What if instead of the White Default, the US had a Black Default?
- Black history would just be “history”.
- Black English would just be “English”.
- Black literature would just be “literature”.
- Black Hollywood would just be “Hollywood”.
- Black music would just be “music”.
- Black beauty would just be “beauty”.
- Black news would just be “the news”.
- Black progress would just be “progress”.
- Black crime would just be “crime”.
- Black Americans would just be “Americans”.
Meanwhile, White things would be called “White”:
- White history,
- White English,
- White literature,
- White Hollywood,
- White music,
- White beauty,
- White news,
- White progress,
- White crime,
- White Americans.
“White is beautiful” would be a catchphrase, because “Black is beautiful” would go without saying.
Beauty products and colour photography would work best on Black women.
“Flesh colour” crayons and Band-Aids would be the same shade as a brown paper bag.
Actors and models would be mostly Black. Especially hand models. Characters whose race did not matter, like those in “Lord of the Rings”, would be played by Black actors. Because Black is neutral, Black is universal, Black is the default. White actors would only play “White” characters, often flat or stereotyped ones at that.
Santa Claus and Jesus would be Black. So would seven Disney princesses. And, if the Black Default extended to Britain, so would James Bond and Doctor Who.
White Entertainment Television (WET) would be an actual channel, because most of television would be Black:
- CNN would report mainly Black news.
- The History Channel would show mainly Black history.
- MTV would have played mainly Black music.
Because Black is the default. Because Black goes without saying.
Books, magazines and newspapers would be mostly for and by Black people. Playboy would be Black. Vogue would be Black. Time would be Black. So would nearly everyone in New Yorker cartoons. Ivory would be one of the few White magazines.
At school, English would mean Black English (Ebonics). History would mean Black history (Africa and the Diaspora), with non-Blacks making Contributions from time to time.
White History Month would be in February, because of the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln. And because there would be no Black History Month. Schoolchildren would write reports about important White people – important, that is, to Black history.
Standardized tests would be written in Ebonics and assume knowledge of Black American culture. Questions would be added or dropped according to how well Black students did on them – because Black would be the norm.
White violence would be called that. It would not be caused by a lack of gun control or a lack of mental health care. It would be caused by White pathologies, like toxic White masculinity. There would be no Black pathologies – because Black would be the norm.
White people who point out the Black Default would be called racist, because the Black Default can never be racist: it is beyond race, it is that against which all else is measured.
– Abagond, 2015.
Images: Click on images to see where they came from.
See also:
- If English had a Black Default
- White Default
- White gaze
- Hollywood whitewashing
- White Entertainment Television
- White History Month
- “Black is beautiful”
- Language myth #13: Black children are verbally deprived
- The most beautiful women according to Kenya
- Magical Progress
- ethnic
- racial decade – the White Default is not a matter of “simple demographics”. US “mainstream” culture is far Whiter than the US itself.
- #BlackOutDay
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@ Abagond
This is one of those great posts that pretty much summarizes a lot of your other posts.
@ Lord of Mirkwood
There’s more than one real issue in the world!
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@ Abagond
Would their be “Black Savior” narratives? (Please say yes)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziSty_38p6k)
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Fear of a black planet.
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I love the black Barbies
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@King: In regards to the black savior narrative lets flip that and have a magical white person instead of the “magical negro.
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@ Mary
LOL! A “magical caucasian?”
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Not tryna take away from the topic but Teyonah Parris?…….got-DAMN. I had no plans to go see Chi-Raq but I might have to go see it twice now.
But yes, good post lol.
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@A: I have no interest in seeing Chi-Raq but Teyonah Parris is gorgeous she has the most gorgeous halo of natural hair.
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@ A
Yeah, still not seeing the movie but she’s killing’ it.
(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1838895/images/o-TEYONAH-PARRIS-facebook.jpg)
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Wow. Wonderful post!
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@ Mary & King
She’s stunning top to bottom with a rich complexion and also has the nicest smile I think I’ve ever seen.
On one hand I think to myself I’d love to see more Black woman in media that look like her but then I remember how much Hollyweird would put them through behind the scenes just to get the slightest background role in a commercial as a token negress and I think twice.
I haven’t seen anything she’s shucked and jived in and it makes me respect her even more. I hope it stays that way though.
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Just wondering.
Would blacks then be the ones doing Yellowface?
Would they set quotas for keeping Asians out of their universities?
Would they be the ones who tried to categorize American Indians as whites so that blacks would not have to go to school with them?
Would they still be using Native American stereotyped mascots?
