“Accidental Racist” (2013) is a song by White American country-rock singer Brad Paisley. In it he defends wearing the “red flag”, the Confederate flag under which General Robert E. Lee defended the South’s right to keep Blacks in iron chains as slaves. It features black rapper LL Cool J, who says stuff like this:
I guess we’re both guilty of judgin’ the cover not the book.
I’d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air.If you don’t judge my do-rag,
I won’t judge your red flag.
If you don’t judge my gold chains,
I’ll forget the iron chains.The past is the past, you feel me.
Let bygones be bygones.R.I.P. Robert E. Lee
Because, apparently:
- Blacks are just as racist as Whites;
- racism is all an honest misunderstanding;
- what a White man wearing a Confederate flag is to racism, a Black man wearing a do-rag is to crime;
- forgetting the past will help make racism go away;
- a man who fought to keep Blacks in slavery should be honoured in memory.
LL Cool J is an odd choice: unlike many rappers he has never done a song on racism before. Far from challenging Paisley or his White listeners, Cool J pushes White racist tropes – “Get over it!”, “Blacks are just as racist!” – and supports Paisley’s innocence in wearing the Confederate flag.
Cool J has drunk the Kool-Aid. Not surprising since he is a Black Republican who supported Mitt Romney for president.
Paisley sings of the White South:
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn’t start this nation
We’re still pickin’ up the pieces, walkin’ on eggshells, fightin’ over yesterday
And caught between Southern pride and Southern blame
Brad Paisley is a well-meaning White: He thinks he means well, he thinks he is not racist – and yet when faced with the racism of his own actions, like wearing the Confederate flag, he defends it. He does not question himself or current White Southern opinion. He cannot: that would blow his cover of White innocence. Instead he sees Blacks as oversensitive – as seen in his talk of “walkin’ on eggshells”. And, like most well-meaning Whites, he puts racism mostly in the past – “fightin’ over yesterday” – instead of right here, right now, in himself and his (mostly White) listeners.
Preserving Paisley’s sense of White innocence is so important that we must:
- Excuse the wearing of Confederate flags, a symbol of slavery and racism to millions of Americans.
- Forget a past that shapes America still.
- Remain blind to current racism (apart from stereotyping).
It will never work. That very need for a sense of innocence is driven by a sense of White guilt. Why else make such a big deal about the past? I mean, if it does not matter and all. The only way to fight guilt is not through denying it, but through making things right.
See also:
- YouTube: “Accidental Racist” – has the lyrics
- Confederate flag
- The song was inspired by the films:
- Tropes:
- well-meaning whites
- white innocence
- microaggression – like wearing the Confederate flag
- “Get over it”
- “Blacks are just as racist!”
- Rented Negroes
- Teflon Theory of History
- The five walls of American racism
“Microaggression.” Can one really take anyone who uses that stupid word seriously?
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Thank you, Abagond, for once again being a beacon of “right” in the crazy, stupid world in which we live.
I can’t believe how many people are lauding this song over those inane lyrics, and how people still refuse to get why it’s not acceptable or appropriate.
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It’s just a lame song. Total epic fail.
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I have no more respect for LL Cool J. I think he has crossed over to the dark side. He is a lover of money.
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This is cheesy like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder Ebony and Ivory cheesy.
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LL Coon J *sigh*
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Can one really take anyone who uses that stupid word seriously?
The question here is; can you be taken seriously?
Now back to the song. What kind of garbage are they putting out today? With that being said, most white people think like this Paisley fellow, whether they are Southerners orf not. This ignorant turd just writes(?) a song about his ‘hurt’ feelings about not being allowed to be proud of his racist history. The ol shuck and jive minstrel Cool Jay just does what the average shuck and jiver does, plays the fool so white who think like Paisley can feel good about themselves. In the process, they make a nice bit of coin. Meanwhile, folks ears are assaulted by their crappy song. Con artistry should be added to these twos’ list of accomplishments! And then there are people like futurodellanazione who get to make asinine remarks on blogs diametrically opposed to their viewpoint. Comical!
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Forgive the typos but I was laughing as I was typing!
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Nothing accidental about being a racist. People who tote around the Confed flag as a badge of honor are ignorant racist. The song is assinine at best. LL Tom trying to stay relevant in 2013, go sit down somewhere. The song did nothing for LL’s rap career, but put nails in his HipHop coffin.
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Another black rapper, sells out just so he can make a few dollars. I tell you, blacks have such a slave, mentality.
We just can’t seem able to break free of white master, we have to beg the white man for a job, home, car, home loans and constantly beg for freedom in courts of law.
The key is for black people to go to college and study business administration, so we can start, run and own our own, businesses.
Stop teaching your children to go to college to earn a degree, so he or she can GET A JOB, just so they can get fired at a moments notice for no reason or because a black person, speaks up for getting looked over for a promotion or a raise, while a white person that has far less, experience and education is promoted over you.
Tell your children to go to college and get degrees in business, so they can start a business. Then we can serve people that live in our own, community.
We will then, be able to hire people from the very community that we serve, then people from the community can flourish financially and in turn, be able to support the very business, they shop and work at.
We need to be self sufficient, that way we won’t need to, “beg” the white man for a job and if he gives us a job, after we grovel for one, he fires us for trivial things but before he fires you, he’ll make your whole time, working under him a living hell.
Black people have the worst, job work history of any people, because its difficult to keep a job for a long period of time, being we as blacks, get fired more than any other race of people in the work place. Black people working in corporate America is a hostile work environment.
Then when we go to job interviews, we are questioned on our work history and have to make excuses on why we didn’t stay at a job for longer than 1 or 2 years. The whole experience thing has always been such crap in my opinion, i mean its built on a discriminatory, system that effects black people.
Many employers say, you need experience in order to get hired for a job, along with credentials but who has all the experience? white people,being they have the least problem, getting a job.
Blacks have the highest unemployment of any racial group, around 14% So how in hell, can a black person, get a fair chance at getting a job, if nobody will hire blacks, therefore not being able to get any job experience?
Say a black person gets really lucky, gets a job but then gets let go for the usual trivial, spit. Haven’t been employed very long, so that experience is pretty much, worthless in the eyes of a white man, looking at your resume.
Then white people have the nerve to ask you, why were you unemployed for so long? are you frigging serious?? coming off as if they don’t know, why you haven’t been working…..
This is the key to our salvation, not affirmative action, which wasn’t created for us in the first place, it was created to benefit, white women.
Sorry i went off topic, i tend to go off on rants, every now and again. ^_^
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The thing is not to have to ask white people for nothing ever again. Start your own business and stop asking them for a job. That way even if, you do work in the white world you have something to fall back on. Buy property and learn how to run a small business like a laundry mat or coffee shop. Something that you do so you don’t have to ask ever again. Own your own home out right and such.
But wait with what capital. We did this once does anyone remember black wall street? What happened? How can we protect our own when we live in a place where we can protect our selves. How many innocent POC are in jail for nothing or young people get shot down and defamed for being just kids. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, but we need a better plan as all black neighborhoods are targets. Think not then go look at how a freeway or bart is put through all of them to break them up and keep them down.
We tried this forgive and forget routine and it didn’t work out. It never works out and so, who now is the crazy who wants to keep with this. LL Coll J. LOL he wants to keep with this because it works for him. He got through and feels well treated and most likely thinks that if, he can do it so can anyone else. Aha to be a token…
I just love how these white people who wear that shit never take into consideration the hurt and anger it causes black people. No worries though you put on one of those I know what you are no matter how nice you act or what you say. It let’s me know what i am dealing with. And don’t pretend that you are ashamed about the past cause if, you were you couldn’t wear it. It is just the same as sporting a nazi symbol.
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Abagond, how can you equate the narrator and the artist? This song is in itself questioning the issue, (I mean “Elephant in the corner of the South”, if you do not see that a hidden reference to the Reps, you have no sense of humor) and answering it, LL Cool J’s reaction seems basically to be: “Don’t SHOOT! Nice gun-owning cowboy!” and that is spelled out in:”But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn’t here”.
If we do take into consideration, that the point of this song may have been to educate some country loving folks, without challenging them, that that flag is indeed a RED FLAG, to people of color, we may think a bit more benevolent about it, nevertheless the sad question is, why not a black country artist?… The break in music style, may just be too strong for what this song is trying to do.
Yes, this song may be too long, too chaotic, too much playing it down, but in case you can do it better, who is stopping you? The white music industry bosses, of course… so don’t blame these artists too much, it may have been the best they could do in the circumstances, if we do assume the intended audience is armed and potentially dangerous.
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“LL Tom trying to stay relevant in 2013, go sit down somewhere.”
– – –
LOL!
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Its kind of sad that he mentions not being able to see it from someone elses point of view, because he’s a white guy from the south……
Really; getting the capacity for empathy and be able to see things from someone elses perspective is what, something most people pick up at least around 6-8 yrs old?
That and it works on somehow not being able to understand what the confederate flag represents.
Like wearing a shirt with a swaztika and not realizing how that would afffect Jewish peopple,.. Its basically just total bullshit, guys racist and doesn’t even have the balls to stand by it.
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Southerners have no other reliable icon to represent identity with Southern white culture which can be divorced from the racist hallmarks of Southern white culture, eg, slavery, Jim Crow, black disenfranchisement. So the Confederate flag does not work.
But, “southern pride” is indeed based on culture and traditions and values passed down from prior generations, which cannot really be divorced from the slave trade, Jim Crow, lynching, sharecropping, forced labour, voter disenfranchisement, etc. They are integrally part of Southern culture and history for both blacks and whites.
The message needs to be NOT to forget about the past but let’s have a conversation about it and see how it affects society today. Segregation and legal civil rights disenfranchisement is not prehistory — It was the norm for half the population still alive today.
You should have a link to your post about the teflon theory of history.
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Abagond, you are not the only person who saw this song as one big epic fail. News sites and blogs all across the board have condemned this song so hard.
Sondis is right when it comes to black people selling out. We can not deny that there are some of us who will kiss white ass just for fame and money. Of course, this is not necessarily a ‘black problem’, but when it comes to the black people in America and the history of mental submissiveness and forced obedience, some black people – most of whom won’t openly admit it – see the white man as the best friend, the real human, the savior.
