THE SAUDA VOICE

TSV Nostalgia Edition: When They Forget You're Black

2009-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

By chance, I came across this brief Elle interview with Mariah Carey in which she opens up about "race, politics and her new marriage." This particular comment by Mariah stood out to me:

On her mixed racial heritage: “It’s such a visual society in which we live that people forget, ‘Oh yeah, her father’s black,’ Carey says. “So, many things will be said in front of me that wouldn’t be said in front of another friend whose complexion might be slightly darker.”

It really got me thinking about my own personal experiences with this same phenomenon. For me, it typically plays out in one of two ways:

(First Scenario) Although I've never been mistaken for white (obviously), I've often been mistaken for mixed (typically, black and white). As such, I've had a few ignorant people assume that because I am "mixed" (thus, not "all-black," "really black," or "black black") and appear comfortable among and friendly with white people, I MUST understand and agree with their racist opinions about black men (yes, it was always black men). Let's just say that these particular people had a not-so-pleasant wake up call.

(Second Scenario & Far More Common) I'm among acquaintances or colleagues (read = people who have been exposed to me on a routine basis and thus, without knowing it, have come to see me as an individual - a human being - rather than a color). Suddenly, in the middle of a conversation, the person I'm speaking with or listening to will either (1) speak of ANOTHER racial/minority group in racist terms, or (2) speak of black men (again, it's always black men) in racist terms.

In Case #1, I would immediately call the person out on their racist talk. They would always seem shocked that I objected. I can only guess that it's because they really thought that I would be okay with it since they weren't talking about MY racial group. Yep, I've learned about quite a few undercover racists this way (sadly).

In Case #2, I would immediately call them out on the racist BS and go a step further - putting a face to it, reminding them of WHO they are, in fact, talking about = ME. In no uncertain terms I would say, "You are talking about me when you say those things. I am black. Not only are you talking about me, you are talking about my father, my uncles, and my cousins who are nothing like the ugly stereotypes that you just spit out."

Without fail, I would always get a response along the lines of, "Of course I'm not talking about you. You're nothing like that. You obviously come from a good family. Anyone can see that. So I'm not talking about you. Come on. You know what I mean." Ah yes, for that split moment, my acquaintance forgot that I was black (i.e. he was comfortable in my presence) and thus, revealed his true opinions of a racial group that he "forgot" that I belong to.

I often wonder what the experiences of my other family members are. Many of them can easily pass for something else - white, Latina, Asian, etc. I often wonder what people say in their presence. Like me, they're pretty opinionated and proud of who they are, so I can only imagine what kind of tongue lashing they may have divvied out to some bigoted or insensitive idiot. LOL!! (That's family pride right there)

Like most black families, my family looks like a "United Colors of Benetton" ad. We range from blond and blue-eyed - to - red-haired with freckles - to - the deepest, darkest shade of beautiful ebony, some are mixed and some are not. We simply have the genes of America coursing through our veins (the real and complicated - not so pretty and polite - America, that is).

We often talk about our experiences with laughter and jokes, but there is definitely pain behind some of that laughter, especially when I hear one of my cousins speak of how people think she's the nanny when she's out with her children or when people constantly compliment her lighter-skinned blue-eyed daughter, but not her equally gorgeous darker-skinned one.

Yes, when we share stories at the latest family gathering - amidst jokes, laughter and love - I'm often reminded of how those subtle, just under the surface, bigotries are still very present in our nation's fabric, sometimes revealing themselves in the words spoken by a person who either "forgets" or "doesn't know" that he or she is in the very company of those that they are disparaging.

TSV Nostalgia Edition: Society Saw Barack Obama as Black....... Until He Won the Presidency

2009-07-16T00:00:00-07:00

The debate over whether President-Elect Barack Obama is black doesn't appear to be ending any time soon. I must admit, this saddens me deeply. Perhaps it is because I don't see Obama's heritage as anything special, not in the way that some portray it to be - as if his multiracial identity is something new in America. Therefore, deserving of a special category or classification.

Despite its history (ex. one drop rule) or original intention, the designation of "black" has always been a classification that included persons of African descent with multiple levels of black/African lineage. Always.

For those of us in the black community, especially those of us with knowledge of American history as it pertains to people of color, black is synonymous with multiracial (this includes those with immediate biracial parentage). This unspoken understanding has been present for generations. We didn't just adopt it when Barack Obama's parentage came to light or when interracial unions became more visible and acceptable within the past 20 or 30 years.

As the debate over Barack Obama's blackness continues, I am growing more and more troubled by the message it is sending, however unintentional: Black is unacceptable, especially if that "black" person is deemed by greater society as attractive, intelligent, accomplished, and/or having achieved the ultimate level of success - President of the United States of America.

Suddenly, when a black person does well outside of stereotypical or acceptable arenas (i.e. sports, music, etc), America scrambles to find a way to take away their blackness as a means of explaining why they are so exceptional! And when that black person comes from recent biracial parentage, it's even easier to excuse or erase that blackness, especially if society is already uncomfortable with it.

At this point, I don't know what the solution will be. Yes, we can create a biracial or multiracial category, but persons of mixed parentage must understand that a majority of America's black population can also check off that same box. Many of us are just as "mixed" as they are (and so is a significant segment of the "white" population - truth be told). And with the advancement of genealogical DNA tests, this fact (America's best kept secret) has become even easier to confirm.

Perhaps the rest of us blacks should finally start owning our biracial and multiracial heritage. By doing so, we would eliminate the argument altogether that Barack Obama is not one of us. I wonder how America and the "Obama's Not Black" advocates would feel then.

TSV Nostalgia Edition: What if Palin's Unwed Daughter was Black, Latina or Poor?

2009-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

I want you to think about that for a moment. What if? Since news hit that Governor Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, 17, is five months pregnant, conservatives and even some media pundits have praised the unwed teenager and her family for the decision to keep the baby. It represents the "family values" that they hold so dear and really shows how much they "care about human life."

NEWSFLASH: Unwed teenage girls have been making the decision to give birth to their babies for generations!! However, I don't recall ever hearing conservatives and others on the right shower this same praise before, especially when the girls had the audacity to be black, Latina or poor.

How many times have we heard people, politicians and the media included, speak with great disdain and disgust about the levels of unwed pregnancy or single motherhood in America? Too many to count! At no time did we ever hear these people applaud such women for having the courage to keep their children in the face of adversity!! I know I never did! And the sad part is that many of these naysayers are part of the "pro-life" movement. I find this very telling. Apparently, the pro-life movement has a few caveats and comes with many conditions, one of which seems to be that an unwed pregnant teenager must be white, middle-class and/or from a well-connected family in order for her decisions to be deemed worthy of praise and evidence of real "family values."

Here are a few more examples of the "family values" that Bristol Palin represents for the rest of us liberal and elite Americans (as the conservatives like to point out):

Now, imagine that Barack Obama's daughters were the unwed teenage mothers or underage drinkers. How different the conversation would be!

TSV Nostalgia Edition: We are as American as Apple Pie and so is Barack Obama

2009-07-14T00:05:00-07:00

The other day I heard Pat Buchanan and the usual media suspects describe Barack Obama as "exotic." I couldn't believe it. My first thought? Here we go again! Yet another display of the MSM attempting to depict a fellow American as "other." First, it was "elitist." Yes, how could we all forget that lovely term that was perhaps the most ridiculous of the primary season because of how off-base and disingenuous it was (especially in comparison to McCain and Clinton). Then, it was on to discussions of Obama's problems among this demographic vs. that demographic (each term just another code word for "white") - a problem that was not a reality, but rather MSM-manufactured. Of course, let us not forget the over-dissection of Obama's bowling score, his asking for orange juice in a diner (gasp - "the horror" - not orange juice), and so on. Each over-amplification was strategically used in discussions aimed to highlight Obama's inability to connect with the "regular" guy or gal. Now it's Obama - the EXOTIC candidate!!

As I listened to the media idiots describe how Obama needed to get over his "differentness" - hence, the need to describe him as exotic - I thought back to all the times that I have heard this term used. In every case, I have only heard this term directed at persons of color. During those times, I never thought about the greater implications that the use of such a term had on persons like myself. Perhaps I was too young to fully grasp such nuances. Not anymore. Use of the term "exotic" is a way to exclude and to convey the clear message that this person is an "other" not deserving of recognition for who they truly are - FELLOW AMERICANS!!!! Furthermore, by using the term "exotic" to describe another American, the speaker is effectively reinforcing the biased, racist notion that American is synonymous with "white" only.

Who is America really? First, take a look at the group of children pictured just below the title of this post. Those are the faces that represent who America is and has always been for generations and, in the case of some groups, for centuries! America is not represented by white Americans alone although our K-12 history books would have us believe that. No, America is a wonderful blend of Native American/American Indian, Black, Asian, Indian/Middle Eastern, Latino/Hispanic, and all the wonderful mixtures in between. WE ARE AMERICA!!! We are not some exotic being that simply resides within its borders, but rather the very fabric that built and makes this great land beautiful!! And its about time you addressed us accordingly!

Signed,

The Sauda Voice
American

EXTRA EXTRA: TSV News Update

2009-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

Hello Family!! I have some news to share. I will be out of town at a family reunion from Tuesday, July 14th through Tuesday, July 21st (Woo, woo, woo!!). As a result, I will be unable to bring you your Daily Dose of TSV in its usual form.

Don't worry! You'll still receive your Daily Dose of TSV, only it will be the "Nostalgia Edition." What does that mean? Well, from Tuesday to Tuesday, we'll be bring you some of our most popular or most controversial content from days past. So, if you haven't been with TSV since it's inception a year ago, this will be your chance to catch up on some of our best stuff. Enjoy!

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT (Part 2): Republican Audra Shay Has Racist Past

2009-07-13T01:51:09-07:00

Last week, I brought you the story of Vice Chairman of the Young Republicans Audra Shay and how she participated in a racist rant on her Facebook page. After news spread about the disgusting behavior, Ms. Shay issued a public statement denying her involvement and taking offense at being labeled a racist.

