she gets. John McEnroe is a consistent hater of the Williams Sisters on BBC, NBC, and CBS television.
I will never forget watching the ESPN telecast of the 2007 Australian Open. I cringed. I was so disgusted and angry when Mary Carillo had the audacity to compare James Blake’s father dying from cancer to Yetunde Price’s murder. Carillo claimed Serena wasn’t committed to the game. We all know Serena stormed to the 2007 Australian Open women’s title last year. The only reason Carillo compared Blake and Serena is because they are both black tennis players. Serena Williams is an eight time grand slam tennis champion and James Blake is not a winner. The American tennis establishment doesn’t mind Blake he’s never won anything of importance on the ATP Tour he folds and loses all the time in big matches.
Pam Shriver also made offensive comments about Serena’s physique and her dedication to the game. Pam Shriver is best known as Martina Navratilova’s sidekick she never was a champion. Mary Carillo have never won grand slam singles titles either. Carillo and Shriver are not champions they have also never been ranked number one in the world. What right do they have to bash Serena and Venus consistently on live television without any retribution? Does ESPN condone prejudice?
Tracy Austin has also lashed out for years against the Williams Sisters Austin only won two slams that’s it. Austin is not even in the same league as Venus and Serena. After Venus won Wimbledon for the fourth time last year on MSNBC.COM Austin wrote that Venus’s victory was “magic”. The word “magic” is a backhanded complement by Austin. Venus winning Wimbledon for the fourth time proves she’s a legend it wasn’t “magic” yet Austin has never respected Venus or Serena Williams.
I am especially disappointed in Billie Jean King she claims to be a woman that has class she claims she is against oppression against all people. King is a fraud, phony, and a hypocrite. King lectures society about sexism against women and preaches about tolerance for white homosexuals yet she ignores racism. Is Billie Jean King only against discrimination that affects white women and white homosexuals? It sure seems like it. Or is Billie Jean King a woman that believes discrimination is wrong against all people regardless of their race, class, or sexual orientation?
King will make statements in print interviews or on television saying the great Althea Gibson meant so much to her. Was King’s words about Gibson just a pack of lies? Perhaps Billie Jean King isn’t really a heroine after all? Maybe King is just as racist just like Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Tracy Austin, and Mary Carillo? Althea Gibson was against racism and sexism.If King claims Althea Gibson is one of her heroes then why doesn’t King take action? Why is Billie Jean King a pernicious hypocrite and remain silent for all these years?
So why hasn’t Billie Jean King ever spoken about Indian Wells incident? Does King just care about making money? Billie Jean King could be a source of dialogue there is clearly a lot of hurt feelings here between the Williams family and the WTA. Billie Jean King could make difference yet she chooses not to. I have lost respect for King.
I used to have respect for Billie Jean King but now I realize King is just a silent supporter of covert racists such as Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Mary Carillo, and John McEnroe. If King claims she’s against discrimination against all people why doesn’t Billie Jean King take a stand? The Indian Wells incident should of been dealt with years ago the covert racism by the American tennis establishment demonstrates the racial divide still exists.
Jane Creba, Chantal Dunn, & Reena Virk Three Canadian Teens Murdered But Whiteness Is Valued More
The death of the innocent fifteen year old Jane Creba on Boxing Day December 2005 in downtown Toronto shocked the city . Creba was an innocent bystander walking down Dundas street with her family when she was shot dead by a bullet. Creba’s death was like a electric shock an alarm to white Canadians that anyone can be a victim of violence.
The Jane Creba murder trial also exposes the incendiary racism of the Canadian press exploding like an atomic bomb. Suddenly the poisoned pens dipped in acid, tainted with supremacy was printed in bold black print in newspapers across the nation. The radio talk show hosts shouted at the top of their lungs that gun violence must be stopped. The Jane Creba murder trial is currently taking place in Toronto the typical racist hysteria has emerged once again.
The social constructions of race and gender must be explored and examined. Inside the newsrooms across Canada most of the editors, managing editors, editor in chiefs, are white Canadians. The perspective of the news will be painted from a Eurocentric perspective there will be no equilibrium in relation to how race is framed. The lens is still from a white gaze looking out at the other.
Since Creba was also white there was a heightened sense of urgency by the white Toronto press. Suddenly the attitude shifted that Toronto was gang central and that everyone had to fear for our lives while walking down any Toronto street. People die in Toronto everyday so why was Creba’s death treated as though it was so significant? The reason is because Creba was a white Canadian middle class female and not black. If Jane Creba was a black girl the Toronto media would cover the murder for a brief moment and move on.
Creba’s whiteness galvanized the Canadian press they could kill two birds with one stone. The press manipulated the tragedy and utilized the moment to pathologize Toronto’s black community. Why should I care that Jane Creba died and not about other people that die? I question the real motivation of the Toronto media. I don’t subscribe to just believing everything the news media presents in print, on the radio or on television. I want to scrape beneath the surface. Why should I care that the accused killers are also black?
The Canadian media presents racist and misandrist articles through the radio and television broadcasts that somehow black Canadians we should feel ashamed to be black. Black Canadians we need to rise above this oppression the press presents and look at this case clearly. Obviously it is a tragedy that a young life was lost. However, it also doesn’t give the Toronto media permission to exploit Jane Creba’s death to vent their frustrations and anger and expressing so called racial superiority. The media was once again attempting to demonize black Canadians as a group for the actions of individuals.