This is a problem that could take years to cure on its own and with white people still in power, it could go on long after our deaths.
Cool J and most mainstream rappers are slave minded, especially the most thuggishly acting ones. They are not as hard as they appear to be. They would ask how high if a white man tells them to jump. Cool J is a black republican, which is another name for ‘house negro’. Sure the ‘ladies love’ him and his image, but he’s still aligned with the red.
And I won’t even go there with Paisley and his ‘pity me and my love for the white south’ ass.
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Sondis,
The only thing I would add is that I think blacks need enlightenment, a love and knowledge of self, and not just an education, at least not this society’s brand. Some black people get their education and would still end up doing the bidding of the man against his own. Black people need to rediscover themselves outside of the White European-American paradigm.
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@brothawolf
Asians are no less white ass kissers. There should be more intermingling between Asians and Blacks so that together we can rid ourselves of this accursed mentality. Almost all aid workers and volunteers coming to Asia are white.
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Wow … so much for progress. Let’s live in the past. We can’t live in the NOW. Let’s reopen old wounds of our ancestors. I was never a slave and my neighbor was never a slave master. But hey … I might as well keep reminding him/her.
Yeah let me keep reminding my kids, that they’re the product of slavery. Yeah, that instills pride, makes them feel … like slaves.
Yes, racism exists. Always has, always will. Something about how our brains, can’t let go of negativity. Far to many brains who want to live in the past, as if it’s now.
We should absolutely start our own businesses … but does that mean, we gonna practice reverse racism, so we can make White descendents feel the pain of our ancestors.
Yep that how we bridge the gap and heal the wounds.
Shame on LL … how dare he have bills to pay. He should have taken a vow of poverty. So what if he never really rapped about social concious empowerment, but he why start now.
Let’s just keep preaching the hate. Let’s go back to being segregated, that is what most want right? … Seperate but equal.
Yep that will bring us all together.
Great future ahead … reminds me much of the past. Hate. Seperation. Division. Hate. … yeah, we went far. It’s the White Man’s fault … so what if I picked up a gun and robbed someone … the white man made me do it. … So what if I defaulted on my car loan … white man don’t need my money. … So what if I dropped out of high school, the white man made me do it. … So what if my hate has engulfed my heart and mind, it’s the white mans fault for stoking the flames of hate and fear. …. Oh wait, we’re all guilty of stoking the flames of hate. It’s a great marketing ploy … how do we keep people seperated, by reminding them of the blood shed and who did the spilling.
The Haves … will never want to see the so called “have-nots” the ability to be joined by other “have-nots” regardless of religion or race.
United We Stand … Divided we Will Always Fall.
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How’s about some deliberate racism:
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/crime/three-charged-with-homicide-robbery-after-pensacola-fatal-fire
From the article:
“Williams reportedly told investigators that he hated white people, and that was a partial reason for the crime.”
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Just another day on the plantation.
You know, until blacks ALL admit that we have a common enemy and stop making excuses, stop kissing up to whites, stop finding reasons to sell out to demons with dirty, green paper and start realizing that we’re being wiped off this got damn planet by the very beings we aspire to become, we’re never going to snap out of this madness.
I’m tired now.
I’m tired of any and all black people who love their masters. I say, let them go. Let them coon for the white man’s money. One less person to take up precious time, energy and space.
I’ve given up trying to convince black people to “love themselves.” Either you do or you don’t. It’s that simple. And the ones who don’t aren’t worth fighting for anyway. Focus on the black folks who will fight this revolution.
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@ Brothawolf: I’ve seen some of the reviews of this song. It’s been thoroughly trashed on a number of sites.They all say the same thing. That this is a song crafted to make white men feel good about themselves. Did you ever notice whenever there’s a discussion about race anywhere, white men always turn the conversation on themselves and how they feel and who they are?.
It always turns into a personal conversation because above all else their feelings have to be protected so they don’t ever have to face any of the blame or shame that comes with having screwed over every group or race of people they’ve ever come into contact with, gays, women, Blacks, Asians, Latinos and the list goes on and on. This level of repressed guilt and shame has got to create some pretty extreme pathology, which they also won’t ever acknowledge.
I’m not going to go so far as to call LL a House Negro. I feel embarrassed and sad for the guy, that he wrote a song basically apologizing for being black and offending white people. But that’s how such conversations almost always turn.
Also LL might feel he’s immune from the kind of treatment of the regular Black guy because of his fame and money. How delusional.
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det / DjangoTango / Denzel / Claude / Remus / Orange / Q21 is banned for using sock puppets
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LOL, I just got a mental image of a guy trying to do a puppet show with seven sock puppets at once. Two on each hand, one on each foot, one on his head, maybe?
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lkeke35:
abagond, did a post on blacks like LL cool, exceptional Negros.
Kiwi:
That’s rule number one, don’t make the mistake of thinking, you’re a honorary white, expecting for whites to do the right thing by you, unless you are rich and don’t depend on whites for your, survival.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that i hate white people or a racist but i don’t trust them, nor do i believe a damn word, that comes out of their mouths.
brothawolf:
I think the slave mentality, that we are speaking of, comes from a deep need in most blacks in America, to be accepted by white people.
Some of it comes from wanting to be free of a stressful hostile work environment in the work place. Black people want to feel, included in parties, lunch dates and weekend getaways with the rest of the white folks but instead, blacks are excluded and ostracized.
Lets take corporate America for instance, black people have been harassed, ever since we started working along side white people and have been suffering a slow death as a result, health and mental issues have resulted, working with white people.
White people have created a environment in which, blacks have adopted a crab mentality, where blacks feel a need to tear down a fellow, brotha or sista so they can keep their job.
whites have always, thrown blacks, crumbs by hiring 1 or two token black people on the job, ( they do this in the name of diversity ) Then treat them both like dirt, threaten to fire them, so then it comes down to, “survival of the fittest” for most black people in the work place, its either me or this brotha or sista in the unemployment line, so i gotta sabotage another black person, so i can be the last one standing.
This is why, a lot of black people, don’t get along in corporate America, its the environment that creates this mentality, so we look at our fellow sista or brotha as a enemy and not an ally but its really the whites in the work place that are over us, that are the real enemies.
Sometimes they even put a black face in charge of firing other blacks or as a tactic, hire one black person, just so they have something to fall back on, if they get accused of discriminating against another black employee.
Then the other part is just what you said and i have said many times to myself, most blacks, look at white people as their savior. That’s why black women, are on all these interracial dating sites, looking for white men to “save them”. Black men are looking for the white women on interracial dating sites also, looking to be saved.
The white man has done, irreversible damage to black people’s, Psyche.
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AJNC,
How are Asians a part of this topic?
Sondis,
I think the slave mentality, that we are speaking of, comes from a deep need in most blacks in America, to be accepted by white people.
Some of it comes from wanting to be free of a stressful hostile work environment in the work place. Black people want to feel, included in parties, lunch dates and weekend getaways with the rest of the white folks but instead, blacks are excluded and ostracized.
Exactly, and yet, time and time again White America pretty much tells us that we aren’t fit to live among them as equals. They only care about blacks and other POC if they find a way to use them for beneficial purposes to advance whites. Still, some of us (I hate to say) beg for white people to accept us.
I ask myself why should we care about them when they don’t care about us? Is it because for hundreds of years they’ve forced us to love them, to see them as their only means of salvation in a world they robbed? If so, how can the curse be broken for good? I can only say that with knowledge and love for self that is more powerful and everlasting than white supremacy, can there be some hope.
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Hmmm. It seems Hollywood black guys have a really GOOD kool aid . They keep drinking it. Will Smith ” There is no racism in America”, Denzel Washington “Super Republican”, now LL Cool J….They and others have all played into the hands of white supremacy at the expense of many everyday African Americans who are unemployed despite credentials and rotting in jail.. The dems and repubs have a corporate stake in upholding white supremacy. They these black men are in unique positions to help dismantle it as the mainstream media is a a beacon of white supremacy. Shame on them.
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I have no respect for ll cool j anymore. How the f can he say this
.”If you don’t judge my do-rag,
I won’t judge your red flag.
If you don’t judge my gold chains,
I’ll forget the iron chains”
Yeah LL you fool its the ones with that dam red flag that will not only judge you for wearing your do rag but will kill you.Du rags have not been a sign of racism,it is whites own predjudices that will make them assume a black person wearing a do rag is up to no good.What about hoodies,will he say don’t judge my hoodie and i won’t judge the white sheets on your head[kkk].He is pathetic.Comparing apples to organges.LL you forgot the part about them raping black women,the same ones who have that red flag you say you won’t judge,let that slide too.Forgive and forget that guy that broke into your house and could’ve hurt your family.
I tell ya only these sell outs will talk about forgetting slavery and lets all sing kumbaya and get over it.Dangitt other races get to talk about their troubling history but we can’t.
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@StilettoTreeHugger
I’m having a hard time believing you read the post and comments before writing that up.
——
Anywho, LL is a washed up act, its 2013 and he has to approach white audiences with hat in hand, I’m not surprised but a little amused.
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@ StilettoTreeHugger
I agree with Gen. Do you read the post or do you read like two sentences and assume it is talking about something?
I personally don’t dwell on the past, but the issues of today and the issues of today is that this racism and hatred still exists. I was always taught never to forget the past so you can not repeat it. If taught the right way they it leads to a progressive future. If taught the wrong way then it leads to resentment and anger.
It has been taught the wrong way which is why some people are angry and resent imo. It was the white education system that taught blacks that they were slaves and worthless etc. It takes most people college level before they find out the accomplishments of the enslaved. Had that been taught from the start then I doubt slavery would be this much of an issue.
“reat future ahead … reminds me much of the past. Hate. Seperation. Division. Hate. … yeah, we went far. It’s the White Man’s fault … so what if I picked up a gun and robbed someone … the white man made me do it. … So what if I defaulted on my car loan … white man don’t need my money. … So what if I dropped out of high school, the white man made me do it. … So what if my hate has engulfed my heart and mind, it’s the white mans fault for stoking the flames of hate and fear. …. Oh wait, we’re all guilty of stoking the flames of hate. It’s a great marketing ploy … how do we keep people seperated, by reminding them of the blood shed and who did the spilling.”—We are all guilty of it yet…like a charm you took the opportunity to point to what you believe to be things blacks blame on the white man. Who blamed anything on the white man in here?
