Tonight’s series was more the regurgitated MSM dogma that says that the only choices Black women in SC have are Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Hat Tip to Prometheus 6 for YouTubing it. Courting African-American women voters Of course we couldn’t be choosing to vote in our own best interest, but are merely going to choose between gender and race if you believe MSM. I was heartened to see that the Black women in SC are echoing the sentiments expressed on this blog. They like what they hear about Obama, but they just don’t KNOW him and his views on the issues that are important to them. HINT HINT! Like Duh. I have already written extensively about this failure this week and I have no desire to go another round with the Obama-lytes in the comments section.
I thought this dreadful ordeal would be over tonight, but apparently due to interest in the series- BLACK FOLKS ARE GIVING NBC HELL- NBC is stretching it out another night to talk about interracial marriage. I am glad it is on a Saturday when most folks don’t visit the blog because I know folks are going to act a fool AS USUAL!
It Does Not Suck To Be A Black Woman
Rev. Renita J. Weems has responded to the gloomy tone of the NBC series with this post in response “It Does Not Suck to Be A Black Woman” over at her blog, Something Within. You sure about that Renita… I don’t know we may have to deprogram some folk. You can follow our discussion and posts about the NBC Series, “African American Women: Where They Stand” but going to this link.
Please note that we have ESP because this Black women and Obama story was all over CNN and NBC Nightly News today.
You should also check out the second hour of this week’s podcast. During the second hour we get into a brawl over Barack Obama’s ( AND EVERY OTHER CANDIDATE’S) perceived failure to address the unique needs and concerns of African American women.
By: Symphony, WAOD Contributor This Week’s Wagging Finger of Shame Award Goes to Essence magazine editor Tatsha Robertson for being a complete and total embarrassment to Black women everywhere for saying this foolishness on CNN:
“Even though she’s Hillary Clinton, they [Black women] see themselves, you know, within her, dealing with the family issues, the infidelity issues.”
According to CNN’s Chris Lawrence Robertson says Clinton’s ultimate embarrassment is her greatest asset. Robertson went on to say:
“She decided, you know, whether she wanted to stay or not, and I really think, you know, people respect that about Hillary Clinton, especially black women. “ (SOURCE)
CNN has the video up. . *Man, I didn’t want to do that to Essence, LOL. Gina is somewhere falling off a chair, choking off of a snort and shaking her head all at the same time. DOH! -Symphony.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
While Police were recovering and identifying the body of Latasha Norman, Barack Obama was eating fried chicken in Harlem with Al Sharpton and MSNBC was reporting on the recovery of the body of another college student. It goes without saying that the other college student was not an African American woman otherwise, MSNBC would not have reported on her kidnapping and murder.
In the world of television news, air time is the treasure. The more important the editorial decision-makers believe a story is to them, the more air time will be given to the story.
In the world of politics, political capital is the treasure. The more important a politician believes an issue is, the more political capital, in the form of public statements and legislation, a politician is willing to expend.
When I say important. I don’t mean private importance, but public importance. You see the editor making the calls about what goes on cable news may privately care deeply about violence against black women, but made the calculation that they cannot do so in their public lives. A politician may care very deeply about violence against Black women privately, but may do absolutely nothing about it in their public lives.
We aren’t voting for a man or woman. We’re voting for a President-an administration. I ain’t particularly interested in their private lives. What I am concerned about is their public life. What do they treasure publicly? We can tell what they treasure publicly pretty gosh darn easily because THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM!
Regular readers of this blog know that the Universe loves to mock me. I vow never to write about something and then the Universe in its infinite wisdom decides to plop something smack dab in front of my face whose irony and hypocrisy literally dares me to comment on it at 4:00AM.
Now Rev. Renita J Weems would probably tell me that I was naïve, but Renita I really did think that all these people would have to hear were the horrific details of the crime and they would be so moved to action that they would literally trip over themselves to speak out publicly about the horrors. I was stupid and yes, naïve.
So when I woke up this morning and read that while police were trying to identify the body of Latasha Norman, Barack Obama was eating fried chicken at Sylvia’s with Al Sharpton and later commented PUBLICLY on the Jena 6 in front of a audience filled with members of The Black Elite Establishment at the Apollo theater on the same day I was like “You have got to be kidding me.” The juxtaposition is insane.
The truth is that while our political leaders may feel bad privately they aren’t going to speak out about any of these violent crimes against Black women. Because politically the lives of Black women and girls aren’t TREASURED only our votes.
