“I am a (fill in the blank) that just happens to be Black”
This is a phrase commonly used by Negro-Cons to describe themselves and other Black folk in relation to their politics and various other things. This phrase would have the reader think or believe that a Black person Blackness happened by chance or by some fluke. I am sure we all have heard someone say of themselves, “I am a (fill in the blank) that just happens to be Black”.
When did Black men and women start “just happening” to be Black? Listening to the these individuals one would think that being Black was a mistake, something that can be changed or a game of chance, kind of like shooting dice and “just happening” to hit seven four times in a row. In a world ruled by causality, everything is what it is because of something taking place and nothing “just happens” to be. I am Black because my mom and dad are Black, it is no mistake, were my parents white I would be white.
Imagine meeting a person and everything they say about themselves they state it as “just happening”. I just happen to be from Chicago, I just happen to grow up in public housing, I just happen to join the military, and I just happen to have two sons. Seem like a lot of chit is happening to me, but you know how the saying go “chit happens”, just like being Black “just happens” to Negro-Cons.
The question must be asked; why do some Negro-Cons down play their Blackness to something that “just happens” to them. I believe it is because they understand that their politics for the most part is not beneficial to the majority of Black men and women thus they must lessen the inherent contradiction in being a Political Conservative and being Black and the easiest way to do that is by downplaying there Blackness to something that “just happens” to them. I wonder do Negro-Cons see themselves as “just happening” to be Hetero-Sexual. Whatever the case, I can assure every Negro-Con and every other Black person that they do not “just happen” to be black.
posted by Faheem @ 11/01/2004 01:47:00 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
Why do negro-con which are such a minority in our minority community piss you off so much.
Oh btw I am a comic book collector who happens to be black.
Scott, it is not about being pissed off as much as it is a sense of agitation at seing you Negro-Cons used by white folk against Black folk. The Negro-Con type is not a new phenomena, the Negro-Con type can be traced back to turning Nat Turner in, reporting the actions of Harriet Tubman, acting as the overseer and being as abusive towards Black men and women as those who enslaved us.
But like most Negro-Cons when faced with truth Scott you changed the subject. It is strange that you all say you just happen to be black but state the other action that you are involved in as being who you are. So you are a comic book collector without question but you just happen to be black. Anyday you want to stop collecting comic books and sell the ones you have, you can; however there is no changing your phenotype. Seem more like you are a Black person that just happen to collect comic books versus being a comic book collector that just happen to be black.
Actually the point is comic book collecting and being black have little to do with each other, unless you choose to relate them.
Noah you tickle me. You must get some major sense of relief to shadow box with that Black Neo-Con enemy that you see on the wall but you are silent about the major issues concerning Black people and the people who stalk them on a daily basis.
Faheem - What is the definition of a Black Conservative? Answer - anyone who you choose to affix a negative attribute within the Black community to.
Let me ask you - A few weeks ago a local county board member held an open forum about budget priorities for the next legislative session. It turned out that the meeting became dominated by Black women - elderly Black women and Black mothers who said they felt that they were being TERRORIZED in their own communities by CRIME and DRUGS. Shortly there after I drove into this same community to look for the Black Conservatives who were causing so much distress.
I tried to find some signs that they were these evil Black Neo-Cons. I looked for the obvious - George Bush campaign buttons on those who were selling drugs. Didn't see any.
Then I looked for those who had a picture of Clarence Thomas on their vanity tags that were affixed to 24" spinner rims. Saddly none of them had this picture mounted as of yet.
Finally I walked up to a few single mothers and asked them if any of their children were named after "Booker T. Washington" and to my dismay not a single one of them answered in the affirmative.
****
It is a sad tale for both of you who appear to be both frustrated and castrated in your attempts to formulate meaningful change within the communities that you claim to be working in the best interest of. Yet you are forced into this diversion into dealing with a small water leak while there is a big gusher on the other wall in the basement which is actually flooding your basement.
***
The case which is MORE sad than the Black Conservative who says the "happen to be Black" are those who wear their Blackness on their sleve as some badge of honor and yet lead our people in such a disfuncitonal manner. They are afflicted by CONDITIONED HOPELESSNESS. They make chants such as "I am. Some Body. I am. Somebody. I may be poor......I may be uneducated.....I may be on welfare" (actual words taken from the documentary "Wattstax" in Oakland). Now let me ask you Noah and Faheem - how are you going to build a nation when you convince the masses that their state of poverty, lack of education and dependence on an external source of income WHICH DOES NOT COME FROM THEIR OWN EFFORTS AT ENTERPRISE is worthy of acceptance within their psyche?
As much as you attempt to place a sticker on the Black Neo-Con - it is the Black Progressive Democrat in Civil Rights Leaders clothing that is in dominant control of the Black community.
I AIN'T BUYING YOUR BULL.
Renaldo...you should change your screem name to "The Riddler". I swear...I do not know what the hell you are talking about 2/3 of the time. You referenced my name in Faheem's essay for what reason? Are you importing some of that good Rasta spliff from your wifes connection in JA?
Noah, I was wondering the same thing, why did he mention your name in this op-ed of mine, you did not write it nor had you commented on it. Renaldo is definitely a weird one.
Renaldo, learn the terminology, there is no such thing as a Black Neo-Con, The term I use is "NEGRO-CON" which better describes you and those like you.
It is ridiculous to assign the label Negro-Con to anyone that does negative things in the Black community. Some of them and possibly the majority of them would identify as independents or democrats. However, the argument you are making is the same one the sell outs try to make when they say of themselves they are not criminals and thus it is the criminals who should be called the sellouts. I agree and believe both are sellouts. Those that engage in behavior that is harmful to our community be it criminal, political, economical or whatever, these individuals are cancers. Take for instance Kimora Lee the wife of Russell Simmons that is in the latest Vibe magazine trying to sell 800$ cell phones to the "urban youth" (read poor Black folk). This is what a capitalist does; drain the life out of the weak to strengthen their economic empire.