Would they still be trying to devise any way they can to obliterate Native Americans and take back their land, even lobbying for that in Congress and the BIA?
Some things would not change even if blacks were the default:
Muslims would still be labeled as terrorists.
They would view most Latinos as “illegals” (sorry, “undocumented”).
They will ask Asians how long they have lived in the USA and where they learned English or ask them how they like “their country”.
Instead of saying “Y’all can go back. We Can’t” they will switch to “If you don’t like it here, go back home.” – interchange the black broken record to the white broken record.
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@ Jefe
A Black Default could be Islamophobic and nativist, but it would hot have to be.
If Black Americans somehow became the culturally dominant ethnic group (like maybe through a Black nationalist state or through Somali Prince’s Black Empire), hopefully they would “know better”, But, sad to say, it does not always work out that way, as we can see from Irish Americans and Israeli Jews. Much would depend on how they achieved power and how much it cost them in cognitive dissonance.
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@ King
I hope not. What a terrible ad.
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^I know! And it’s all about the “Christmas Spirit.”
Those poor brown peasants… they just need to be shown how to be happy.
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@Abagond,
True, but according to your post, whites would get labelled as such (in order to distinguish them from the default). If they label whites separately, wouldn’t they also be labeling everyone else separately too (with a label that is not black)?
If a Black Default could avoid being Islamophobic and nativist, then theoretically, they would not have to label everything not black as “white” either. Other paradigms are possible.
I recall your Chinese Invasion thought experiment where “Chinese” became the American default that everyone else was trying to assimilate into. Admittedly, that do not have to get nativist (as blacks, whites, Mexicans were already there, and perhaps NOT sent back overseas), just put them into ghettos and reservations. But, I suspect they would be just as Islamaphobic as a white default society.
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In a Black American default there might be, in no particular order:
the White church
the Black House/Oval Office
whites are never (or rarely) in charge of Black people
white women are nannies; breast feed Black children
high white unemployment rate
white professions (janitors, chauffeurs, porters, skycaps, …)
white ghettos
white people’s court testimony is disallowed/unbelievable
self-hating white people (i.e. white/black doll test)
guns in the hands of whites are extremely dangerous (gun control)
white dance
white protests
whites rioting
white boycotts
There would be no more WHITE people like LoM trolling about what the real is. The top 1% … yada, blah, blah, yada..
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Here is an excellent post from Alienated Conclusions.
“What if suddenly, instantly, the power of white femininity were transferred to black women?
The answer is clear: Black women would represent value, purity; and based on their natural traits would be worthy of protection and instantly become the objects of universal desire. White women would represent the opposite.
“Beauty tar potion” would become globally popular to get the “black look.” “Dove” would be replaced with a black soap called “Raven” to help exfoliate the skin and bring out subtle hints of melanin.
White female features would be declared violent. Their “jagged” thin lips, “knife sharp” noses, and “harsh” jaw lines would be nature’s way of expressing why men have a natural preference for the soft features of black women. Soft lips, soft cheekbones, and soft, round noses would be proof of natural femininity. Full, pink lips and large, dark eyes would become associated with virginal black girls whose purity must not be compromised. Black female features would thus be said to represent youth.
Straight, blond hair would be considered “wild and unruly” because when the wind blew, it did not stay in place. Women with naturally straight hair would hide their “unruly” and “wild” stick-straight hair in public. The desire for “lightweight hair” that defied gravity would permanently end the use of blow dryers. Keeping one’s natural blond hair wild and straight would become indicative of a political statement.
The anti-aging properties of black female skin combined with soft, curvy bodies would be proof of the overall reproductive health of black women. Scientists would argue that black women were naturally preferred as long term mates and mothers because they were “healthier.” Men’s attraction to women is based on overall health and fertility, after all.
Suddenly, biracial women would be “in” because the hard features of white women wouldn’t prevent the fragile genes of “black beauty” from peeking through. Men would suddenly have the desire to date “ethnic,” non-black women since they would look “closer to black” than blond women—at least they wouldn’t look like white women.
Statistics would equate the fact that white women make up the majority with their “overpowering” and “strong” population. This would be proof that they could handle unsafe neighborhoods. The “strong culture” they would have created amongst themselves would enable them to withstand their lack of protection from predators and criminals. Statisticians would argue that men were attracted to black women innately because they made up a small percentage of the population. “We tend to value what is rare,” they might say.
Men would proclaim that white women deserve sexual objectification because “flat buttocks” allow for deeper penetration. In ghettos across America, men would stand on street corners and yell “Damn! You got a flat ass!” to remind white women of their sexual status in society.
