I had to depart from my 1 post per day maximum to direct all of you over to The Black Snob. She put up a post about the State of the Black Union (I am barred from referring to it as the Annual Negro Super Bowl 
). Now the Black Snob didn’t win a writing award from the Black Web Awards for nothing, but when I read this about the State of Black America I had to share this:
The funny thing about the state of the race: it’s bad. . .
All my life I’ve watched black people “settle.” And when I mean settle, I mean it in many, many forms. Some “settle” for the mediocrity. Some settle for the poverty or violence of their neighborhoods (or the neighborhoods they left and now tut-tut as if fixing the old neighborhood was all the matter of Robert Preston showing up with 76 trombones to blow all the gangbangers away). Some settle for the fact that marriage, stability, peacefulness, happiness, good health, mental stability and intelligence is the property of others, not us, not for you. Things that should be natural rights become “something white folks do.”Things that are ordinary to some (like finding kindness and compassion towards one another and our children) are luxuries they cannot afford. A beat down will fix all. Or simply stoicism. Women don’t need men and the men agree to mixed to disastrous results. (Who abandoned who first depends on who you ask.) The children grow up thinking it is “love,” real and true, if they want to do it without a condom. And even though you were raised in the ‘burbs you still feel this pressing need to keep something, anything “real,” even if it is to the point of absurdity. Black Snob
Running around the room in a circle three times. But she keeps going. On Black women settling for out of wedlock marriage:
Or how I sometimes get the side-eye when people learn I have no children, as if I knew some magic “don’t get pregnant” trick other than birth control and abstinence.When getting knocked up on accident is just an “oh well,” something is wrong. But it’s so normal. So no one thinks of it. You throw the baby shower for the fifteen-year-old.
And then she talks about the SOBU, the CRIC, and well… us too:
I got nothing but the same old same old. We sat and talked and Smiley has a book to sell about holding the president and the government accountable to the black community and it’s great that we sat and talked, but now what? The NAACP is pushing to boycott the New York Post over Chimpgate. Glorious. Now what?
More and more I feel like people are fighting ghosts.
It’s not that racism isn’t real. It is real. It’s a problem. But we often act like it’s the only problem we know how to wrangle. Someone yells “nigger” in a crowded (or not so crowded) room and we have Al Sharpton on speed dial. But let “Tyronne” flunk out of high school while living in the basement of his mom and dad’s Tony suburb, knock up his girlfriend and lumber through life fighting with her and his new girlfriend on the side, who works but is miserable because she doesn’t love herself while Rome burns to a tasty, chicken-fried crisp and we shrug.</blockquote>
Then she talks about where we need to go from here:
Everyone is frustrated and tired and angry, but everyone is always frustrated, tired and angry. That’s been the general consensus since we got off the boat.
Some people are waiting for a hero to come and lead us to the next phase, to the “promise land.”
News flash: They ain’t coming.
I can’t put any more quotes, but you should read the entire thing it is one of the best posts EVER! She went beyond out typical sniping at the CRIC and the Sir Smiley and went all metaphysical, spiritual, political and aspirational with it. I needed to hear that It is a great post. Look UP! Lean into your calling!
18 comments ↓
The most eye opening part of the SOTBU was when Iyanla Vanzant confessed that she lost her house to forclosure after losing a lucrative television deal, is raising 2 of her grandchildren and does not health insurance coverage. Call me “Jackie come lately” but I had no idea that she was experiencing financial dificulties these past few years. She said she as a victim of a balloon payment mortgage.
Les Brown was interesting. He basically said that I am successful because I did not hang around you Negros only and I properly managed my money.
Gina, I’m on my way to see the Black Snob.
I predicted to danielle (the Snob) that there would not be an 11th Year. Wells Fargo (which is on the TARP teat yet not supporting lending or foreclosure relief to low income folks) and Exxon (nuff said) were Tavis’ sponsors. We tried to get folk on these panels to talk about the stimulus expenditures, building infrastructure, having black firms, teachers, scientists, etc. consult and advise on the use of funds…yet they didn’t want to hear about that. It’s only the most important issue in this nation.
We also tried to get them to talk about women’s health issues. Nope. Increasing media studies, protecting journalism as a bulwark of democracy. Nope.
And Barack is not pressed…
Good read.
Great article and too true although talk is sometimes cheap actions always speak louder than words and I encourage you to start with little ways and small things to make our communities better as Black people around the world are truly suffering from the same problems.
