Dear Mr. President,
I'm a 24 year old Washingtonian of the DC variety, and I'm writing you to address the issues I feel are a threat to our society as we know it. Sounds drastic huh? Well, you know what they say to all writers, "Catch them in the first sentence". But I digress. . .
The memory of Election Day 2008 is still fresh in my mind. My 13 year-old sister and I were walking the streets of Northern Virginia, in the rain, knocking on doors to make sure people were voting. Once I dropped her off, I went downtown to await the results. I will never forget the moment Keith Olbermann, whom we all were watching, declared victory, nor the dancing and celebrating in the streets that followed.
Before that, we spent many a weekend door-knocking and phone-banking trying to get Virginia to turn blue. It wasn't the first time in my life that I felt empowered, but it was the first time that I felt like my actions played a part in national history.
Mr. President, that fire from your campaign is being lost among the youth, myself included. For all the accomplishments you have made, I am incredibly proud of you. You and your administration have made historic leaps into the future with health reform, financial reform, hate crimes, middle-class tax breaks, etc. etc. If you were a CEO of a private firm, your company would be trying to sign you on for a lifetime. The problem is, no one knows about it. There are a few of us who actually read and try to have conversations about the extraordinary start your administration has gotten off to, but it all seems in vain because you aren't talking about it enough. Instead you are letting the outlandish Tea Party and the conservative media make you out to be the worst thing that ever happened to this country. This may sound harsh but I liken it to an abusive relationship. We're all trying to pretend we don't see the bruises thinking they'll go away, meanwhile they're getting darker and more severe and we're too busy focusing on the maybes in the future to challenge the injuries of the present. How do you expect us to fight for you if you won't fight for yourself?
Don't get me wrong, I applaud the democrats for the incredible victories, but while they were in the halls of congress getting stuff done, your administration and the DNC were slacking on getting the right message to the people. You can't expect everyone to scour the earth for the real story or just magically agree with you, you have to meet people where they are. With all due respect Sir, you of all people should know that as a former community organizer. You are doing everything you promised to do in your campaign with expediency and yet your approval ratings are low. We need democratic leadership if we're going to recover from the ridiculousness that was the Bush administration but November is right around the corner and the republicans are up a few points. It's like we're at half-time and the coach is saying, "Uh, you know, do what you can I guess". I realize you can't control everything but that's why you're the head man, so you can delegate to folks who are supposed to handle the rest.
I also realize that some of the responsibility lies with us as citizens, we have become poisoned by complacency and apathy. We have allowed our media to become a cheap sham of real news reporting, we have allowed technology to appropriate the art of conversation, and some of us have forgotten who are allies are. Some of that complacency, though, is because we have had to stand by and watch each one of your agendas come under attack with no rebuttal. What happened to "Fightthesmears.org"? The republicans and the tea baggers destroyed the public option, they destroyed ACORN, and now with this Sherrod situation, it seems like whatever the conservative media says, your administration is going along with just to avoid further conflict. They're the minority for a reason, Americans wanted something different than the status quo. Personally, I think the Tea Party is just a disguised racist/classist supremacist movement but they have every right to say whatever they want, just like the democrats have the right to call them on their lies. Why aren't we countering? Any good businessman knows that making the product is only 20% of the mix, selling it is the other 80%. We're not selling it Mr. President.
With regards to other policies on the agenda that haven't passed yet, specifically Don't Ask Don't Tell, are we not passing this for fear of tackling the taboo? Mr. President, I'm a black, gay, female; my whole life is one big taboo. If I were afraid of not being PC enough I would never leave my house. Now, I'm not for anyone chaining themselves to the White House gates or stopping traffic but you have to admit they have a point. Brave men and women are being kicked out of the military on a daily basis for what? We need all the people we can get and the folks who are being kicked out are serving a country that doesn't even recognize them as equals. What is the reward for their selfless bravery? Dishonorable discharge for being gay? What is wrong with issuing a stop-loss to at least halt the firings until DADT is repealed? I'm trying hard to understand why this has not happened.
We all have work to do; we have made huge strides so far but I strongly feel our progress is in jeopardy if we do not keep the democrats in office. It's clear that the republicans are only interested in being a barrier to your policies; they just voted against a bill for jobs that would help the small businesses they claim to be fighting for. They are dead set against "Cap and Trade" which was a republican campaign strong-point until you liked it. I know I don't have to tell you this; you know more of what's going on than the American people will ever know. But you said yourself that you wanted to stay connected to those of us on the ground; I'm here to tell you, the ground is a bit shaky from where I'm standing. I sincerely hope that you and the democrats can take control of the message you're sending to the people and you can do it by November. Although many of us feel disenfranchised, please know that we will still fight to get you and the democrats re-elected, if nothing more than for the fear of the alternative.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, just let me know when you're "fired up and ready to go" again.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Ebb
I have written blogs before about the lack of civility and humanity in our world today; but in the wake of the current political and social climate, I find it important to address similar issues. This blog will be directed solely at the Black community.