Creba’s death was elevated to front page news for weeks because the white Canadian media suddenly realized gun violence has no boundaries in relation to race, gender, or class. Anyone can be a victim of violence and we should be disgusted and angered when any innocent person dies regardless of their race, gender, or social status. When young blacks die there is only apathy. However, since Jane Creba was a white girl the white Canadians viewed Creba’s death differently they felt she could of been their daughter, their next door neighbor, their child’s best friend.
Creba’s whiteness and the pusillanimous nature of the Canadian racism was in full force. Why is there this dissemblance to the hypocrisy of the Toronto media? When people of colour are innocent victims of murder there needs to be the same urgency, the same heightened sense of social importance. It is clear and obvious in Canada the blood of a white Canadian person has more social value then the blood of Canadians of colour.
Creba’s death is a tragedy because she was just a kid someone that clearly didn’t even start to live her life yet or reach her potential. Make no mistake though race and gender are also factors in the Toronto press’s fascination with Jane Creba’s appearance. Creba was an attractive, middle class, young, white female with long blonde hair, thin build, clear white skin, and has a photogenic face. Numerous articles focused on Creba’s beauty. If Creba was considered less attractive by the occidental world’s standards would her life have less social value? If Jane Creba was a fat white girl or a white girl not considered attractive would she of gotten as much press? So because Jane Creba was considered pretty means her death is more horrifying and more important then other people deaths?
Another Toronto teen died a few months after Jane Creba her name is Chantal Dunn.On February 7th 2006 nineteen year old Chantal Dunn the York University student was brutally murdered. Dunn’s car was attacked when she picked up her boyfriend from a basketball game in the parking lot of Northwood Community Centre. Dunn was shot and killed. Dunn was also a black girl and in Toronto black Canadians are viewed as the ultimate other.
The Canadian media consistently presents this perfidious racist lie to the rest of the world that Canada is a utopia paradise and that multiculturalism brings the races together. The fact remains the repugnant stench of Canadian racism thrives like a cancer. Canadians are too pretentious to deal with the truth. The Toronto media briefly reported Dunn’s murder but her death was ignored rather swiftly. After all Chantal Dunn was black and since young blacks die in the city of Toronto her death was just an afterthought.
Black teens dying is considered “trivial” to the Canadian press and “normal”but since Jane Creba was white her death was viewed as a national tragedy and extraordinary. Dunn was a promising scholar the girl had a bright future and clearly was an innocent bystander just like Jane Creba. Why is there this insistence, this reticence, this denial, of Canada’s racism against people of colour? Why was Chantal Dunn’s death not splashed across the Toronto media and treated with the exact same respect as Jane Creba? Dunn’s murderer is still on the loose.
Over a decade ago on November 14th 1997 another Canadian teenager fourteen year old Reena Virk was brutally murdered by white students near Craigflower Bridge in the city of Victoria. Since the main culprits in the murder were white females the press focused only on the fact Virk was savagely murdered by other girls. One boy Walter Glowatski was also one of Virk’s killers.
Suddenly there was a plethora of articles about the rampant dangers of female aggression. The journalists, criminologists, psychologists, and sociologists only focused on the issue of gender. Of course the real issues of the Reena Virk murder relates to racism and xenophobia. The Canadian media seemed more stunned that white females can also be violent, sadistic, murderers. The issue of Canadian racism against South Asians was not an issue at all the press ignored race completely.
There also wasn’t a “racial link” to white supremacy and the refusal of the Canadian press to discuss the rampant racism that still occurs in Canadian high schools against teens of colour. Teens of colour are often bullied by white students across Canadian high schools it is a common occurrence.
Since Virk was South Asian she was viewed as “the other” dismissed by the apathetic and racist Canadian society as being from “a different culture” and ultimately as inferior. The quandary is the Reena Virk murder case is a perfect example of the intersection of Canadian racism and sexism against women of colour. The Canadian press marginalized Virk’s murder to only the issue of gender because this was considered more sensationalistic.
The more controversial and explosive issue of Canadian racism was not explored most likely due to politics, avarice, but also indifference. If a racial reverse occurred and Virk was white and the killers were people of colour the attitude, venom, blood thirsty prejudices of the Canadian press would explode like a grenade.
Whiteness in Canada is viewed as superior and the Canadian media have no interest in turning the mirror and forcing white Canadian society to look at cracked reflection of their own racial prejudices. What would be the point of the Canadian press to make whites examine the truth? Virk’s murder was also framed through the lens of gender because the press deemed it as an anomaly a way to excuse the killers because they are a part of white Canadian society. Reena Virk’s killers could of been one of their neighbors, or children’s friends. The focus on gender was a tactic to create a distance a parallel dimension and refusal to explore the issue of white supremacy and Canadian racism.
There is also the factor of the classic white female victimhood that permeated in this sad tragedy. The press painted the white girl Kelly Ellard as a victim. Of course, white females can’t be violent killers. The Canadian press was attempting to rationalize the murder by creating another explanation for the heinous crime. It is not surprising this pernicious racist perspective was consistently presented by the mainstream Canadian media.
