Race
What is the “race card”?
John McCain’s camp accused Barack Obama of “playing the race card”. Now, bloggers, journalists and ordinary folk are asking if Obama has indeed played the race card.
My first question is what the hell is the race card? What does it actually mean? What is the true definition of that phrase?
According to Wikipedia “Playing the race [...]
Race: White Privilege, Black Disadvantage
In a recent article - “Saying Sorry For Slavery Isn’t Enough” - that I wrote for the Guardian about the US House of Representatives’ apology for slavery, one of the readers made a comment to the effect that he/she is white and is sick of hearing about race.
This type of comment is one that particularly [...]
Vogue Italia Black Issue - Attention Seeking or Change Leading?
There’s been a whole heap of noise about Vogue Italy’s Black issue, which features all black models. It is apparently the publication’s highest selling issue.
Was it simply a publicity stunt, an effort for Vogue Italy to exploit the issues around the use of black models in fashion for their own gain or was it a genuine [...]
Satire or Stupidity?
The New Yorker magazine has come under intense fire for publishing this cartoon of a turban-wearing Barack and a militant, afro-toting Michelle.
On first view, I can see why. Without understanding its context, it is easy to see this as a cartoon that seeks only to confirm all of the worst rumours about Barack Obama and [...]
Transcending Race - Don’t Talk Nonsense!
[Taken from a blog post written in February 2008]
The notions of ‘transcending race’ and ‘post-racial politics’ are not only nonsensical but rather troubling. Although people use the terms as though they are a cause for celebration, when you read between the lines you find that they actually carry with them inherently racist ideas.
Here’s why…
1) The dictionary definition of [...]
Missing Black People In The Media
When Spike Lee asked why Clint Eastwood’s movie Flags Of Our Fathers had no black people in it, Clint Eastwood responded with anger saying that ‘a guy like him should shut his face’.
According to Clint Eastwood, there were indeed a few black people there in Iwo Jima, but they didn’t raise the flag (which is [...]
Obama Wins Democratic Nomination - what next?
I’m proud to be here in America during this historic election period. Well done to Barack Obama for running an excellent campaign so far and for becoming the first ever African American Democratic nominee…Not many black people thought they’d see this in their lifetime.
So what’s next? A year ago, the media and even most voters had [...]
Sean Bell: 18th May 1983 - 25th November 2006
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMh03eUr8Kk&hl]
May 18th would have been Sean Bell’s 25th birthday…
As a fitting tribute - and a reminder to us all to continue to act against police brutality - documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt has put together this short, yet very powerful, film.
Let’s all make sure that Sean Bell’s death - and the deaths of other innocent young men [...]
Monkeys & Black People
A couple of weeks ago a (white) friend of mine asked me if, as a black woman, I’d be offended if he used ‘gorilla’ as a term of endearment towards me. I said I most probably would be. He was surprised. He said that he had, intending to be friendly, called one of his black friends “gorilla” and she was [...]
Obama vs the media
I had a piece published today regarding Obama, Jeremiah Wright and how the media has shaped the whole story… Here is the link to it: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/lola_adesioye/2008/05/obama_versus_the_media.html
I’m not necessarily pro-Obama and I’m not necessarily pro-Wright. I just find it rather interesting to see how powerful the media vehicle is when it comes to influencing - and [...]