That looks ugly doesn’t it. It ain’t pretty, but it is the truth.
Dogs and boys – TREASURED.
Black women and girls -NOT.
The politicians have done their mercenary political calculations and have concluded that they can get away with ignoring crimes against humanity committed against African American women in this country. Why? Because they don’t treasure our lives. In the political world, the lives of six African American teenage boys are worth more than the lives of a thousand Black women and children.
It’s time to change the variables in their equations.
We shouldn’t have to beg anybody to do what they have a moral obligation to do. The days of black women begging folks for anything OUGHT to be over. We’re in the majority when it comes to Black registered voters. We control over 67% of the 850 BILLION of Black America’s dollars. We lead the majority of Black America’s households. So tell me why we got to beg anybody to acknowledge our humanity and treasure our lives as much as the live of Black criminal defendants?
Violence against Black women ain’t going away. Candidates can either deal with it THIS December or they can deal with it NEXT November, but they will deal with it and they will deal with it publicly. It is of no consequence to me when it happens. CALCULATE THAT!
In Loving Memory of Daniyah Jackson
Our Thoughts and Prayers Are With the Family of Latasha Norman
Tonight was Night 4 of NBC Nightly News’ “African American Women: Where They Stand” This is why I go to an old school Black doctor in the hood. The neighborhood is sketchy, but I get comprehensive care and she does not play.
HAHAHA Brian Williams said that African American Women: Where They Stand is “high interest.”
Black folks are giving them HELL! But hey, at least we are watching.
Y’all touch and agree that, during this holiday season, the demon spirit of egg nog, danish butter cookies, and pecan pie don’t undo all my hard work this summer. Although today I DID find an egg nog alternative called “Nog”- it is made out of soy milk and if you close your eyes and hold your nose, it is almost as good.
This is just speculation at this point. I don’t want to take us on the roller coaster ride we went on with Nailah Franklin, but I did want to update those who had been following the story of Latasha Norman.
Jackson Police have discovered a body. Right now there is speculation that it is the body of missing Jackson State Student Latasha Norman.
According to reports, a body was found in the area of Brown Street near Tougaloo in Jackson. The coroner arrived on scene shortly after jackson police. WLBT
Now this report filed 31 minutes ago has a police officer saying it was definitely her:
Stanley Cole has been arrested in connection with the death of JSU student Latasha Norman. Cole, who is Norman’s former boyfriend, faces murder charges.
A JPD officer tells News Channel 12 Norman’s body was found around 2:00 Thursday afternoon on Brown Street near Tougaloo College in Jackson. The 20-year-old accounting major was last seen November 13th leaving a class on campus.SOURCE
Haven’t heard about Natasha Norman? Well that is not surprising. She was a Black woman after all. When we go missing the editorial decision-makers in the newsrooms of America have decided that our kidnappings, rapes and murders just aren’t newsworthy.
UPDATE: So I click to MSNBC.COM and there is a photo on the main page and I look at the title and it is about a recovered body. “Police: Corpse likely that of secret porn star” Not about Latasha Norman, but about college student Emily Sander. It is an AP WIRE STORY! AND this story was featured on MSNBC
EL DORADO, Kan. – A body found in Kansas appears to be that of a missing college student who led a secret life as an Internet porn star, police said Thursday.SOURCE
All lives are sacred, but this is just a stark example of the double standard. Two women. Both college students. Both of their bodies recovered. One gets the front page on MSNBC.COM an a segment on MSNBC and the other…. I’m still looking for an AP story on Latasha. Here it is. Oh well.
OH the hypocrisy of NBC doing a series on African American Women: Where They Stand while their website and cable network basically ignore them.
Dunbar Village As we know Jakaris Taylor, who early on felt they had nothing on him, agreed to a 20-year sentence pleading guilty to burglary and two counts of armed sexual battery while wearing a mask. His 35-year-old victim was consulted and “was satisfied with the terms of the deal before it was signed.”I highly expect Avion Lawson (HAWK) to speak as well but it may not be necesary considering Taylor has already struck a deal. So why did he get a deal in the first place?
Belohlavek said prosecutors considered Taylor’s age of 15 at the time of attack, the lack of DNA evidence against him and his relatively limited role in the assault. His fingerprint was found inside the victim’s apartment, while DNA linked other defendants to the home, Belohlavek said.
