Imani Perry raises some good points in a recent Afro-Netizen article:
I don’t believe the authenticity problem lies with African Americans. The authenticity problem lies with white Americans. The real question is: Why have White pundits, journalists and newscasters been so eager to comment on Obama’s being biracial and the son of an immigrant, rather than his history of civil rights activism or his long time involvement in African American social and political communities? Does it reveal a desire, among whites, that he not be authentically black (whatever that means), but somehow “different?â€Â
The fixation on Obama as “different†appears to be an effort to exceptionalize him. He is seen as acceptable, in part, because he is considered to be unlike other African Americans, and in particular, African American men, who have been so widely commented upon as a “social problem†in the most prestigious news media in recent months. Joe Biden got in trouble for saying what many Americans are thinking, and that is a much bigger problem than a foot in the mouth.
While there is no particular tradition of African Americans being suspicious of immigrant political activists and leaders, there is a long tradition of African Americans being suspicious of Black leaders who seem to be eagerly touted by Whites as the “next best thing.†Why, we wonder, do people who seem to hold animosity for us as a group, make an exception for this individual?
Good question… Why is Obama being treated as if he is the second coming?
I’m still not drinking the Kool-Aid…
Click HERE to read all of Imani’s post
Hi Nadir.
This is uptownsteve from the Paul Hue blog.
I commented on this thread on Hue’s blog but I just want you to know that your buddy is arbitrarly censoring me.
I haven’ been rude or insulting to him.
Just effortlessly swatting away his nonsense and he doesn’t like it one bit.
LOL!!
Thanks for the info, Steve.
I haven’t been over there yet this morning, but I’ll be sure to chastise him severely. I’m going to a party at his house on Sunday, so I’ll be sure to embarass him in front of his friends as well.
Seriously Nadir,
How do you socialize with this a-hole?
You seem like a very together brother.
I don’t get it.
Paul’s not that bad once you get to know him.
He grew up in a very liberal family. Went to FAMU, got arrested for burning a Confederate flag. Founded an educational program to help Black high school students (that’s where we met).
He is an a-hole, but he can be lovable sometimes. Paul is that friend that I think most of us have who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room (and often he is), but he can be funny and he has a good heart.
If you ever come to Detroit, let us know, and he’ll throw a party for you at his house and invite all his friends to meet you. That’s the kind of cat he is.
I’ll take your word for it bruh.
Just for the record, he’s censored my last two remarks on his blog for no apparent reason other than I refuted his assertions.
What can I say? He likes being the smartest guy in the room.
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