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This is beyond foul. Are whites going to forget the past no they honor their slaveowning raping forefathers with holidays and statues. With whitewash white pride revisionist history. This fool wishes to remember who pays him. White supremacy because he is a joke seeking a check and I bet they have a recepeit for his ass. Please tell me that robert e lee line is false
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Several commenters indicated african americans dependence on white americans and how economic independence and education might be solutions – ignoring the legal/military issue as well the population density/distribution issue.
The legal/moral/military issue is that most white people benefited from (any many still participate in ) activities that are normally completely immoral and illegal however benefit from a “temporary” military advantage.
However increasing developments have generated populations that have had historically military and therefore moral power imbalances – however the future holds only the options of tolerance and conflict resolution ,as options of continued power imbalance are unsustainable and aggression options are terminal as well infeasible in any practical attempt.
I liked LLcool j’s rap back in my younger days particularly “Bad” and “Momma said knock you out”
Ironic considering how assertive those tracks where compared to his current endeavor.
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You know all those celebrities of Color who seemingly go insane and do something crazy on national tv: Mariah Carey, Martin Lawrence and a couple others. Maybe they should have had Dave Chappelle ‘s courage and just walked away.
He talked about it in an interview once about what was being asked of him as a Black man for money. Rather than caving in and losing his self respect, he turned his back. A lot of people professed to not understand but I bet more than a few Black people understood exactly what he was talking about.
I understood it from when I was in college. After dealing with all the delusion,pathology,bigotry, serious neuroses in a nearly all white environment I had to walk away. For my own sanity. I understood exactly what Dave meant when he did it. He had to if he didn’t want to end up turning into Tyrone but without the excuse of a crack habit..
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Accidental Racist – LL Cool J and Brad Paisley explain Controversial Song
and for comic relief
Weekend Update – LL Cool J and Brad Paisley Spoof – Saturday Night Live
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“(RIP Robert E. Lee but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean)”
Following is a link to the lyrics of “Accidental Racist” in their entirety:
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/brad_paisley/accidental_racist.html
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“That very need for a sense of innocence is driven by a sense of white guilt. Why else make such a big deal about the past? I mean, if it does not matter and all. The only way to fight guilt is not through denying it, but through making things right.”
Well put. As always, your blog remains interesting, informed and well crafted.
I’ve not heard the song but of course have seen the publicity. Neither Paisley nor LLCJ have enjoyed much limelight recently. The joint brings to mind that adage about “as long as they spell the name correctly, there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Of course, Kim Kardashian is Exhibit A for that notionn.
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I find it ironic that Brad Paisley says we need to move on, but he is wearing a confederate flag.
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I find the statement, “we need to move on” by any white person ironic, as if there is something for white people to, “get over” , so there is a need for white people to speak out against some injustice.
Its white people that need to, “move on” from discriminating against black people.
Yeah, we as black people, find it easy to move on with disproportionate numbers of black men and women, getting longer prison sentences, police harassing black people, they are suppose to protect and serve, racial profiling from police officers, 14% unemployment rate, job hiring discrimination, job harassment via hostile work environment, being pigeon held in a low paying job positions for years without being considered for promotions in upper management, i can go on and on and on….
When the times comes, when black people can live in America, without being discriminated against, then we will be able to, “move on”.
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Sondis, isn’t that what LL Cool J expresses by the “chains thing”? I mean if iron chains is more than just “iron chains” judging gold chains should be about more than just golden chains too, your “disproportionate numbers of black men and women, getting longer prison sentences, police harassing black people, they are suppose to protect and serve, racial profiling from police officers,” seems to me to start the real meaning of judging gold chains.
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I find it ironic that Brad Paisley says we need to move on, but he is wearing a confederate flag.”
I think what White Southerner’s fail to realize is that there is a price to be paid for certain sins. The Southern States made a decision to legislate something very ugly into their social fabric. Racialy-based chattel slavery was something that even the Northern States outlawed and objected to. The British renounced and repented of it, changing their laws to forbid it. But the antebellum South continued to practice this form of slavery and dehumanization. And to maintain it, they were willing to maim, torture, terrify and kill.
The price for that societal sin is that YOU DON”T GET TO BE PROUD. Just as most Germans are not proud of their Nazi past, and most Japanese are not proud of Axis Japan. Just like Italians are not proud of Mussolini. When you embrace something that ugly it spoils all else. There must have been some good things in Nazi Germany… maybe they made good pastries. But the shadow swallows the light.
Neo Confederates need to renounce their past, not celebrate it. If they want to be proud of something then be proud of progress, but never feel sorry for themselves because they can’t celebrate their history. They need think only on Black history in this country to shut their mouths.
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^oops. First line of my post should be block quotes.
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LOl its funny how they say move on,its in the past,it didn’t happen to you.Ok for arguments sake.Lets erase slavery for a minute and pretend it never happened.Oh wait what’s this,there was something put in place after slavery called Jim crow,can’t forget that because my parents and grandparents can still remember that.Jim crow was just like slavery,black women getting raped,check,black men getting lynched,check.Only difference was they were no longer living on massa’s land.
Funny how these sell outs and racists forget to say forget jim crow they immediately jump to say forget slavery.In 100 years they will be telling our grandkids to forget jim crow too until their plan of erasing all their wrong doings is complete.Then they can tell us to quit crying.
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King:
In general I tend to agree with you here, but that raises a broader question: given that most cultures throughout history have engaged in practices which would be abhorrent to those who share contemporary morality, would your perspective then impel virtually all people to repudiate their own cultures?
That seems extreme and I’d guess that the the vast majority of people wouldn’t go for it.
So if southern Americans are called to repudiate their history, but others whose ancestors engaged in genocide, torture, slavery, human sacrifice, expansionist war, etc aren’t, then where is the line drawn?
Unless you’re able to articulate a general principle that applies to all people, then you’re open to the charge of having an arbitrary double standard.
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given that most cultures throughout history have engaged in practices which would be abhorrent to those who share contemporary morality, would your perspective then impel virtually all people to repudiate their own cultures?
Randy, you are equating white southerners’ history of championing slavery with southern culture. They can repudiate their racist past without disowning all of southern culture. As a southerner myself(As a plurality of African Americans are), I can assure you that celebrating the confederates and their cause isn’t a necessary part of southern culture.
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Ha-ha.
Maybe the slaves taught the white folk how to make delicious pecan pie and peach cobbler. Okra came from Africa — maybe they taught the white people about that too. maybe that would be some “positive” aspect of the confederate south. 😛
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Ah, good things about the Nazis…
1) They did like ancient native breeds, and did contribute quite a bit to their preservation.
2) They simplified European timezones considerably.
3) They started the war that led in the medium run to the downfall of the colonial empires.
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@ Jefe Mmmm!! Pecan pie!!!
@ Randy
I think solesearch gives the right answer. For example, Germans do not say that they are ashamed to be German, they are just not proud of Nazi Germany. Most of them don’t walk around wearing Swastika bandanas and T shirts. They don’t hang swastika flags in the cabs of their pick-up trucks or sing songs about the good old Nazi flag.
Imagine meeting a german in Hamburg with an SS logo on his t-shirt who tells you that he’s only wearing it to commemorate the good aspects of Nazi culture. Would you think it odd that the Jews in Hamburg found this display to be abhorrent and incredibly disrespectful?
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Germany has outlawed that kind of Nazi-stuff, now if you want to fly the DDR-flag there…
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SMH, I am disappointed in LL Cool J. I never knew he would sellout his own people to write this ridiculous song with some country hick singer like Brad Paisley. Brad Paisley is most likely a closet racist, based on reading the lyrics of the stupid song Abagond posted. LL Cool J is a sellout Uncle Tom being in this song and condoning this crap. We all know MOST White Americans are either closet racists or express their racism out loud. I don’t hate Whites at all but it is obvious that MANY of them dislike Blacks.
@Sondis
Well said, you are right. Most Blacks in America do feel the need to be accepted by Whites to a certain extent, whether they want to admit it or nor because they were taught by their family and society that White is right. And that anything White is better and anything Black is bad. Plus being White in America means having more privileges and opportunities to do the things you want to do.
”That’s why black women, are on all these interracial dating sites, looking for white men to “save them”. Black men are looking for the white women on interracial dating sites also, looking to be saved.
The white man has done, irreversible damage to black people’s, Psyche.”
I especially loved the last sentence because you nailed it on this one! It is sad we were brainwashed to love our oppressors and hate ourselves but that was one of the main goals of slavery though
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“The white man has done, irreversible damage to black people’s, Psyche.”
– – –
If this is true, then we might as well just hang it up right here and now.
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^ True, if something is irreversible, might as well throw the towel in.
Actually, that has happened throughout history.
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“Okra came from Africa — maybe they taught the white people about that too.”
– – –
Yes, for one thing that okra can be used as a replacement thickener for the Choctaw’s filé (sassafras) powder in Lousiana Gumbos.
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Sondis & Adeen,
“I especially loved the last sentence because you nailed it on this one! It is sad we were brainwashed to love our oppressors and hate ourselves but that was one of the main goals of slavery though”
I think there is a name for this. I think many POC suffer from Stockholm syndrome. Until they see it this way nothing will change. Many are still mentally enslaved and captive, yet blissfully unaware of it.
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King:
Why shouldn’t this attitude also pertain to every other culture which had significant human rights violations in the past?
As far as I can tell people who wear Egyptian or Aztec jewelry, to cite but two examples, don’t appear to face the same social penalties as those who wear the Confederate flag.
Shouldn’t they?