All the defendants have been offered deals with different prison terms. The next to last paragraph of the article was the most telling for me.
Taylor’s mother could not be reached to talk about her son’s fate because she is in the Palm Beach County Jail. Jacqueline Minor, 34, has been incarcerated since Nov. 15 in lieu of $6,000 bail on charges of vehicle theft and driving on a suspended license.
I mean really. This is where I will unjustly (apparently) blame women and poor people. We spend a lot of time talking about kids (especially male children) not having a father in the home but truth be told, a lot of kids don’t have a mother either.
There is more to being a parent than putting food on the table and a roof over a kid’s head. Instilling values is something many people forget, don’t have time for, don’t realize (add your endless but futile reasons here). And its not just poor parents, its a lot of parents regardless of socioeconomic situations.
I will never poo-poo the absence of a father; I know it takes a man to teach a boy to be a man. But does it take a man to teach a child how to be respectful, kind, and proud? I am a single mother and I work to instill those basic human (not male) qualities in my son everyday.
Many times I have to check myself when I admonish people for not doing better because I’m one of those people who “shouldn’t be where they are” and I’m quick to say “if I could do it then so can anyone else” and “stop allowing yourself to be victimized particularly when you’re a grown behind woman”.
Why do I think people can better themselves? Because I was the product of a single mother (see the cycle), I was a latchkey kid at SIX YEARS OLD, I wasn’t raised in the church, my mother couldn’t tell you my grades let alone what classes I was taking in high school, I didn’t grow up with my father, he was in and out of my life like clockwork (6, 12, and haven’t seen him since 18), no one in my family graduated from college, it goes on and on.
But I took responsibility for my education when I was a little kid and I took responsibility for my life as a self-respecting woman and successful person somewhere around 21. After high school I served in the military, I will graduate with honors in May with a degree in International Relations, I’m applying to law schools and as far as I’m concerned the sky is the limit.
But I dont just expect people to better their lives just because I don’t want them using my tax dollars blah, blah, blah. I believe it because I believe in peopole and truly think they can. I expect them to succeed because I WANT them to succeed. We can’t sit around on the sidelines waiting for livable wages, the end of racism, sexism, and discrimination, etc. before we jump in the fight. You have to strive in spite of.
And yes, some of you hate hearing it (*shrugs* but so) but some people do have a defeatist attitude. You can’t help someone who isn’t willing to help themselves. And if you give them all the support, resources, and information in the world and they still don’t take the first step is it still everyone else’s fault?
Jakaris Taylor (apparent daddy to be) may be out of jail “likely in his early to mid-30s” and we wonder what that means. Its punishment but it won’t be rehabilitation. Is it right to say he’s a lost cause at 16?
So here we are. The subsidizing of those given up on begins. Unfortunately its on the wrong end. People say, “Why should my tax dollars pay for after school programs and other programs for other people’s kids?” (Enlighten me. Are there no programs that receive some type of tax dollars either federally, state, or locally that benefits middle class and more wealthy children? Story for another day.)
You’re going to pay for their parent’s sin of not caring about them one way or the other. We can pay for it on the front end when they are young and more open to change (which can end generational poverty and social ills) or we can pay for them on the back end (after commiting our own sin of ignoring the weakest most helpless in our society–children–regardless of whether they are ours by birth) when they are in jail. And then we will pay for the kids they brought into this world and so on. So, you’re going to pay. Its just when and how do you want to do it.
I just talked to Shane, Shecodes and Citoya this week. The planning for the Dunbar Village Townhall meeting, if you will, is going quite nicely. If anyone is interested in taking a trip to West Palm Beach and doing some hands-on activism in mid-January Dunbar Village 2008 will have all the up-to-date information on the itinerary.You can also contact me (not through the comments section) at symphonyep[at]gmail[dot]com
So let me ask this. Gina is a self-described town crier. Now, if you aren’t a blogger (or spread the word whatever your medium) who are letting the masses know about the problems and you aren’t doing anything in the community are you part of the problem? Or do you believe the best way for society to be great is for you to concentrate on making something of yourself and being successful?
So my sources tell me that some Obama folks are in a tizzy because of a couple of little posts at my tiny little blog. Now you would think they would be in a tizzy over the fact that Senator Obama has been totally and completely silent on Dunbar Village and other horrific crimes of violence against BLACK WOMEN. You know the BLACK WOMEN that are a huge chunk of the voting block in SC. Yeah, those BLACK WOMEN.