The insistence and refusal to acknowledge Reena Virk wasn’t just killed because she was an outsider or a loner but also because she was South Asian is rooted in white cultural domination. People of colour in Canada don’t own the top newspapers but people of colour can utilize critical media literacy and be cognizant of the fact the press has their own biases and views. The issue of racism between white Canadians against the South Asian community in British Columbia was buried beneath the surface.
Since the murderers were under age the pathetic Young Offenders Act was under increasing scrutiny and rightfully so. Between April and May 1998 six girls pleaded guilty and were convicted of assault. The Reena Virk murder case was a painful ordeal for Virk’s parents. It has taken many years but there was finally justice for Reena Virk. Kelly Ellard was found guilty of second degree murder. First Kelly Ellard claimed self defense she went through two trials but finally in the third murder trial she was given an automatic life sentence. Walter Glowatski the only male involved in the murder was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, in July 2006 after nine years in prison Glowatski was granted temporary passes by the National Parole Board.
Williams Sisters Must Continue Boycott Of Indian Wells Event
The WTA Indian Wells event starts this week in Palm Springs California. The D list of the WTA tour such as Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, and Lindsay Davenport will be competing. The best players on the WTA Tour world number one Justine Henin and the Williams Sisters of course are skipping the event. The only marquee player at Indian Wells is Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova. Sharapova is the new white “It” girl of the WTA. The WTA are attempting to market Sharapova but she is bland and boring. Sharapova has no personality she is aloof, arrogant, and has a haughty attitude.
The bottom line is the only superstars on the WTA are the Williams Sisters. The organizers of the Indian Wells event have paid the ultimate price by not apologizing to Venus, Serena, and Richard Williams for the pernicious racism at the 2001 event.By contrast, the ATP Tour Masters event all the top male tennis players will be playing the event. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal will be there. ESPN television is not even televising the Indian Wells or Miami Masters events this year. ESPN already has a full plate with the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball championships.
I will never forget watching ESPN television and being so angry and disgusted at the white lynch mob screaming at Serena Williams. Serena was only nineteen years old in 2001 she was competing against the Belgian Kim Clijsters in the finals and she won 4-6 6-4 6-2. Serena has incredible mental strength to be able to block out the racist crowd focus on her tennis and win the match. The incident was an ugly example of the bigotry against the Williams Sisters. The most disgusting aspect of this nightmare was it took place on American soil.
Also disconcerting was reading the covert racist articles by white American journalists such as Jon Wertheim and Greg Garber defending and attempting to minimize the racist incident. Wertheim and Garber are racists along with the lynch mob at Indian Wells. Since Wertheim and Garber are both the mythical norm I shouldn’t be surprised by their pernicious bigotry.
The incident was clearly an example of white supremacy it is easy to point out. The question has to be asked would a white female tennis player ever be treated so harshly and so unfairly? This kind of racist treatment would never happen to a white female tennis player. You have one black American girl Serena Williams on the tennis court the rich white crowd are screams at every single shot she hits.
Next, you have a packed stadium of several thousand rich white Americans going overboard cheers for her foreign born white opponent. The audacity and the perfidious attitude of the American media was also abhorrent. The United States has a long way to go in race relations and the Indian Wells incident was a perfect example of this. It is simply outrageous that anyone can actually deny this incident was not an example of white supremacy and white skin privilege. The Indian Wells organizers should be ashamed of themselves they don’t have an ounce of credibility. Sometimes I feel the Williams Sisters get more respect when they play internationally then when they compete in the United States.
The white upper class audience claps at every single mistake and error Serena made even though Serena is American. Serena may be an American champion but she’s not white and Kim Clijsters is. The whiteness was the unifying factor for the rich upper class crowd they have no respect for black people in Indian Wells. The white country club crowd claim that because Venus pulled out minutes prior to their semifinal match that the result was fixed. However, Venus consulted with the WTA and she was unable to play. The country club crowd unleashed their irrational anger at Serena. The incident was a perfect example of racism and sexism against black women. Although Richard Williams the father of Venus and Serena can be confrontational at times I believe him when he said he heard racist slurs during the match.The Williams family have kept their vow never to play Indian Wells ever again and it has now been seven years since they played the event.
The absence of the Williams Sisters weakens the women’s event in Indian Wells. It also underscores the serious issue of race relations in professional tennis. It is obvious to the discerning eye the WTA does not care about discrimination against non white tennis players. The WTA have refused to force the organizers of the Indian Wells event to make a formal public apology to the Williams Sisters and their father Richard in front of the world media.
The WTA’s president Larry Scott is actually attempting to force Venus and Serena to play Indian Wells in 2009. Does Larry Scott have any morals or class? However, Richard Williams has made it clear he might take the WTA to court if Larry Scott even thinks about trying to fine the Williams Sisters. The reason Larry Scott and the Indian Wells organizers want the Williams Sisters to play Indian Wells is because they are the only bankable stars on the WTA Tour.
Tennis fans flock to every single event the Williams Sisters compete in they are money makers. So instead of making a formal public apology the pathetic and racist Indian Wells event organizers are trying to upset the Williams family even more. The Williams family must never play Indian Wells ever again because the message needs to be sent that racism and sexism is unacceptable in professional sports. Some sports reporters are trying to say the Williams family are being a bit overtly sensitive. It is obvious to me these sports reporters they are just racist and refuse to see reality.