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I bet that this song must be high up on ‘Pastor’ Manning iPod playlist,lol. I don’t know if it’s just me but there is a new wave of the old evils coming back. This time it’s under ‘get over it’ label. We are forced to believe that racism against blacks doesn’t exist nowadays, there’s no discrimination, no prejudices at all out there. There is a big rise of closet racists today who like to portray themselves as victims ‘who are not allowed to say certain things. because they’d be called racist’. Well, the funny thing is that they actually ARE racist and all this victim attitude serves only as a means of getting their own way. Then you have black people who put down other blacks and sometimes in clearly racist manner. Anti-black racism with a black facelift. They’re just self-critical,shush, all of you. Well, no, they aren’t, they are RACIST,that’s the word.
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@Marine
It has now come to a point the word “racist” is so overly used that it has lost the stigma. Everyone’s racist so let’s just eat cake. At least with the fools that tote the Confed flag make it clear where they stand.
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@Randy
Not really its jewelry; people could wear jewelry made or designed after knecklaces etc….during the confederate era and people wouldn’t care.
Bit difference between that and celebrating the flag and the people.
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OK people, i have something for you guys to listen too. This video has a interview, between the director of the documentary, “Hidden colors” that tells about blacks, true history.
The hosts are two black women, that have a radio station, owned by white people.
The two black female hosts are sisters, they are upset that a black man, released a documentary about black history.
This is the slave and sell out, mentality that most blacks have, today.
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I’m not going to listen to this song by the way it just seems stupid but… have to ask:
no offense but does he mean do-rag like a black dude would wear on his head like in the cell at night or like a whatever color bandanna like
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Sondis, why in the world would anyone be up in arms about that documentary?
It’s actually an interesting take on ‘Black history’ & the slave / sell-out mentailty. Do you know if these same guys plan to take on the ‘negro slave buck worships and adores Miss Anne’ angle of black history & the slave / sell-out mentality, which is so pervasive amongst “Black people” today?
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V8driver,
The purpose of a do-rag / wave cap is to ‘train’ short-cropped afro-texture hair to take on a flattened wave pattern. LL appears to be bald, and probably wears one (or a hat) to cover / hide his head. Some guys might wear it as a style — I’ve actually seen white guys affecting this ‘style’ — but it is actually a device to help produce waves.
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Fiamma:
Why would anyone be up in arms over, the hidden colors documentary is the question. Did you listen to that YouTube link of the 2 black sisters that host a “black” radio talk show, ( owned by white men, mind you. ) where they were hostile towards, Tareeq shareef, the film producer?
They are some white man’s Negro bed wench, that’s for damn sure. -_-
She even referred to blacks as, “those people” as if she isn’t black herself.
This is the Negro slave mentality, to distance yourself as far from black people as possible, so that you will be accepted by the white community.
About the wave cap, aka Do rag, leave it to white people to make something that has a purpose for blacks to groom their hair into something dangerous and suspicious.
Even the song has the nerve to equate a du rag with the confederate flag. How ridiculous is that? It makes so damn sense, whatsoever.
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@ Sondis
Thank you so much for that. He spoke the truth.
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right that nylon thing well vicki never wore her thing on her head at night and her braids popped out a lot
but i meant as a generic thing a black person would use instead of a ‘gang-related’ symbol ie a bandanna
so it makes it more racist because it’s something a normal black person would wear and not a bandanna so he’s sayin that’s why their incarcerated? i dont know i mean a rebel flag … i guess to be politically correct he’s tryin to call a truce? who knows that is too much overhead for one song
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it makes not sense to a northerner i reckon
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yo i was livin wiith this dutchie (pa dutch) white guy really wackobrain, i mmight add, in a trailer in kutztown, pa out in the corn, and i had to borrow his car one time to do a job, and he had this front license plate that said the south will rise again and had like a confederate soldier and a rebel flag and i was like dude i gotta go to a doctor’s office can i take this thing off, and he took it off but
after i had moved out one time vicki had to pee so we stopped well next door was the corn field but he saw my car and invited us in and after that man he saw she was black and he put this huge confederate flag in the front yard man like oversize…. he always said in florida they fed black people to gators and crap it was just unreal man
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Yeah Sharina, did you hear those two, Negro bed wenches? They just love their white masters! Defending white people, when its not even, needed.
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@ Sondis
I was very shocked at these women responses, but the shocking part is that women think this way these days. Blacks have this mentality and really are not awaken to what is wrong with it. I am thankful everyday I opened my eyes to what is really going on because I can say I would have been just as messed up as those women.
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When black men, lost the black woman to white women in the feminist/woman’s suffrage movement, its been a downhill spiral ever since.
Then after women won the right to vote, they had to use for the black woman anymore, so they said to the black woman, “ahem, excuse me but we don’t need you, anymore.
The black man has lost the majority of black women’s support. Most black women has sided with the white man.
You see this all the time, when black women, attack black men in the media, via ABC and CNN specials on, “why black woman are single” in which they throw black men under the bus on a range of issues.
Did black women forget, that black men are groomed to be criminals, from a toddler? Then rounded up by police, so they can have the next generation of black bodies to fill up the prisons, so white people can have jobs?
Black men have been, forsaken by double agent, black women like these two negro bed wenches.
Guess what they get in exchange for their deal with the devil? JOBS JOBS JOBS! why do you see more black women in corporate America than black men??? hmm…c’mon my brothas n sistas…think now…you see me, don’t you?
Now let me say this to all my sistas on this blog, I’m not talking anything away from my sistas in the way of their hard work, pursuing an education. I’m just saying that there are lots of brothas that have done the same thing but are passed over by these white men, that are looking back at us, during an job interview.
There are black men with degrees in every field but are still unemployed, compared to our black female, counterparts. Black woman are a large percentage in the health care field, where as black men have to field in which we are a large percentage, being industrial jobs are almost, extinct.
Black women are making more money than the black man, because the white man will only hire a black man for a low wage, paying job. Mail room is fine for you, even though you have a degree!
White men are not, intimidated by black women, like they are by black men. Not to mention, white men love women and black women are no exception, being white men think black women are easy, they jump to hire a black woman, so they can, “satisfy a fantasy” of being with a black woman.
Sometimes it just comes down to plain racism as a reason they won’t hire a black man , if they actually, “have to” hire someone black in the name of, diversity” 9 times out of 10, it will be a black woman and not a black man.
These white men, don’t like black men around their white women or want a black man to upstage them in any form.
Another reason why white men, hire black woman, opposed to black men is they know they can get away with talking down to black women, they know damn well, if they try that with a black man, they will get their ass, twisted.
Dang, i went off topic again, sorry people. -_-
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I tried my best to follow that documentary but there’s a lot of rambling and name-calling, and its overall tone is just crazy misogynistic. Its title alone lays ‘Tomism’ in the laps of Black women. There are / have been self-described Black men on this same blog who have tried their darndest to convince Black readers / commenters that racism no longer exist, and that being of low intellect and criminal by nature, all our problems in this society are 100% either of our own making or exist only in our minds. One of these guys still comments occasionally.
Been online 17 years now and have followed this blog on and off for a least 4 years. I’ve seen lots of defending of whites, along with lots of blaming and scathing… absolutely SCATHING… nasty vile foul disgusting lowdown dirty attacks on Black women as a GROUP coming from self-identified Black males.
As quiet as it is kept, Black males during the slave era did indeed bed down both free and indentured white females; and outside of the South Black tradesmen were said to have taken Irish immigrant brides as a step up in status. This philosophy is the very same philosophy that some Black men who only date white women subscribe to today, and will proudly tell anyone who will listen that this is how they think.
My problem is not that he is putting Toms on blast (I’ve done plenty of that myself), but that he is essentially laying Tomism in the laps of BW. Why is it necessary to make this mess, this type of self-hatred, a BW thing when it affects male and female both?!
(This mess of a ‘documentary’ is just full of hatred for women full stop. This clown describing women as not being wanted because they supposedly have “no azz” and “no t!tties” just makes me want to puke.)
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Fiamma:
It wasn’t a “documentary” it was a interview over a radio station about a documentary, “hidden colors” but the hosts, took the conversation, completely off topic.
The commentator’s comments about their body parts aside, its about what he really wanted to talk about to begin with is the real message, that needs to be heard. I just ignored that other garbage and focused on the subject.
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Sondis,
I don’t disagree with his bottomline but his delivery of it was absolutely nauseatingly filled with hatred, not for white racists, but for BW and women in general.
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I disagree, he was filled with hatred over black women and men, that has the negro slave mentality. He mentions, during the video, that not all black women, have this mentality. If you didn’t listen to the whole video, then you missed where he says this, throughout the video.
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@Sondis
You are right! I really enjoy reading your posts.
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I forgot what I was reading but someone made a comment saying that if blacks wanted to change anything, then they would rally together and fight against affirmative action. It got me thinking that why did he not rally against it? Why is it always blacks that must rally. We have no real power yet they always want us to push for what they believe in and refuse to have enough belief in it themselves to fight.
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Sondis,
Yes, every now and then he remembered to include words to that effect concerning Black women AND men, but 99% of what he said was aimed at BW & “N-gger b1tches”.
He could have simply named the thing “Negro Slave complex” or “Negro Overseer complex” rather than having resorted to dragging the image of enslaved BW and BW in general through the mud by referring to white worshiping Black PEOPLE as Negro bed WENCHES — a phrase that is denigrating to women.
Other than that, we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this.
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You’re okay with me Sondis, but please don’t fall into the trap of blaming BW for a mess created by racist white males.
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Dumbest. Song. Ever. The confederate flag is a symbol of white supremacy and hate, period. Some people may ignorantly believe it represents “pride” in southern heritage, but honestly, what is that pride based upon? And LL saying “let bygones be bygones” man, f*k that. I feel like the Jews do about the holocaust. NEVER FORGET. When we try to sweep history under the rug, we get repeat it AND spawn ignorant a** songs like “accidental racist.” No such thing.
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Fiamma
Where did I blame black women for the mess we are in? I am just speaking the truth about how most black women, have forsaken black men and have sided with the white man.
That doesn’t make me love, black women no more or less. I am down for my sistas, the hell with that interracial bull spit, I just wish there were more sistas that were down for brothas.
When I see these sistas in high positions, they look the other way, when a brotha asks them to refer them for a job.
They won’t do it, because they have to distance themselves from the black man in order to stay in good with the white man, slave mentality at work.
I’m obviously not referring to all black women, so there is no need for you to be defensive and get offended.