There seems to be an ebb in the flow of progress for black people. It's like Obama was elected president and we decided we had been delivered to the promised land. Meanwhile the achievement gap is getting wider, teenage pregnancy is up, and so are hate crimes. Now I don't pretend to be the "Yoda" of Black empowerment. I'm a twenty-something, I don't pretend to know everything about the world. The following points are just my perspective on the here and now.
1. We have not made it the promised land
Martin Luther King's Dream wasn't fulfilled with President Obama's election; albeit a huge step forward, we are not out of the woods. When a black man or woman is elected president and no one bats an eyelid, we will have reached the promised land. A lot of things in this world need to change for that to happen. It's like the episode of Family Guy where Cleveland is playing the "Civil Rights" board game. When asked how you win, Cleveland replies, "You never win, you just do a little better every time." Sophomoric as it may be, the context of that quote is sacrosanct.
2. Get over it
There will always, ALWAYS be institutionalized racism, so what? We hold ourselves back the most via internal self-hatred and shame. We get a little money, leave the ghetto and then are all of a sudden "too good". We sit in our big houses and drive our fancy cars and think we've gotten somewhere. We segregate ourselves from our brothers and sisters because their skin is lighter or darker than ours. We look down our noses at movies like "Precious" because they "portray black people in a negative light". Well guess what? Stories like "Precious" are a reality for some people; highlighting those stories raises consciousness. What kills me is the same people who turn down their nose at "Precious" are in the next theater giggling at "Next Day Air". We complain about Blacks being portrayed poorly in Hollywood and at the same time throw our money behind "Madea Goes to Jail" instead of "Miracle at St. Anna". Same goes with other art forms; we complain about Hip Hop degrading our women but we're the first in line for Lil' Wayne and Soulja Boy's concert. Meanwhile, hip hop artists who are actually saying something are regarded as "indie" and swept to the back. We reward mediocrity and it has to stop.
3. Retire the N-word
I does us no good. I don't care if you're "chillin' wit your boys" or cursing out another black person. The word has no place in our vocabulary. We are not "taking the word back" nor are we taking its power by calling each other by it; we are taking our own power, it is self-hatred no matter how you try to spin it. If the word were powerless, white people could walk around spewing the N-word whenever they pleased and Al Sharpton could retire his cape. It still strikes a nerve and is therefore still a powerful tool and representation of the structural inequality in this country.
4. GET OVER IT - Had to use it twice
We will never correct structural inequalities by pointing fingers. At some point we have to take personal responsibility for ourselves. More often than not, I'm the first person to cite the effects of institutionalized racism and classism on lower-income communities. There's the culture of poverty theory, prison industrial complex, education inequalities, and outright discrimination, true. However, no matter how bad the circumstances, we all have a choice. This "blame the white man" routine only goes so far. Our history is satiated with ordinary people who made a way out of no way, who managed to educate themselves while they were still slaves, who worked the skin off their knuckles so that their children could have a better life. My grandmother never graduated high school. She never got to see the inside of an integrated school. She worked so that her younger sisters and brothers didn't have to, so that they could graduate high school, something she would never experience. Come on folks, people bled on the streets, were attacked by dogs, water hoses and billy clubs so that our tomorrows would not look like their yesterdays and we are squabbling our opportunity.
5. Acknowledge your Worth
Our history is American History. This country was built on our backs. Remember, we had to create our culture from scratch. Our names, religions, and languages were stripped from us, leaving us to define ourselves by "master's standards". And yet, we managed to congregate, and solidify a culture, "Black", that has served as the judge and jury on what is "in" and what is "out". We created jazz, blues, and rock & roll, we were rapping before anyone knew what rap was. On the scientific level, Black people are credited with some of the most significant technological and medical advancements in this country. This lesson won't be taught in school, but that doesn't stop parents from instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in their children.
6. A Pyramid is Stronger than a single block
We must stop beating each other down and start building each other up. We see one person start to make moves and become successful and we're ready to tear them down or mitigate their accomplishments by inserting some qualifier that makes it less significant. I must admit, I had that mentality before I knew better. I was quick to judge former Secy of State Rice before I realized that she was inadvertently opening a door for me. While I can't support her policies, I had to change my tune on supporting her as a black woman. We are not on the bottom because some of us are on the top.