Become a mentor and set a good example,be polite and respectful to black people you meet,work on your self-esteem and pride,learn Black history,invest in long term personal goals and be of use to your community it is not rocket science but these are important ways we can make a difference.
Did I hear Tavis correctly? He is currently in the midst of a nationwide book tour for “Accountable.” Okay, I get it first Madea, now Tavis Smiley mastering the massive Black consumer market. Those guy must have some Koreans working for ‘em.
I couldn’t really watch it at any great length because I can’t really stand Tavis. However, if we are ever to have any meaningful discussion about the SOTBU, then that discussion must include the most marginalized members. There were NO BLACK LGBT folks anywhere.
To add insult to injury, the closted homosexual homophobe and Gospel artist, Tye Tribbett performed during the SOTBU. For even further insult during the panel on black health not a single black doctor mentioned ANYTHING about HIV/AIDS and its decimation of black people, regardless of sexual identity.
It was a failure 10 years ago and is a complete failure now, unless of course you consider Tavis’ book marketing. That move is genius.
I tried to go to the black snob, but the page would not go up. Hopefully she is just updating.
Also I must clear my friend’s post about Tye Tribbett: I know him and his wife personally and have for many years. He is not ‘closeted gay’ by any stretch of the imagination.
Went to TBS site. She’s a good writer, very witty, and cogent.
With regards to the STBU, I think the misadventure in all of this is the assumption that “black people” are united in any manner. Even our supposed communal misery – you name the social problems – doesn’t exist for all. We are all not in the same bucket, and don’t want to be.
Just living in the same neighborhood does not make for a community. All of us aren’t living on this ideological reservation, nor are we members of a given tribe. Everyone has a different lifestyle, wants, and needs.
There are complicated issues that simply cannot be addressed as belonging solely to “black people”.
It was one of her best pieces. I think the one aspect deserves a lot of thought: “We are waiting for a hero.” Until people decide to step up and work together – even if it’s just two people to start – the collective is not going to do much better than they are now.
@ Goldenah
you just said exactly what I was thinking. We are not all in the same bucket. My lifestyle is not the same as my cousins, my uncles, and my other family. I am different.
Tell me, does the so-called oppression both present and historical have anything to do with our personal bucket label? For examples we have buckets labeled as follows: Gay, Jehovah Witness, Black Muslim, AME, First & Second Baptist, Alpha, AKA, Delta, Afrocentric, Republican, Democratic, Basketball, Football, Hip-Hop, Multiracial, Union, Welfare, Ghetto etc. It is truly these bucket labels that dictate whether or not we will build and destroy. Being Black may be a common point of our so-called oppression, but it is so not a common point of our unity because Black folks are some of the most immature people on the planet. We must accept and honor our differences. We must build something, exude fidelity, and eschew violence.
The first program I watched was the State of the Black Church. I was absolutely disgusted that I wasted a day watching that madness. The next year I thought I would try again and stopped after an hour. I have not tried to watch another one. I have better things to do with my time, like actually living my life the best I know how and to hopefully encourage others to do the same.
“She put up a post about the State of the Black Union (I am barred from referring to it as the Annual Negro Super Bowl)”
The “Annual Negro Super Bowl”??!! Hilarious…I love it!
Did Danielle remove her post? It’s not there when I try either.
I’m rather new to blogging so it’s a joy to read “uncommon” views. Sometimes we have this false sense of loyalty to “the black bucket”. I am soooooooo over Tavis and those negros “pontificating” every year. WTF!?!
It’s interesting, if they didn’t have Minister Farrakhan on there this year. Did they? I hear that his frankness about the other book was not so welcomed by T.S.
Oh well. . . . .it’s up to us who do see things differently to be the change we want to see and when we change the way we look at things – The things we look at change!
I respectfully disagree with this posting. I don’t think Black Snob was a great posting. There must be room at the table for all experiences within the African-American community. It just feels elitism to me.
@rev the elitism comes from the current establishment that is not open to new voices or ideas.
her piece is very democratic. you probably don’t like the name.
Hmmm, I’m wondering if you folks that are taking shots at Tavis have actually read The Covenant. Its a progressive social plan broken down into easy-to-read and follow instructions. The best thing about it is that it, unlike many other plans I’ve read, is not shrouded in religion. I call that a pretty significant result.