The racist attitude of the American sports establishment and their views of black women is the real issue here. If a white female tennis player was booed by an all black audience you better believe the white media would immediately support that white female tennis player. However, when a black woman tennis player is booed by an all white upper class privileged crowd there is only apathy and indifference. It just goes to show how racist professional tennis still is.
The status of the event is no longer tier I the event now has a lower status among the other top women. The WTA Indian Wells event is a complete joke nobody cares that Daniela Hantuchova beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the women’s finals last year. Kuznetsova and Hantuchova are D list players they may be highly ranked but nobody outside the tennis world cares about them.
The Williams Sisters absence at the Indian Wells event has reduced the star quality of the event it now has a D list status. Most of the top women skip Indian Wells in favor of playing the more important WTA event in Miami at the end of March anyway. The white feminist Billie Jean King and Chris Evert the termagant former tennis player are part owners of the Indian Wells event along with the washed up former champion Pete Sampras.
Billie Jean King and Chris Evert are both a disgrace to women’s tennis. Both women pretend to be ambassadors of the game. Are Evert and King only against discrimination that affects rich and privileged white females? Black women encounter multiple layers of oppression in relation to their race and gender. Both Evert and King have been silent about the Indian Wells incident for the past seven years. Does Billie Jean King or Chris Evert have any class at all? Why are King and Evert still reticent after all these years? King and Evert have a responsibility to speak out against the discrimination against the Williams Sisters at Indian Wells. However, King and Evert’s silence speaks volumes about the kind of people they really are.
I applaud the Williams family for standing by their principles. The WTA Indian Wells event will be a complete bore this year just like last year and the previous years. I can’t wait until the end of March to see the Williams Sisters play the more prestigious Miami event.
Can Gabrielle Union Have A Second Breakthrough Or Is It Too Late?
Gabrielle Union has been typecast as the pretty young black woman looking for love in most of her movies. I have read other message boards and the consensus is Gabrielle Union is probably battling skin tone racism and sexism. Halle Berry is the top black actress in Hollywood yet all her recent movies have bombed. Perfect Stranger was pure crap and Catwoman my goodness what was Halle thinking when she chose that role?
What does this say for other black women in Hollywood when even A list superstar multi millionaire Halle Berry is struggling? I think this is really scary. The problem is Hollywood will use Berry’s lack of recent success as a litmus test and judge other black women. You can just hear a studio executive say “why should we give another black female a leading role when Halle Berry can’t make us money.” It is not fair but this is the kind of attitude Hollywood has. “Dreamgirls” was a huge hit making over $100 million at the domestic box office and that film was centered around black women.
It is not politically correct to say this but I think this kind of myopic thinking does take place in Hollywood. I think this is the reason you hardly ever see any black actress other then Halle Berry or Queen Latifah in leading lady roles in the movies. Berry gets all the leading lady roles not just due to her talent but also because she has crossover appeal. Berry has a Eurocentric appearance and even she hasn’t had much success in the past few years. Angela Bassett is a superior actress then Berry but she’s considered “too black” and “too dark”. Angela Bassett is also almost fifty years old. Gabrielle Union is still young enough to have a breakthrough. Unfortunately, Gabrielle Union falls into the category she’s not considered “crossover potential” which is a code word for being “too black” and “too dark”.
Gabrielle has been segregated in the black romantic comedy genre for almost a decade. I wish Gabrielle had the opportunity to show her ability she isn’t even given a chance. I think this is the most frustrating part. I mean even Gabrielle must be sick of always hunting for a man in every single movie she has been in. Isn’t there more to the black female experience then seeking romance? What about personal ambition or goals? What about a personal struggle internal or external why can’t that be explored in the movies?
I am sure Gabrielle craves for more tougher roles. I must point out I am not suggesting black romantic comedies are bad. I enjoyed “The Best Man”, “Two Can Play That Game”, “Last Holiday” and other black romantic comedies. Enough is enough there is more to the black experience then romantic films.
All I am suggesting is I want change to take place. I would like to see Gabrielle Union in more serious dramatic films and I am sure she wants this too. Gabrielle is a good actress when given the right material. The problem is Hollywood ignores black women for the big leading lady roles. The screenwriters write most of the scripts for white women. The very few dramatic films made for black women go to Halle Berry or Queen Latifah. Gabrielle Union is lucky at least she is a well known black actress. At least Gabrielle is on the list and gets a shot at an audition.
The dilemma for Gabrielle Union is when a dramatic piece is created for a black actress usually several other black women are also fighting for the exact same role. The question has to be asked is the public a part of the problem? Are we to blame the black audience? All Hollywood cares about is box office. If a movie does well they will repeat the formula five million times until the formula no longer works.
I think Gabrielle is at a crossroads in her career she is thirty five years old. In a few years Gabrielle won’t be getting the romantic comedy roles the studios will pass over her for younger actresses. Gabrielle’s last film “The Perfect Holiday” bombed at the box office last month.
Earlier in 2007 Gabrielle was in the Tyler Perry film “Daddy’s Little Girls”. “Daddy’s Little Girls” was more successful making over $30 million dollars. The Tyler Perry film was the first time Gabrielle was the leading lady in a movie she did a good job.