Despite Ms. Shay's claims of innocence, The Daily Beast has uncovered more evidence showing a pattern of racist behavior and hatemongering by the GOP rising star. Here are a few examples of Ms. Shay's hate speech:

In October 2008, in the wake of news that an effigy of Sarah Palin was being hung outside an affluent Hollywood home as an offensive Halloween decoration, Shay replied, returning to the “LOL” style that she employed after the “coons” comment: “What no ‘Obama in a noose? Come on now, its just freedome [sic] of speech, no one in Atlanta would take that wrong! Lol.”

She picked up the thread again the next morning with a clarification and a new insight. “Apparently I could not spell last night. I am wondering if the guys with the Palin noose would care if we had a bunch of homosexuals in a noose.”

Posting and endorsing a conspiracy-theory video that attempts to prove that Obama believes he can only “ensure his own salvation” and “fate” if he helps African Americans above whites, complete with Barnum-esque captions (“LISTEN AS HE ATTACKS WHITE PEOPLE”).

Numerous posts in which Shay says that President Obama is “anti-American” and has “disdain of this country.”

READ FULL STORY

MONDAY MORNING OLD SCHOOL JAM: Camp Lo

2009-07-13T00:00:00-07:00

Camp Lo's Coolie High is TSV's Monday morning old school jam. Enjoy!

Learn more about Camp Lo here.

Your Weekly Rewind (July 5 - 11, 2009)

2009-07-12T21:00:57-07:00

In case you missed any of the stories brought to you by The Sauda Voice last week, here's your chance to catch up with the weekly rewind:

Soul Food & Old School Jam Artists of the Week: Pointer Sisters, Deborah Cox, 3LW

Is the white media unfairly crucifying Michael Jackson after his death?

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT: PA swim club bans black children from pool.

Emmett Till grave site desecrated in burial plot scheme.

Gov. Palin reigns. What does it mean? - and - Why she really quit us.

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT: Republican Audra Shay participates in racist rant.

White supremacist talk on Fox & Friends.

The "smarter" Bush talks.

NFL player Steve McNair murdered.

Serial killer loose in South Carolina.

Serena Williams beats sister for Wimbledon title.

Is the White Media Unfairly Crucifying Michael Jackson After His Death?

2009-07-10T02:30:00-07:00

Last Friday, I attended a comedy show here in Los Angeles. After one comedian's act, he began to discuss Michael Jackson and how his death was being covered by some in the media, in particular how his character was being massacred in a way that overshadowed and outright dismissed his tremendous legacy, accomplishments and contributions to society.

The comedian went on to point out how the public never assassinated the character of white idols in the same manner after their deaths. In fact, such talk would never be tolerated. Once I thought about it, I had to admit that the comedian had a point. When was the last time that you heard the media speak ill of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Princess Diana, John F. Kennedy, John Lennon, and the like? I bet the answer is never! These individuals had their flaws and controversies, some more so than others, but they are talked about in the media with nothing less than reverence.

After I left the comedy show, I continued to think about what the comedian said. His words struck a nerve, perhaps because I had begun to have the same thoughts only days before. I began to notice a change in tone when some in the MSM discussed Mr. Jackson's death. It was no longer about the man, but rather a caricature of the man. The coverage was no longer about Mr. Jackson, his music or the people he touched around the world, but rather his eccentricities, molestation allegations, purported money problems, plastic surgery obsessions, and so on.

Here's an example of the disgusting coverage some in the MSM are giving Mr. Jackson.

Michael Jackson was not perfect, but no human being ever is. He clearly had his demons and exhibited behavior that was questionable at times, but that reality does not make him any less of an icon or his legacy any less enduring. The fact that Michael Jackson was black does not make him any less deserving of the same reverence bestowed upon other flawed icons of generations past.

Photo Credit: Associated Press| Doug Pizac

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT: PA Swim Club Bans Black Children from Pool

2009-07-10T02:20:00-07:00

Huntingdon Valley, PA - On June 29th, The Valley Club, a private swim club just outside Philadelphia, turned away 65 young black and brown swimmers from the Creative Steps Day Camp because of a *fear* that their presence would "change the complexion and atmosphere" of the club.

Alethea Wright, founder and director of the 13-year old Creative Steps Day Camp, did everything right. In early June, Ms. Wright reserved the children's use of the pool. They were to have access every Monday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. beginning June 29 through August 10. Her application was promptly approved and payment of $1,950 accepted.

When the kids from Creative Steps showed up on June 29th for their first swim day, they were met with hostility. Ms. Wright overheard several white members make racist remarks about the children as did the children themselves. Fourteen year old Dymir Baylor heard a white woman say, "'What are all these black kids doing here? They might do something to my child." (Source) In addition, the majority of white parents pulled their children from the pool and stood around with their arms folded.

Here's a brief news clip about the matter.

Several days after the incident, The Valley Club refunded Ms. Wright's $1,950 payment without explanation. In essence, The Valley Club banned the Creative Steps children because they were the wrong color.

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Special Thanks to Tia S. for story tip