That works both ways with those of us who have "made it". Progress is insignificant unless you're doing something to pull your culture with it. Other cultures immigrate here, they stay together, they pool their resources and they invest their money. They work hard and as a result they all prosper. Their kids may not have the best shoes or clothes but they eat well, have a roof over their heads, and family to guide them. They go to good schools and take care of their elders. I'm sorry, but if you live in the projects your kid should not have the new pair of Jordans every time they come out, nor should they be playing video games on their PS3 while sitting on the floor because you don't have a couch. We get a little bit of money and we're ready to put it on display while other people invest. We spend money on the wrong things. We're so concerned with fakin' it til we make it that we'll spend ourselves out of the opportunity to ever eventually accomplish anything.
7. Stop Splitting hairs with the LGBT Community
Homosexuality is not the new black, but it's also not a fabricated struggle. For years, decades even, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people have been a significant part of Black culture. They are teachers, lawyers, pastors, choir directors, stylists, etc. They are no more or less worthy of inclusion and affirmation than heterosexuals are. "Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere." There was no subtext in Martin Luther King Jr's quote that said "except the gays". By dividing ourselves from their civil rights struggle, we are depleting our allies and alienating our fellow citizens. Being LGBT and Black is not an easy river to wade. You still have to deal with the racism that heterosexual blacks do, and on top of that, deal with the misogyny and homophobia from your own community. Furthermore, as an oppressed group ourselves, we should be the last to scapegoat and ostracize another group for our problems. Gay people are not breaking up our families, we are.
8. The Village is in ashes
Back when I was growing up, people knew their neighbors. If you were outside playing and did something you weren't supposed to do, you were corrected by whatever neighbor happened to be watching. If you did something really wrong, your mother knew by the time she got home, your grandmother had already reprimanded you, and your father gave you a third helping when he arrived. Kids had respect for their elders and parents were involved in their child's life. I'm not going to say my parents were perfect, but they raised me to value myself, respect my elders and everyone else regardless of our differences. They taught me to think for myself, to speak up and to ask questions. They weren't the only ones who shaped who I am. I had a neighborhood full of people, a big family, an invaluable grandmother, and teachers and school officials who cared enough to make sure I was on the right track. That's what we need to get back to. There was a time when everyone spoke to each other, now it's like pulling teeth to get people to say hello, even my next-door neighbors. It truly does take a village to raise a child. Parents are a big part of their kids outlook of the world.
These problems are not only prevalent in our communities, I'm sure many of them affect society as a whole. That being said, I channel my mother in what she always used to say, "I'm not [their] parent, I'm not worried about them; I'm your parent; I'm worried about you.". Before we step out there demanding acknowledgment, perhaps we should work on acknowledging each other and fixing our own problems to make us stronger as a people. Solidarity goes hand in hand with power, we will remain powerless as long as we're standing on the top of the hill alone.
There seems to be an ebb in the flow of progress for black people. It's like Obama was elected president and we decided we had been delivered to the promised land. Meanwhile the achievement gap is getting wider, teenage pregnancy is up, and so are hate crimes. Now I don't pretend to be the "Yoda" of Black empowerment. I'm a twenty-something, I don't pretend to know everything about the world. The following points are just my perspective on the here and now.
1. We have not made it the promised land
Martin Luther King's Dream wasn't fulfilled with President Obama's election; albeit a huge step forward, we are not out of the woods. When a black man or woman is elected president and no one bats an eyelid, we will have reached the promised land. A lot of things in this world need to change for that to happen. It's like the episode of Family Guy where Cleveland is playing the "Civil Rights" board game. When asked how you win, Cleveland replies, "You never win, you just do a little better every time." Sophomoric as it may be, the context of that quote is sacrosanct.
2. Get over it
There will always, ALWAYS be institutionalized racism, so what? We hold ourselves back the most via internal self-hatred and shame. We get a little money, leave the ghetto and then are all of a sudden "too good". We sit in our big houses and drive our fancy cars and think we've gotten somewhere. We segregate ourselves from our brothers and sisters because their skin is lighter or darker than ours. We look down our noses at movies like "Precious" because they "portray black people in a negative light". Well guess what? Stories like "Precious" are a reality for some people; highlighting those stories raises consciousness. What kills me is the same people who turn down their nose at "Precious" are in the next theater giggling at "Next Day Air". We complain about Blacks being portrayed poorly in Hollywood and at the same time throw our money behind "Madea Goes to Jail" instead of "Miracle at St. Anna". Same goes with other art forms; we complain about Hip Hop degrading our women but we're the first in line for Lil' Wayne and Soulja Boy's concert. Meanwhile, hip hop artists who are actually saying something are regarded as "indie" and swept to the back. We reward mediocrity and it has to stop.