I can not account for the things that are happening in your city and I would hope that you are actually working towards changing any problems instead of reporting back to us about the problems. You Renaldo live under the false assumption that since we make no mention of our involvement in various groups and activities it means that we do not participate in any, thus you keep trying to speak about meetings and so on that you have attended as if we can actually verify the truth of what you are saying. Speaking about your personal experience is not speaking to what we are discussing here and is an attempt at obfuscation once again. You would like to believe and have others believe we are frustrated and castrated and you are well hung and euphoric but I can assure you that is not the case.
And finally, you ask a question of us about something we do not do nor have we ever said but who knows what you are actually reading when you read our words. It seems as if you want to have a discussion about things not part of the topic of discussion, its funny how all of you do that, I travel all over the blogsphere conversing with Negro-Cons and my post are always on topic but hardly any of you respond to our writings based on what we have written. Why is that? I tell you what Renaldo, you are a smart cat with an opinion, start your own Blog, put your thoughts down and then we can have those discussions you want to have; until then you are left having to discuss what we write about on this Blog and I am asking you to please stay on topic and stop wasting space with off topic rants..
Now do you have anything to say about Negro-Cons saying they "just happen to be Black"?
Sorry Noah - I believed that the article was posted by you. I guess you two are kindred spirits and it is difficult to distinguish between your words at times.
[quote]the sell outs try to make when they say of themselves they are not criminals and thus it is the criminals who should be called the sellouts. I agree and believe both are sellouts.[/quote]
Interesting that since we are "sellouts" in common that you spend so much time trashing to the Black Conservative.
As I have written to BlackCommentator.com on several occasions - If you actually believe that the Hip Hop Capitalist is a threat to the community in kind why don't you post more often about their exploits?
As Russell Simmons says - they have more of a direct channel into young people's minds than do any politician.
Yet it appears that you and others are conflicted. You honor the power that they have to reach a worldwide audience and bring in billions of dollars in their multifaceted - music, video, clothing, alcoholic beverage, sports drink (Pimp Juice) and even "Vote Or Die" and at the same time (assuming that you have some consciousness about you) you are very uncomfortable about the messages of materialism, bravado, furiousness, and hypersexualization that they present all in a cool manner. But hey, at least it has a nice beat.
If I am guilty of presenting the negative side of a subset of Black people who I believe have been allowed to dominate our culture in the wrong way - so be it.
I believe that it is a worse offense to accept some of these destructive and dysfunctional behavior as our own and defend against any commentary as such either from those who are outside of the Black community or from Black community members who are tired of looking the otherway and allowing the Skin game to get in the way of THE TRUTH. At the end of the day it is this which is cause those among us who are most impacted to day to suffer as the lie is perpetrated among us.
It just "so happens" that I keep a keen eye on what is going on both around the world and within the Black community. I am tired of the excuses. I am tired of seeing people perform behavior that lead to a certain end and the complain about how they reside where they do when they did everything that is necessary to guide themselves to where they now stand.
If "Progressivism" means that I must turn a blind eye to the fact that 1+2= 3 then consdier me a "Non-Progressive".
I thought I was a disorganized brother. Renaldo, your thoughts are so unorganized it’s pathetic. You don’t mix your clean draws with your dirty draws do you? Why you mixing into this debate what you lamented on The Black Commentator and what you said about Hip Hop Capitalist? You have a proclivity to turn off topic, in order that you can lament on one of your own pet peeves. You purposely miss the point….so that you can make a point. You need to learn to follow the bouncing ball and sing along with it.
Besides, regardless of Hip Hop and its effect, it does not change the harm that House Negro type Negro-Cons do to our people as well. You are making the classic argument made by people stopped by the police for speeding, which is “Why did you not stop the other guy…he was speeding too…”).
Renaldo what you said was perfectly clear. But as usual when they don't know what to say they go into Lawyer mode and parse every word, instead of having a discussion.
You would think a negro-con knocked up their wives, for all the bile they spew about this minority within a minority.
I am still waiting for their analysis of why school vouchers are pandering ?
So Renaldo, I guess that means you have nothing to say about the topic at hand and what you really want to do is write your own op-ed on Black Introspection. If you started your own Blog Renaldo and attacked Progressive Black men and women, I am certain we would respond thus giving you the opportunity to make all the arguments you are foaming at the mouth to make here that have absolutely nothing to do with the topic of Discussion.
Scott has picked up on your Negro-Con being a small minority of our population thus they should be ignored. Let's nip that in the bud right now and maybe this can be the first thing you write about on your Blog; what is the percentage of Black men and women that are criminals? I am sure both groups are minorities and I have not nor will I ever be found defending criminal behavior but I may and have given reasons as to why something happen. If writing about the criminal element is your stick, then by all means do so, and if I am in agreement with you I will respond saying so, however I do not expect you to agree with the truth about Negro-Cons and this explains why you are still off topic.
One of your biggest problems Renaldo is you ascribe the thoughts of others to Noah and I just because we agree with them on other things and that is a foolish thing to do.
Lastly Scott, Faheem is not on your time and you can rest with ease bruh knowing that if I said something is coming, it is coming but I am not on your time, thus you will wait as long as it take me to post why vouchers is pandering.
How ya like me now.
Here is my own blog.
http://functionalculture.blogspot.com/
My first post will be "Can the Black Progressive Lead The Masses of Black People Toward Self-sufficiency and Restore Our Cultural Integrity?"
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