Comments

1. drydock wrote:

   Funny video clips.

   Dickerson (along with some other black intellectuals) is pointing out there is a difference between race and ethnic identity. Obama in his autobiography (from what I’ve read) apparently backs up this point by saying that his life experiences were indeed fairly different than black Americans.

   This observation as shown on Colbert report is obviously not attack on Obama about his “blackness”. Right wing media elements have been trying to spin this as “look at how narrow-minded some of those blacks are” while us open-minded, colorblind conservatives only judge people by what they stand for.

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 11:49 am ¶

2. mtevc wrote:

   “We are all delicious hot beverages.” HA! I love that one too. Goodness, I would love to be a double latte…I love them so!

   Reminds me of a former boss who told me that I wasn’t really black, I was more like a cafe au lait…or possibly a mocha latte with lots of cream. (REAL comment!)

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 12:12 pm ¶

3. bertie wrote:

   “Obama in his autobiography (from what I’ve read) apparently backs up this point by saying that his life experiences were indeed fairly different than black Americans. ”
   ================

   Drydock this is where the argument falls apart. It presupposes that there is a uniform black experience. With the increased number of second and third generation African and West Indian blacks (like myself) identifying as black americans, the varying regional, economic, educational differences among blacks–its silly to think of a uniform black experience.

   George W. Bush’s upbringing is not typical of the majority of white folks–(most white people cannot claim to be the son of a millionaire former president/cia head, grandson of eastern establishment senator) yet this doesn’t knock him out of the realm of whiteness. This whole debate silly.

   Unfortunately you have the dual interest of conservatives and the civil rights establishment converging against Obama. Both want to undermine his credibility with his perceived black base. Conservatives fear his candidacy will mobilize black voter turnout and sway a lot of congressional races in favor of democrats. The black civil rights establishment fears that his out of left field candidacy threatens the pecking order and their relevance. Why Dickerson engaged in this is curios–not really sure what her motivations could be–besides saying something provacative to get on TV.

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 1:18 pm ¶

4. Vandia wrote:

   I agree with Bertie here. There is no question that traditional ”black leaders” are looking at him suspiciously. Only time will tell how things will unfold.

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 2:00 pm ¶

5. Nina wrote:

   Dickerson’s appearance on the Colbert show, and Colbert’s hysterical confusion-inducing responses only underscore the absurdity of the “is he black?” argument. As Bertie states there is not one way to be black i.e. descendant of slaves, raised in the projects, single mother household. It is upsetting to see leaders/scholars of color questioning Obama’s “blackness” when these same people called Bill Clinton “the first black president” because his upbringing fit the stereotype of black America. Sure Obama’s experiences are different from a lot of black Americans but so are the experiences of millions of others who do fit at least Dickerson’s definition of African Americans-descendant’s of west african slaves. Is a middle class black man raised in Chappaqua in a two parent home with an Ivy leauge degree “not black”?

   I also find it ironic that there is no debate about whether Obama is white. This all goes back to the one-drop rule of course. If elected he would forever be labeled the first black President, not the first mixed-race president.

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 3:54 pm ¶

6. kim wrote:

   Obama’s experiences were fairly different than most White Americans.

   Not every White American attends private schools, lives (or gets to visit!) Hawaii, attends elite universities, lives in Indonesia, has an extended family willing to do the support work when a parent is in need, etc.

   The idea of dismantling the uniform Black experience reminds me of a little quote Corinne Bailey Rae gives in an interview, found at Rhapsodymusic’s site. She speaks of having people assume that she grew up in the gospel church, and she counters with saying she grew in an everyday “brethren church, very middle class.” She had to throw that class thing in there, to distinguish the idea of the gospel church and its ghetto denizens and worshipers from her experience in church.

   His experiences along the way to adulthood are tinged with others’ highly biased opininon and view of him as a Black person. Read the sections where he constantly consorts with Frank (Horne, I assume), the poet. He is working things out. His things, his stuff, but it doesn’t come out of nowhere.

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 4:23 pm ¶

7. m wrote:

   Parishioners at gospel churches are “ghetto”? Wow!!

   I believe Chris Tucker attends a gospel church in California. In fact I saw a clip of him on PBS standing in the pews of his church as Stevie Wonder performed a gospel song, and they are both oh so “ghetto” and members of the lower class! Yeah, right. This is what happens when people speak on subject matters that they have no real knowledege of. I am not a member of a gospel church, but I have friends who are. They’re all in school like me and far from improverished and certainly not ghetto. Maybe you (kim) and Corinee Bailey should go visit a gospel church before you start speaking off the top of your heads.

   I heard a track or two off Corinne Bailey’s CD. Can’t say I liked her voice (sounded like Macy Gray) or her lyrics (watered down version of Jill Scott). Now that I know she thinks gospel church members are “ghetto” and of the lower-class, I definitely won’t be buying her CD. Didn’t she lose at the grammy’s? At least someone out there still has taste

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 6:48 pm ¶

8. ssu wrote:

   scales of soul!

   priceless.

   should i be worried that putting cream in my coffee puts me at the black eye peas?

   also can anyone tell me who that is below the black eye peas, and above clinton but under iverson?

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 6:52 pm ¶

9. Nina wrote:

   Below Allen Iverson is Don Cornelius creator of “Soul Train.” But below the Black Eyed Peas, I am stumped. At first Ithought it was Paul Mooney which made no sense (as if there is any “sense” to this) but in freeze frame I realized I was wrong. Anyone else?

   Posted 23 Feb 2007 at 8:03 pm ¶

10. kim wrote:

    m wrote:
    Parishioners at gospel churches are “ghetto”? Wow!!

    Alright, because of the time off, I’m gonna make this brief.

    1) You are obviously not part of, or even familiar with, the Gospel church of which I speak, as your opening line, “Parishioners,” indicates. Congregants. The folk are the congregation.

    2) The reaction you had to my words can best be described as the shared reaction we had to Corinne’s words. ( I didn’t ad quotes to ghetto worshippers, which was my bad)

    3) Believing that were you actually as angered by my statement as your words indicate, and therefore that the tongue lashing words of re-direction would have been more severe, I’m supposing that you are actually a regular here at R-, and simply didn’t want to get into it with another member of the community.

    Another funny: The Gospel church- you’ve never (prayed in) one, but you’ve seen one on tv.

    Yeah, she pissed me off, too.

    Posted 27 Feb 2007 at 6:36 pm ¶

11. Stefanie wrote:

    I’m so glad to see acknowledgement here that black people in America (like whites or anyone else) don’t all conform to some lockstep meme. Unfortunately, so many people don’t understand this. Kudos, bertie and Nina!

    Posted 27 Feb 2007 at 7:48 pm ¶

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