3. Retire the N-word
I does us no good. I don't care if you're "chillin' wit your boys" or cursing out another black person. The word has no place in our vocabulary. We are not "taking the word back" nor are we taking its power by calling each other by it; we are taking our own power, it is self-hatred no matter how you try to spin it. If the word were powerless, white people could walk around spewing the N-word whenever they pleased and Al Sharpton could retire his cape. It still strikes a nerve and is therefore still a powerful tool and representation of the structural inequality in this country.
4. GET OVER IT - Had to use it twice
We will never correct structural inequalities by pointing fingers. At some point we have to take personal responsibility for ourselves. More often than not, I'm the first person to cite the effects of institutionalized racism and classism on lower-income communities. There's the culture of poverty theory, prison industrial complex, education inequalities, and outright discrimination, true. However, no matter how bad the circumstances, we all have a choice. This "blame the white man" routine only goes so far. Our history is satiated with ordinary people who made a way out of no way, who managed to educate themselves while they were still slaves, who worked the skin off their knuckles so that their children could have a better life. My grandmother never graduated high school. She never got to see the inside of an integrated school. She worked so that her younger sisters and brothers didn't have to, so that they could graduate high school, something she would never experience. Come on folks, people bled on the streets, were attacked by dogs, water hoses and billy clubs so that our tomorrows would not look like their yesterdays and we are squabbling our opportunity.
5. Acknowledge your Worth
Our history is American History. This country was built on our backs. Remember, we had to create our culture from scratch. Our names, religions, and languages were stripped from us, leaving us to define ourselves by "master's standards". And yet, we managed to congregate, and solidify a culture, "Black", that has served as the judge and jury on what is "in" and what is "out". We created jazz, blues, and rock & roll, we were rapping before anyone knew what rap was. On the scientific level, Black people are credited with some of the most significant technological and medical advancements in this country. This lesson won't be taught in school, but that doesn't stop parents from instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in their children.
6. A Pyramid is Stronger than a single block
We must stop beating each other down and start building each other up. We see one person start to make moves and become successful and we're ready to tear them down or mitigate their accomplishments by inserting some qualifier that makes it less significant. I must admit, I had that mentality before I knew better. I was quick to judge former Secy of State Rice before I realized that she was inadvertently opening a door for me. While I can't support her policies, I had to change my tune on supporting her as a black woman. We are not on the bottom because some of us are on the top.
That works both ways with those of us who have "made it". Progress is insignificant unless you're doing something to pull your culture with it. Other cultures immigrate here, they stay together, they pool their resources and they invest their money. They work hard and as a result they all prosper. Their kids may not have the best shoes or clothes but they eat well, have a roof over their heads, and family to guide them. They go to good schools and take care of their elders. I'm sorry, but if you live in the projects your kid should not have the new pair of Jordans every time they come out, nor should they be playing video games on their PS3 while sitting on the floor because you don't have a couch. We get a little bit of money and we're ready to put it on display while other people invest. We spend money on the wrong things. We're so concerned with fakin' it til we make it that we'll spend ourselves out of the opportunity to ever eventually accomplish anything.
7. Stop Splitting hairs with the LGBT Community
Homosexuality is not the new black, but it's also not a fabricated struggle. For years, decades even, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people have been a significant part of Black culture. They are teachers, lawyers, pastors, choir directors, stylists, etc. They are no more or less worthy of inclusion and affirmation than heterosexuals are. "Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere." There was no subtext in Martin Luther King Jr's quote that said "except the gays". By dividing ourselves from their civil rights struggle, we are depleting our allies and alienating our fellow citizens. Being LGBT and Black is not an easy river to wade. You still have to deal with the racism that heterosexual blacks do, and on top of that, deal with the misogyny and homophobia from your own community. Furthermore, as an oppressed group ourselves, we should be the last to scapegoat and ostracize another group for our problems. Gay people are not breaking up our families, we are.