But instead of focusing on asking his staffers why the Senator’s Washington staff said he was going to issue a statement back on August 7,2007, but apparently he didn’t, they are sitting around trying to figure out how many people read my blog. Well it’s called a sitemeter and if you are really clever, you might discover it one day. You should be more distressed however about my technorati rating after a mere six months. THAT ought to terrify y’all
As far as your concern about how many people read this blog, if you knew anything about blogs, you would know that you should be less concerned about how many people read it as opposed to how influential its reader base is (y’all did notice my picture plopped right next to the Senator’s in the December issue of ESSENCE didn’t y’all- Y’all got to be more vigilant!) and you can’t go by the folks who leave comments either(although they are impressive). I am amazed at who reads this blog. You should be far more worried at a terrible knack I and my readers have for stumbling into newspaper and magazine articles. If you think Dunbar Village and this current unrest in the Black community about Black on Black crime is going to go away, you are in a dream world. People are ENRAGED about the silence on Dunbar Village and other crimes against Black women and children
FYI. Clinton knows about Dunbar Village and has been silent. Edwards knows about Dunbar Village and responded with a request for a donation. Richardson knows about Dunbar Village. About the only candidates we have not contacted are the Republicans, but you know if y’all keep irritating folks, don’t be surprise if we put up their contact information for the readers one day. Y’all gone be real embarrassed if a Republican candidate picks up on the absolute RAGE simmering in the Black community about Black on Black crime. We are simply all thugged OUT.
Why Dunbar Village? Well because it is indicative of so many other horrors. We’ve talked about the 11 year olg girl that was gang raped by at least 20 men and boys. We’ve told you abut Dangela Dawson, whose home was firebombed.
Now if Barack Obama can’t be moved to talk about any one of these horrors, somebody tell me what you have to do to a Black woman or child in this country to get our leaders to open up their mouths and SPEAK?
Just this week following the death of an NFL player, the issue of Black on Black crime bubbled up AGAIN and members of the media are joining me in questioning the immoral indifference to Black victims of crime in this country who are victimized by other Black people.
Jason Whitlock just out and called them “The Black KKK.” Clarence Page did an article about Black on Black crime that is still being reprinted in syndication everyday in a new newspaper.
OH and If y’all are scared about the blog, what you really ought to be terrified by are my Dunbar Village videos. Well over 100,000 hits in a month and a half and those are the views I can track. They’re viral and I don’t even promote them on this site. People are emailing them all over the country. Obama and others are mentioned.
So while you plot your strategy against me and this blog for being Obama haters ( an outright LIE). My question is why you aren’t spending your time as Black Women for Obama asking the Senator why he will speak out on behalf of Black women in Darfur and white men in America, but won’t speak out about Dunbar Village and other atrocities committed RIGHT HERE in the USA. You might want to point out that he is about to be on the wrong side of history on Dunbar Village. He better call Al Sharpton.
As far as “targeting” Obama. I am not the one writing all these articles about Black women and Obama and the article I referred to is not the first. This blog is about the negative portrayal of African American women in popular culture and I think this inference in MSM that Black women who don’t vote for Obama are somehow being disloyal is idiotic and stupid. If he wants Black women’s votes, he ought to hustle for them.
Welcome to What About Our Daughters? We serve our truth in a glass and we ain’t drinking Koolaid out of it either. I ain’t scared of y’all! Bring it!
Sorry ladies, I wasn’t impressed. Tonight’s segment was much improved, but once again, poorly thought out. The black women’s roundtable was interesting and heartfelt, but represented a limited perspective. I am personally trying to escape the big black monolith. I no longer desire to be lumped in with every single black person in the world and I do not wish to be bunched together with every single black woman in the world. After watching the extended segment twice, all I could think was -
Do ALL black women want the same things in life?
Does EVERY black woman have the desire to be married? Don’t we all know at least one friend or relative that seriously has absolutely no interest in marriage?
Is EVERY black woman MEANT to be married? Don’t we all know at least one friend or relative that is an awful wife?
Is EVERY black woman MEANT to be a MOTHER? Don’t we all know at least one friend or relative that is an awful mother?
Is EVERY black woman that is married HAPPY and FULFILLED? Don’t we all know at least one friend or relative that is more alone in their marriage than they ever were as a single person?
I think marriage is wonderful…for some people. I think motherhood is beautiful…for some people. I just don’t believe that your life as a black woman is somehow lacking, incomplete or a failure if you don’t become someone’s wife or someone’s mother.