I am not suggesting Gabrielle isn’t trying to shift genres and add layers to her acting. I remember she was on a ABC television show “Night Stalker” in 2005 I really enjoyed “Night Stalker”. Unfortunately ABC canceled the show after just six episodes. ABC didn’t even give Gabrielle Union a chance to shine. It was such a shame because the show was just starting to really take off. On the “Night Stalker” show Gabrielle was a crime reporter it was a different role and she was excellent.
I know this won’t sound politically correct but why does Hollywood always think black people we are the life of the party? I am not going to knock Tyler Perry he has a right to make his movies. My argument is why aren’t there other young black filmmakers besides Tyler Perry? Where are the black female filmmakers besides Kasi Lemmons?
The only dramatic films Hollywood releases about black people are feel good garbage such as “The Great Debaters”. Notice the film “The Great Debaters” is about heterosexual black men at the center. I am not interested in a history lesson I want to be challenged when I see a movie and entertained. What about the rest of us? Don’t we matter? Why are the only dramatic films about black people are released at the end of the year? What about other times of the year?
Another question is where is the diversity in black films? Why do all the films about black people always have to be about black heterosexual men? What about gay black people? Where do we fit in we are so invisible. When was the last time you saw a big budget film about black gays? The answer is never. Why can’t there be films about black gays and lesbians released in theatres? I hear the Noah’s Arc film is going to be released this year. The question is will Noah’s Arc have an audience beyond the gay community? Will black people gay and straight bother to watch the Noah’s Arc film? How will the Noah’s Arc film be marketed to reach a black audience?
I am cognizant of the fact Hollywood is a business that has a formula system. Hollywood is always about profit and making money. Why can’t Hollywood realize people want to see black women in other genres besides romantic comedies? Why can’t Gabrielle Union be in an action drama with a black female lead, or a detective movie, or a science fiction film, or a serious dramatic piece?
Twelve years ago “Set It Off” an amazing action drama about black women that were fighting the system. The movie starred Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A Fox, and Kimberly Elise. “Set It Off” was a hit making over $41 million worldwide despite having only a $9 million dollar budget. You would think Hollywood would take a hint? We want to see black women in other genres. Also, we want to see more then just Halle Berry or Beyonce Knowles.
I crave for more to see talented young black actors in other genres beyond the myopic romantic comedy genre. The quandary is the romantic comedy sphere is considered a “safe bet” for Hollywood when dealing with blacks. Hollywood tends to make these films at low budgets and even if they bomb there is a low risk. It is so insulting to black film viewers that we don’t have enough choice. Maybe it is our fault? I mean how hard is it to distribute movies? It is clear to me more young black people need to get involved in the film business. We cannot cry and complain about Tyler Perry or bitch and moan about Spike Lee. I want to see new voices from younger black filmmakers. You know people under the age of thirty five!
Black people we are complex three dimensional people just like everyone else. Why is it the dramatic films about blacks always has to be about someone that is noble or perfect? Why can’t dramatic films about blacks demonstrate we have flaws as well we are not perfect. Why can’t a black drama not be a damn message movie! I think this is the reason I cringe when I hear all the hype about “The Great Debaters.” I am sorry to say those kinds of movies bore me they don’t interest or inspire me at all.
I would like too see more black dramatic films where risks are taken, I know black people and other people want to see something different then the garbage the studio system releases to the public.
However, I have noticed Gabrielle has not crossed over into the mainstream. I wonder why? I wonder is this Gabrielle’s choice or not? I hear she’s going to be in an Eddie Murphy movie another comedy this year called “Starship Dave”. I guess I am waiting in vain for Gabrielle Union to breakthrough and get the acclaim she deserves. Gabrielle has attempted to diversify her acting resume she was in a dramatic film last year called Constellation. It was very unfortunate that once again the black audience ignored a serious dramatic film Constellation and the black media just didn’t provide any publicity for that film.
Another film that I am very excited about is extremely controversial and it has gotten a lot of critical acclaim and positive press it is the film Neo Ned. Neo Ned was screened on the independent film circuit two years ago and has won numerous awards and has fan approval. However, almost three years later Neo Ned not been released. Neo Ned has still not acquired distribution. Go to www.neoned.com to read the reviews about this incredible film. It has been over two years yet still no distribution deal. I don’t get it? Neo Ned is clearly Gabrielle Union’s best performance, the film is controversial but it is an independent film. I really hope Gabrielle can find another serious dramatic piece such as Neo Ned she has talent but why won’t anyone give her the opportunity to shine?
It is Official Gloria Steinem Is A Racist Bigot And A Misandrist
Feminist scholar Gloria Steinem’s racist and misandrist opinion piece she wrote on January 8th 2008 for the New York Times speaks volumes about the kind of person she is. I want to vomit right on Gloria Steinem’s face. Steinem makes the inaccurate racist and sexist argument that black men have it easier in society then all women. Steinem states that gender is a more destructive form of discrimination then race.
Steinem refuses to acknowledge her analysis is not only flawed it is also racist and misandrist. White women have social power in the United States due to being white. It is easy for a rich white heterosexual American feminist such as Gloria Steinem to ignore the social, economic, and political realities of racism. I wish Steinem and I can trade places and she will see how hard black men have it in this racist and sexist anti black male society.