8. The Village is in ashes
Back when I was growing up, people knew their neighbors. If you were outside playing and did something you weren't supposed to do, you were corrected by whatever neighbor happened to be watching. If you did something really wrong, your mother knew by the time she got home, your grandmother had already reprimanded you, and your father gave you a third helping when he arrived. Kids had respect for their elders and parents were involved in their child's life. I'm not going to say my parents were perfect, but they raised me to value myself, respect my elders and everyone else regardless of our differences. They taught me to think for myself, to speak up and to ask questions. They weren't the only ones who shaped who I am. I had a neighborhood full of people, a big family, an invaluable grandmother, and teachers and school officials who cared enough to make sure I was on the right track. That's what we need to get back to. There was a time when everyone spoke to each other, now it's like pulling teeth to get people to say hello, even my next-door neighbors. It truly does take a village to raise a child. Parents are a big part of their kids outlook of the world.
These problems are not only prevalent in our communities, I'm sure many of them affect society as a whole. That being said, I channel my mother in what she always used to say, "I'm not [their] parent, I'm not worried about them; I'm your parent; I'm worried about you.". Before we step out there demanding acknowledgment, perhaps we should work on acknowledging each other and fixing our own problems to make us stronger as a people. Solidarity goes hand in hand with power, we will remain powerless as long as we're standing on the top of the hill alone.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The People vs. Bishop Harry Jackson
I read an article online at The Washington Post today about anti-gay activist, Bishop Harry Jackson, from Maryland. I have to admit I did not fully understand Jackson's argument against marriage equality until this article; and now that I know, it sounds even more absurd. Bishop Jackson's basic premise is that passing marriage equality will force the Black family into extinction. Of all the arguments one could propose, that registers right around letting people marry goats. What I would say about this argument in the company of close friends is probably not appropriate for an articulate, academically-based response so I will leave that behind closed doors. I will, however, like to challenge Bishop Jackson on the facts. His argument, while valid in his mind, has no merit in reality.
"If you redefine marriage, you have to redefine family. You'd have to redefine parenting. I'm looking at the extinction of marriage. And black culture is in a free fall." Really Bishop Jackson? Gay people are causing the extinction of marriage? How you forget your history, Sir. The disillusionment of the black family dates back to slavery. Slaves were brought to shore and then ripped from their immediate family, unrecognized as people so the thought of them marrying was obviously unheard of. The men were emasculated by slave owners who made them watch as they raped their "wives"; the children were stolen from parents and bred. The whole idea of gender and sexuality in the black community was an institution defined by slave owners. When black slaves were finally freed, the established roles of men and women were drastically skewed from what we might call normal today. Even in the period after the Great Depression, the institution of marriage and the idea of divorce centered mainly around financial interests.
Whether you call it marginalization, institutional hegemony, or cultural shifts, the Black family was endangered long before the gays came along. Black people are not getting married because we've stopped focusing on each other and started focusing on ourselves, the "get mine" mentality. Our grandmothers are in their 30s instead of in their 50s or 60s, teenage pregnancy rates are rising while access to family planning and contraception is dwindling. Black men are being taught that "pimping" and "Ballin" is the new fad; who needs to settle down and have one wife when you can have all the hoes that you want? When the hit songs have lyrics like, "I wish I could f**k every girl in the world", and "Have a baby by me, be a millionaire", the finger should clearly be pointing inward.
Gay people didn't do that, black people did. Black people go out and support the indecency that degrades our women, black people flock to read "The Down Low" but never ask themselves what institutions are set in place to make these men not be comfortable with coming out.
"I don't know of anybody black who says, 'I hate gay people'. But you overlap that -- homosexuality and gay marriage -- with broken families, and we don't know how to put it back together." I'll tell you how, Bishop Jackson. Increase child support laws and penalties, improve sex education in inner-city schools, start supporting more shows like "The Cosby's" and less shows like "House of Payne". Use some of the money you're raising for discrimination and hold couples counseling and relationship outreach. Support women's health and access to contraception. Get the young men in your congregation to understand that it's not cool to get three women pregnant at the same time, no matter what Lil' Wayne says.
And most important of all, let the gays get married so the gay, black families, who hang by a thread of law, will have some validity. They will be able to teach their children the importance of a loving, committed relationship. Perhaps the number of Black men who are stepping out on their wives, for other men, will decrease.
Allow gay people to adopt so that underprivileged children, whom most gays end up adopting, will grow up in loving families with two parents. Your concern is centered around the erosion of the Black family and yet your campaign is based on breaking up Black families. Yes, Bishop Jackson, there are gay black people. The whole idea that approving marriage equality will contribute to the deterioration of the black family is laughable. Perhaps your time would be better spent on a campaign to ban divorce.
