September 24, 2007
-
Acting White
It was reported last week that Jesse Jackson said that Barack Obama was “acting white” on the issue of Jena 6.
Jackson initially said he didn’t recall making that statement. He then came out and denied saying the statement. Here is the link: Link
Where is the outrage?
What if a white person had said that? The news media reported it. But they didn’t go after him like they did with Don Imus. There was no passion. Just reporting the statement.
Why?
The media is afraid to look racist and so Jesse Jackson is given a free pass to be as racist as he wants to be.
Have you heard anyone black or white say anything about Jesse Jackson’s statement?
No. Will you? No. Because no one in the media has the guts to point out the racism of Jesse Jackson’s statement. Don Imus called women on a black basketball team “nappy-headed hos.” He was toast. We all know why. He was toast because he made a statement that some felt was racist.
I had never heard the phrase “nappy-headed hos” before that day. I immediately googled the phrase “nappy-headed” at that time. You know what came up? Black hair salon companies on the internet using the term “nappy-headed.” Now if you do a google search you will see mostly Don Imus news.
But at that time, the phrase was being used by black salons.
The point is not to save Don Imus. He is an idiot.
The question is related to Jesse Jackson and what everyone knows he said. He made a racist comment and he is given a pass because he is black and it is allowed.
The key to fighting racism is consistency.
Was it racist for Jesse Jackson to say Barack Obama was “acting white?”
Comments (121)
Yes.. Whenever they use the race card, they are being racist..
Yeah, that’s obvious. That’s as bad as me saying that Jesse Jackson is acting like a black William Shatner when he talks. You know…what…I mean?
Yeah! He doesn’t get to be excused because of the racial tension in public society. You can’t excuse someone because there colored or not! The media is giving America a bad image because most of those reporters and supreme supervisors are idiots.
– Kare
I’ve never seen you so forward with your own opinions before, Dan.
And yes, Jesse Jackson is incredibly racist.
yes. But sometimes it seems like racisim only works one way… “white people are the only people who are racist”. It’s Jesse Jackson. I don’t know that he has to play by the same rules as the rest of us. ; )
-Dani
I really think that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton do more to keep racism stirred up than to help get rid of it. I think that the comment was racist. As was it when he called New York City ”Himey Town”.
Al Sharpton has Tawana Brawley, Freddie’s Fashion Mart, Crown Heights Riots under his belt.
Yes, it is racist and it’s not fair that he’s not being called out on it.
*Jac*
If six white kids allegedly beat up a black kid what would Al Sharpton and Jesse James be saying then? Makes one wonder
Yep!
:: applause ::
Yep….racist is as racist does.
’nuff said…
Yes. He is making a racist comment to call Barack Obama complacent and… well, racist, essentially.
I’ve never seen you put out your own opinions like this, except through sarcasm. A nice change, but it’s kind of pointless to put a question at the end.
I think he and Sharpton need to shove it up their ass.
Things are racist when they imply the inferiority of a race. Since white culture is the dominant culture in America, Jesse’s statements aren’t racist.
It’s another example of Jackson being consistently idiotic.
Jamesmind, stop being so Asian.
He’s a fucking racist idiotic asshole.
Sharpton and Jackson try to keep some civil rights movement alive, when that is in the past. We have our problems, yeah, but they take it too far. They’re both causing more racial trouble, rather than solving it. They think they look high and mighty- I think they look like a pair of jackasses.
“Things are racist when they imply the inferiority of a race. Since
white culture is the dominant culture in America, Jesse’s statements
aren’t racist.”
-Jamesmind
WRONG.
Jesse Jackson was using the term “acting white” implying that by not standing for the Jena6, or more specifically, not taking the opinion that he and other self-proclaimed African-American took, that Obama was week, “acting white” in an attempt to save face.
Jackson used the term to imply that Obama was weak-willed, a betrayer “to his own people’, along with a whole host of other derogatory meanings that anyone who has heard the term used is very aware of.
No, it is not implying that being white is weak, but it IS a derogatory insult that was intended to attack obama’s charector and is a huge insult to many African Americans.
Whoever is “dominant” in the culture at the time doesn’t matter. telling a white kid he is “acting white” is still an insult, just not as severe as one (it generally means, uncool, uncoordinated, nerdy, ignorant, etc) it is a racial stereotype, one that has a different meaning for different groups, but is almost uniformly negative.