Okay Rehema. You redeemed yourself tonight. Rehema Ellis gave us(not us in particular, but bloggers in general) a shout out tonight on NBC Nightly News. Brian Williams had Rahema come to the Nightly News set and Brian and Rahema noted the strong response to the series and that folks were not all ecstatic about it.
I think tonight’s was the most “original” piece that NBC has done this week. Sure they regurgitated the same old “Black Women Will Die Old Alone” propaganda, but they managed not to blame us and say we were being to picky and the women that they interviewed weren’t irritating in the way that the group they interviewed for the interracial dating panel tapped danced all up under and through my last nerve.
Awesome shout out to Black women who are adopting in historic numbers. I actually thought they were gong to talk about how Black women interact with each other. They highlighted the fact that as a result of the Concubine Conspiracy, entire generations of Black children won’t know what it is like to grow up in a two parent household.
But I didn’t leave the piece feeling doomed. It actually had a hopeful, poignant bent to it tonight. Rahema looked on the verge of tears. YES I AM GOING EASY ON HER TONIGHT. Y’all know I don’t like bullying and I have a soft spot for the underdog and we’ve given Rahema hell this week. She deserved it after that Monday night debacle, but tonight’s piece was much better IMHO.
But I have the feeling that Mara Schiavocampo is about to bring us another bout of “Ignorance personified”. This is what she said on the Daily Nightly, the NBC Nightly News Blog:
And on Friday, I’ll be posting a video version of a roundtable discussion on hip-hop’s effect on Black women, featuring Irv Gotti, Melyssa Ford, Kevin Powell and Kendra G. Trust me, it’s not to be missed. SOURCE
Oh don’t worry Mara, we wouldn’t miss it for the world. Melyssa Ford and Irv Gotti… Oh I can’t wait. My foolishness meter is going berserk right about now.
My only major irritation tonight was that NBC gave a shout out to “Soul Mates” aka “Poor Little Spinster Sistas”. My friend watched that movie and said it had her despondent and in tears. Don’t do it to yourself. Do not watch “Soul Mates ” alone. Just. Don’t Do It.
The core of her message in South Carolina is her argument that Obama, more than Clinton, former North Carolina senator John Edwards or any other presidential candidate, will do more for blacks because he understands them better.SOURCE
This most recent article about Michelle Obama’s speech in SC, is the latest in a string of articles by mainstream media that is basically savaging Black women voters. This blog is after all about the negative portrayal of African American women in popular culture. The slander doesn’t get any deeper than the ruse that Black women are going to be singlehandedly responsible to keeping a brother out of the White House.
Michelle Obama, 43, is especially challenging other black women, who’ll be pivotal in the South Carolina primary. SOURCE
You see mainstream media is setting Black women up to be the villains in the event Barack Obama doesn’t win the nomination. Go back and type in Obama and “Black Women” in a Google news search. Don’t bother, I did it for y’all!
You see this is the “Political Apprentice” and Barack Obama has been cast as the superbly qualified Kwame and we, “De Ebil Blak Wimmen” are apparently going to reprise the role of Omarosa Manigault-Stalworth-Bently-Louis Vitton.
Except this time, the job that is on the line isn’t some raggedy stint as Donald Trump’s intern, but the position of the leader of the free world. The ultimate career move, and the “Sistas” are standing in Barack Obamas way.
This ain’t no coinky dink. This is yet another version of “Black women are the enemy of Black men.” We hear this garbage from the Hip Hop Industrial Complex all the time. A sista’ tryin’ to stick a brother for his paper!
THIS “Black women are the enemy” talk is dangerous. I have said it once, I will say it a thousand times. You will mistreat something you view as less than human and you might feel bad about it, but if you view something or someone as your enemy, you will destroy it and not feel bad at all, in fact you will feel good about it.
Now imagine those weren’t water balloons and imagine that that was not Omarosa.
I knew I was committing heresy when I wrote what I wrote. You see because I am a Black woman, I am supposed to give my vote away for free. I am not supposed to examine whether a candidate’s policy positions are in MY best interest. I am supposed to be appeased by a compelling life story or how awesome I think the candidate’s wife or HUSBAND is. I am supposed to be swayed and intoxicated by the melodic sounds coming from the gospel concert the candidate threw and amazed by the candidate’s saxophone playing. I am supposed to be hypnotized by the candidate’s phony southern accent:
You see, Christian conservatives have the power to veto Supreme court nominations. Immigration advocates get to help draft legislation sitting side by side with congressional leaders. Labor Unions get to basically draft treaties (second in supremacy only to the Constitution), but Black women, we can’t ask for too much. We most certainly can’t ask that a candidate make the case for why we should vote for them other than the superficial, a gospel concert is enough.