Upper class women would be afraid that their “asses looked flat” since it would represent animalistic and sexual deviance, like white women. Black women’s buttocks, said to protrude farther from the body, would prove that their natural vulnerability made them “less equipped” to handle hardcore sex and rape like white women could.
“I need a strong white woman!” would become a popular “empowering” slogan for exploitative men who rationalized the emotional, financial, and sexual overburdening of white women.
Overweight white nannies would become the “acceptable white women” in popular culture as they do not pose a threat to black female superiority and privilege. Conventionally attractive white women would serve as a sexual threat to black women for single-handedly breaking down the beauty hierarchy.
Hip hop videos would feature men throwing money at “white bitches” bent over in front of the camera to showcase their white asses, eager for deep penetration. Entire songs would be devoted to hatred of “white gold digging bitches” who believed that they were entitled to the financial security in marriage to which black women were entitled. “Penetrable white asses” and “pale-faced hoes” would become the cash commodity for selling entire musical genres.
White women’s “hard” bodies would be deemed more “capable” of fighting off sexual attackers, while the soft curves of black female bodies would become worthy of police protection. White women, despite being at high risk of being victimized by violence and sexual crimes, would not “need” police protection.
Movies would feature black women as the main objects of men’s desire across racial lines while stereotypes of evil, bitter, and oversexed white women would further prove why men of all races simply did not prefer blonds. “We can’t help those to whom we’re attracted,” men would say. “Preference” would become an unconcealed acceptance of discrimination against white women. White women’s anger towards and sadness about the status quo would show their unreasonable jealousy of the innate superiority of black women.
Republicans would ban abortions to protect the virtue of pure, black motherhood and liberals would advocate increasing the number of abortion clinics in “low income” neighborhoods where white women would be the majority. Liberals would claim that white women had “culturally” approved of sexual objectification and were “safe enough” without outside help since they were warned not to touch “in-group issues” with a ten foot pole.
And so on and so forth.
The most important reality is that black feminists would eventually grow tired of being seen as innocent and vulnerable in patriarchy and would fight to erase the commodity of black femininity. “The innocent, submissive, and vulnerable representation of women is what puts us in danger. The rigid category of femininity has contributed to our oppression,” they might argue.
In the back of every black feminist movement we would hear the quiet and dignified pleas of radical white feminists. “But, we do not represent femininity. We are considered strong, incapable of feeling pain, and sexually deviant—but all this has done is increase our likelihood of being in danger. And aren’t we women too?”
As Gloria Steinem wrote, “In short, the characteristics of the powerful, whatever they may be, are thought to be better than the characteristics of the powerless – and logic has nothing to do with it.”
What remains universally evident is that the many justifications for power and privilege are always inherent, always scientific, and always permeate society to the point that they remain deeply buried within our collective consciousness.
Until someone challenges them. “
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@ Jefe
If there is a Black Default there would have to be the idea of at least non-Black. Non-Blacks would be made up of 1 to n groups, not necessarily Whites, Latinos, Asians and Natives.
Even Black would not necessarily be the Black that we know. But the post does assume that Black and White would be pretty much the same as now.
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Remember though – if Black is the new White, then all those half-breed, mixed race, bi-racial, mulatto people we like to claim as “Black” (which incidentally includes more than one frequenter of this blog) would NOT be considered Black at all but White.
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Over time, you’d still end up with enough ‘white’ Black people through albinism, vitiligo and maybe even leprosy who would be forced to migrate to other less-hospitable areas who would form their own groups of outcast Black people.
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i literally hate to be the one to say this, but it is possible, i wake up every day next to my black wife and she is the one who watches tv and well, in philly, there are actually tv stations that cater to black shows, and often i’m the only one white on the bus etc., and idk what else to say, she always says she has never been made to feel bad being black! Plus I’m here every day, i don’t have a problem with it. $0.02
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There is a good song about this topic: All Black everything by Lupe Fiasco, maybe you want to analyze it or something, good article!
I think it’s important to know that, to see how white is the universal for everything. There are so many white people here, who don’t even notice that normale = white, they think normal = normal(white) and black= black(different). They don’t see the racism or more likely don’t wanna see him.
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THIS IS THE MIRROR’S VIEW OF THE CURRENT “DEFAULT”
Affirmative Action for white people has somehow been usurped by Black women, but the Black mainstream/majority hardly notices and couldn’t care less as they vote to dismantle it anyway.
Black parents flee to non-white areas in counties and states in order to secure better neighborhoods/educations/employment for their children.