Oh, and last time I checked, “white people” don’t have a single culture. If anyone really believes that, they should try getting out more. Find one “racial” group that has a single culture and you’re in rare company indeed.
Nice Post Dan.
Jesse Jackson is probably the most racist person in America.
Yeah.
P.S.
Great post.
Yessss definitely. We’re so concerned with being politically correct that we give minorities – especially blacks – wayyy more leeway than they deserve. No, I’m generalizing, I mean the big names (Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson) who take EVERYTHING as an insult against their race. I could say I don’t like rice pudding, and somehow they’ll make it racist. And we just give them all this free space because they’re the big talkers of the whole “ohhhh, poor ussss” thing going on here.
And ryc: Ah, I see. Thank you for clearing that up =]
*just in case I wasn’t clear, they is pretty much Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They do the most talking, and they mean it / demonstrate it the least.
I remember one time when my friend, who happens to be African-American, Clarence said I act too white… and I’m Caucasian
.
Then again, we were hanging around a seedy area and I might have been making us look bad by imitating Elvis Presley at the time.
Well, gee, empirexstate, din’t you know that rice puddin’ was invented ’cause our brotha’s and sista’s of the fields gatha’d rice and bust’d their backs for them whites? So what, you don’preciate us African-Americans, even though yah pushed us ’round and made us slaves? That why yah gotchyaself a problem wit rice puddin? You’re racist!
…sorry. haha.
Yep. I could write out a good comment but you said it all.
-David
Why you gotta call Don Imus an idiot?
“nappy-headed” is just a descriptive of a state in which someone’s hair can be in. But it has connotations that suggest being sloppy and unkempt. A person who is ‘nappy-headed’ doesn’t care or is unable or unwilling to do something about his or her appearance. It is also sometimes used to implicate being “ugly”.
So yeah it can be used non-critically as a descriptive term and it can even be used chidingly in a manner not meant to offend, but it can also be used as a rather cruel insult meant to suggest that someone is ugly and/or lazy. It depends on the context. When it is used to modify an already offensive term like “ho”, the context is clear and it becomes an incredibly offensive phrase. The offense is independent of race, just as calling someone a “dirty whore” would be offesnsive independent of race. The meaning is identical and yet we wouldn’t be having this conversation if Imus had said “dirty whores”. It just so happens that “nappy-headed hos” is a phrasing that tends to be reserved for black people. It is sort of similar to how the insult “trailer trash” is a mean thing to say about anybody but its usage tends to be racially restricted.
So no, I don’t see the Imus case as being anything at all like saying someone is “acting white”. The latter is a stupid thing to say to be sure but it isn’t in the same ball park as “nappy-headed hos”. The lack of equivalent outrage for non-equivalent situations is not at all surprising. That’s what I think anyway.
I think just bringing up the issue of race at all is what is perpetuating racism. He could have said “Obama wasn’t showing as much passion about it.”
In the end, what did Obama have to do with it all?
It might be racist, but it’s not really offensive. I don’t think people should let insults like that get to them… especially when they’re trying to run for President.
The roles are completely reversed now compared to what they used to be. Now blacks are seen as the dominant race in the eyes of society and the law.
yes. i hate how hypocritical a lot of people are about racism. if you’re not white and you say something about white people, it’s fine, but if you’re white and you say something about another race, you’re in big trouble. it’s a complete double standard.
Wow. There aren’t a whole lot of things that we see you get so worked up about. I’m impressed.
To answer the question: Yes, it was. Him denying it is pure bull. Somebody needs to call him and Al Sharpton out, because this is too frikkin’ ridiculous.
I hate Jesse Jackass! He fills people with hatred – for having working ears and anything between them! There are racists in every skin-tone so I really hate that white people are the ones getting slammed with it all the time. Some of the most racist things I’ve ever heard have come out black people’s mouths…them and Jewish comedians.
I’m actually with Dan on this one.
Jamesmind, what is “white culture”? How can you so neatly box a group of people, by virtue of their skin color, into a single demographic? Please be more realistic.
Yes, Jesse Jackson made a racist comment here.
Yes.
Yes, he said it. I heard him say it on a CNN newscast. And yes, it is racist in the same sense that it would be racist if someone said he sounded black. It tends toward sterotyping of individuals, their motive, and intents.
Jessie Jackson has made many racist statements. He could have said that Obama was not standing for equal rights but the term nappy-headed hos is in a category all by itself. That should not be compared to what Jessie said although both were racist comments.