You can find the article on Bishop Jackson's righteous campaign here:
http://tinyurl.com/ykxkb3l
"If you redefine marriage, you have to redefine family. You'd have to redefine parenting. I'm looking at the extinction of marriage. And black culture is in a free fall." Really Bishop Jackson? Gay people are causing the extinction of marriage? How you forget your history, Sir. The disillusionment of the black family dates back to slavery. Slaves were brought to shore and then ripped from their immediate family, unrecognized as people so the thought of them marrying was obviously unheard of. The men were emasculated by slave owners who made them watch as they raped their "wives"; the children were stolen from parents and bred. The whole idea of gender and sexuality in the black community was an institution defined by slave owners. When black slaves were finally freed, the established roles of men and women were drastically skewed from what we might call normal today. Even in the period after the Great Depression, the institution of marriage and the idea of divorce centered mainly around financial interests.
Whether you call it marginalization, institutional hegemony, or cultural shifts, the Black family was endangered long before the gays came along. Black people are not getting married because we've stopped focusing on each other and started focusing on ourselves, the "get mine" mentality. Our grandmothers are in their 30s instead of in their 50s or 60s, teenage pregnancy rates are rising while access to family planning and contraception is dwindling. Black men are being taught that "pimping" and "Ballin" is the new fad; who needs to settle down and have one wife when you can have all the hoes that you want? When the hit songs have lyrics like, "I wish I could f**k every girl in the world", and "Have a baby by me, be a millionaire", the finger should clearly be pointing inward.
Gay people didn't do that, black people did. Black people go out and support the indecency that degrades our women, black people flock to read "The Down Low" but never ask themselves what institutions are set in place to make these men not be comfortable with coming out.
"I don't know of anybody black who says, 'I hate gay people'. But you overlap that -- homosexuality and gay marriage -- with broken families, and we don't know how to put it back together." I'll tell you how, Bishop Jackson. Increase child support laws and penalties, improve sex education in inner-city schools, start supporting more shows like "The Cosby's" and less shows like "House of Payne". Use some of the money you're raising for discrimination and hold couples counseling and relationship outreach. Support women's health and access to contraception. Get the young men in your congregation to understand that it's not cool to get three women pregnant at the same time, no matter what Lil' Wayne says.
And most important of all, let the gays get married so the gay, black families, who hang by a thread of law, will have some validity. They will be able to teach their children the importance of a loving, committed relationship. Perhaps the number of Black men who are stepping out on their wives, for other men, will decrease.
Allow gay people to adopt so that underprivileged children, whom most gays end up adopting, will grow up in loving families with two parents. Your concern is centered around the erosion of the Black family and yet your campaign is based on breaking up Black families. Yes, Bishop Jackson, there are gay black people. The whole idea that approving marriage equality will contribute to the deterioration of the black family is laughable. Perhaps your time would be better spent on a campaign to ban divorce.
You can find the article on Bishop Jackson's righteous campaign here:
http://tinyurl.com/ykxkb3l
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Hypocrisy of Bigotry
As I watched the testimonies for and against the DC Marriage Equality and Religious Freedom act, what troubled me the most were all the brown faces testifying against equality. Most of their arguments were religious-based and included declarations of what "God" wants and what the Bible says. It is baffling that in the face of the immense discrimination that we have suffered as African Americans, there are still people ready to throw stones at another group who is discriminated against.
I'm an urban twenty-something, very likely half the age of the majority of anti-equality testifiers; but I grew up in a world where race was as much a factor as it wasn't. I was called a nigger at the early age of six, and though I knew it was wrong, it didn't stop me from being friends with people from every culture. People in my generation, for the most part, don't view race as starkly as people in my mother's generation do. In our world, discrimination is not about black versus white, it's about oppression versus anti-oppression. Yes, there are cultural disparages, even in the gay movement, but at the end of the day, what separates us is pro-LGBT and Anti-LGBT ideals.
That premise blends the color line drastically. In regards to the DC equality movement, you have people of all cultures advocating for equal rights and people of one predominate culture advocating against it: the African American religious fringe. This is particularly ironic, given that a majority of black congregations have a sizable LGBT population. And besides the obvious Stockholm syndrome of LGBT members of anti-gay churches, the history of Christianity and oppression in the black community should be argument enough for the opposition to take a look at what their argument is really saying.