LL cool Gay is a black man, that’s a shucking n jiving coon, sell out.
I won’t hold my tongue for him, no more then I will for a negro bed wench, that sells out to the white man, that sleeps in the white mans bed and does his bidding.
I keep it real, Fiamma. No disrespect to you or any black sistas on this blog, I’m tired of playing games with people, they need to hear the truth and sometimes, the truth hurts.
It hurts me, when I talk about black people that turn their back on their own race, just to please white people, I get no joy in saying the things I say but they have to be said, none the less.
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“When I see these sistas in high positions, they look the other way, when a brotha asks them to refer them for a job.
They won’t do it, because they have to distance themselves from the black man in order to stay in good with the white man, slave mentality at work.”
– – –
I know exactly what you mean, Sondis. I’ve ran into that sort of thing myself from BW, as well as from BM. Even asked a supposed long-term friend years ago to look out for an opening for me at her place of employment. If I’d waited around for that to happen, I would have been out on the street along time ago.
Went to a particular interview straight out of college, and with very little work experience . Three interviewers: all Black one woman, two men. The BW wanted me for the job and said as much. After my interviews with the men, though, I walked out of the building knowing that I would not be hired. Their reasoning for not hiring me? The job called for an Associates, and I, with my Bachelors, was overqualified; my lack of experience did not matter lol. I could go on and on; I’ll just end it at that…
As I’ve said, we will probably just have to amicably agree to disagree on this subject.
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Fair enough….*looks up as ceiling, twiddling my thumbs. Hmm…this is awkward. @: o O ) >
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I would add my two cents to this conversation, but it looks like it’s swerved off topic. If there’s a future post on why black people blame the opposite sex of the same group, I’ll chime in.
I will just say that if this “song” has taught anyone anything is that this ‘forget the horrific and true past and trying to equate white racism with black racism on interracial terms’ is not working. In fact it’s laughable. Even white reviewers of this song were blown away by the level of failures. Paul Paisley and (sadly) LL Cool J are now laughing stocks producing a song for a failing industry run by overzealous (mosty white) men who want too much of the wrong things to be produced and sold.
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Not really, Brothawolf, the problem is that many reviewers of this song, just don’t do country. People who do review country think about that diiferently, and the real white racists consider Brad the white equivalent of a house negro…
http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/04/06/brad-paisley-countrys-new-rebel-affable-artist-dares-to-ask-tough-questions-with-new-album/
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Randy, what oppressive movements are Egyptian and Aztec Jewlery tied to? It’s hard for me to believe that all Aztec and Egyptian jewelry were created as symbols of some atrocity.
But if you are using those things just for the sake of argument then yes those things should be condemned also.
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No offense, Adeen, I simply don’t agree that Blacks, as a race, are “irreversibly” damaged. It is sad to me that you have no hope for us, because, you see, I myself do.
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[…] Accidental Racist […]
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@ Sondis,
I don’t disagree with his bottomline but his delivery of it was absolutely nauseatingly filled with hatred, not for white racists, but for BW and women in general.
Having listened to the first 30 mins of that video I would have to agree with Fiamma about Tariq Nasheed’s style and approach here. While he undoubtedly has a point about the purposefully obfuscation of our history by white folks….and even the style and mindset of the two female presenters he fixated on….
Allowing such a direct opportunity to talk about and promote a positive and well informed documentary (Hidden Colours) to deteriorate into an acrimonious and bitter exchange on the personal integrities of Black women. In my view says just as much about the mindset of Tariq Nasheed as it does about the types of Black women he is critiquing. There are far better ways to do this…
Which actually surprises me because I’ve been impressed with the people and the delivery of the messages expressed in “Hidden Colours”. Something seemingly absent from his own exchanges.
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Kwamala:
I understand what you and Fiamma is saying in regard to his style of delivery but i am able to, ignore that and focus on what he originally wanted to talk about.
The host of the radio show, drew first blood by going off topic, antagonizing him and making the whole show about, “offending and excluding, white people”.
You can tell from the very beginning, she had disdain for Tariq Nasheed. She had no intention of talking about, hidden colors.
I really believe that the way she was acting, was just as ignorant as Tariq Nasheed. She kept yelling at him, talking over him and calling him names, like a high school girl. She always forced him to, “acknowledge” what she was saying but didn’t for the things he was saying.
She made several claims about what she perceived he was saying about, “white people”, then when he challenged her every time, she back peddles by denying, the very thing she just said, then she accuses him of not understanding what she is saying.
She is a poor excuse for a talk show host, she claims she can agree to disagree but yet she yells and screams, gets belligerent when he accuses her of defending white people, when he hasn’t said anything about white people on the show or in the documentary, hidden colors.
She set the tone, i don’t think Tariq Nasheed would have went in on her if she wouldn’t have been so disrespectful to him as a guest on her show.
She obviously had an agenda, when inviting him to the show, it wasn’t about hidden colors, It was about him. she didn’t like him or what he stands for, his race and his people. She make it clear, that she stands for the white race and her white masters.
I guess you can say, they both were out of line with how they were talking to one another but it was the Host that went off topic and changed the conversation piece.
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Solesearch:
Egyptian and Aztec cultures, as with many others in antiquity, are linked to events and actions which in the modern context would likely to be considered gross human rights abuses, in particular slavery and with the latter, human sacrifice on an industrial scale including that of children.
If the wearing of the Confederate flag is to be shunned because the flag represents a society which committed gross human rights abuses, then shouldn’t the same standard apply to symbols which represent any other culture which committed human rights abuses in their time?
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I really hate how these conversations are derailed by people bemoaning the treachery of black women and how the plight of the black race is on her shoulders. I don’t recall black women having it easier than black men and I won’t go into that because this is not the Oppression Olympics. Actually all you are doing is feeding into the divide and conquer strategy. It is sickening. Furthermore, while you are calling out black women who decide to enter relationships with white men, what about black men who prefer white women?
But, I guess that does not matter because black women are shallow, wayward, disloyal, and opportunistic while black men are steadfast and infallible, right?
It just really pains me to see black men write about black women in such an accusatory way (likewise, it is not acceptable for black women to badmouth black men, either). It comes across as weak and juvenile. This is the image that is being presented to the world.
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@ Randy
I think it depends on a few things. First, there has to be a certain societal relevance to the symbolic the icons. For example, if someone is wearing a Confederate flag bandana in Turkestan, then very few people there will even know what it symbolizes. So there has to be recognition and relevancy within time and place.
Secondly, there is the issue of contemporary relevance. If the issues that the icon once symbolized have been long-amended and far removed, then it will be more likely to considered less offensive than if they the issues are still unresolved and and socially divisive. However, I’d argue that even then they are not particularly appropriate.
And finally, the offending icon must be clearly symbolic of the oppression, not simply contemporary to it. For example, if most Germans (including Nazis) wore a certain brand overshoe in the 1940s it would not necessarily be seen as a symbol of Nazi oppression. The same would be true if women wore pearls, or if men wore fedoras. These are not SYMBOLS of Naziism as the Swastika clearly was.
That is why Egyptian or Aztec jewelry is not equivalent to the wearing a Confederate flag.
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Perhaps overcoming this house negro/field negro conflict behaviour, is what LL Cool J meant with forgetting iron chains.
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Bree:
I don’t know if you were, referring to me as you failed to specify anyone in particular in your, response. So i am going to assume you are talking to me.
I quote what i wrote to Brothawolf, earlier in this thread:
“Then the other part is just what you said and i have said many times to myself, most blacks, look at white people as their savior. That’s why black women, are on all these interracial dating sites, looking for white men to “save them”. Black men are looking for the white women on interracial dating sites also, looking to be saved.”
Now, you can see how i mention both black men and black women, are looking for white people to save them. So your claim that i am, specifically targeting black women is false.
I was trying to make a point, using cases in which some black women, sell out to the white man, like the radio talk show hosts are doing.
LL cool j is a black man, i attacked him just as i did the black women in question. why the selective outrage?
Why didn’t you mention anything about me, trashing a well known, black man for selling out to the white man but when i go in on some of the black women, who do the very same thing, you get defensive?
You see, this is what I’m saying, we as black people, can’t take constructive criticism, we need to own our stuff. what i said, had nothing to do with being, misogynistic. I was going in on black men and woman, who sell out to the white man, it was about that and only that.
Some black men and women will read what i said and take it personal as an attack on their gender, simply because i went into examples and details.
Just because i go into detail about how some black women, betray black men and their race, doesn’t make what i am saying, not true or wrong in some way.
I never mentioned anything about, the black race is on the shoulders of black women, have no idea where you got that.
Far as you not recalling, black women having it easier, than black men.
The majority of men in prisons are black, the majority of men that are unemployed are black, the majority of men, harassed and killed by the police are black.
Black women are the majority in the health care field and corporate America.
Black women earn more than most black men, more black women are in college than black men, Police don’t typically racially profile black women, compared to black men.
I didn’t feel i really needed to point these facts out, being ABC and CNN, does it every year!
So yeah, you can choose to ignore, these disparities if you wish but it doesn’t make it any less of a fact, that they are true.
I’ll say this in closing, the truth hurts us as black people, when we point out each others faults in regard to selling out to whites and other things but the difference between a black man, telling other black women and men about the crap that we need to own up to and whites telling us is it comes from love and not hate or racism.
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I think LL and Paisley are trying to make a dent in a trend that is becoming more obvious since Obama came in– the blatant racism that will never go away in the US because “like breeds like” — white people started it and black people respond to it…and white people don’t seem to get that point:
black people are reacting to attitudes and behaviors aimed at them, their parents, grandparents, etc for a VERY long time and these attitudes have not gone away.
As long as everyone keeps using “individuals” as representatives of a group, this “tit for tat” will never stop (Hatfields and McCoys) but group think is alive and well, and it continues to impact behavior in both white and black Americans.