I wasn’t just talking about Barack Obama. I was talking about people voting for Hillary because they have a crush on Bill Clinton . Or people Voting for John Edwards because he ran down to New Orleans to do a photo op in front of some hurricane carnage ( UM did he bring some heavy equipment and dump trucks with him? How many blocks of debris did he clear out).
The point I was trying to make was that Black women have entirely too much political power, particularly in SC to not have candidates address their needs and concerns with specificity. Not broad generalizations, but specificity. In making that point I merely asked whether African American women would be better off under an Obama administration as opposed to a Billary, Edwards, Richardson, Kucinich, Dodd, Biden or Mike Gravel Administration.
For asking such a question, we’ve basically been called Black man hating bitter harpies who are picking on Barack Obama. We have been cast as Barack Obama’s Omarosas (BOO!). Treacherous, conniving, underhanded, difficult, angry Black women and out to keep a brother down.
Oh I’m sorry I just thought we were electing the leader of the free world. So sorry that his stances on the issues that at the moment are most important to me are irrelevant to my evaluation of him. Gosh how silly of me. There I go being a feather brained female. There I went thinking I was supposed to be making my decisions based on a candidate’s stance on the issues that are important to ME and all along I was supposed to forget what might be in my best interest and substitute my judgment for that of complete and total strangers because of course… They know what best for little ole feather brained me. Fiddle dee dee. *Starts looking for a straw fan and a mint julep*
Well for those of you who have been trying to cast Black women as the Barack Obama’s Omarosa Society. BOOS ( yes I am clever. I know), we are about to induct a new member. None other that the the Honorable Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackon, Sr. the Fourth.
Democratic candidates are talking about health care and raising the minimum wage, but they aren’t talking about the separate and stark realities facing African Americans. SOURCE
Oh my lord Reverend, you mean to tell me that African Americans have unique concerns that a candidate running for high office might want to address specifically? It just can’t be so? What about their compelling biographies, impressive spouses, and precocious children? You mean to tell me black folks are supposed to be concerned about specific issues that are of interest to them? Perish the thought.*takes another sip of the mint julep and waves straw fan furiously*
African Americans have, on average, about half of the good things that whites have, and double the bad things. We have about half the average household income and less than half the household wealth. On the other hand, we’re suffering twice the level of unemployment and twice the level of infant mortality (widely accepted as a measure of general health). SOURCE
Perish the thought Rev. We ain’t supposed to ask the candidates to address these specific issues, they’re too busy mapping out policy and position papers for all those other IMPORTANT democratic constituencies. Never mind this big ole block of Black votes that they need to win in both the primary AND the general election ( anybody ever heard of Ohio?)
African Americans are brutalized by a system of criminal injustice. Young African Americans are more likely to be stopped, more likely to be searched if stopped, more likely to be arrested if searched, more likely to be charged if arrested, more likely to be sentenced to prison if charged, less likely to get early parole if imprisoned. Every study confirms that the discrimination is systemic and ruinous. And yet no candidate speaks to this central reality.
African Americans are more likely to go to overcrowded and underfunded schools, more likely to go without health care, more likely to drop out, less likely to find employment. Those who do work have less access to banks and are more likely to be ripped off by payday lenders, more likely to be stuck with high-interest auto and business loans, and far more likely to be steered to risky mortgages — even when adjusting for income. And yet, no candidate speaks to this central reality. SOURCE
Hmmm, the temperature in Hell just dropped 30 degrees. It might just freeze on over.
Now, 40 years later, it is no longer acceptable for candidates to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to entrenched discrimination and still expect to reap our votes. SOURCE
So, is the Rev. Jackson a Black man hating feminazi shrew? Are you going to revoke his “Black card” too. Is he going to be blamed for singlehandedly bringing down all of the Democratic candidates for merely suggesting that with as much political power that Black people have the candidates ought to be addressing our issues SPECIFICALLY with more than lip service but actual POLICY? Now black women make up the majority of Black registered voters in this country, tell me again why we shouldn’t have our issues addressed by candidates?