African Americans didn't come here preaching Christianity. We were brought in chains, we were ripped from our language, our families, our culture, and our spiritual beliefs. Christianity was forced upon us by slave owners as a means to dissipate any potential unity. Fast forward three hundred years or so, Blacks were made to believe they had to straighten their hair, get rid of their slang, and assimilate fully into mainstream culture to be regarded as human. They could not marry someone of a different race, hell up until the 19th century, blacks were only 3/5 of a person. All of these institutions, anti-miscegenation, slavery, and voting rights were supported and prolonged by religious ideologies. Those same ideologies that said in essence, "you are the other; in order to be tolerated, you must be invisible". This is where the civil rights movement and the equal rights movement bear close resemblance.
By refusing to acknowledge LGBT people and relationships, we send a message that LGBT people are somehow the other. Black LGBT people, suffer the impact of marginalization two-fold, dealing with bigotry not only from racial discrimination, but from religious persecution. The same people who withstood fire hoses and beatings, who see what hate crimes and intolerance do to a people, have the audacity to seek to marginalize another group of people in the name of a "lord" that wasn't theirs to begin with. We as a people need to wake up and start acknowledging that the hatred for our gay brothers and sisters is doing nothing but perpetuating the denigration of our culture, killing our women, and holding us back from reaching Martin Luther King Jr's "promise land."
For more information on homophobia in Black churches, please join Metropolitan Network Against Homophobia for a panel discussion. 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 10th at The Sumner School 1201 17th Street NW Washington, DC Inside Lecture Hall 102. More information can be found here: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/eve/1446274447.html
I'm an urban twenty-something, very likely half the age of the majority of anti-equality testifiers; but I grew up in a world where race was as much a factor as it wasn't. I was called a nigger at the early age of six, and though I knew it was wrong, it didn't stop me from being friends with people from every culture. People in my generation, for the most part, don't view race as starkly as people in my mother's generation do. In our world, discrimination is not about black versus white, it's about oppression versus anti-oppression. Yes, there are cultural disparages, even in the gay movement, but at the end of the day, what separates us is pro-LGBT and Anti-LGBT ideals.
That premise blends the color line drastically. In regards to the DC equality movement, you have people of all cultures advocating for equal rights and people of one predominate culture advocating against it: the African American religious fringe. This is particularly ironic, given that a majority of black congregations have a sizable LGBT population. And besides the obvious Stockholm syndrome of LGBT members of anti-gay churches, the history of Christianity and oppression in the black community should be argument enough for the opposition to take a look at what their argument is really saying.
African Americans didn't come here preaching Christianity. We were brought in chains, we were ripped from our language, our families, our culture, and our spiritual beliefs. Christianity was forced upon us by slave owners as a means to dissipate any potential unity. Fast forward three hundred years or so, Blacks were made to believe they had to straighten their hair, get rid of their slang, and assimilate fully into mainstream culture to be regarded as human. They could not marry someone of a different race, hell up until the 19th century, blacks were only 3/5 of a person. All of these institutions, anti-miscegenation, slavery, and voting rights were supported and prolonged by religious ideologies. Those same ideologies that said in essence, "you are the other; in order to be tolerated, you must be invisible". This is where the civil rights movement and the equal rights movement bear close resemblance.
By refusing to acknowledge LGBT people and relationships, we send a message that LGBT people are somehow the other. Black LGBT people, suffer the impact of marginalization two-fold, dealing with bigotry not only from racial discrimination, but from religious persecution. The same people who withstood fire hoses and beatings, who see what hate crimes and intolerance do to a people, have the audacity to seek to marginalize another group of people in the name of a "lord" that wasn't theirs to begin with. We as a people need to wake up and start acknowledging that the hatred for our gay brothers and sisters is doing nothing but perpetuating the denigration of our culture, killing our women, and holding us back from reaching Martin Luther King Jr's "promise land."
For more information on homophobia in Black churches, please join Metropolitan Network Against Homophobia for a panel discussion. 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 10th at The Sumner School 1201 17th Street NW Washington, DC Inside Lecture Hall 102. More information can be found here: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/eve/1446274447.html
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sprinting to the Colorblind Finish Line
The National Equality March weekend begins in a few days and buzz is building throughout the community. Despite the criticism for the leadership's lack of organization, it is pivotal that we pull out big numbers for the march. For once, we can learn a lesson from republicans: stick together, be "homo", homogeneous that is.
More importantly, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act of DC was introduced to the council this Tuesday, October 6th; announced by openly-gay DC council member David Catania at the 1st Annual LGBT Convocation for Marriage Equality last Wednesday.
It appears someone was listening when bloggers suggested moving forward with outreach and grassroots efforts. DC is a many-fibered diaspora of histories, cultures and struggles; it took an outside voice to make us realize we should be taking advantage of that.