Dan, this entry is profound. You should should stir things up and voice your opinion on some kind of news outlet (other than here I mean, haha). Obviously just about everyone can agree with what you’re saying, and it’s absolutely true. Power to you
yes its racist.
first, the don imus statement. yeah, he’s an idiot. and it wasn’t the nappy headed part of the statement that was the outrage. it was the “hoes” attached to it. black women, or anyone women in general, i imagine, don’t like being called hoes. add in something racially identify-able (such as nappy headed) and you got one dude who just destroyed his career.
now for jesse jackson’s statement, he probably shouldn’t have said it in the way that he did. he was repeating what some caucasion representatives and senators have implied about barack obama. so if he’s racist, they sure as hell are racist too – he just wasn’t as political about his statement.
as for my opinion, i think he said something that almost all minorities are “guilty” of saying, at least once in their lives – usually in high school years. when we grow a bit we either tend to shut up about it or our views begin to view people as people, not by race. jesse jackson still views people by race because that’s where he is, and that’s how he’s developed. to him, it’s not racist. to me, he probably shouldn’t have said it, and it can be construed as racist. to just about all white folk out there, if they really pay attention so closely - it’s probably racist.
but does anyone really want to be so jabby about it, or are the reactors just trying to put a black activist on the burn block as a hypocrite?
and i agree with nephyo that the two terms don’t have enough relationship to be comparable.
and i agree with nephyo that the two terms don’t have enough relationship to be comparable.
Yes.
I also find it dumb that it’s such an insult to black people to say that they’re “acting white.” Especially when “acting white” often also means being successful, caring about school, etc, all the things that could actually get you someplace in life.
Yes.
Yes.
A lot of people only count it as racism when it’s a comment from a white person to a black person.
What they don’t realize is racism is more than that.
Telling someone they are “acting white” is a really insidious form of racism.
yes.
Yes.
I can’t stand that man..or Al Sharpton.
Geeeez.
I don’t think Obama is “acting white”. Jesse Jackson needs to shut up for once. There’s always SOME issue that he’s speaking out about..
Jesse Jackson is a bigot and a racist who used the media mainstream to keep his unwanted, unwarranted, unnecessary comment in the public, to people who could careless about what he says or does. That is why he is always raising cane, because it is the only time that anyone will take even the most remote interest in him. I happen to like Obama and not because he’s black like me. But because I like his politics. He had driven his whole campaign without taking any money from lobbiest. He has taken the whole “not black enough” issue with stride and grace. I mean, really, who does Jesse want in the White House? Flavor Flav? As for not being “black enough”, well, just like Obama, I’ve spent my entire life hearing that…and I’m damn proud. I don’t want to be tagged as a stereotype. I’d rather display characteristics that my people aren’t know for…to give our community a little respect and not looks of disgust. If only more of us would strive for that.
Looks like Dan’s getting all fired up! :p
I totally agree with you. Jesse Jackson was being racist, and if this was a situation in which a white person had said something of a similar nature, we’d be hearing a whole lot more about it.
In my school, lots of people say they have a problem with white people, and nobody, not even the teachers, do anything about it. but if a white guy said the same thing about a black guy, he’s labled a racist, gets suspended, and fined 100 dollers. what’s wrong with this picture?
I think it was idiotic, and yes it was a bit racist.
I agree that we should be consistent in fighting racism. Minorities suffer in more concrete ways from racism (denied housing, jobs, advancement) than whites, but being racist in retribution for perceived wrongs is not the way. Every single one of us – EVERY SINGLE ONE – have a responsibility to remove hatred from our hearts.
NOTE: Just because nonwhites have this responsibility too, does not ABSOLVE whites from the responsibility. If a black says or does something racist, does not give a white a free pass to be racist. And vice versa. When someone else does something wrong, we all have a responsibility to respond in the correct manner.
Dan – I think a good follow up topic would be what can each one of us – black, white and in between – do to end racism? In our own hearts/actions, in our communities, in society?
Yep. double standard definitely. I think perhaps the feeling is that since the double standard went the other way for so many years, that the black race is allowed a certain amount of double standard now? Who knows?
Or it is part of a white conspiracy to infantilize and therefore further demoralize the black race. What do you think?
Well…yeah.
Reverse discrimination. >_<
<33
“Jamesmind, stop being so Asian.”
Haha. Brilliant.