Now when the GLBT community was up in arms about Donnie McClurkin, Obama couldn’t issue statements and have conference calls soon enough, but Black women apparently are not as important as everybody else. We can’t be too demanding. We can’t ask for too much in exchange for our votes. We don’t deserve to be pandered to like every other group of people and demand tangible results in exchange for our votes. We’re second class voters. When they count up the vote totals, our votes apparently only count 2/3 as much as Christian conservatives, members of labor unions, members of the GLBT community, environmentalists, immigration activists or opponents, and any other special interest groups that candidates ROUTINELY pander to and guess what, these folks actually get actual LEGISLATION and BILLIONS of my TAX DOLLARS out of these candidates instead of a $20 gospel concert.
To all the Obama-maniacs that have been frothing in the comments section over merely asking a question, you do your candidate a disservice by saying that we must vote for him because he is Black. A prudent action MIGHT have been to answer Shecode’s questions and say. “The senator has spelled out his position on this issue. You can read more about it here.” But no, you weren’t concerned about answering her question, only in making sure you noted her disloyalty for merely asking them. You were obsessed with telling a group of Black women that being concerned about violence against women and children, our health, and our personal finances are too trivial for the President of the United States to be bothered with. You were too busy trying to label us with the ‘Scarlett “O”’ – Not Oprah, Not Obama, Omarosa.
Maybe if Obama started addressing SUBSTANTIVE issues of specific concern to Black women in SC folks wouldn’t be wringing their hands over Hillary. Whether you like it or not, a whole lot of black folks remember the Bill Clinton years as a Golden Age of Black America. The country experienced some economic prosperity, everybody owned some dot com stock. Black folks were all up over and through the Clinton administration. Quite frankly, you can say what you want to say about Bill Clinton and his policies, but he has never appear uncomfortable standing in front of Black people and having a conversation. Maybe what people tune in to is Bill Clinton’s comfort level with Black folks. What’s Obama’s? Black folks know Bill Clinton. They don’t know Obama… yet.
If he wants their votes then make the case. He’s a lawyer! Make the case! Build the case on something other than biography. We aren’t trying to hurt him. We’re actually trying to help him by pointing out that he ain’t gon’ win SC on bio. You got to overcome CLINTON, BILL CLINTON and you ain’t going to do that with bio, an impressive wife and precocious children.
Hillary has given him more than enough to beat her, but Obama’s people think so little of Black women that they would rather focus on style than substance. Fine! Be that way, but PLEASE don’t blame Black women and their “animus” towards Black men as one comment stated. If he loses, he loses because he didn’t make the case for why Black women would be better off under an Obama candidacy. If he loses, he loses because he ran a crappy campaign. Tell me why he didn’t beat back “I Got A Crush on Obama” and say “RESPECT MY WIFE!” Tell me why I know more about his stinky socks and leaving out the butter than I do about his policy positions? Tell me why Michelle, who spent all summer reminding us that her husband was not all that, now wants Black women to entrust our futures to the same man that apparently won’t clean up after himself. Don’t blame Black women for the polling in SC, blame his campaign strategists.
I didn’t say I wouldn’t vote for Obama. I just said if I do, I am not going to engage in the FICTION that just because he is a Black man that I am going to be better off under his administration than I would under any other administration.
If I would be better off, then by all means SHOW ME! Show me some policy. Show me some legislation. Show me some concrete acts he’s taken in the past other than you like his biography. Show me the list of Black women taking a prominent role on his staff. I am not picking on the man. I was merely responding to yet another news article, setting Black women up as electoral spoilers, that popped up in my news feed.
The truth is that if Obama is in any kind of decent position come mid January, I predict that he is gong to get a HUGE chunk of the Black vote in South Carolina. I don’t care WHAT folks are telling reporters in barbershops and beauty shops.It IS going to be hard to walk away from the possibility of having an African American living in the White House.
However, I am SOOOOO sorry that my impertinent questions are arising at an inopportune time, but I didn’t bring up the Obama Black woman conundrum, Michelle Obama did!
Who wants next?
To all of those who can’t stand the idea of questioning candidate’s on their attention to the needs of the African American community, you are going to be VERY DISTRESSED to find out that there is an ENTIRE blog dedicated to Black Accountability. GASP. Oh Yeah, we aren’t the only ones who think Black folks need to start holding all politicians accountable. Hat Tip to Francis Holland and the Afrospear Google Group for the heads up on the article.
