A broad tip of the hat and nod of the bald head to Cheryl Lynn Eaton for doing the incredible…being a black woman who loves science fiction, loves comic books (-gasp-), and is sick and tired of the lack of diversity in comics and is doing something about it.
Image of X-Men character Storm from Wikipedia.org
As a former-nerd who grew up on comic books, it always struck me how irregularly you’d see Black Panther meeting Spider-Man (if ever), or Storm doing anything without the other X-Men dogging her heels, and beyond that…who else was (or is) there? So, it tickled me widdle cerebral cortex to read this piece and certainly did not want another day to pass without (at the very least) acknowledging and thanking Ms. Eaton for her creative efforts.
Found this clever short on Youtube the other day, just surfing around for interesting tidbits.
What’s clever about this video are actually several things: what it says about today’s Depression 2.0 job market, what is says about stereotypes and discrimination, and what it says about role reversal.
In some ways, it may be easier to find work for the day laborer than the financial head; but it’s ultimately difficult to speculate on that particular role reversal when I’m not qualified to be a financial head and unwilling to be a day laborer.
At any rate, the video brings up valid perspectives. Don’t you agree?
Image by OtterFreak via Flickr. Tell me a skinny sista like Aisha shouldn't be in an interracial sitcom.
Well, it looks as though mainstream media can only ignore the topic of interracial marriages for so long…so at least we’re tossed an interracial family or “romcom” sitcom from Alex Herschlag/Ellen DeGeneres.
On the matter of Ellen…I want to like her. I really do. I just don’t get her. Would she be as successful if she were not blonde and blue-eyed? A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman who dances and tells bad jokes. Fine. I just wish she were a little bit more funny and more cutting-edge like Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, or so many others. But maybe that middle of the road approach is what’s working for her. Ho-hum.
The sitcom is supposed to be about a Jewish-Chinese couple and their home life and relationships. Obviously, Ms. Cho ought to be involved in this one at least in some capacity, but not likely since Ellen’s already has it.
But I’ll take an interracial sitcom that has the potential to be good over another bland-as-beige one any time.
Here’s the link to the article if you’d like to learn more about the upcoming interracial family sitcom:
Just imbibing the morning energy drink(less acid than your typical cup of joe
Image via Wikipedia.
and actually more affordable) and checking out some random blogs, reading through all kinds of online “foolishness and mayhem,” (to quote Niecy Nash), on the topic of interracial dating, interracial marriage, bi-racial children, and so forth.
Maybe white men could never “satisfy” black women one blogger postulates, or would all “white boys” be nerdy goofballs asked another woman, or could they turn out to be stalkers asked comedienne Sommore (in at least one of her concert films and the rom-com “Something New“), or could white guys not be “tough”enough to protect you asked yet another.
Cover of Something New (Widescreen Edition). Uh-oh...what will her girlfriends think?
Now, obviously, on the matter of interracial dating, we’re definitely for it, but it ultimately comes down to an issue of emotional maturity.
How much of your “free will” is determined by over-bearing parents, society, religious organizations or institutions, peer pressure, or fear of the new and different? To what extent do you as an individual want to be in a mutually-loving relationship and how does that weigh against being approved of by others?
If a man (or woman) doesn’t want to commit or take you seriously or won’t pay bills or cheats, it won’t matter whether they’re a taste of cocoa or some smooth vanilla creme. It’s time to motor.
And if you’re open to diversity, than you have a wider selection to choose from, a larger dating pool, and mathematically a greater chance at finding the type of person who will clip your toenails, make breakfast for both of you, and make you happy in other ways.
So, at any rate, it was difficult for me not to feel at least a tad better (after wading through all that internet dross material), when I came upon this article on (at least some) legitimate reasons for black women to be more open-minded when considering whether or not to date white men (yes, men).
Image via Wikipedia. Ralph Richard Banks, author of the book that's pretty much accepted knowledge, but sistas seem to be in disagreement with, regardless. Is he wrong to ask black women to be more open-minded? What if this cat were white/caucasian?
Stanford law professor Ralph Richard Banks‘ book advocating interracial marriage, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone, unsurprisingly continues to stir up much-needed (albeit superficial and ultimately pointless) debate.
This is not to deny in any way the effects of institutionalized racism in American culture, which is as much a part of America (at this point) as iconic imagery of Uncle Sam and the proverbial apple pie; but to debate the clear disparity in marriage equality and marriage pools available while the problem continues along its course unabated…seems, well, saddening and unnecessary and devoid of simple reason.
Obviously, an online magazine called Interrace is not going to be against interracial marriage or dating; so we stand in favor of it. But we’re also in favor of equality across the board. So, if it’s alright for virtually every other ethnic/racial group to intermarry, why is this an issue for black women? Or is it not an issue at all? If we go by the general majority of reactions to Ralph Richard Banks’ little ditty, black women ain’t havin’ no cream in their coffee, whether the cream likes to coffee or not.
The disparities and scenarios the author presents seem fairly sound and recognized, and the ultimate situation is pretty much agreed upon; so why does there appear to be a general rejection or surprise over the book and the author’s conclusion?