Of course it was. And I thought it was funny how you asked like you really cared, even though I agree with you. It bothers me that anyone would disagree with you on this and promote a double standard.
I am so sick of this “race” issue. I wish Jessie Jackson would go away. All he does is feed the fire, and make his own race look ignorant.I have quite a few friends from many races and cultures, and none of them act that way… CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG???
I would agree to that.
“to him, it’s not racist.”
Well, that being the case, I’ll exonerate him. He doesn’t think he’s promoting a double standard, so we’re racist for pointing out the obvious. Gotcha.
Oh, and “Minorities suffer in more concrete ways from racism (denied housing, jobs, advancement) than whites.”
Yeah, whites don’t suffer in those ways ever. Unless, you know, we’re talking about “affirmative” action. The state responding to racism by advocating more of it is repulsive to me.
Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got to go oppress some black people and deny them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
There seems to be an epidemic of people missing my damn point. Allow me to repost, sans anything that people with agendas will leap to argue with, instead of perhaps looking for an ACTUAL solution to the problem.
“Every single one of us – EVERY SINGLE ONE – have a responsibility to remove hatred from our hearts.
NOTE:
Just because nonwhites have this responsibility too, does not ABSOLVE
whites from the responsibility. If a black says or does something
racist, does not give a white a free pass to be racist. And vice versa.
When someone else does something wrong, we all have a responsibility to respond in the correct manner.”
ugh, i get soo angry when i think of him and sharpton. i can’t stand those two!
The fact that this is a case of a black man talking about another black man is not irrelevant here.
Back when I was a kid there were these white kids down the street that I spent some time with and they used to say rather crude things about one another and about other white people in a somewhat joking manner some of it very much related to racial stereotypes. I, not being white, would certainly feel immensely uncomfortable trying to say any of the things they used to say about them. If I did and I was tolerated in their social group I’d get a stony silence. If I was rejected from their social group I’d probably get the crap beat out of me. And if I was so accepted in their social group that I was considered sort of ‘one of them’ then I could say it and nobody would care.
It’s the same way black people can call each other the so called ‘N’ word without causing offense. It’s the same way virtually all crude jokes for any culture are considered more acceptable amongst groups that share that culture. And so, if it were a white man saying a black man was ‘acting black’ it would be a lot more socially unacceptable than a black man saying a black man is ‘acting white’. Similarly a black man saying that a white man was ‘acting white’ or more likely using some offensive phrase having that kind of a meaning like ‘whitey’ it would be much more intolerable.
I don’t know why society works this way. Maybe it does seem like a double standard. But it’s just always been this way. It isn’t new. Don’t believe me? Go pick any culture not your own and look up some offensive jokes about that culture on the internet then go find some teenagers from that culture and start telling them. See what happens. I suggest you bring some friends just in case.
If there’s a problem with Jackson’s comment it has more to do with the rudeness of his statement being made out in the public than the words themselves being inherently racist. I’m not sure any words can be ‘inherently’ racist.
dan-
i dont read your stuff much, but you are pretty much the pre-eminent xangan, so i was wondering what YOUR thoughts were on the following:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/youtube-support.html
this is yet another set of evolution vs science arguments, but it firmly places itself in the internet realm, and bounces around between copyright law, tax law, free speech, and rabid opinion on both sides. pretty good grist for your kind of forum.
oh, yea, and is there anyone left on the planet that thinks jesse has any kind of credibility left?
Yes, definitely. People seem to think that the only kind of racism is racism against black people.
I’m not quite sure I understand what it is to “act white.” But that is just as racist as any black joke.
Consistancy is definitely key.
It’s disgusting… He’s as racist as they come.
replying to Nephyo:
Yes, people can say some very offensive things to one another and not have it mean anything. But that isn’t what happened here.
Jackson used the phrase “Acting White” in a Negative way, and he used it publicly. No matter what my friends and I call each other in public, we don’t joke around by telling the newspapers and getting the information to our friends that way. Jackson was saying “You’re not taking the position a ‘true’ black person would.”
Not only is this offensive because it is attacking someones ethnic identity, but it’s also assuming that just because someone is of a certain skin color they will have a specific reaction to cases like the Jena6 incident. He is saying that because Obama is black, he should think the same way Jackson does about the incident, or at least something very similar. By acting white, he is taking the “white mans” opinion, which is apparently anything that doesnt agree with Jackson’s view.
Does this mean that my white friends who agree with Jesse Jackson are “acting black?” can’t you see how idiotic, and wrong that kind of phrase is? It is racist on not one, but two levels. It implies that your skin color defines your opinions more than your own thoughts do.
This is the same thing as a white man calling another white man a ‘N-Lover” for not agreeing with whatever idiot white supremacist is popular at the time. “acting white” may be more socially acceptable, but that doesn’t make it any less offensive. It is an attempt to shame someone into changing their opinion, putting their skin color before all other considerations. So yes, it was racist, and Yes it was wrong. And if anyone really gave a damn about trying to truly do away with racism (as Jackson claims he does) they would call him out on it.
I agree that Jesse Jackson has been given a free pass. He can spew any racist vomit he wants and no one will hold him accountable because they don’t want to be seen as racist. They only way we can really start to break down and destroy racism is by consistently speaking out against all types of racism…especially the kind that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson subscribe to.
I have always thought that Jesse Jackson looks like he has Down’s Syndrome; no offense to those of you who have Down’s… but that explains alot of what he does…
I was here earlier but couldn’t comment. By the way Dan good post.
I don’t think I could write anything better than what Damien_Vryce and squeakysoul wrote as well as others.
Squeakysoul I understand and agree with you thoughts…we are responsible for ourselves but may I add parents are responsible for what and how they teach their children also.
You know, despite the Fox New/Rush Limbaugh fueled anti-Jesse Jackson rhetoric, he really isn’t such a bad guy. In fact I dare say there’s a lot that he has done that is and ought to be considered heroic.
In his youth he fought for civil rights right along side MLK and became a respected leader before reaching the age of 25. He fought to get white owned businesses to be willing to hire blacks and even purchase goods from black businesses. He fought for service stations to even provide restrooms for blacks. It seems incredible today, but back then people really did refuse to do these things.
Later on his life through great personal risk to himself he served the country as an effective diplomat and negotiator. He managed to negotiate the release of American and U.N. hostages in Yugoslavia, Syria, and Cuba. He’s been honored by President Clinton and President Reagan as well as by national leaders throughout the world. Yes, including Hugo Chavez. He’s a winner of the “Medal of Freedom” the highest civilian honor bestowed in this country. He’s been a steadfast peace activist, giving vocal opposition to wars in Kosovo, Northern Ireland, and of course the war in Iraq.
So is he racist? I’m sure he is. Most of us are, at least a little, in some way or another. But remember he was there marching beside Martin Luther King in Selma, Alabama. And he was there in 1968 in Memphis when King was assassinated too. And when he was growing up, I’m sure he faced injustices that most xangans are waay too young to remember or are even able to imagine. Does this excuse him for any and all stupid things he may have or may yet say? No of course not. But it should be as no surprise at all to any of us that these experiences would color his perspectives and influence his actions.
I just don’t get why so many people are willing to “hate” him so much. And why must he always be lumped with Al Sharpton? These two are very different.
very true very true very very true.
we need to be consistent.
i’ve been gone from here so long..it’s nice to come back again-
college is killer.
YES. Saying someone was “acting white” on an issue is a derogatory statement. It is implying white people have a sub-standard method in dealing with issues. It is racist.
only when the table is turned does it become apparent what racism is. i think thats the methodology behind jackson. not that i agree with it necessarily. also has to do with the tone, there is not much insult behind calling someone white-minor at best being that there is no accepted historical hatred associated with the term. but there is an explicit and historical insult incorporated in nappy headed hos.
i didn’t realize that saying that phrase “acting white” was racist. i just figured it was stating the obvious. barak is probably faking it in front of the cameras to lure white voters into voting for him anyway. what does he act like behind the scenes? he’s probably acting black. i’m sure dateline can figure all this out for us. maybe they can do an undercover bust on barak.
Nephyo, I don’t think people hate Jesse Jackson as much as they hate the inconsistency in how he handles issues. I think he is lumped with Al Sharpton because the two are usually along side each other. Just my own thoughts, others may have a differing view.
Does anyone have a link to the full “acting like he’s white” quote? Maybe a video of the entire speech? All I can find is a bunch of “according to a South Carolina newspaper” and always in the same breathe it notes that Jesse Jackson himself does not recall having made the statement. Also there’s plenty of evidence that Jesse Jackson supports Obama. So I am skeptical that this was a kind of purposeful ‘attack’ as the linked news story implies.
This is a big deal because the context is not irrelevant here. Whether or not he is implying “that your skin color defines your opinions more than your own thoughts do” as Damien_Vryce suggests really does depend a lot upon the context. Even the tone can make a difference here. There’s a big difference between someone making a bad joke about someone’s politics and someone trying to pressure someone into taking a particular position by insulting them.
I repeat again, no language is ‘inherently’ racist.
Jesse Jackson and the Reverend Al Sharpton…I love these two. They’re really…well, they’re really great comedians. I think they’re both racist, but I’m pretty sure there’s racism in almost everyone, or a biased preference for one race over another, a feeling of specialness or entitlement and this goes with religious groups as well…Jesse and Al are just very vocal and very proactive. As for saying that Barack acts “white,” that is just an ignorant thing to say, and it clearly shows that Mr. Jackson distinguishes between what it means to be black and white more so than the actual people he represents, people who just want to be and act like themselves, regardless of race. He wants to end racism, but he promotes it by continuing to make distinctions and to separate. If he wanted to criticize Barack, why couldn’t he just say that Barack is a “political coward who won’t take a stand”?
Jesse Jackson and Al sharpton are racist, nothing new here.
I used to live in the area where Jesse J(his mother still lives there) grew up and lot of black people there are assholes. Dont get me wrong, I found some very nice ones, but they were hard to find.
How Can You Act White?
White is a color.
Right?
It’s the color of the clouds.
Which are there in the air.
White is a delight, because it does not fight.
It shows us the most light.
If acting “white” is being racist.
Then that’s precisly the wrong terminology. . .
White is good.
So is dark.
Nature gives us time to sleep
For our bodies to heal
So we can better feel
Get a break from the whole life ordeal
The question is can you be black and not “stand” by the Jena 6?
And Jackson is racist.
yes
Woo Weee T. Shane!! I realize that I can’t really understand the plight of the upper-middle class, white man in America, but I can also tell that you can’t understand the plight of any of black America. Your stand on Jena 6 issues has been surprisingly and offensively biased. Your posts are, in many cases, the only way that these white people hear any facts on these issues. These posts have been extremely filtered and almost force people to be ignorant. You need to be more considerate of the responsibility that having such a large fan base puts on you. Especially if you’re going to post things like this on your site.
And just to let you and your readers know: Since white people are acting like kids that had a schoolyard fight(with white and black students fighting in groups repeatedly) need to be charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder, like they’ve never been in a fight at school before, Obama was acting white. Furthermore, it would only be o.k. a man to make that statement about another man if the man making the statement is of a race that has had to deal with the struggle, strife, and oppression that comes with being of a different skin tone than a Caucasian. Until you walk through a store with security pretending to shop or use the bathroom to watch you simply because of how you look, not your clothes or hair, YOU, or until your wife has to keep telling people that she meets that she does know the father of her baby and she’s married to him, you just can’t understand. And you should shut up about shit you can’t understand. I had a lot of respect for you until now.
I’m proud of you for voicing this Dan. I agree with you 110%.
Don’t even get me started on Jesse Jackson. I am so sick of that man. HE is the most RACIST person I can think of. EVERYTHING is a black issue.. not an issue of right or wrong.. but an issue that everyone is against the blacks. I am not against color.. I am against ignorance, and he fits the bill.
stuartandabby: have you, specifically, suffered from what you mentioned?
minorites experience types of invisible prejudice on a daily basis. my first experience was when i was four or five, and was told to “go home chinese” by a ten year old wielding a baseball bat – and i’m not even chinese. my last experience was probably in new york last week, when a fella on the street trying to promote his record – he’s black, mind you – stated “asians never support black people,” when i plainly purchase records by black artists, my bro picks up the vinyls for his tables, and i’ve given a fella five bucks for letting me have a copy of his work when he asked for two – and i didn’t even see the guy in new york promoting because i was focused on something else and he was speaking to my man. you need to understand that this is what we as minorities go through on a daily basis and a large majority of minorities don’t even blink an eye in letting it affect how we interact with people in general on a regular basis. i still talk to caucasians – 90% of the people i work with are caucasian, and my social circle is ethnically mixed. i still talk to black people – i understand that the man’s statement was one of experience, in new york, and how asian people have responded to his promoting efforts. he still hustles and still promotes to all types of people, regardless. this is what we as minorities go through on a daily basis, and that is how the majority of us respond – we just keep on moving.