It is obvious that Gloria Steinem doesn’t live in the real world she lives in some delusional alternative universe. Steinem states that black men got the vote before all women in the United States. It is true that black men were able to vote before women in America. However, Steinem argument is deleterious because she ignores the fact black men we encounter racism and gender discrimination because we are black and male. Steinem’s tactic is to create tension in the black community. Steniem wants black women to support Hillary Clinton but Hillary Clinton is no sister to black women that’s for sure. When are white feminists going to acknowledge the friction between black women and white women? Just because black men are male we absolutely do not have more privilege in society then white women.
However, black men are discriminated in many ways in the United States after receiving the right to vote due to gender and race. Black men encounter racism and sexism in terms of employment discrimination, police brutality, racism in the judicial system, housing, access to quality health care, and education. Black men we have been murdered and brutalized just for being black and male for centuries.
Steinem of course ignores the racism of the suffrage movement against black women and other women of colour because this would weaken her argument. White feminists such as Gloria Steinem obviously don’t get it. Black feminists and other feminists of colour have argued for decades that race, gender, sexuality, and class, are inextricably linked. We cannot divorce ourselves and choose one over the other it simply doesn’t work. Black people and other people of colour we encounter discrimination on many different levels.
Steinem is playing the typical game white liberals play very well and it is called the divide and conquer strategy. White liberals such as Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, along with Gloria Steinem know Barack Obama is a serious threat. Steinem attempts to frame the argument of placing race against gender. The Clintons are using Steinem to acquire more black female votes and trying to create division in the black race.
Black feminists organizations such as the Combahee River Collective have spoken out against the pathetic racist game that some white feminists have played for decades. The Combahee River Collective have stated in their work that black women cannot divorce themselves from the black race. Another black feminist Audre Lorde wrote about the fallacy of the “global sisterhood” in her groundbreaking book “Sister Outsider”. Lorde wrote about the fact some white feminists only want to exploit and use black people and black women when it serves their racist self interests.
Hillary Clinton wants as much support and votes as possible. Since Steinem is considered one of the leaders of the mainstream white female feminist movement, the Clintons are using Steinem to attempt to split the black vote along gender lines. What has the mainstream feminist movement ever done for black women other then to marginalize and patronize black women? It is the reason black feminism was created because black women and people that are black feminists understand mainstream white feminism doesn’t work for us. What has Hillary Clinton ever done for black females? As Janet Jackson said in her hit 1986 song “what have you done for me lately?”
Some white feminists concentrate only on gender discrimination since they have white skin privilege. Some white women refuse to acknowledge the fact that men of colour we also encounter incredible amount of oppression in society due to race and gender. People of colour we have to deal with multiple forms of oppression. We cannot ignore gender but must also not ignore race as well.
Steinem of course ignores the power of white skin privilege because this is what so called white liberal feminists such as Steinem do very well. Steinem wants black women to support Hillary Clinton because she is female. If some black females want to vote for Hillary Clinton this is their choice. However, my argument is Steinem is trying to create a gender battle between black men and black women. Steinem’s perspective is women regardless of race should support Hillary Clinton due to gender. My question is why? What about Hillary Clinton’s politics? Clinton is a classic centralist and a flip flopper. Clinton supported the war in Iraq.
There is also a history of racism in the mainstream feminist movement against blacks. Steinem like some white liberal feminists ignore the incredible amount of racial discrimination in society against black people. Some white feminists also like to ignore the fact they contribute to racism against black people. Gloria Steinem’s essay in the New York Times is a perfect example of exploiting the public sphere to spread her anti black male bigotry. Feminists of colour for decades have written and spoken up about the hypocrisy and racism of the mainstream feminist movement.
Although Hillary Clinton is a female she is still white and a part of the white American majority. Senator Clinton still has the power of white skin privilege to assist her and help her. Gloria Steinem fails too acknowledge this fact. Last time I checked the majority of the American population are white Americans. Whiteness has a lot of currency in the United States and to ignore the social and political power of whiteness is to ignore the power of race and racism.
Steinem knows that some black women will be voting for Senator Obama and not all black women or black people will be voting for Senator Clinton. Steinem can support Hillary Clinton if she wants to that’s her choice. However, I resent the racist subversive message Steinem is saying that black men got it easier then white women in society. I find Steinem’s analysis is full of bigotry and prejudice.
Why doesn’t Gloria Steinem complain about white female celebrities such as Barbra Streisand supporting Hillary Clinton? Why doesn’t Steinem focus on the NOW Organization? There are plenty of white women in the United States that are going to support Hillary Clinton just because she is a white female. Why doesn’t Steinem focus on this side of the argument? The so called white liberals in the United States have a fear of Senator Obama but that’s their problem and not his. I also question why black Americans would even bother supporting Hillary Clinton in the first place? What the hell has Hillary Clinton done for black people? Black Americans and other people of colour in the United States are in a unique position their votes can actually influence this election. I suggest black people and other people of colour pay close attention to the dirty politics of Hillary Clinton and her supporters.
Next, Hillary and Bill Clinton have the old black civil rights guard trying to tear down Senator Obama. Once again the divide and conquer strategy the Clintons and their supporters are attempting to use again this time in blackface. I believe the old black civil rights guard time has passed. There is a new black generation that wants change . Just because Andrew Young and the old black civil rights guard are also black people doesn’t mean other black people have to agree with them. We agree to disagree I don’t trust the Clintons. The Clintons are ignorant about the concerns of the younger black generation and Senator Obama is indeed cognizant of the issues young blacks are worried about. Young black people aren’t going to worry about the old goats such as Andrew Young. The Clintons have the old black civil rights leaders doing their dirty work for them. Andrew Young and the other culprits have made bullshit statements that the Clintons are more black then Obama. Give me a break.