Image via Wikipedia. Stop looking at this picture and read the article and comment on it, already!
Here’s an interesting article on white denial of racism, and it’s especially interesting when taken as an addendum to the little ditty we ran on education pioneer Jane Elliot.
To some extent, it’s relatively easy to see how Caucasians/Whites could deny the existence of racism, certainly when you consider that for the vast majority of them it actually does not exist on a daily basis or as something that must be confronted as a daily obstacle to achievement. So, if you don’t have to see something or deal with something and it does not impact your life in any noticeable way – does it actually exist?
Read this piece from the website LA Progressive, and let us know what you think of it.
Cover of The Help. Does this book, which was made into a popular movie, realistically depict institutionalized racism?
Of course I can only presume to speak for myself in matters such as this, but I have zero interest in reading the novel “The Help” or paying to see the movie “The Help.”
Say what you will of this decision, but something about this much-heralded book/movie combo smacks of distorted or parallel reality marketing to me, like to way politicians are loathe to admit to mistakes while the rich in our society cannot be taxed because doing so might somehow “hurt” the economy or weaken job prospects for the working-poor in our country.
It’s tough to talk right and walk left at the same time and not eventually hit a tree.
Aren’t you more than little tired of these films in which the white person is an all-powerful Force of Good (or good-natured but has acceptable character flaws) and the black servant (in this case several female “domestics” or maids) reveals secret truths through uttering simplistic, hydrocephalic language and pointing out things the Mighty White Force has overlooked?
Is it a coincidence that the star of “The Help” is a blond-haired, blue-eyed white woman who wants to help the happy servants and the author of the book is a blond-haired, blue-eyed white woman who sees herself as helping “the help?”
In “Driving Miss Daisy,” the grouchy old lady (but of course with a heart of gold) forms a life long bond with her chauffeur (who puts up with her senility and grouchy disposition and inability to give even the most basic directions or show overt kindness) despite herself.
In “Bagger Vance” bubbly light-skinned cross-over star Will Smith plays a servant to Matt Damon‘s golf pro and tries to teach him to relax and see golf as a metaphor for life. In “The Green Mile,” Michael Clark Duncan, although a physically massive man and good actor, portrayed a giant man-child incapable of intelligent discourse or adult insight….who was dependent upon the white Master for ultimate guidance. On and on. The white person is on the throne and the black person is a smiling, shucking and jiving but worldly and wise servant (or sidekick) who shows the white person hidden truths and is allowed to do so with restrained and limited hostility toward the Master.
The subtle, unspoken message is that it’s okay for a black person to offer advice (even funny or accepted at times), and they may have some kind of value in the grand scheme of things, but that they may not ever become equal to the white adult Master class, and certainly not overtake that person who represents the group. “The Help,” “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “The Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Green Mile,” they all state this same underlying subliminal message of being less than or subservient to the Master.
And it’s good to see the Association of Black Women Historians not so much as coming out against the film (which simply can’t be done since it has a huge financial marketing machine behind it), as trying to let anyone who will listen (which ain’t many) that both the film and book are riddled with inaccuracies and oversights.
Even the premise of the book/film combo alone causes me to feel that I’m watching a Hallmark afterschool special – that a young white teeenager would want to interview black “domestics” and get to know them and speak for them and could see them as equals. And that the women “domestics” never suffer violence at the hands of the their sixties slave masters…and that not only do they love being regularly debased on the job, seen as second-class less than fully human workers, are depicted with infantile intelligence (like an adult ET/child hybrid).
I mean, could the “domestics” of “The Help” go and get better jobs somehow if they did not “love” washing white babies’ bottoms or mopping white home-owners’ floors or taking out their trash? Hardly. Could they somehow have gained access to equal education as was available to their white counterparts at that time in history and then been able to apply for jobs other than “domestic” (a nice word for legal slave)? No. They either worked as “domestics” or they didn’t work and didn’t make money….. Just too much to swallow (for me, anyway).
It is entirely possible that the author of “The Help” is a sincere, perceptive, and kind woman. She may even believe that her novel made into a movie is doing something positive for society. I beg to differ, contrapuntally so, and have zero interest in reading the book, seeing the Disney-fied version of a horrible violence-ridden chapter of American history (full of rapes, hangings, lynchings, assassinations, beatings, on and on) and ask you, gentle reader:
Do you agree?
Here’s the link to the press release from the Association of Black Women Historians:
If you’ve seen the film, read the book, or have strong intimations on this book made into a movie let us know-but remember to keep the comments based on logic and reason.
The children were told that those with blue eyes were superior to those with brown eyes; and that the blue eyed children would be allowed more play time and receive other perks as well – since, of course, they were not as messy or as slow as the brown-eyed children.
After a little while, the brown eyed children were forced to wear special collars, and were more regularly mocked and derided by blue eyed students for perceived flaws and slovenly character traits.
If a brown eyed child make a mistake or was slow or cried, it would be pointed out that it was because of that child’s inferior state of being. S/he couldn’t help it, because sh/e was just naturally inferior, anyway.