Considering how easy the “n” word flies out of white people’s mouths when they get mad at a black person just shows how long-held racial views in white America are passed on from parent/family to children.
where else does a child learn to say the word “nig’er” and associate it to black people (and think it’s acceptable behavior) — there was no rap music on TV in the 70’s and 80’s that taught them this delightful word but white children sure said it and threw the word around like candy (I don’t remember hearing white people calling each other “nig’er in the 80’s when they got angry with each other)
Social media is both good and bad: it creates a false world that can impact the “real” world and people’s thoughts. These white racist who use the internet to express how they really feel are just adding fuel to the fire because people forget that these white racist don’t represent the entire group of white people in America.
but everyone reads these words and stores them away to use later as a judgment tool. Black people in America will read these words and look at most white people as undercover racist a’sholes who they can’t trust –words and deeds that substantiate their long held views about white America.
These attitudes and behaviors did not develop out of thin air or in a vacuum; and white people of today need to stop acting simple and recognize that they live in a racist country because their white American forefathers created society into what it is now — and we all are living with the fallout.
I actually applaud LL and Paisley for trying to make a statement but it was a waste of time.
Here’s a few links that highlights individual white Americans at their best (sarcasm) and the reason why things will never change:
http://www.tmz.com/2013/03/26/sean-penn-son-hopper-penn-fight-paparazzi-photographer-video/
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@ sondis
I am not trying to engage in an Internet argument, but I took an issue with your sweeping generalizations of black women and your very specific examples of black men. I am not going to apologize or feel bad for being a black woman or for being one of the many black women who pursue higher education.
All those examples of successful educated black women you highlighted should be a point of pride and not be used as examples of how BW are stepping on the necks of BM and of how BM stay losing at the Opression Olympics. Yes, no doubt black men are discriminated against and so are black women. Why? Because we are both black and women. So we have two hurdles to overcome. And we are still in the same boat as you. This black women vs. black men mentality will get us NOWHERE. That’s all I’m saying.
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Bree:
You’re wrong again, i didn’t make a sweeping, generalization about black women. I always stated that, “some” not all black women have this, mentality.
You just choose to be outraged, when someone tells the truth about some black women that sell out to whites but ignore the statements i mentioned about black men in the same sentence.
Nobody is asking you to apologize for being a black woman or one that pursues, higher education, being i never said anything close to what you are accusing me of. I actually mentioned that as a term of endearment but you were ready to twist that around to suit your, agenda.
You’re the person, who is trying to make what i said out of a “black men vs black woman, thing. You’re obviously the only woman or man on this thread, that thinks so.
several “women” have come in agreement with what i said, nobody has come to your defense. Do you know why that is? its simple, they understand, where i am coming from and you don’t, period.
So i am going to end it by saying, i will agree to disagree with you and that is that.
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Sondis, what has that point you were trying to make to do with “Accidental Racist”, or the price of the tea in China, for that matter?
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teddy1975, if you don’t know, then that’s just to bad.
I am not concerned with the people that don’t know, what i said, has to do with the topic.
I know for a fact, the people that it was intended for, get what i said and how it has to do with the topic. if you are white, then i damn sure as hell, don’t care if you understood or not, being it wasn’t intended for you in the fist place.
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teddy,
Not really, Brothawolf, the problem is that many reviewers of this song, just don’t do country. People who do review country think about that diiferently, and the real white racists consider Brad the white equivalent of a house negro…
I’ve read the reviews myself and each one lists every thing wrong with that song when it comes to race issues. It didn’t have anything to do with it being a country song. It had everything to do with the lyrics.
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@sondis
Fiamma & Bree disagreed w/you. Kwamla also disagreed w/the hate towards women. Brotha Wolfe declined to comment at this time.
Who agreed w/you?
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temple:
You’re wrong, nobody disagreed with what i was trying to say. Far as disagreeing with hating women, that is another matter. Nowhere did i speak in a manner in which i was hating any black women.
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Kwamla was referring to how, Tariq Nasheed was coming off to the host of the show, he didn’t disagree with me, being i didn’t say anything for him to disagree with.
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@Fiamma
I never said that it was irreversible damage done to Blacks.. SONDIS said that. I was just quoting what he said. I never said that but I DID agree with him because it is true.
What Sondis and I were talking about was the psychological and emotional damage done to us during slavery will never go away because MANY Blacks still have the light skin vs dark skin mentality. Or side with Whites over their own Black people to assimilate in this racist society. That was what Sondis and I was talking about.
However, economic wise, Blacks could be on the same economic, social and political level as Whites as long as we stick together and build our own businesses.
I never said there was no hope for my race, I was simply telling the truth. Many Blacks still hate themselves and feel that everything White is better. I see it everyday when I walk inside my school. Most of the Blacks that live in my small town are ignorant and haven’t gone anywhere.
I don’t have any hope for them but I have hope for other Black people though.
No, I am not originally from a small town but from NYC but moved to the small town 8 years ago.
I guess you didn’t read the posts properly.
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Adeen:
Thank you for setting the record, straight. You understood, where i was coming from, just telling the truth is all. Some people can’t face the truth sometimes.
Its coming from true love for my black people, sometimes you have to hurt some feelings, to wake black people up.
I’m done, time to get back on topic.
The song is a joke and not to be taken, seriously. I see it as a Saturday night live, parody. This is the only way to really see the song.
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This is where the slave mentality comes from, slavery.
Watch this people, i would never steer you wrong, black people.
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@Sondis
Exactly! I agree! I am so sick of seeing brainwashed Blacks siding with Whites and selling us out! I am sick of the ignorant Black people who put each other down because they hate themselves and want to be White! I am so sick and tired of the slave mentality I see in my own race of people.
”Its coming from true love for my black people, sometimes you have to hurt some feelings, to wake black people up.”
Well said. I love my own Black people too and they know and deserve to hear the truth. The White man doesn’t like or even care about us Blacks. They see us as inferior in everyway possible and see us as n words and coons. In fact, most White American are racist whether they realize it or not. Most of their racism is subtle and a lot of them don’t realize it either.
Why side with people who aren’t in your best interests? is a question I have for sellout Blacks.
I am so disappointed in this sellout coon LL Cool J for collaborating with Brad Paisley to sing this stupid song. It just shows how low he will go to get approval from racist White AmeriKKKa.
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Adeen:
Right on, sista! ^_^ I don’t think we will make it as a people, until we come back together as a community, like were before the 60’s.
There is no way, black men can do it without the black woman or black women can do it without the black man. That is why i say, there is no hope for us as a people, unless the latter happens. It looks pretty bleak as of 2013, my black people. 😦
Something really big is going to happen to black people in America, mark my words. Then and only then, will we come together as a people again but not until then.
Its going to be a very bad time for black people and i think it will be in my life time. We are going to have very bad times, starvation, sickness, deaths by the 1000’s. America will tear itself apart, before it gives equality to black people.
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@Sondis
I agree with you 100% however I do have hope for us Black people though. I believe that us Blacks have the potential to get together and prosper in America as a community.
However our actions and selfish motives stop us. We really need to come together as a race of people to prosper economically, politically and socially. We need to catch up with Whites in this country economic wise, political wise and education wise to show Whites that WE AS BLACK PEOPLE ARE EQUAL!
Yes I have hope but I wonder if my people have hope.
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Reblogged this on The Racist and Unoriginal Anglo-American Entertainment Industry.
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Perhaps all those black entertainers who make it in Hollywood or elsewhere adopt the values from the new social classes they get into? Being a republican right wing black seems a bit odd, unless it is more about the classes than race. They sign in the Bootsrap myth because “if I can make it anyone can” etc.
Perhaps in their minds these questions have become more and more irrelevant because they have moved up in the economical classes, the rich and the not rich, and they are rich, so they adopt the mentality of the rich.
In general I think it is very difficult separate racism from the economics and social policies. We are seeing the rise of the neo fascist movements and racism all over Europe as a result of the implementation of the US style social policies right now. So they really do walk hand in hand. In case anyone suspects this, just take a look what is happening in Greece right now. Or in Hungary.
So when LL Cool J is looking at the confederate flag with the same attitude as the white guy, he is actually looking at it from the point of view of a rich guy. For him it really does not mean a thing. And since absolute majority of the rich are white right wing conservatives, their view point is also like that. “Get over it”. “Stop whining” etc.
Just a thought.
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Good points (as usual) Sam.
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“bed wench”?
There were some other posters who came on here recently with elaborate political analysis and who stated interracial relationships were wrong for black people….
And Im curious about Tariq’s film, but, halfway through, he implicates bi racial people as irrelavant to “blackness”…interestingly at about 1:50:00 he states he has dated white women so its not about saying interracial dating is bad for him (?)….but, it should be noted to anyone in an interracial relationship, or who is bi or tri racial, or anyone that isnt against interracial relationships or thinking about posibly dating interracial, that there are people out there, white and black, who just dont like it, who are consumed by their resentments, and , sometimes, as was demonstrated by some of these commentators, who are against interracial dating , that it is happening in their own families…
Bi racial people shouldnt be surprised that there are people who say they just dont count…in any race…and, that , yes,there is a need to hone a defence inside against this kind of thinking, mostly to understand that it is insignificant to most of their day to day life , but, that it does exist out there and every so often will raise its ugly head…and that most of the time it descends into “national enquirey celebrity interracial resentment gossip”, because they only mostly keep refering to celebrities as the examples
Ill tell you this, if anyone came to my wifes 3 or 4 sisters who have married white men, and started running this crap anywhere in their viscinity, they would crack a frying pan upside their head in an interracial minute
my gosh, there are much more pressing issues about racism in society than “the bed wench”…if that is all some people can rant about, they ought to come down to Brazil, where the battle for racial equality is in serious struggle, not hung up on interracial dating
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Sondis,
It is very clear that you have a problem with some black woman (BW that sleep with WM) which is why you derailed the post atleast this is how I read it. I read your comments and you constructed your words so that the BW would have to put herself on the defensive for sleeping with WM, having good jobs, obtaining a education, etc. Nothing you have said about BW in my opinion as Bree stated was anything we should be ashamed of, but you write it as though we should.
I can understand some of what you say if it is on a deeper level than how you wrote it. I agree that some POC have a slave mentality more like Stockholm syndrome but your comments seemed more like a BW rant nothing constructive or productive to gain from this.
B.R I agree there are far more important issues that we have to worry about like why Monsanto is poisining ou food for instance. The more we allow ourselves to divide over things the easier it is to conquer people. Unite stop finding simple “Bed Wench” pathetic reasons to divide and then using them as tools to further divide us.
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@Legion
”Cool J’s body language in Aba’s photo is disturbing. The body language seems submissive and fawning. Paisley has a commanding solid posture”
I agree with you. I believe that LL Cool J stoop this low to be accepted by the racist White media. Sad to say but I grew up listening to his music and enjoyed it. It is so sad that LL Cool J stooped so low.
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I’m trying really hard not to pass judgement on blacks who reject blacks. Are there blacks who do this for the approval of whites? Yes but there are a lot of other reasons someone may choose to reject the members of their own race.
Ive met whites who wont have anything to do with other white people and only seek out POC to be friends. When I learn about some of their personal experiences I could see how rejection would be a natural response.
I even went through a period of rejection of members of my own race because of the experiences I had gone through although I never made the delusional leap to honorary whiteness. I didn’t get that far. But because of our neuroses and pathologies we go through this period of ostracizing black people we feel don’t fit out personal criteria of blackness which is what happened in my case. Apparently I was not following the rules and so was pushed away by people who had very narrow views of what it means to be black. It took me years to figure out that the pathology wasn’t mine. It was theirs and I had adopted and responded to it. I’m a lot better at making black friends but my point is that we don’t know anything about someones personal experiences.
We cant just throw the words coconut, oreo, and uncle tom at these people just because they are not performing blackness to our standards or meeting our personal criteria and the same goes for LL.
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I wanted to wait a bit before addressing a concern of mine in regards to LL and this song. As is demonstrated by my discussion with Randy upthread, I don’t agree with the sentiments of this song and don’t believe that the wearing of the confederate flag is an acceptable point of pride for Southern Whites on any level. However, I also don’t want to use this single incident to attempt to redefine LL as a person, or a performer. Even though I disagree with him on this, I feel that we truly must develop more tolerance for disagreement within the Black American community.
First, I think that we need to understand that everyone within the Black community is not uniformly aware when it comes to race politics. People are at different places in their understandings and in their experiences. Few people seem to realize how undereducated many entertainers are. BUT BEING UNINFORMED OR INCORRECT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING A SELLOUT. A sellout is a person who absolutely knows that what they are doing is wrong but does it because they are being paid to ignore their conscience. But it is unfair to assume that every time someone acts in a way that you don’t agree with that they are “selling out” for personal gain.
But even if we had an extended argument with LL and he still didn’t see things our way, it still doesn’t mean that he’s a “Coon,” a “Tom,” an “Oreo” or a “Lapdog.” Surprising as it may sound, but LL Cool J can actually hold an opinion, as a Black man, that is different than our opinion and still be a legitimate Black man. He need not be taking that position to get in with White people. He need not be taking that position because he’s run out of money. He need not be taking that position because he’s become desperate to be relevant. All of those are rationalizations used to cast his motivations in a bad light and thus impugn his choices because they are different than what you believe.
As hard as it may seem, the correct reaction is to disagree with this particular choice without condemning him as a person or as a Black man. We aren’t all in the same place, and we don’t all have to agree on everything. UNITY is not everyone thinking the same way. UNITY is being able to put aside your own pride and opinion to grasp the hand of a person who may not see things exactly as you do.
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Oops! Looks like lkeke wrote and posted just about the same thing as I was writing my post.
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King,
Typically, when a white person is incorrect on race issues they are called a racist, a black person an uncle tom or coon. So, if it isn’t proper for us to label a black person an uncle tom or coon, is it also improper to label whites as racist? Should we say they are incorrect, also?
I’m learning that labeling is generally a bad practice, because it implies this is inherently who you are and you can’t change; instead of putting the emphasis on the behavior which can be changed.
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@ solesearch
I would say that if a White person does one thing that I regard to be racially motivated, then I personally wouldn’t call that person a racist. If a person demonstrates that this is their consistent belief, then I’d call them a racist.
Everyone is likely to be incorrect on a race issue from time to time.
However, to give you an example, I don’t consider Black people to be “Coons” if they happen to be Republicans, or are socially or fiscally conservative, on some issues. But, if they are giving clear evidence that they buy into anti-Black racism, then I would call them a racist. If a Black politician is caught clearly selling his influence or support in opposition to his conscience or his publicly held positions, then I’d call him a sellout.
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Indeed, we might need to address what we mean by “sellout”. Some people are paid to ignore their conscience (ie, they have been bought), but some people might actually hold views that are different from others or just unique to him for other reasons.
I know that the next statement is straying just a wee bit off topic, but I would like to make a comment about many treat multi-racials. So many times, I find persons who choose to identify as monoracial treat those that don’t as some kind of sell-out or race traitor. But, sincerely, just because someone has a different self-identification method, it does not mean that they are a sell-out. It amazes me how hostile people can become about that.
But I cannot speculate about LL Cool J’s motives or standpoint. Maybe he thinks he is doing something good or positive.
I think the analogy between Nazis and Confederates is good. Perhaps not everything is evil about an icon or symbol, but they were used in evil ways and are still associated with evil behavior. If you are looking for PRIDE in one’s heritage, use a different icon.
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@Sondis & Adeen,
To a degree I see your points. Yet I think we are at a place in the US society where as Black people we are constant evolving. I don’t buy the doom and gloom agenda. We aren’t monolithic so just because there are “sellouts” doesn’t mean we should cast them away. If anything having these various opinions do stretch our own viewpoint. My husband watches FauxNews to keep abreast of what the zombies are really thinking(i.e their agendas). Each side thinks their the right ones.
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But I cannot speculate about LL Cool J’s motives or standpoint. Maybe he thinks he is doing something good or positive.
I watched LL Cool J’s interview with Leno on youtube and in it after saying he “understands the systemic racism that exists” he says: “If the playing field is un-level and you feel it’s unfair, then maybe putting down some of that baggage would make it easier.”
So that is his standpoint. It is kind of vague, I don’t know what baggage he is talking about. My first thought is that he means that our lives would be easier if we accepted this unlevel playing field. That sounds very coon-like to me.
Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG676KRXH9A
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my block quotes aren’t working! That last comment was me quoting and responding to jefe.
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That’s interesting. I took his meaning as compromise. That perhaps in order to get ahead there may be a few things that black people need to overlook about whites. That in order to get into position to solve the big things you must tolerate a bunch of little things you wouldn’t normally tolerate. I don’t necessarily agree but Ive never really been where he’s been either. Maybe he has done quite a bit of that in order to reach what level he’s at right now.( This totally reminds me of Dave Chappelles “Keeping it Real “sketch.) Is that the same thing as selling out? I’m not so sure.
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@solesearch
There are also quite anumber of black people out there that are so caught up in the philosophy of “keepin’ it real ” that they cant go anywhere or get anything done for themselves. If that’s the kind of baggage hes talking about. I can agree with that. Sometimes a little phoniness or keeping it a little less real can go a long way. You know, tone it down a bit.Locks are cool but maybe pants down around your knees is a little too “real ” for some times and places.
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lkeke, what are the little things we would be overlooking?
Also, usually when people talk about baggage they are referring to past events, so I doubt he is talking about sagging.
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For some reason I took this to mean, at least on his part any shoulder chips or enmities that might trigger a person. All the little micro -aggressions that get thrown at us on a daily basis. I used to work with a woman whose husband I knew was a total bigot. She worked with black women all day and seemed like a fairly pleasant person. I was very pleasant to her but I was very wary of her. She struck me as the kind of person that if something racial happened, she ‘d be the kind of white person who would sit back, watch and say nothing at all to help me. I kept her at arms length.
I didn’t take his statement to mean that we should forgive and forget the past. That’s an idea that’s utterly repulsive to me. Although you are right. That statement is a little vague and that was the first thing that popped into my head.
But everyone has a line. A thresshold beyond which you simply consider a persons behaviour to be disrespectful. That line isn’t the same for everyone. Each black person is going ot have to decide for him or herself where that line is. There are probably certain things white people have said or done to him which he would tolerate but I absolutely would not but then we circulate in very different environments.
I’m in the Midwest so I don’t trust any of the white people in this environment to have an ounce of sense about race. In fact I have so little expectations from them that I simply will not engage in conversations about it with them. Not because I don’t want to upset them but because I genuinely like some of them and it would only upset myself for them to live down to every one of my lowered expectations of them. Some things I really don’t want to know about a person. Also I work in an environment where I can complain and be heard if I feel someone is disrespecting me or discriminating against me. I don’t have any idea how things work in the places he’s been.Who knows what kind of stuff he ‘s had to put up with.
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What I mean is he ‘s lived a very different life than I have lived in the past twenty years. I have lived and worked in an environment that will tolerate a certain level of line crossing in the form of microaggressions or disrespect but not too much. Not every environment is like that and you have to decide for yourself how far over the line you will let a white person go before for example :telling that person off vs. initiating a lawsuit.
There’s no way you can go through your entire day seething with resentment and anger at the little bits of crap that get lobbed at you daily. That way lies nervous breakdown and heart attacks. You have to decide for yourself what you’re going to shrug off.
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“Ikeke,
That’s interesting. I took his meaning as compromise. That perhaps in order to get ahead there may be a few things that black people need to overlook about whites. That in order to get into position to solve the big things you must tolerate a bunch of little things you wouldn’t normally tolerate”
Linda says,
I see your point…what you say is true, especially when it comes to work situations. I’m sure all of us has had to deal with a boss or co-worker that we know does not like black or non-white people….we overlook their crap in order to get from point A to point B — because you don’t go to work for friends, you go for money.
I once had a racist white manager who tried her hardest to hide it but she couldn’t (even the Cubans called her out for it) — she smiled in your face while she blocked your promotion or refuse to authorize assignments that she authorized for the white employees.
We tolerated her by smiling back in her face while going around her to get stuff done; she finally overplayed herself and gave us what we needed — written documentation that we took to her boss and his manager (always go 2 steps up the chain of command so no one can act clueless)
Black people do have power in this country but it starts with recognizing that you have to play the game in order to progress because the game was not designed with you in mind.
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Linda:
Lots of black people, don’t know how to play, “The Game” its not like there is a school for how to interact with racist white people at your job. We go to a job to work, not to take white people’s racist insults and coward to them.
The answer isn’t to take it and hope, things will work themselves out, over time. We need to always speak out, against a white racist boss or coworkers, so the next time they, think about doing it to the next black person, they won’t.
I’m not for being passive with white folks, if they are being racist towards me, they will get told old off with the quickness. That’s just the way i am, i am not shuck’n n jiv’n for no white person.
“we overlook their crap in order to get from point A to point B, because you don’t go to work for friends, you go for money.”
Standing up for yourself by inserting, integrity and pride for yourself as a black person, has nothing to do with, not going to work to make friends.
I don’t have to be friends with a white person at work but they damn well had better, respect me. The moment you start with the little attacks and micromanaging me, I’ll be quick to put them in check, just to let them know, I’m not that black person, you can intimidate.
Its just like when you were in school, if a bully picks on you and you don’t stand up for yourself, he’s gonna keep on picking on you and get more and more aggressive and violent.
Yall can cower all yall want but that’s when they move in for the kill, when they see you’re afraid of them, they don’t lay off on you, they put more and more pressure on you, because they get off on making black people, miserable.
I’m being this way not just for me but for all the other black men and women, after me! that’s the problem with us black people now, we are only thinking of ourselves and not as a community.
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Sondis, I am not saying to “close your eyes and hope for the best”.
I totally agree that the best way to handle a bully is to knock him out but the method you use to put him in his place is what makes the difference in whether you win or lose — physical or verbal — they both are effective when used correctly.
As the saying goes, “you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar” — Running your mouth and telling someone off, doesn’t always work to achieve the goal
because once you’ve told off your racist boss or co-worker, you might feel better but you know what you really did?….you just exposed yourself and gave your racist boss / co-worker something to use against you
all you did was walk right into the “angry black man/ woman” trap that they and almost every well-meaning white person in that office expects from you … and they will play that card against you at the first opportunity.
and you know d’mn well that all your “hard work and effort” won’t be enough to get you and keep you on top — it doesn’t work that way and you know this.
young black people need to learn how to play the game just like their white counterparts — why do you think so many less educated and unqualified white college grads get promoted over long-time black employees?
you’re not doing young, black people any favours by telling them to “call out” every single micro-aggressive action that they will face at their workplace — the game isn’t played that way (and they’ll never get any work done)
What you call passive, coward, and cowering, I call “learning when to keep your mouth shut and your eyes open” so that you are strategically placed to take advantage of any situation that will benefit you … the whole goal as black people is to advance in the game that white society has already established.
young people need to learn when to be Martin Luther King and when to be Malcolm X — 2 different methods that work when used at the RIGHT times.
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See, that’s what I mean. Sondis ‘ line is a lot shorter than some other people’s lines. You have to choose every one of the little battles you’re going to fight everyday.
Actually my line isn’t much longer than his. I will and have spoken up when I thought someone was going too far and not just for me but for others, too. I’m not a confrontationist, though. I will try as much as I can to go behind the scenes and to use the systems in place to catch a person out. I’m much more likely to quietly take a person aside and explain what was inappropriate rather than popping off on them. That’s just down to individual style and what you’re comfortable doing and whether or not that person has crossed your line.
In some of the jobs people work, getting labeled as the angry black woman or man can hurt your career almost as much as the more blatant forms of racism. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to tell everyone around them where they can get off when someone acts ignorantand that’s not my personal style anyway. I just prefer a more devious approach.
There’s a difference in the situation that Linda named and one where the person may be unaware they are being an a**. If a person is showing signs that they are being racially obstructionist, sometimes like Linda did, you wait for your moment to strike. Eventually people like that will trip themselves up and I work in a system that has rules in place to try (TRY) to counteract such people. Some people don’t have that kind of system in place and I have no idea how they handle it. How do you handle such a thing in this economic environment? I don’t know. That’s what I mean by carefully choosing who and what you’re going to fight that week, that day, that minute.
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@ Linda,
Excellent observations and advice!
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Thanx Linda!You gave a more succinct version of what I mean.
And thistles back to passing judgement on people whose line is different from years. You may disapprove of what they do but I never make the mistake of just outright condemning them. At least not right away.
Incidentally my brother calls my workplace philosophy “The Way of the
Snake “. He says it’s a legitimate martial arts form .(lol)
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ThanX Fiamma.
Ikeke, I am a confrontational type of person and gave “what for” in my younger years…because of that, I’ve learned that you can’t beat everyone into submission — that’s why I now know when and how to fight my battles.
I work for a very large corporation where the bottom positions are black and brown; and the top is white sprinkled with a few chocolate chips 🙂
getting to the middle is a hard, upward climb that has to be greased properly.
micro-aggression thrives here and the racists are smart enough to learn how to keep it under-wraps… top management only cares about profits, so if they are forced to deal with anything that smells or looks like a “lawsuit”… you better have your paperwork in proper order and plenty of receipts to back it up.
with the scenario I brought up, we didn’t even mention race when we filed our complaint. We emphasized how that particular manager was creating a negative environment that affected our ability to do our jobs effectively, which in turn affected the “bottom line” as highlighted by our divisions the quarterly losses.
we purposely didn’t call her out as a racist because that would have been counterproductive — managers like to protect each other and do their best to portray the complaining black employee as a “troublemaker who is pulling the race card”
I am now in a managerial position and I do my best to watch our for and discreetly intervene on behalf of my and other black staff members but I can only do so much because I still have to watch my own back.
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Does this song remind anyone else of the episode of the Boondocks where Uncle Ruckus does a song with Jimmy Rebel?
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This is the colorblind racist version hahah
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King:
Excellent response.
However, I think you answered a slightly different question than the one I asked. The items you reference might best be called “factors contributing to perceived offensiveness” when embracing a historical culture which was known for human rights abuses.
It’s a good list, but leaves out two important considerations:
1. Are immoral acts ever redeemed by time and distance? Certainly they may retreat from public consciousness, but the nature of the act doesn’t change, nor would one’s moral judgment seem to change.
2. How should the “level of perceived offensiveness” (which you describe) map to a judgment of acceptability for embracing a culture with a history of human rights abuses? Where is the cutoff and who decides?
Let’s consider the examples of the Aztecs and the Confederates and begin with the premises that child sacrifice is morally objectionable and slavery is morally objectionable.
Using your guidance, let’s further say that someone with modern morality ought not to embrace either culture at least within a couple of generations of the historical time period in which those cultures existed.
At what point in distance or time does embracing either become acceptable? Are you suggesting that in a hundred years or two it might then be acceptable to express Confederate pride (but just not right now)?
That position strikes me as being morally inconsistent and having the ungainly characteristic that at some point it’s OK to take pride in something which previously you thought was “bad”.
What seems less morally inconsistent would be the idea that one can unpack the positive aspects and negative aspects of a culture and take pride in the former while rejecting the latter.
I’m not suggesting that one ought to do this, but at least that perspective doesn’t require a magical moral transformation over time.
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Ikeke, I agree that we have to pick our battles.
However, I don’t see how this qualifies as black folk’s baggage. it’s part of the unequal playing field, something that black people can’t put down. These little things, which arent really little, just hard to prove, are white people’s baggage that they place in front of us. They are obstacles we have to overcome, regardless of what method you use.
Reminds of something Malcolm X once said: It’s like calling a man violent because he struggles against his lyncher. That is what LL did.
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I see your point.
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This really isn’t on topic but I’ve been reading through your blog for a while and i have to ask Why do you care so much about white people? Honestly it’s pathetic how much it consumes your mind, Were you bullied at school by a white guy or something?
I was reading a post from last year when you were trying to say you weren’t a racist because you only say “some whites” or “most whites”. That is ignorance in itself it implies you’ve been to every state in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia and experienced the culture when I’m just going to go out on a limb here and say you fall into the 90% of americans that doesn’t even own a passport.
Maybe you should go out and experience some other cultures rather than basing everything you know about the outside world on Wikipedia article’s just maybe you’ll be less filled with hate.
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Correct me if I am wrong, isn’t Abagond a self proclaimed, racist? I’ve read him say it several times in his articles, that he is a racist, towards whites.
It goes to show that white people that visit this blog, don’t actually read the articles, instead they skim through all of them,then jump to post their rhetoric.
Marc, please READ the article posted below.
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Making a song with a whiteman that loves the rebel flag is a snapshot of what’s wrong with a lot of blackmen on this planet…We’ve Turned Into Whitemen! A lot of blackmen don’t wanna acknowledge this ugly truth about us at this time. We’re behaving like the slavemasters that kidnapped our foreparents from Africa. Free blackmen would never associate with foolishness from some confederate-flag waving whiteboy from “The Sooooouth.” LL has drunk too much of the Kool-Aid in Hollyweird, it’s starting to show. Note to blackmen…butt-kissing blackmen are not respected by anyone, stop wasting your time trying to be liked by others.
Ty
realhistoryww.com
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I remembered this wack rap/country-rock song called ‘Accidental Racism’. Basically, LL Coon J was compromising with the racist singer Brad Paisley. How can you compare a do-rag to a rebel flag? A do-rag helps design wave patterns in a Black person’s hair and it helps protect a person’s stylish hairdo while sleeping. The do-rag has NOTHING to do with oppressing a people. On the other hand, the Confederate flag symbolizes slavery and racial segregation. Most Whites say it symbolizes or represents “Southern heritage”. My 70-year-old dad is from Osyka, Mississippi and he doesn’t look at it as a Southern heritage thing. In fact, my dad looks at the Confederate flag as anti-Black. The flag is Southern heritage to White people (and one or two ignorant-minded Blacks). The Confederate flag that’s flown by Whites today was created as a symbol of opposition to the Civil Right’s Movement of the 1950s and 60s. Obviously, LL Coon J didn’t know that part of history. Ignorance is bliss.
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I sometimes think the White man goes out looking for an Asian bride fresh off the boat because he assumes that she has the ignorance to appreciate his racism. Think about it, he runs into one too many white females that are too progressive and goes after the submissive. Then the kids come out all fucked up with fucked views and go on random shooting sprees.
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