Some white feminists also have the racist and sexist attitude that only women encounter discrimination due to gender. White women benefit from affirmative action more then black males. Black men we encounter so much racism and sexism in society and that’s a fact.
The United States also has a history of anti black male racism and sexism. Black men have been lynched in the American South for decades prior to the civil rights movement. Black men we still encounter racism and sexism in the year 2008. We must not ignore history. The racist American Jim Crow system created proscriptions to demonize, humiliate, and emasculate, black men and black male sexuality. Thousands of innocent black men were brutally murdered for just being black and male. Next, racist police officers and the racist anti black judicial system also has incarcerated innocent black men. Why doesn’t Gloria Steinem discuss this issue?
White female sexuality for centuries since the days of slavery has been placed on a pedestal as being pristine and true womanhood. Interracial relationships between white women and black men are still considered taboo in North America. Thousands of black men were unfairly discriminated against accused of daring to look at or talk to white women and were lynched. The racism and sexism against black men continues. Black male sexuality is still a taboo in society.
Does anyone remember Emmett Till? Emmett Till was a young black teenager in the year 1955 was accused of whistling at a white woman. Black men have had to live for decades in fear of being murdered for false allegations of daring to speak at, talk to, or even look at a white woman. Next, racist white men dragged Emmett Till out of his mother’s house and he was brutally and savagely killed. I wonder if Gloria Steinem thinks Emmett Till had it easier in society due to being black and male? There is also a history of white Americans gathering at the lynchings of thousands of black men as though it was a festive party and a form of entertainment.
Fast forward to the year 2006 Michael Sandy a young black gay man was lured online by four white men for a sexual encounter. Sandy did not know he was going to be attacked due to being black and male. Sandy was savagely beaten by the four young white men and as Sandy ran for his life he was struck by a car and he died five days later. Where was the mainstream American media when Michael Sandy died? Why wasn’t Sandy discussed on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC? Why was the mainstream silent?
Why didn’t anyone care? When the white gay male Matthew Shepard died ten years ago it was front page news. When Michael Sandy died in October 2006 his death was considered an afterthought and irrelevant due to the fact he was black and male. The white gay press ignored Sandy’s death it was proof of the intersection of violence against black men and that race, gender, and sexuality affects black males. The blood of a black person is considered inferior to the blood of a white person in North America. Oops I forgot Sandy was a young gay black man. The mainstream USA press and white American gay media outlets were apathetic to Sandy’s death. If Sandy was white they would care but because Sandy was black they ignored his death.
The word sexism is not a female only domain and some feminists act as though they also cannot be racist and sexist. Black men we have also been discriminated against in terms of our gender. Black men we also encounter sexism in society that is misandrist and anti black male. Some feminists act as though just because black men are males we have it so much easier then women and this is total illogical argument. I guess that’s the reason why millions of black men encounter violence from the police force in major and small North American cities. I also guess the reason there is a disproportionate amount of racism in the judicial system against black men that we don’t face sexism either.
Steinem is a typical white feminist racist bigot. Steinem says Barack Obama doesn’t have the political experience to be the President of the United States. Why doesn’t Steinem just be honest she doesn’t want a black man to challenge Hillary Clinton. Some white feminists use the code of “experience” to conceal their racist anti black male prejudices. What experience does Hillary Clinton have other then being Bill Clinton’s sidekick?
When will it ever be right for Senator Obama to run for the United States presidency? Should Senator Obama wait two, five, ten, or twenty years to run? When will it ever be the right time? For some white liberals and feminists such as Gloria Steinem the real honest answer is never. Some white Democrats resent Senator Obama because he actually is acquiring a lot of support and they believe he is taking away votes from Clinton.
The Democratic party also has racist bigots that don’t mind black people being “behind” whites but don’t want “blacks” in leadership roles. Black people are tired of being in the back row and want to engage in the political process. The Clintons racist tactics proves they are no friends of the black community. Steinem, The Clintons, and their supporters are trying to do everything in their power to destroy Senator Obama.
Next time Gloria Steinem wants to discuss and compare the discrimination white women and black men encounter perhaps she should look at all sides of the argument. The divide and conquer strategy white liberals such as Steinem are attempting to play will not work this time.
Link to Combahee River Collective Statement: http://www.buffalostate.edu/orgs/rspms/combahee.html
Link about Emmett Till death: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
Link about Michael Sandy’s brutal death: http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/crime/20061024/4/2007
NPR Link about Michael Sandy Violent Death: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6367593
Sixteen Year Old Girl Murdered In Toronto Area Over Religion and Culture Clash With Her Family
In Mississauga Ontario yesterday a sixteen year old girl Aqsa Parvez was murdered, she was allegedly choked to death by her father. According to news reports Aqsa Parvez’s father Muhammad Parvez has now been charged with murder. Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto its a part of the greater Toronto area. The senseless murder is very chilling, depressing, and very sad. Aqsa’s older brother has been charged with obstructing police.
The teenage girl was a Muslim and there was a culture, generational, and religious clash with her family. The story according to Aqsa’s friends is that she did wear the hijab when she left her home for school. However, once the Aqsa arrived at school she removed the hijab . Family members followed Aqas to her high school and found out she wasn’t wearing the hijab.