so again, i’ll ask you do you suffer from this on a daily basis? if you don’t, i suggest you try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes before you decide to selectively read and selectively understand what they are saying. and think about how you would react. obviously, it would be pretty badly from your comments.
furthermore, in no shape way or form was jesse jackson’s comment excused. he said something he probably shouldn’t have, and in denying that he had said it, he is responding to backlash. he feels cornered. otherwise, he would not be denying, he would be apologizing – if he felt his apology would mean anything. the question is, would it? or would there still be controversy? i’d vote 100% for the latter.
and THIS is why i usually don’t visit back and comment a second time. where’s that wtf smiley
you know, on second thought, you probably do experience that on a daily basis – albiet indirectly. you got every right to get all crazy just because one man said one thing that wasn’t even really indirectly targeted at you. wait, on second thought, how’d you say you would respond again?
Yes, that’s a very obviously racist statement. And Jesse Jackson is more racist than just about anybody.
a racist is a racist…no matter what race they are being lame towards.
it really pisses me off actually.
i live in memphis. we have a TON of black ppl. i mean if you look it up i think it’s like 67% black.
and a good portion of the black population feels they are owed something and that if they do not get special treatment they are getting hosed. well i call bull shit.
just b/c i’m not black why should i not get special or at least par level treatment ya know?
i mean i’ve ran an rso (registered student org.) fair before and we just ran out of stuff and ppl have blown up at me for not giving them something b/c they’re black
or at work i didn’t wait on the cust. right away….(b/c we were totally swamped and i was helping someone else) why….it was not b/c we were busy that i wasn’t helping the woman. it was b/c she was black.
even my boss won’t fire this guy i work w/ b/c him and the dist. mgr. are scared of blk ppl. i mean this kid is lazy too. he steals and throws stuff away. but my boss is afraid that corporate will get in trouble if they fire him…..why b/c he’s black.
me however i don’t put a box up on the shelf and have to come back to sign a write up sheet.
BULL SHIT!!!!!!!
seriously……jesse jackson’s rear end should be lit up by the media. black, white, asian, hispanic, native america, indian…..dude equal spam
‘acting white’ as in what…….not being ghetto?
yes it was. black people only think if it’s racism if it’s white people against black people. but it’s not.
The statement isn’t racist, but the man certainly is. Besides, Obama is Mulatto, not Black.
Actually a big issue amongst blacks right now is black people being prejudiced against black people. Rightly or wrongly it really is something you hear a lot more about on black forums these days than white against black racism. So… having an exception, we can conclude that it is decidedly not the case that ‘black people only think it’s racism if it’s white people against black people’. Of course no sort of blanket statement about an entire race like that could ever be true and I’d imagine you ad everybody else knows that. And yet it was said.
Similarly, everybody knows that it is *not* the case that taking a certain position on Jena 6 implies a kind of betrayal of your racial heritage. And yet Jackson said what he said. Gee, let’s crucify him.
If I were inclined to look for racism in everybody’s words independent of context I might think a lot of the replies here sound a little racist. But I’m not about to judge a bunch of strangers on the basis of a few quickly typed words on a blog. Why is everybody so quick to judge and condemn Jesse Jackson over something so trivial? It’s really strange to me. I just don’t get it.
This is a really good post; you should do more like it.
The “Reverend” in front of Jesse Jackson’s name makes me want to choke, just like in front Al Sharpton’s. Do they have churches? What are they “reverends” of? Just wondering.
Both of them are horrible for race relations. They are a disgrace to their race.
was it racist?….nah….i dont think so. was it stupid and ignorant? yes. of course it was.
Junipoo:
This is a personal blog, meaning Dan can say whatever the hell he wants to. In the past he’s been very vague about his personal feelings on an issue, but this does not mean he has to continue doing so. he has the readership he does because of his entertaining and often different approaches to issues in contemporary culture. His only responsibility is to himself because this is a JOURNAL, not a news source. If people cease to enjoy his posting, they will leave and Dan doesn’s make less money (he’s not making any now from this as far as I can tell). What you are essentially saying is that he should either agree with you or shut up (because you would NEVER post what you did about responsibility if you agreed with him, and you know it). You have your own blog to post whatever you wish. I applaude Dan for taking a stand on an issue, and I would do so even if it were something I disagreed with him on. (And yes, even though Dan and I are both white, we can disagree on things.)
