Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I guess what I was trying to say with my earlier entry is that I am much more comfortable in my own skin now, than I was back in college and high school. I don't have to prove to the rich, white folks that I am indeed one of them, and I don't have to prove to the poorer black folks that I am the downest of the down. And yes I am aware that there are rich black folks and poor white folks, but I curiously enough, they weren't obstacles of mine growing up. I know that I can successfully navigate both worlds, which is why when that guy at the Wizards game says, "You're one of those niggas", and I can hear that, know who I am, and keep it moving. Altough I did dedicate two blog entries to the subject, so maybe it does bother me who knows.

Part of the reason I was happy that Obama got elected is that it proves that success for black men is not such a bad thing. Rich rappers and athletes are celebrated and struggling black men have this inherent respect, but the middle ground people who achieve success are often ridiculed, and Obama kind of bucked that trend..in my mind at least. My mother and father blazed that same path, but they are my parents so no matter what they did or did not do, they'd be heroes.

Like my main man Sabin said, this is a subject that deserves much more probing at some point.

2 comments:

Jazzbrew said...

This was some good stuff. I mean you could have taken the easy route and talked about Bush getting attacked with a shoe but instead you posted something of value.

Another thing worth investigating in my mind was the other reporter feeling comfortable to blurt out what he did without any concern. I'm not sure I would have handled it with the same smoothness that you did.

Papier Girl said...

it SHOULD bother you that he said that. Ignorant comments like his SHOULD bother all people--black or not. it's utterly sad that a grown man measures his "downness" or "blackness" by devaluing yours. or perhaps he's just a one-upper...and no matter what you said, he's try to outdo you.

You: I was in the room with the guy who threw the shoe at Bush.

Him: Oh really? Well, I actually gave the guy the shoes to throw at Bush.

OR, like i said before, he's got a pinky-sized pecker, and the only way he can feel like a man is to TRY to make you feel, well, pinky-sized.