Sundown towns develop all across America with large signs shown throughout towns warning all Whi%ies, P*ck#rwo0ds, and H0nki*s to get their r@dnek flat azzes out of town before sundown — beginning the downward spiral of the new separate yet equal clause found in America’s socioeconomic contract.
Bathrooms and drinking water fountains are deemed unusable (/unsanitary) for Black people after being used by a white person.
Whites are viewed with suspicion and mistrust. They are lazy, usually up to no good and predisposed toward criminal and immoral behaviors. Store employees follow them whenever they come in to “shop.” Whites mainly live to riot, loot, get on welfare and play the race card in whatever way they can!
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Well then, how would we categorize Justice Clarence Thomas and CNN’s Don Lemon? Would Don be an inverted Bill O’Reilly and would Clarence be an inversion of the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist?
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Reblogged this on Boycott.
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The thing is, it wouldn’t be ‘Black English’ but probably the most dominant continental African language, kiSwahili that would be spoken. Not a bad language at all as it doesn’t require too much tonal effort like Asian languages.
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Malorie Blackman wrote this into existence in her YA novel ‘Noughts and Crosses’ . Set in the UK but very relatable.
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Would black people colonize white Europeans and other indigenous people?
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“Actors and models would be mostly Black. Especially hand models.”
Why especially hand models?
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@ 1tawnystranger
Hand models: When I search for pictures for my posts, White hands are everywhere, visibly non-White hands are rare.
For example, if you put “hand” or “typing” into Google Images, hands that are clearly Black do not appear in the first 20 images that come up.
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Just yesterday a very close friend of mine told me his 5 year old daughter asked him if she and the rest of the family are white. When he said they were not and asked her what she thought she was, she said she didn’t know. After telling her she was black, he gave an example of a Disney cartoon character called Doc McStuffins (who is black). His daughter said ‘but she’s just a toy’, which was the part that got to me the most.
So she basically believes white is the default human and any character of another colour on television is NOT human. Our kids are being brainwashed from an early age and it’s hard to reverse it. This is why I believe that it’s going to be damn near impossible for blacks to truly deal with racism and overcome. I believe this because in Chancellor Williams book ‘The destruction of black civilisation’, he states that, although it may sound harsh and against most black people’s morals, blacks must view whites as their enemy. It doesn’t mean they must necessarily hate them or carry out violent acts against them, but they must be aware of them and view them as rivals.
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@ goveb
I never heard of that book. Thanks!
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@ v8driver
Which television stations would these be?
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@darqbeauty
Thanks so much for reposting that article from Alienated Conclusions. That writer knocked it out of the park!
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@SSD
White people should definitely be viewed as rivals, I agree completely.
With regards to films, I actually make sure my children watch mainly Black films and tv shows.
Just so that they grow up knowing they arn’t ‘different’.
There are a lot good Black cartoons out there with positive messages for younger children.
The African film industry is a good place to look, but there are a lot other places too.
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Black Default, May it be.
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@dorisjean23:
Are you saying we should have a “Black default”? Because I think the point of Abagond’s post was to criticize the notion of a racial default itself — by imagining what would happen if the shoe were on the other foot. Having one racial group be “the default” harms all of the rest of humanity who doesn’t fit into it, which in the extant system includes more than just Blacks and in the hypothetical system would include more than just Whites.
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@ mike4ty4 – And some would still apply the ‘one drop rule’ dismissing everyone from WEB Dubois, to Frederick Douglas, to Booker T Washington, to Malcolm X as being ‘not really Black’.
If we are to believe the Out of Africa theory there already WAS a Black Default.
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@dorisjean23
“Black Default, May it be.”
I agree with you. There needs to be a Black default, *for Black People*. Black people defaulting to Black would be healthy and normal. It is the current White default that is the source of so much emotional pain in the African American community.
Everyone else can default to whatever group they identify with in the human family.
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@ mike4ty4
A Black Default would clearly be unfair to non-Blacks. And even for Blacks, it would narrow their minds over the long run and support racism. In other words, it would be no better than the White Default – only the names would have been changed.
On the other hand, I love this post. I loved making it and love looking at it, and not just because of the seriously beautiful Miss Parris. I think something like a Black Default is necessary for the psychological well-being of Black people who live under a White Default.
For a country like the US, a multiracial default would be best overall:
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@ Afrofem ^^Good points^^
Just as long as people understand that ‘Black=/=Ghetto’.
None of the photos in Ab’s examples show stereotypical poverty influenced culture. The post is not written in Ebonics.
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@SSD
I do agree with you to a certain point. I don’t consider white people my rivals. They are more so strangers. They are treated as suspect until proven otherwise. You will know a tree by the fruit that it bears. You’re only competition is your own inadequacies and fear. There does need to be a Black Default (almost like Black racism is protective vs White racism is destructive and will kill people of color *if you aren’t aware of the danger*)
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“A Black Default would clearly be unfair to non-Blacks. And even for Blacks, it would narrow their minds over the long run and support racism. In other words, it would be no better than the White Default – only the names would have been changed. ”
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I have to disagree with you on this, Abagond.
Looking at the Moors 700 year presence/influence in Spain, it does not seem that they supported racism, or the narrowing of minds. It can be argued that the Moors occupation of Spain was greatly beneficial to the quality/enhancement of European life, which was entirely different than the European colonization/rape of many African countries that would come later.
http://blackhistorystudies.com/resources/resources/15-facts-on-the-moors-in-spain/
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@Uglyblackjohn
To me, the only people who equate Black with ghetto are (internal or external) anti-Black bigots. That means some people of African descent are just as anti-Black as people of other ethnic backgrounds. There are a lot of Black people who need to evict their inner White Supremacist.
Perhaps a Black default could be a part of their 12 Step Program to healing.
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@ Afrofem – Yeah… The whole ‘Acting White’, ‘Talking White’, ‘Think They White’ comments thrown at those who are detached from the ‘hood are ridiculous
In my daily activities I always have to correct people who may be hating on other Blacks because they have more (or less) resources.
I’m not talking about hating on many from the Boulle class (many of who (Or is, it ‘whom’? I’m pretty lazy with language…) help out in many of my philanthropic projects without requiring accolades) but just regular middle/upper middle class Blacks who are the first generation out of the ghetto.
I can deal with the ghetto but since moving down South I’m having to deal with Country Ghetto – which is a challenge.
I retired at 33 and have since set out to try to improve the lives of others but I keep running into roadblocks in establishing a solid middle class here that is not driven by acquisitive and aspirational goals.
I think that’s why I check out Ab’s spot – I’m trying to learn new methods of reaching and teaching people in my current town how to do and be better.
I just left a luncheon today dealing with the philanthropic schedule for next year at which I had to tell a group of pastors, business people and politicians, ‘Y’all (emmeffers) ain’t ‘ish’. And I know this because I ain’t ‘ish’ and I live in the same neighborhood, have more properties, give more back and I can STILL go back to the ‘hood.’ Everyone there, it seemed, was emulating a culture they professed to despise.
Afterwards – while delivering dinners to the elderly – I had a conversation with a group of kids who were teasing a supposed nerd because he ‘thought he was white’ as a group of parents laughed. I knew Crunchy, Big Troy and Duck at the trap house next door and they just sat back knowing that it was about to be a teachable moment for these kids. After the discussion with the kids all Crunchy could say was, ‘Man, I respect yo’ gangsta”. Tron said, My boy John is the only good (negro) I know. All I could reply was, ‘Nope. There is none good but God.’ But saying this caused a discussion on religion. People broke out their Bibles from their cars (Dope boys ride with Bibles in their cars? Who knew?) And we had church on the front porch.
I can only go by my own experiences and what I seem to experience the most is that many Blacks here think that Black=inferior while white=superior.
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Their is no Mirkwood. Their is no Mirkwood. Their is no mirkwood.
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@Fan
The Moors were a fascinating group. According to my studies, Moorish Spain was an open and welcoming space for Jews, Roma (Gypsies), Christians and the majority Muslims. It wasn’t until the Moors were defeated and expelled that the persecution of Jews and Roma began in Spain. Thank you for the link to historical info about the Moors.
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Supposedly, in Moorish Europe, most of the ethnic tension was between the Berbers and other Muslim groups. This is because the Berbers, who had been recently Islamicized, did most of the conquer at the service of the Moors. And, in return, were often given the worst land to settle for their own communities. Ironically, the tension between Europeans and Moors, under Moorish rule, appeared to be rather minimal. Maybe it was because the Moors allowed them to be ruled by their own laws, and remain the majority in their own states, provided they paid the standard tax the Empire applied to non-Muslim subjects. This doesn’t really seem like a racial default of any kind.
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@Benjamin
I was taught that Al-Andalus was one of the most racially-equal kingdoms in history.
Al-Andalus could therefore provide a blueprint for an alternative to the current white empire.
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@Uglyblackjohn
” Everyone there, it seemed, was emulating a culture they professed to despise.”
You hit the nail on the head. They are emulating that culture because they’ve bought into White Supremacy on a deep, almost unconscious level. That is what I mean by the White Supremacist within. They see themselves and everyone around they through the eyes of those who loathe them. The sad part is that many don’t even realize they have this way of looking at the world—-they have nothing to compare it to.
Dr. Raymond Winbush, in his book, The Warrior Method, called that orientation: The White Way. The book is focused on how to raise healthy, self-aware, self-loving Black boys. http://www.freewebs.com/rwinbush/
He contrasted the White Way with what he termed the Gray Way (partial Black self awareness and self esteem) and the Black Way (a full, loving and healthy view of Black people that doesn’t negate others).
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“I can’t believe we have to spoon-feed this second-grade logic to you.”
(That makes at least two of us! YOU should know by now I’m hardly likely to swallow anything you’re dishing out.)
Therein lies the *paradox*. Just because there IS a Black Default, the default doesn’t necessarily require that Black people MUST behave in a given way. It only means that they MAY or MIGHT behave in a particular way. The BD simply means that Blacks and whites have exchanged positions on the race hierarchy ladder. Whites by default now occupy the lowest rung, Blacks are on the highest.
I maintain that the Black Default (as presented) CAN exist – without RACIST Blacks. The BD does not have to be an exact mirror opposite of the former WD to be a BD. If white people in a BD say Black people are racist, it doesn’t have to be necessarily true, even if it genuinely appears to be that way to non-Blacks …
The BD is defined as what’s normal regarding Black people – in the eye of the beholder — just as you have your own unshakable, unrelenting, particular, peculiar, personal default/agenda (pov) that is uniquely different from anyone else’s pov here. This YOU should be able to grasp, but I doubt that you will.
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A thought-provoking post!
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@ AfroFem
You’re welcome.
@Trojan Pam
Always happy to see your thought provoking insights!
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@ Afrofem – I think the author points out facets of conquered cultures (rites of passage or walkabout in the case of Aboriginal Australians) that may be missing from Western (White Default) culture. If one truly knows himself then he is able to see himself in others who may or may not look like, eat like or act like himself. Being different isn’t seen as being bad because each person knows and has proven his own self-worth and it is not determined by those who may or may not have his best interests in mind.
As comments above show, a Black Default doesn’t necessarily mean that ALL aspects of the current culture are thrown out – only that a BD would be different from the current Euro-centric hegemony (maybe even being more inclusive as the Moorish examples given above).
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In terms of American pop culture, it seems that there is a black default. Blacks are disproportionately represented in the most popular professional sports (i.e. Football, Basketball) and popular music. Every American genre of popular genre of American music aside from Country music was created by black people. Young people of all races love Hip Hop music. People of all races root for black NBA and NFL players every week. Young people of all races wear clothing and hairstyles that were originally worn by black people. It is not uncommon to see non-black men having their haircut in caesars with their hairlines shaped up wearing Air Jordans and other popular signature sneakers worn by black basketball players. It is also not uncommon to hear young non-black people throw around the n-word with a soft “a” casually among their friends. Non-black women tan their skin, get lip and butt injections and try to learn how to twerk.
The whole concept of “cool” in America has always been a black phenomena. The word “cool” came from the Jazz scene of the 40’s. Similarly today, most slang in America originates in the ghetto areas of large cities. The vibrancy of the song, dance and costume of Black culture in America has always counterbalanced the rigid over-formality of the uptight Puritanical principles which white America was founded upon.
Although black culture is incredibly influential, black people are often excluded from acceptance in mainstream America in every way possible. Black people have been historically purposely segregated from whites often in economically depressed areas flooded with hard drugs and have a harder time finding good jobs. Black people who are considered attractive in America, particularly women, are usually black people who have predominantly white features (i.e. light skin, thinner noses, long straight or limp curly hair). The black default is that everyone loves black culture without actually liking black people.
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@FearofAMixedPlanet
The phenomenon you described is not a true Black Default, it is merely cultural appropriation. True Default implies power and self-determination. Cultural appropriation is just a costume ball on a large scale. At the end of the night, the party-goers (people outside the culture) simply change back into their own cultural “clothes” and resume their lives in the powerful default position.
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” The black default is that everyone loves black culture without actually liking black people.”
.
@FearofAMixedPlanet
Or, in *another version* of the BD most everyone loves Black culture, wants to be closely associated with Blacks, or join/belong to the Black group.
We are in fact seeing this BD at work – in part – in present day Africa.
All of the world’s major powers certainly want to be associated (on some level) with the bountiful MINERAL RESOURCES/WEALTH that Black African nations possess. A power shift is occurring within today’s Africa (at least I hope it is). It’s moving towards a fuller/broader/total AFRICAN DEFAULT as Black Africans cooperate and organize within their continent.
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@Fan
“A power shift is occurring within today’s Africa (at least I hope it is). It’s moving towards a fuller/broader/total AFRICAN DEFAULT as Black Africans cooperate and organize within their continent.”
Maybe and maybe not. Investigative journalist, Nick Turse, wrote a long and detailed description of the murky nature of US military involvement in Africa and it is not pretty: http://www.blackagendareport.com/node/4844
Here is a link to a map of US military bases and “outposts” on the continent:
“…the bountiful MINERAL RESOURCES/WEALTH that Black African nations possess.” Those resources (farmland, water, minerals, timber, and labor) are the very thing that everyone else in the world wants to loot without paying the owners: the African people.
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@ AfroFem
My neighbor can LOOT my house only if I permit him to.
Africans are wiser – this time around. And growing ever wiser!
There’s a growing groundswell on the continent!
Let’s see if the African people will rid themselves of the corrupt leaders put in place by the western powers to do their bidding. I’m hopeful that a house cleaning will occur.
Aren’t you?
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[…] An earnest dumbass discovers the concept of “minority” and worries it to death. Stupid people tend to have a lot of free time on their hands. […]
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@Fan
“My neighbor can LOOT my house only if I permit him to.”
In post colonial Africa, the primary strategy utilized by Europe and America to ensure that their looting continues unabated is the use of constant chaos. Political leaders are assasinated. Phony rebel groups are funded and armed, wreaking havoc in country after country. Civil society groups that attempt to organize the people are subverted. Corrupt and sometimes clueless leaders are seduced into unpayable national debt that burdens the citizens for generations.
A lot of people don’t realize that nearly every African country set up national health services, public schools and state owned businesses and utilities such as national telephone services shortly after independence. Nearly every country that took on debt was forced into “structural adjustment” programs. Under these programs, public enterprises were systematically underfunded or cut completely. State owned businesses were privatized or weakened with their workers fired and impoverished.
With those pressures on citizens in many African countries, they aren’t able to stop the non-stop looting in the form of illegal logging, farm land grabs, foreign fishing trawlers in territorial waters stealing fish (causing a collapse of local coastal fisheries) and oil drilling and mining operations that steal land and pollute local water, soil and air.
The beneficiaries of constant chaos in Africa are not just the Europeans and Americans. East Asians (China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan), South Asians (Indians) and Arabs are also involved in plundering African resources.
From my point of view, many citizens in African countries are not in a position of permitting or not permitting the looting of their public treasures. They have been forced into survival mode. Survival mode is not a place of power or control.
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@Afrofem
Everything you wrote is absolutely correct.
When America says to another country ‘liberalise your economy’, it basically means: ‘open up your economy to our American companies so that we can extract everything we can from you.’
I studied the Nigerian oil industry about 10 years ago (and I don’t know if this is still the case) but back then, Nigeria’s state had been so crippled that it could not refine its own oil.
It therefore had to sell its oil to Western companies for them to refine it and then buy it back!
Imagine that, selling your own oil just to buy it back.
That is why I believe that African countries should do the opposite of what the West tells them to do.
If the West tells an African state to liberalise its economy, then it should set up protective measures.
If you look at China, they waited a long time before they liberalised their economy.
If a country isn’t ready, liberalising can have devastating effects.
Even after China liberalised, foreign companies that came to China could only establish themselves in partnership with the state.
The state would automatically own shares in the foreign subsidiary.
The Chinese would then study the foreign company and, after a few years, establish their own company to rival the foreign company.
Eventually, the Western company would be surpassed by the new Chinese company.
There are countless stories of disgruntled Westerners complaining about how the Chinese ‘stole’ their business model.
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@somaliprince
That is why I believe that African countries should do the opposite of what the West tells them to do.”
I wish African countries could do the opposite without fear of destabilization tactics like military coups, phony rebel groups terrorizing the population and currency routs.
As long as African countries are not united in some way and have to face foreign powers alone, they will not be able to practice self-determination.
The Chinese learned their lesson a long time ago. They had a plan for dealing with foreign interests long before Nixon “opened China”.
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@Afrofem
Yes, the problem with smaller countries is that they face the wrath of ‘financial warfare’.
If you are a developing nation highly dependent on importing dollar denominated goods, things like quantitative easing – where the US devalues its currency – can send shockwaves through your economy.
The Chinese addressed this by pegging their currency to the dollar. And since Chinese exports were always much larger than their imports, they were never dependent on imports.
Venezuela is an example of a country that did its best to protect its interests from foreign inlfuence. What happened? The US launched financial warfare. Venezuela’s economy was hit hard.
The main problem with the West, and with the Chinese, is that they setup their own subsidiaries in Africa.
African nations need to setup their own companies and impose restrictions on foreign companies.
Once African companies have full control of Africa’s resources, then Africa can consider liberalising, not before.
But I believe it is increasingly starting to happen and that Africa is on the right path.
It is only a matter of time until the tide of history starts favouring Africa.
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“With those pressures on citizens in many African countries, they aren’t able to stop the non-stop looting in the form of illegal logging, farm land grabs, foreign fishing trawlers in territorial waters stealing fish (causing a collapse of local coastal fisheries) and oil drilling and mining operations that steal land and pollute local water, soil and air. ”
AfroFem,
You are describing today’s situation. Tomorrow will bring change. Africa is heading towards this critical mass.
As I said, there is a growing groundswell in Africa.The shackles and remnants of colonization will continue to fall away.
I believe Africa has a very bright future in the years to come. It’s only a matter of time.
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@somaliprince
@Fan
I think you are both correct in saying, “…it is only a matter of time…”.
How much time is the question. I would prefer to see Africa come into its own in the next 30 years. It is both possible and probable, but the struggle for Africa’s true liberation will be a huge endeavor. The global North has fastened onto Africa like a super-leech and is determined to suck the host dry.
But then the African people have beat the odds before….
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@abagond
Bounce, tvone
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Like over the old school rabbit ears
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Idk we just got fios, i have been doing a pirated comcast wifi environment for the last year or so to watch tv, ie havent watched over the air in about a year, but i’m pretty sure
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http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=4
It’s bounce at least in phl
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This remind me of the video: Negrotown.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg58d8opQKA)
White being default is based on four things population, racism media, handicap beauty and selfishness. I would fully understand pride within group to uplift themselves up. The sickness is spread globally and became universe default in the worlds. Promise everything black is low as dirt. Whiteness isn’t pure but more like warlike tactic against humanity through a demonic system from Ancient Rome.
When white shoutout. Black peoin Ancient ple is being racism for marking things black. They can’t mark things white. Learned our stuff get stolen without black mark as ownership. Example: Bantu Knots & Hip Hop
Back on the four objects that keep whiteness into top hierchary. The foundation is build on backs and bones on everybody nonwhite with chains hook around the pillar.
White beauty always need anti behind the beauty to glow. Stars couldn’t shine without darkness of space to help illuminate the light. White beauty goes down to abuse, brainwash and force feed the masses into liking the same flavor. Strongly honest through my years on this planet. White beauty is second best and whitewash aka erase the original copy.
I strongly understand everybody could contain a standard of beauty within their group. I remember the 30 traditional elements of beauty in Korea changed due to grip of being conquer.
I thought this whole default or worldwide beauty isnt pure.
Same bullcrap with nude is default as white skin. When fleshtone colored for all hue of human species.
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Nude Color is Prime Example
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[…] Sourced through Scoop.it from: abagond.wordpress.com […]
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Reblogged this on Mbeti's Blog and commented:
On This bloggers more insightful and comprehensive posts that will be relevant far into the future.
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@Monika
“White beauty always need anti behind the beauty to glow. Stars couldn’t shine without darkness of space to help illuminate the light.”
Monika, thank you for your insight. With that one sentence, you explained why Euro-American and European women are simultaneously defensive and dismissive of African American (and other African descent) women affirming their own beauty and worth.
The defensive reactions include imitating Black women’s hairstyles, clothing styles and even body types without acknowledging or complimenting Black women. When Black women point out what Euro women are doing they become angry and abusive.
The dismissive reactions include criticisms, put downs and name calling. This behavior is seen a lot on Black Natural hair blogs, video comment sections and forums frequented by Black Naturalistas. There Black women are called “fat”, “ugly” and “racist” for learning to love themselves and take pride in their appearance.
This is where your comment comes in, Monika. These reactions on the part of White women and their allies may be so strong because if Black women learn to love themselves as they are, shining with the pride of their own beauty, they could easily dim the overhyped glow of “White beauty”.
I believe all women and all people have their own version human beauty. There are no people who are more beautiful or ugly than other people. What people find beautiful is based on personal preference. Yet, Euro women and their supporters have been propping up a “White beauty” standard on the debasement and pain of African descent women for centuries now. They have used Black women as an “anti” as you called it, to boost the shine of the White beauty standard.
Perhaps it is time they learned to glow on their own. They may not shine as brightly as before, but it will be a more honest light.
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