A Public Service Announcement
May. 9th, 2007 07:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cinema_babeTo 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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-09 05:55 pm (UTC)I believe that anyone can represent any group they feel is oppressed. I have worked for years for better legislation and treatment for sexually exploited children but I've was never sexually exploited.
I would never say that I understand what they've been through, because on a very fundamental level I can't.
Some of the staunchest supporters of civil rights were white people. Some of the most progressive feminists I've ever met were men.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-09 06:14 pm (UTC)I'm not kidding when I say there's no minorities in that organization. Plus they don't leave the Green street area. I never see them campaigning for the better treatment of the poor black and white folks in my neighborhood. (because they either dont care or know that no one else does) They just go after whatever seems like an easy case for them to slap their names over in the name of contrived "liberalism".
Didn't mean to generalize like that, guess I had too much coffee.
Sorry for going off topic I just on these rants.