File this one under foolishness and chicanery, courtesy of that bastion of the Civil Rights Industrial Complex, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and their president, Dr. Charles Steele:
He said that Michelle Obama has had rougher treatment than her husband because she has ancestors who were slaves, and Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, does not.
“Why are they attacking Michelle Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and not really attacking, to that degree, her husband?” Steele asked. “Because he has no slave blood in him. He does not have any slave blood in him, but Michelle does.” Atlanta Journal Constitution
Yeah he said it. MLK would be so proud. What? Was Andy Young unavailable?
So OF COURSE because this chicanery was too tempting to resist, Rush Limbaugh had a field day with “Slave Blood” on his show.
Folks, I want to get a little prediction to you here. It won’t be long, it may happen tonight, it may happen tomorrow, but somewhere in the Drive-By Media there will be a story, probably Associated Press, and it will be picked up and amplified from there. One day after Obama warned that his critics would play the race card, Rush Limbaugh jumped right in and did just that by talking about how his wife, Michelle, has slave blood, but he ain’t got no slave blood. Keep in mind that when they do this, it was some guy that runs the Southern Christian Leadership Conference who said that. They’re going to say, Limbaugh jumped right in, Obama warned us, the Republicans are going to play the race card, and Limbaugh plays the “Magic Negro” song, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I can predict these people. RushLimbaugh.com
He kept going…
CALLER: Yeah. Hi, Rush. Yeah, the reason I’m calling is, I… You know, I’m not a big supporter of John McCain, but one of the things that’s kind of getting me to think about voting for him is my concern that Michelle Obama will be the next Hillary Clinton.
RUSH: Not true, because Michelle Obama has slave blood. Hillary doesn’t. RushLimbaugh.com
Thanks A LOT Dr. Steele! For another take on Dr. Steele’s comments, you can head over to Black Political Thought.
Cross posted at Michelle Obama Watch. (Y’all see why we need a blog?)
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17 comments ↓
This is a different sort of attack, in my opinion.
Its meant to draw a wedge between the two (i.e. “too”) love birds, Michelle and Barack.
well….i think it came out poorly, but i think mr. steele was right. i’ve believed that michelle was more aggressively attacked because she is black american, generally meaning she is a long-term north american descended from slaves.
michelle obama is attacked more fiercely than barack because she directly represents (to racists) those native blacks that had a long history of being hated in the u.s. long-term black americans are considered less acceptable than many other non-whites, including even africans.
her presence, her lineage gives the racists easy fuel to try to shut her down, make her feel ashamed of who she is, which is why klan-branding images, lynching jokes, etc. can be made about michelle, not obama.
michelle is no lightweight and can handle such insults, but it still doesn’t mean people won’t target her and sling them.
basically, it’s like a “remember your place, ni****”, don’t get uppity because this is what we used to do to you (lynch, cross-burn, branding, etc.)
The same can’t be said for obama because he doesn’t have that same history in america. the old skool racists insults don’t apply to him, would not be relevant, if that makes any sense. i mean think about it, lynching jokes and klan imagery from the 20’s.. barack’s lineage has nothing to do with that.
while africans were oppressed and colonized too, their history is still a separate experience from the american historical experience.
i think dr. steele is right and he doesn’t have to be quiet just to keep idiots like limbaugh from making comments. rush limbaugh will make comments ANYWAY. if you say michelle obama is intelligent or beautiful, he’d have something to say about that to.
so on this one, i think the civil right-ers should be let off the hook. It’s not palying “the race card” just pointing out a fact.
>>her presence, her lineage gives the racists easy fuel to try to shut her down, make her feel ashamed of who she is, which is why klan-branding images, lynching jokes, etc. can be made about michelle, not obama.
Who has made lynching jokes about Michelle?
I think the reason Michelle is being “targeted” is because she’s a woman, plain and simple. She’s getting the same kind of attacks Hilary Clinton got.
Or perhaps she’s being “attacked’ because she’s a hypocrite. A millionaire advising other black women to stay poor because it’s just so hard to pay off your school debt?
Darker-complexioned blacks have always had a rougher time in this country. They were the field hands while their lighter-skinned brothers and sisters got to work in the shade of the slave-holder’s house.
This visceral hatred by many whites of darker blacks contaminated our own community to some degree until this century, when we finally began seeing gorgeous dark women on music videos.
Much of white America has not caught up with us. I often wonder if Michelle Obama was as light as her husband or looked like a Beyonce, they wouldn’t be quite as crazy in their hatred. This is also because she does not fit their Euro standard of beauty.
If/when he gets elected, frequent exposure of Michelle will become normal to many of them and gradually these ones will accept her. Others will never accept a black couple in the White House even if they could restore the economy and bring peace to entire world. It’s too threatening to their illusion of white supremacy.
Maybe some of their children won’t be so ignorant.
Frankly, most Europeans and Africans have slave blood. I am not sure whether Asians have a history of slavery.
Feudal slavery in Russia is still historical recent. There is still the caste system in India.
Some slavery is still ongoing in Africa.
Slave trade, though rarely used, was still legal in Saudi Arabia until the 1960s.
Slavery is not benign by any means, but prior to the development of efficient economic exchange it was one of the few labor contracts that could be enforced.
It is what primitive humans did until they figured out something better.
Slave blood. Geez the stupidity abounds! How do they know some of the Obama cousins weren’t kidnapped and sold off? Some people just want any excuse to behave in the vile manner towards Michelle.
To Cathy Gale:
“Who has made lynching jokes about Michelle?”
Are you kidding me? Cathy, you must not follow the news about Michelle Obama. A direct quote from Bill O’Reilly:
“I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama….”
Also, lynching and branding images of Michelle Obama have come out. Please see this horrible depiction on the cover of the DailyKOS, a white “liberal” blog.
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/05/white_liberal_blogger_goes_too_1.html
Haven’t you paid any attention to WAOD?? Maybe “jokes” wasn’t the right word – blatant lynching references may be better.
And BTW, no I don’t think it has to do with her complexion either. I think a light skinned black woman would get equally bad treatment, simply because it would be the first time Black Americans are serious contenders for the highest office in the U.S.
Beyonce is an entertainer, and people are used to us “entertaining” and may try to use divisive color politics in the entertainment industry.
But for something important like the first (admitted) Black president with the first Black american FIRST LADY, her complexion doesn’t matter, just the fact that she’s Black American of any shade – and a Black American woman.
IMHO…
And BTW, no I don’t think it has to do with her complexion either. I think a light skinned black woman would get equally bad treatment, simply because it would be the first time Black Americans are serious contenders for the highest office in the U.S.
Beyonce is an entertainer, and people are used to us “entertaining” and may try to use divisive color politics in the entertainment industry.
But for something important like the first (admitted) Black president with the first Black american FIRST LADY, her complexion doesn’t matter, just the fact that she’s Black American of any shade – and a Black American woman.
IMHO…
I disagree with you here. I can’t prove it, but I DO believe a lot of the hostility towards Michelle isn’t just that she’s a Black woman, but a VISIBLY Black woman.
Would they come after Michelle if she were a ‘ Beyonce’-type?
Yes, because she’s Black…but the VEHEMENCE of the hatred…I believe it’s because she’s one of our darker Sisters.
rikyrah, i definitely see what you’re saying, but it’s not like beyonce looks remotely white. she’s not light enough or have the right features to pass. she is identifiably black.
i can see that argument working for a suzanne depasse type, but not just your typical lighter skinned black woman.
i’ve known many light skinned who got treated horribly, if not worse in some cases, than dark skinned blacks in terms of racism. why? i don’t know.
i agree, it’s not like i can prove or give a number, but i just think to be black american is a big NO NO to many people. and the skin shade differences are exploited depending upon the needs of the day by racists and by us too. one day dark is in, light is out and vice versa.
i know there is a preference for light skin in much of the world now, but iraqis are light and they’re hated by many in america.
so, depending (emphasis)upon the situation , it’s not so much skin color alone as what you and your skin color represent – in this case, black americans trying to get into a true position of power with a real chance for the first time in history.
america’s slave-descendants in the white house? that represents a lot and is a tough pill for some people to swallow. (thus comes lynching comments, klan images, etc.)
sad but true, and i’m not even a big obama supporter yet(he still needs a lot of work) but i do think michelle catches it for those reasons.
scratch that, rikriyah. i missed your part on the level of vehemence. i agree with you on that part.
these kinds of trifling discussions always embarrass me about black america.
oh lawd. when i heard this i just rolled my eyes. they are attacking Michelle Obama because she is a black woman and as we all know, our society places black women at the very bottom
this is nuts
It does not matter whether one has the blood of a slave or the blood of one who lived in the era of the British colonization of Kenya because they both shaped the legacy of oppressing Africans. There is no difference in either one. They both enslaved the people on both continents and the British benefited financially from both acts of inhumanity in the colonies of America and in Africa . Perhaps these individuals who made these statements need to read some world history and some of the people who don‘t know the history of colonization need to educate themselves about this horrendous act.
[...] is Black and Blacker and you can thank the President of the SCLC for the title with his “Slave Blood” foolishness. Sisters, let’s be clear the message the article is sending when you break [...]
I am not exactly sure what everyone is so offended about. Mr. Steele is just telling the truth. Don’t shoot the messenger just because you don’t like the message or the manner in what it was delivered. Although it is not appropriate to discuss in front of polite company, there really is a clear albeit invisible distinction between domestic/ ethnic Americans (native Americans, descendants of the English, and U.S. slaves) and immigrants and their descendants of any race and culture. While it is wonderful that naturalized citizens and their descendants identify with domestic Americans, let’s not play pretend: WE ARE NOT ALL EXACTLY THE SAME. Part of celebrating diversity is acknowledging how we are distinct and different and being aware of how some (not Mr. Steele in this case) attempt to use our diversity to divide us. Immigrants of all races and cultures and their descendants have a long history of better treatment IN SOME, NOT ALL, REGARDS than CERTAIN domestic Americans: particulary U.S. slave descendants and Indians. To give those outraged by Mr. Steele’s remarks the benefit of the doubt, one can note that some African and Native Americans demonstrate self-defeating behavior because of limiting subconscience beliefs on account of their history in the U.S. However, naturalized citizens and their offspring would do well to remember that it is a bit more challenging for African and Native Americans to start over psychologically than it is for an immigrant. Immigrants of any race and culture simply do not have the same American emotional baggage that domestic Americans do because of historic and present mistreatment. Immigrants and there offspring, regardless of their race and culture, are not on the receiving end of this type of mistreatment simply because well they are immigrants! Please note that what I’m sharing is not an excuse or an attempt to diminish the plight of immigrants and their descendants. You certainly face challenges that domestic Americans do not. We all have our distinct stories of the challenges that we have overcome. Mr. Steele was just trying to convey the fact that because of the history and lineage of African and Native Americans in the U.S. leaders from within these specific ethnic and cultural communities are needed to help heal wounds. I really appreciate what the broader American community is doing to help the African and Native American communities and our nation as a whole. Also, I really appreciate what the Caribbean, Latino, Continental Africans and all other African descendants who migrated to the U.S. are doing to help the African and Native American communities and our nation as a whole. Nevertheless, as a domestic American my wounds are only partially healed by Barack’s acceptance but COMPLETELY healed by Michelle receiving justice. Let’s be honest, if the shoe were on the other foot and domestic Americans felt the best option was to migrate to another country — let’s say Nigeria/Ethiopia, Jamaica/Haiti/Dominican Republic or England/Spain/ France– to secure a brighter future the Native Sons and Daughters of those countries are likely to express the same sentiments as Mr. Steele — and based off my travel experiences they often do and their remarks are MUCH STRONGER and CONTROVERSIAL than what Mr. Steele or most domestic Americans would ever consider saying. If this situation was playing out in Africa, Latin America or the Caribbean whose people are strongly alligned with ethnic and cultural identity REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY RESIDE, Mr. Steele’s remarks wouldn’t even be an issue for the most part. Slave descendants from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica have a distinct identity from each other and continental Africans with more direct blood ties to specific countries. We all know this. So let’s not hold a double standard with Mr. Steele and U.S. descendants and Indians. While some may not think and feel it politically correct to say, Mr. Steele’s remarks certainly are TRUTHFUL, MORALLY CORRECT and APPRECIATED.
It’s a ludicrous argument, but let’s just say:
1. Many people have so called slave blood in them knowingly or unknowingly
2. What is slave blood and does that affect an individuals thinking as opposed to someone not having slave blood. What is the function of blood if not to keep the body functioning
3. Behind every strong man is a woman.. So if Mrs Obama does have, so called ’slave blood’ then she is the descendant of an almighty strength, survival and ever present instinct.
Mrs. Obama is a beautiful African American lady. She is “our” First Lady. She evidently is descended from a 4th great grandmother who was sold at auction for $475 to a slave owner in Georgia. Mrs. Obama’s grandmother gave birth to a child who’s father was white according to the records. It is unfortunate that her grandfather’s identity has been lost to history creating a missing link in her heritage. Michelle Obama has much more to be proud of as an Americna than do most of the rest of us. Her rise to First Lady of the United States of America is testament to her personal integrity, hard work, pride, and intelligence. It is aslo a testament to her family who once held captive and servitude in this country aganst their own will can and do occupy the highest office in our land. This all was made possible through the determination and moral fiber on Abraham Lincoln. Although it took a war to eventually bring about equality for all in our great land, it was worth all the blood that was shed on both sides for that cause.
Mrs. Obama’s husband and children should be beaming with pride of their wife and mother. She now carrys a great responsibility for all Americans, yes even those who will continue to vilify her, a black woman who has the audacity to present herself to the American people as “First Lady”! All the “good ‘ol boys” just need to get over it – if they would work as hard as Michelle has to educate themselves as she has done, they too may have learned what “empathy” is and might just learn how to excercise it.
From a Southern Boy who is proud of our first family, I certainly do not agree with all of President Obama’s politics or all of his views, but I do admire him and his ability to stand for what he believes in and the way he represents all Americans to the rest of this world we live in. As Ronald Reagan once said – “trust but verify” -I believe this is one of the smartest things one can do about any leader, be it ours or a leader from another country. I am proud of our country that had the courage and the amazing ability to elect an individual to our highest office and the most powerful seat in the world who is black.
I think our little country is “growing up”!
Autry