I guess because I’m white I’m incapable of picking up a paper, is that it? Is it so hard for you to comprehend that some of us pick up a paper every once and awhile, or at the very least keep up to date with the news via TV/RSS feeds? Forget the “whites” who supported the Jena6, they were obviously the only socially aware people of our kind right? Get off your high horse. Believe it or not, we “white folk” check the news every once and awhile too. Not only that, but there is even a few of us who are interested in this social justice thing so many people are talking about.
Just because someone disagrees with you on an issue doesnt mean that they are racist and close-minded.
The worlds not black and white as much as you want to think it is. Being white is not a universal experience, nor is being black. yes, there are things that certain ethnic groups tend to experience more than others (racism being the key one. But if you think whites aren’t stereotyped, try reading a little more, ok?)
Oh, and FYI, there were other African-Americans besides Obama, who are interested in social justice, who disagreed with the free the Jena6 movement. Those pesky opinions. They almost make us into individuals instead of people aligned by skin color. Isn’t it sad?
That’s my two cents, as a white redneck from a culture quickly losing its identity to the homogenization of American Life. (A culture, incidentally, that is allied on traditional ethnic lines, but is not limited to them as the second largest Mennonite conference is in Africa)
Stop making assumptions about me, or other readers, simply because we
are “white” and maybe, just maybe, people might stop assuming things
about “blacks” because they are “black.”
Food for thought:
If we stopped assuming that just because a black/white person was involved in “x” controversy, all black/white people should/will feel the same about it, wouldn’t we be several steps in the RIGHT direction to doing away with racism and other forms of illogical thought?
Absolutely. And I agree 100 percent- he can say it because he’s black. If I accused someone of acting black, I’d be a big fat stinking racist straight of 1860′s South Carolina.
We need to lynch that nigger who calls himself Reverend.
Yes.
yes, undoubtedly
It’s nice to see strong opinions come through in your posts once in a while, even if I don’t agree with them. Yes, he is very racist, no way around it.
It certainly is racist.
More than that, it’s discouraging and damaging to African-American youth. If they do well in school, learn correct grammar, and become literate, they are looked down on by some of their peers and scorned as “acting white”. Maybe if we didn’t have people like Jesse Jackson promoting these put-downs, black students wouldn’t be so crippled by their own culture in their efforts toward education. It really is tragic.
yes
Wow Dan, you sound pissed.
yea
Absolutely
Yes, there are so many levels of racism that people just dont get.
Now…here is a question…how many of your readers are black that said yes? or i wonder how many that didnt answer at all….
Incredibly.
Yes. Black people can be racist too so, they should get the same treatment if he was a white saying that same statement. I don’t understand how come black people get away with this but, other race don’t.
No
I don’t care if his son represents my district in Congress. The man is still a racist ass, and yes, that comment was EXTREMELY racist. But because of the double-standard that exists in society, he can get away with it, whereas if a white person said someone was acting “black” on an issue (what the hell does that mean anyway?!?!?!), he or she would be crucified. I think it’s sickening.
yes
You don’t see what blacks think of these kind of remarks or Obama in general because you don’t look at media that is written for balcks or tailors to blacks. You see mainstream media ONLY and decide that’s how the rest of the country thinks??? Obama has been trashed by black journalists since the RNC: Black Agenda Report Start there then rephrase your blog.
absolutely. Sorry I missed this post. It’s an excellent one.
Jesse Jackson can go fuck himself. If 6 white kids beat up one black kid he’d be all over it. He acts like African Americans should be held up to some higher standard. They’re human too. They should have to be punished like the rest of us if we had done the same crime. He doesn’t stop racism, he creates it.
And on another note, if someone is fit for a job, race should never be a deciding factor in their employment. If it came down to an black guy and a white guy who were eligible for the job, the person best fit and most qualified for the job should get it, not because the employer needs so many people of one race working there.
just my two bits.
Yes. Of course.
YES!!!
Hello??? Obama is half white so he is entitled to “acting white”. hahaha. Maybe Jesse Jackson should have done a a little more homework before saying that. And since when is “acting white” such a bad thing?? The way that he said it makes it seem as though it is a crime to be “acting white.” Not all white people are racist and/or ignorant. The ONLY person in the room who is (not even appears but is) him! He does a get away with a lot of things just because people are afraid that he’s going to spin it around and make it racist. He’s a pompous ass who uses the race card. Him and Al Sharpton walk around with their egos up their asses.
The whole thing you cry is cool it is the stuff I believe
canned pumpkin | holiday recipes Christmas | party finger foods