A Public Service Announcement

[cinema_babe]

To all my Caucasian friends, LJ and RL

I haven't encountered this in anyone under 40 or so; I'm going to assume it's a generational thing but I'm going to pass this along to all of you anyway.

Telling a black person that they "speak well" or "are very articulate" is *not* a complement. Please note that I said that it is *not* a complement. That statement makes it seem that it's some sort of surprise to the white person when a black person opens their mouth and it doesn't sound like James Brown. It's a bit like saying to a Jewish person, "Gee, you're so generous!" A complement with a racist insult hidden inside.

This happened to me (again) last night, someone made a point to approach me and tell me how articulate and well spoken I was. I just said, "As opposed to what?" I am a (fairly) well educated college graduate. I talk the way my mother does because she taught me how to talk. My Nana spoke like this; my siblings talk like I do. Jesus Christ on a Pogo Stick, what was this person expecting me to sound like? Never mind I probably don't want to know.

I've heard someone say it about Colon Powell, I've heard it said about Barak Obama and Sidney Portier and Hallie Berry and pretty much any black person who doesn't speak like a thug rapper.

The concept of the "Bigotry of Low Expectations" has been hijacked by certain segments of the political arena and the part about that which sucks is that it truly does exist and is a more pervasive and insidious then blatant cross burning.

It happens more often than you might imagine.

"You speak so well": Just. Don't. Say. It.

(You know if you're Asian, Hispanic, Black or whatever, please don't say it either. Thanks)

We now return you to your normally scheduled wackiness.

Comments

[tactisle.livejournal.com]

It's especially tough for Mr. Obama, since one of the main things that Democrats want in a candidate is a well-spoken, cultured voice (unlike, say, the present occupant of the office). But if he plays the "articulate card" to distinguish himself from Bush, it means he's giving in to the stereotype as well.

Do you mind a brief spelling flame? "Colin" is a first name. "Colon" is, er, a punctuation mark. :)

[catwithbell.livejournal.com]

Or something organic...

Can I say you're articulate just because you speak well and wield a large vocabulary? Has nothing to do with melanin -- there are a lot of people up here with special speaking abilities. In fact, "boughten" is a term peculiar to this area. As in, "These are boughten cookies, not homemade." O.o

[cinema-babe.livejournal.com]

Coming from you that would be a complement because we've met and interacted several times. I know it would be a commentary on me as a person, not me as a representative of some mythical, monolithic "black community".

Boughten, hmmmm, I'm going to have to try that one out, heh.

[tactisle.livejournal.com]

Whoops... In the "esprit l'escalier" department, I should have made it "Colin is a first name; Colon is a last name."

Damn Anglocentrism anyhoo.

[cinema-babe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up. Some mornings I'm useless before I have my coffee.

The error has been fixed.