The mainstream media are framing the young girl’s death as an “honor killing?” What do you think? Do you think the murder was an “honor killing” or is this just mainstream media sensationalism? Or a mixture of both? Will the press be culturally sensitive or paternalistic? Paternalism will not bridge the miscommunication gap between the Muslim communities and the rest of Canada. Will blaming occur and the mainstream press state that Muslim Canadians are not “assimilating” into Canadian culture? Will more finger pointing and blaming take place?
The Ontario government has a critical role here in this case. Once again the question has to be asked, where are the services for women of colour?Some women’s shelters due to inadequate funding have difficulty dealing with the cultural, racial, religious issues that relate to women of colour. Will the Ontario government step up to the plate and address this very important issue or not? Or will Premier Dalton McGuinty provide a politically correct speech and do nothing. The money is available Ontario is a rich province there is no excuse. Premier Dalton McGuinty has a responsibility here and he must act accordingly.
We cannot just sit and watch young women die and say its none of our business just because our cultures are different. We cannot just say we don’t understand Muslim culture and allow another life to perish due to our apathetic attitude and indifference. If we remain silent to misogyny then we are condoning it. I guess the question is now what can be done? What can the public do?
I think there needs to be more studies conducted, more research, and instead of just talking action needs to take place. The Ontario Government needs to realize domestic violence is a top five issue. Why are we so complacent to violence against women?
In Canada we have laws and violence against women. It is clear there needs to be more social services available for younger women and teenaged girls across racial, cultural, and religious lines. I believe not enough money is being spent on domestic violence services for women of colour. Maybe if there was a social safety net available this girl’s life could of been saved?
It is important when these tragic news stories occur to not jump to conclusions or make generalizations. The mainstream media should be careful to not “frame” and make stereotypes about an entire religion and focus on the news. However, I hope “othering” does not take place here and the mainstream media will utilize caution. However, it is well known when tragic news occurs outside of the mainstream community there is a tendency that “othering” may occur. The news here is that a young girl was terrified of her father to the point that she even left her home a few days ago.
My perspective is that religion should not be used as a blanket to conceal misogyny. The teenager obviously wanted to fit in with her classmates. It is normal for a sixteen year old girl to want to belong and be just like her friends. The murder is a tragedy a young life is now lost and a family is shattered.
If you want to voice your concerns to Premier Dalton McGuinty here is his info:
Dalton McGuinty Main Legislative Building, Room 281,
Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M7A 1A1
416-325-1941
Fax: 416- 325-3745
Link: http://www.mississauganews.com/article/9341
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1151774720071211
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071212.GIRL12/TPStory/National
Ontario Government employee calls young black man “this ghetto dude”
I just read the Toronto Star and I was shocked and disgusted with the treatment a young black man Evon Reid received after applying for a job. Reid applied for a job as a media analyst with the Ontario government. Reid receives a racist e-mail from an Asian woman Aileen Siu she also happens to be a part time worker for the Ontario government. Siu wrote in an e-mail forward to Reid “this ghetto dude I spoke to earlier.” Siu should be fired on the spot. Does the Ontario government condone racism against black people?
It sure seems like it with the apathetic attitude of Premier Dalton McGuinty. Sure, McGuinty apologized only because he basically had to it was standard politics. Remember there is an election coming up this year and the Liberals got to look as politically correct as possible. Aileen Siu should be fired ASAP. Siu of course apologized but that’s not good enough.
If Siu isn’t fired it just proves once again there are double standards in Canada in relation to racism against everyone else and black people. I personally believe there is a large amount of covert racism against black people in Canada and this is a perfect example of it. Yet of course as we all know covert racism against blacks has always been tolereated in the city of Toronto.
Could you imagine if someone made a negative comment about someone that was a Jew? I am sure the person would of been fired immediately. Does anyone remember a few months ago when a black speaker was denied entry into Canada by the government all because the Jews had a problem with the speaker? I believe there are indeed different standards for certain groups in relation to how immediately the government deals with racial discrimination.
The Ontario government is very quick to respond quickly whenever the Jews are discriminated against. However, if someone black encounters racism its simply ignored by the Ontario government and this is a perfect example of it. All Premier Dalton McGunity is using is words and words sometimes mean nothing. Actions speak louder then words and Aileen Siu should be fired or she quit the job.
However, since the racist remark was made against a young black man the issue will be swept under the rug and it will be just a “misunderstanding.” The incident with Reid is a perfect crystal clear example of the entrenched racism against young black Canadian men. Siu may be an Asian woman but in the Canadian social hierachy the white majority has always treated Asians better then blacks and Aboriginals.
Young black men we are the “out” group in Canadian society we are the “outsiders.” Now Reid is an intelligent and educated man he is a honors student at the University of Toronto. I think Reid should take this to the Ontario Humans Rights Commission because this is a perfect example of employment discrimination. Reid was just applying for a job and there is nothing “ghetto” about that.
Here is the link to the article: http://www.thestar.com/article/238572
If you want to voice your concerns to Premier Dalton McGuinty here is his info:
Dalton McGuinty Main Legislative Building, Room 281,
Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M7A 1A1
416-325-1941
Fax: 416- 325-3745
