Blackness Primer Revisited
Right? Well then, it won't work to define blackness as how the police feel about you.
Johnson's autobiography is out in a fresh printing; it's worth a look to see someone's positive black identity in hideous times. There is nothing bizarre or un-intellectual, then, in my statement that Ebonics and chicken have something to do with being black. It is a simple statement about two utterly obvious features of the black American heritage, as are the other few features I tossed out.
The idea that there is anything "controversial" in my simple statement is based on, from what I see, a kind of evasion.Some people would like to evade a clear-eyed definition of what black American culture because they feel there is something to be ashamed about in Ebonics, fried chicken and dancing well. I dispute that.
Others evade a clear-eyed definition of black culture because they have been told that there is something wrong with them if they do not use Ebonics or cannot "bust a move." I dispute that as well. There is a such thing as black culture. There is nothing wrong with it. Some people are more culturally black than others, and there is nothing wrong with that either.
As such, my assertion that Michael Eric Dyson is blacker than me is neither a slam nor a statement of insecurity. It is a simple statement of fact (and, for the record, he and I get along just fine.)
The very fact that people see it as at all noteworthy for me to point out that simple fact is precisely what my piece was about.
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Blackness Primer Revisited
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View All Comments »Genna at 03/24/2008 1:32:15 PM
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This article and the response to the earlier one reminds me of a conversation I had at work about Christianity. I refused to define or to accept a definition of Christianity if it let gay and *** people out. The argument was counterintuitive to me. If you accept that this basic premise than you can exclude those that don't adhere to that premise.
Here you say blackness is a continuum, you are neither black or not black based on adherence to a core premise or set of propositions. I can agree with that. There is a diversity in black circles that I had to learn coming from a majority high school, going into a HBCU, and leaving to attend a majority graduate institution. I had incredible misfortune thinking everyone was black when I went to work thereafter.
It makes sense to understand all aspects of blackness if we are going to be functional. I liked this piece.
jesus christ was a black man at 03/20/2008 2:30:00 PM
Comment:
Deep-frying originated in Africa, for what it's worth. Apparently the Scottish in the American south deep-fryed their chicken, but they likely had adopted it from Africa previous to their migration to the New World. Cetainly, the spicy element in fried chicken was directly African.
jesus christ was a black man at 03/20/2008 12:25:58 PM
Comment:
Deep-frying originated in Africa, for what it's worth. Apparently the Scottish in the American south deep-fryed their chicken, but they likely had adopted it from Africa previous to their migration to the New World. Cetainly, the spicy element in fried chicken was directly African.