Jan Elliot is a pioneer in what is now called “diversity training,” or “sensitivity training,” before it existed as now know it.
Undoubtedly, Jane Elliot could not teach children her anti-racism instruction in today’s private or parochial schools without eventually having some manner of legal action taken against her-and certainly she has (and continues to) receive negative or misunderstood reactions to what she’s trying to inculcate in (now) adults.
She came to the conclusion eventually that racism and prejudice are indeed taught, but that also, more importantly, that what can be taught can also be un-taught…at least to some extent.
Of course, “un-learning” (to paraphrase George W. Bush) racism takes time. Lots of time. And she’s a strong-willed, conscientious educator for continuing her mission.
If you’d like to learn more about Jane Elliot’s experiences in teaching “anti-racism” and how she does it, take some time to watch these truly eye-opening (pun intended) videos to get the proverbial ball rolling:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Frontline’s “A Class Divided” episode featuring Jane Elliot and her classes/training shows all 3 videos in one website, that also has teaching note and a great interview with Jane Elliot:
The ABC television program, “What Would You Do?” brought up the potentially inflammatory issues of interracial adoption on a past program (which I think is a component of ABC’s “Dateline” or “Nightline” programs), and the reactions of members of the general public are interesting-largely due to their supportive nature.
Here is part one, from YouTube, followed by part two, and then the third video is of a family that actually had to endure the reactions of racists and ignorant folks uncomfortable seeing bi-racial families.
What are your takes on the reactions of the public? Have you had similar experiences, worse, or better? Your shared experiences may help others grow.
Anyway, here’s the link/video to part one, then part two, and then the third one based on a “real” bi-racial family:
Image via Wikipedia. Everybody likes big red fire trucks.
According to a news piece from the “New York Daily News,” online at http://www.NYDailyNews.com, dated August 16th, 2011, writer Oren Yaniv wrote an interesting article in which former Vulcan Society President Paul Washington says that racism is rampant in the FDNY.
Below is a link to that article. And if you look just a little further below that link, in the Related articles section, you’ll see some links to other articles about the FDNY and allegations of racism:
Interrace Today.com is the new home of Interrace Magazine and remains the internet's only website for interracial and multicultural news, resources, help and support resources, interracial and multicultural shopping, classifieds, business listings and much more.
Who Loves You, Baby?
African American, arts and letters, bing.com, black, book reviews, books, commentary, comments, critical thinking, google.com, interracial, interracial dating, Interracial marriage, interracial relationships, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone, literature, Marriage, multi-racial, online magazine, prejudice, race, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, racial, Racism, Ralph Richard Banks, relationship advice, Relationships, reviews, Same-sex marriage, submissions, submit, Tavis Smiley, Uncle Sam, United States, white, wordpress.com, worpress
Book on Interracial Marriage Continues to Confound
In Main Event, Opinion on September 28, 2011 at 4:05 pmImage via Wikipedia. Ralph Richard Banks, author of the book that's pretty much accepted knowledge, but sistas seem to be in disagreement with, regardless. Is he wrong to ask black women to be more open-minded? What if this cat were white/caucasian?
Stanford law professor Ralph Richard Banks‘ book advocating interracial marriage, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone, unsurprisingly continues to stir up much-needed (albeit superficial and ultimately pointless) debate.
Rather than causing any kind of cultural mass discussions (such as a serious roundtable discussion hosted by someone like Tavis Smiley or Dr. Cornel West), we have an infinite number of bloggers (present company excluded) refusing to read the book (http://www.urbanfaith.com/2011/09/the-intermarriage-solution.html/), debating the book’s legitimacy or perspective (http://www.collegeadmission.com/elect/app/app?service=external/Forum&sp=35999), feeling besieged (http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/news-wire/46823-successful-black-marriages-besieged-on-all-sides-say-advocates.html), resentful (http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/20/3156218/black-women-and-the-angst-over.html); all of them pretty much gauging an already-sore eye in the face of the blatant fact that black women continue to strive forward with a mathematically diminishing return “on investment” so to speak.
This is not to deny in any way the effects of institutionalized racism in American culture, which is as much a part of America (at this point) as iconic imagery of Uncle Sam and the proverbial apple pie; but to debate the clear disparity in marriage equality and marriage pools available while the problem continues along its course unabated…seems, well, saddening and unnecessary and devoid of simple reason.
Obviously, an online magazine called Interrace is not going to be against interracial marriage or dating; so we stand in favor of it. But we’re also in favor of equality across the board. So, if it’s alright for virtually every other ethnic/racial group to intermarry, why is this an issue for black women? Or is it not an issue at all? If we go by the general majority of reactions to Ralph Richard Banks’ little ditty, black women ain’t havin’ no cream in their coffee, whether the cream likes to coffee or not.
The disparities and scenarios the author presents seem fairly sound and recognized, and the ultimate situation is pretty much agreed upon; so why does there appear to be a general rejection or surprise over the book and the author’s conclusion?
Related articles:
Share this:
Like this: