How Black Is Your Blog?

“Oprah was kicked out of a small Georgia town for being black and assuming she could ‘love’ her way into their hearts. Tiger on the day he was celebrated as ‘the first black hope’ in golf had collard green and chicken jokes told about him. Halle Berry-you always hear how cute she is for a black girl. Will Smith? Well they leave him to the black community to tear down. I grew up with his music played LOUD on the block and thought he was funny and witty. All my friends have dropped him though and make jokes now that that new ‘Black positive’ genre gangsta rap is back and doing so much for the uplifting of the race. And no I’ve got nothing against those brothas either-they’ve got their thing to do. And who can forget all the problems Michael Jackson had just for having white kids in his house, but Pete Townsend was caught using his credit card to access a child porn site and got away scot free. But do what you think is best my brotha, I just hope that when you’re through, there’s some black people left in your box.
Peace and..Out”. – Carlton

Carlton,

Oprah Winfrey got kicked out of a town in Georgia for being black!  When did this happen?  I have got to read more about this!  And just because Fuzzy Zoeller made a joke about Tiger Woods having fried chicken and greens on the menu at the Masters Tournament dinner does not equate that Tiger Woods is suffers from the black condition.  And poor Halle Berry!  She’s only pretty for a black girl.  Who says this?  Don’t tell me, let me guess.  It was all those people who kicked Oprah Winfrey out of their small town.  Dude, you stretch farther than a pair of fruit of the looms on Rush Limbaugh’s ass after a heavy meal.

I didn’t realize you thought I needed any reminders that I come from the black community.  Did you really think I thought I would be completely welcomed in posh white communities without suspicion?  I get blamed when a soda can explodes in the freezer at work when I just happen to be the only black person in the office and you think I needed some kind of reminder that I come from the black community?  I’m sorry, but you really must not read this blog as often as you say.

And why do black people insist that black people don’t care for successful black people?  You really do make a lot of assumptions.

Success is not an automatic exclusion for black people.  But when black people obtain success at the expense of the black community, or black people who obtain success by helping to reinforce the status quo that keeps black people in a second class status, or black people who obtain success by jigging for white people and reinforcing every stereotype of black people, then we have a problem.  It is rather small minded of some black people who claim black people cannot be financially successful and remain in the black community.  Success worked for people like Michael Eric Dyson, Dick Gregory, Henry Louis Gates, Bell Hooks, Octavia Butler, and Wyclef Jean.  These are black people who manage to become successful and maintain a connection to their black community that doesn’t require them to put other black people down or adhere to any racial stereotypes or racial status quos.  It’s just a little more figuring for you to go figure.

There may be some truth in your assumption that this blog doesn’t appeal to the majority of black people in America.  Way too many black people think that success requires the previously mentioned jiggy dancing and the buck wild behavior the dominant community requires of black people.  Way too many black people are more concerned with personal gain and personal appearance than the condition of the black community.  Way too many blacks are more than happy to kick the black community to the curb in order to gain some semblance of success.

Truth be told, I really don’t care if the vast majority of people from the black community don’t care to read this blog.  The purpose of my blog is not to stroke the black community’s ego or simply build up a large following at the expense of what I see and feel as the truth.  I would think that people with integrity would eschew popularity at the expense of the truth.  I beg your pardon but the very idea that you think that I am trying to pull black numbers for the sake of black number is another simplistic assumption on your part.

My blog is intended as nothing more than an expression of what I think and what I observe.  The last thing I want is to become another popular distraction for black people by talking up fashion or music or sports.  My blog is intended to get people to think about what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen to the black community.  Thinking and caring has become old fashioned in today’s narcissistic culture.  The thinking and caring that signifies compassion for the black community is not only dead but is an invitation to be dismissed as nothing to be taken seriously.

My blog is not intended to have mass appeal to everyone in the black community.  In fact, the target audience for my blog isn’t even the people in the black community.  My blog is intended for those people, regardless of race, creed, or color, who care about what is happening in the black community or racial disparity.  I’m happy to say that there are quite a few black people who enjoy this blog on a regular basis.  But then again, I’m happy to say that there are white people who enjoy this blog just as much as any black person could.  I’m even happier to say that there are people who come to this blog and I have no clue what their race may be.  It’s not important.  What is important is that I have something to say and people who are willing to listen to me.

You claim you read my blog on a regular basis.  But if that was true, if you truly knew anything about this blog, you would understand where I was coming from.  Or maybe you were just coming for the entertainment value.  I can understand that, although being somebody’s entertainment was never my intention.  It’s just one of those things that happened on its own.

And thank you so much for the suggestion that I should do what I think is best with what I have to say.  But I have to admit that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Peace