Bill Cheng writes a book about rural black Mississippi and the critique is "Why is a Chinese-American from Queens writing about black people from the south?"
Adam Johnson, a white man, writes a book about North Korea and wins the Pulitzer.
In our society, white people are granted political correctness to write, talk, sing, paint, or do whatever they want about whatever they want (with a few exceptions. For example, whites can't say "the n-word" in mixed company, but do we really have to tell people not to name call? What is this? 3rd grade?).
On the other hand, if people of color string more than 2 sentences together that aren't stereotypical or culturally specific, the popular initiative is to discredit them as soon as possible. Both whites and people of color are guilty of upholding these standards due to white male supremacy and degrees of oppression towards everything that isn't a white guy.
That's fucked up for everybody. Not just people of color. "How," you ask? Let me count the ways:
1. White people are rarely questioned. Information they disseminate sets the tone for how their subjects are interpreted and treated.
That's fucked up for everybody. Not just people of color. "How," you ask? Let me count the ways:
If sociocultural demographics (including gender, sex, and sexual orientation) are the same across groups:
1. White people are rarely questioned. Information they disseminate sets the tone for how their subjects are interpreted and treated.
FLIP SIDE: Whites are not held to logic and reason and are free to make terrible mistakes that affect a lot of people. To rectify these mistakes, they become incredibly inefficient and bureaucratic. (see Bush Administration).
RESULT: Society is often put in a position to clean up white folks' mess (see Obama Administration).
2. People of color are scrutinized endlessly for anything they attempt to do, say, or implement.
FLIP SIDE: People of color are forced to be 100% legit 100% of the time and if they make 1 mistake, their whole shit is shut down. When a person of color does something awesome, it's the most awesome thing that has ever been done...and people still try to find something wrong with it (see Michael Jackson Administration).
RESULT: People of color do awesome things in truth and light that other people of color engage with and benefit from. Whites don't find out about it until 20 years later (see Hip Hop).
3. The propagandized underlying belief is that people of color are not intelligent enough to talk about anything but their own experiences (see Shock and Awe Whenever an Intelligent Black Person Talks).
RESULT: Society is often put in a position to clean up white folks' mess (see Obama Administration).
2. People of color are scrutinized endlessly for anything they attempt to do, say, or implement.
FLIP SIDE: People of color are forced to be 100% legit 100% of the time and if they make 1 mistake, their whole shit is shut down. When a person of color does something awesome, it's the most awesome thing that has ever been done...and people still try to find something wrong with it (see Michael Jackson Administration).
RESULT: People of color do awesome things in truth and light that other people of color engage with and benefit from. Whites don't find out about it until 20 years later (see Hip Hop).
3. The propagandized underlying belief is that people of color are not intelligent enough to talk about anything but their own experiences (see Shock and Awe Whenever an Intelligent Black Person Talks).
FLIP SIDE: Whites devalue information from people of color and have a hard time learning from them.
RESULT: Many whites have just discovered what people of color have known for centuries and have passed down through oral tradition. Then, they buy shit that represents their newfound consciousness and spiritual awakenings (see Metaphysics/Rastafarianism/Buddhism. For contrast, see Catholicism).
4. Things that people of color say are weighted much more heavily, yet validated much less than what whites say.
RESULT: Many whites have just discovered what people of color have known for centuries and have passed down through oral tradition. Then, they buy shit that represents their newfound consciousness and spiritual awakenings (see Metaphysics/Rastafarianism/Buddhism. For contrast, see Catholicism).
4. Things that people of color say are weighted much more heavily, yet validated much less than what whites say.
FLIP SIDE: When people of color talk, it's a "radical opinion" (unless they're cooning. Then, it's entertainment). When white folks (especially white men) talk, their word is taken as law (see Malcolm X vs. Ronald Reagan).
RESULT: Intelligent people of color have learned to listen quietly and share the important info through literature, music, poetry and discussions with open, appreciative audiences while white folks continue to complain that they've been misled by the powers that be. Then, they have rallies and march and shit like that while the powers that be look on in amusement (see Occupy Movement).
People of color are silenced by majority culture and therefore, majority culture continues to decline for lack of understanding. I wrote a song about it. It's called The Rain Is Coming and it features Rasheed Jamal.
People of color are silenced by majority culture and therefore, majority culture continues to decline for lack of understanding. I wrote a song about it. It's called The Rain Is Coming and it features Rasheed Jamal.
Love,
Blue
PS: If you are a white person and you take offense to this blog post, do better. It's possible.
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