Rev. Eric E. Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership laid out several points about diversity and solidarity in the movement in his speech at the convocation. "There are five tenets in organizing [all carrying over into one another]," said Lee. "Education, organization, mobilization, agitation and transformation." In CA, he mentioned, equality activists fell short of what they needed to do to frame the movement as a civil rights issue. While this can be a touchy subject, especially for African Americans, I feel we need to tackle the issue head on. DC could be the poster child for the world in regards to the equality movement. The LGBT community pays taxes like our straight counterparts, but not only do we not have a vote, we are at the mercy of congress to decide what rights we should have. We are a community without a voice and we must address that.
Our mobilization must include outreach and education to the people; per Rev. Lee's advice, we should also address the discrimination that exists within our community. "Justice must be universal," and not only will it strengthen us as a group, it will provide the rest of the world with an example of how to do diversity correctly. While simultaneously addressing our own prejudices, we must contact the moderate voters. We know now, from several preceding social movements, that targeting and trying to change minds of the extremists is a futile operation. We are not going to convince someone, who is fiercely against equal rights, to come all the way over to our side; however, the ones sitting on the fence may just need a little push.
Rev. Lee thoroughly explained agitation in the community, an area I think we're making improvements in. Instead of trying to change extremists minds, we need to call them on their discrimination with articulate and well formed arguments. According to Lee, "[We must be] an irritant in a society where the blemish of discrimination must be washed out. Do not bear the burden of oppression; it is not your responsibility. Make the oppressors defend their discrimination!" Powerful words with a more significant meaning. We must be out, we must practice solidarity by enlisting our allies to speak on our behalf. In order to transform the movement into an unstoppable force, we need people to join together and actively practice anti-oppression. That means speaking up when you hear the word "fag", or stopping your buddies from bullying a kid with anti-gay slurs. We need to stop being spectators and get on the field. We need our congressional representatives on the line and our sneakers on the street. We are sprinting to the finish line, standing shoulder to shoulder, with every color of our rainbow pride flag.
Information about the National Equality March can be found here:
http://www.hrc.org/13519.htm
More importantly, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act of DC was introduced to the council this Tuesday, October 6th; announced by openly-gay DC council member David Catania at the 1st Annual LGBT Convocation for Marriage Equality last Wednesday.
It appears someone was listening when bloggers suggested moving forward with outreach and grassroots efforts. DC is a many-fibered diaspora of histories, cultures and struggles; it took an outside voice to make us realize we should be taking advantage of that.
Rev. Eric E. Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership laid out several points about diversity and solidarity in the movement in his speech at the convocation. "There are five tenets in organizing [all carrying over into one another]," said Lee. "Education, organization, mobilization, agitation and transformation." In CA, he mentioned, equality activists fell short of what they needed to do to frame the movement as a civil rights issue. While this can be a touchy subject, especially for African Americans, I feel we need to tackle the issue head on. DC could be the poster child for the world in regards to the equality movement. The LGBT community pays taxes like our straight counterparts, but not only do we not have a vote, we are at the mercy of congress to decide what rights we should have. We are a community without a voice and we must address that.
Our mobilization must include outreach and education to the people; per Rev. Lee's advice, we should also address the discrimination that exists within our community. "Justice must be universal," and not only will it strengthen us as a group, it will provide the rest of the world with an example of how to do diversity correctly. While simultaneously addressing our own prejudices, we must contact the moderate voters. We know now, from several preceding social movements, that targeting and trying to change minds of the extremists is a futile operation. We are not going to convince someone, who is fiercely against equal rights, to come all the way over to our side; however, the ones sitting on the fence may just need a little push.
Rev. Lee thoroughly explained agitation in the community, an area I think we're making improvements in. Instead of trying to change extremists minds, we need to call them on their discrimination with articulate and well formed arguments. According to Lee, "[We must be] an irritant in a society where the blemish of discrimination must be washed out. Do not bear the burden of oppression; it is not your responsibility. Make the oppressors defend their discrimination!" Powerful words with a more significant meaning. We must be out, we must practice solidarity by enlisting our allies to speak on our behalf. In order to transform the movement into an unstoppable force, we need people to join together and actively practice anti-oppression. That means speaking up when you hear the word "fag", or stopping your buddies from bullying a kid with anti-gay slurs. We need to stop being spectators and get on the field. We need our congressional representatives on the line and our sneakers on the street. We are sprinting to the finish line, standing shoulder to shoulder, with every color of our rainbow pride flag.
Information about the National Equality March can be found here:
http://www.hrc.org/13519.htm
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