Playing Your Cards Right

I'm a debater by nature. I love to engage in intelligent discussion with people who share my views, but I think I get a bit more excited when I'm engaging with someone who doesn't share my views. Not because I'm trying to pull them over to my side of thinking, though. Okay, maybe a little. It's because I love learning about other people's perspectives.

But, nothing irritates me more in a discussion than a comment that abruptly halts a discussion. A great example of that particular irritant? Five words:

"Not everything is about race."

I swear, it's like the go-to phrase for the average racially squeamish cat. It is fast becoming such an epidemic in our so-called progressive society that it has the potential to not only replace the race card, but far surpass it. And though President Obama's win has created joy, hope, and many opportunities for Blacks to use "My President is Black" as a comeback to The Man, it has also revived this monster. "Post-racial America", anyone?

Much too often I am engaged with a person (whether face-to-face or on the internet) in a conversation such as this one:

Cheekie: You know, I truly believe that even though Barack Obama won, the fact that he had to overcome the amount of obstacles he did in the first place lends validity to the claim that we aren't as "post-racial" as everyone would like to believe.

Racially Squeamish Cat (RSC): Well, I think that since he was elected, that means his race didn't matter.

Cheekie: But, you have to ask yourself, what did it take? People losing their jobs, people losing their lives in a prolonged war, people losing their homes, etc? I wonder if those circumstances were the primary factor in choosing him even if it meant setting aside their prejudices for a bit. Prejudices that are so ingrained, they can't just disappear with one election.

RSC: You know, not everything is about race.

Cheekie: *DEAD*

Yeah, way to completely cut off what could have been a very enriching conversation with one of the safest cop-outs known to man today. That convo might as well have went like this:

Cheekie: You hear about those Klansmen that burned a cross in front of that Black family's yard? Racist pricks.

RSC: I don't know, not everything is about race.

Trust, I recognize those of us who completely abuse that race card. Case in point:

But, ya know, most of us ain't her. First off, we don't sport mullets. Second, a lot of us do have enough brain cells to write off certain situations and give people the benefit of the doubt, but please believe we can also identify valid racism and call them on it. Just because some abuse the race card doesn't mean it shouldn't be used at all. That's like saying that there are people who abuse alcohol, so alcohol should be completely banned even from those who "drink responsibly".

Anyhow. Point is, yes, not everything is about race. But, some things are. Hell, a lot of things are. There is no way we will be able to progress against racism without clearly identifying it as as a valid problem. Discussions on race are uncomfortable, no lie. But, there is nothing to be accomplished from ignoring it. You can't fix a cracked glass and only bring the glue. You have to bring the glass. Holla.

Love ya like Al Sharpton loves his perm,

Cheekie

What Will It Take...

...for justice to be served?

Amongst the joy felt with the charging of Oscar Grant's murderer is a step back. Apparently, there is another officer, Tony Pirone, who punched Mr. Grant several times without cause. The District Attorney states he isn't prosecuting that particular officer. *sigh*

Looks like we gotta get our voices out there again. 

Ridiculous. We already know how much of an impact our voices have due to the action taken prior to this most recent event. Watch the video and see for yourself. And please "sound off" at Color of Change. It only takes a couple of minutes at best. Speak on it.

Love ya like Howard Dean loves screaming,

Cheekie

UPDATE on Oscar Grant: Ya'll Have Spoken

Just droppin' by to let you know about this:

BART cop transported to Bay Area jail, charged with murder

My sister (Chyna) tipped me off just now and I had to run over and post the news. Obviously the outrage expressed (in many forms: internet, protesting, etc) had a hand in this or this would have been dealt with in a more prompt matter. Just wanted to say thanks to those who did use their voices for justice and to keep on the lookout for how this is resolved.

Love ya like Blago loves himself,

Cheekie

Racism Resurrected...

...except it never died.

You may or may not have heard about Mr. Oscar Grant. He was shot exceution style by a transit police officer on New Year's Eve. His physical position while heartlessly gunned down? Lying down. That's right he was at his most non-threatening when he was killed. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, has not been arrested or charged with any crime at the time of this posting. So, before you pull a Dubya and declare victory way before its time, please believe that racism is very much alive and thriving. And it's a helluva beast to tame. But tame it we must. Together.

Warning: The following video is disturbing. Please view it at your discretion.





After you're done watching, please head over to ColorofChange.org and add your name to the petition demanding California Attorney General, Jerry Brown to take over this case from the Alameda District Attorney (who hasn't bothered to question Mehserle) and arrest Mehserle promptly. In addition to lending your voice to this particular case, your name on this petition will also voice and appeal to the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the ridiculous pattern of BART police and the Alameda District Attorney refusing to hold officers accountable for their killings.

Sign Petition Here: Oscar Grant Petition

And when you've signed, make sure to pass it on to your friends and fam. Spread the word!

Love ya like Obama loves change,

Cheekie

The Many Shades of Civil Rights

***ASIDE: I just want to note how delightfully gleeful I am (still!) that I get to say “President Obama” about a million times within the next four years (at least!).***

Amongst all of the cheers erupted and tears shed for our first Black president, there lurked a shadow of our country’s intolerance. That shadow’s name it Proposition 8. It even has a nickname: Prop 8. Now there have been countless articles, blog entries, and YouTube videos addressing the opinions of both sides of the fence. Though, today, I’m not going to get into a detailed analysis on why I’m for or against Prop 8. I’ll just state – for the record – that I’m fully against it. And that I’ll never understand how one group who knows what it’s like for their rights to be stripped from them can then turn around and take away someone else’s.

With that said, I want to address this simple idea uttered by many: “ We have a Black President! Progression! Yet, Gay Marriage was banned in California! Retrogression! That means that racial issues are dead yet sexuality issues are still alive and thriving!”

…

NOPE! You can’t even fathom how much I wish it were that easy. For a single event – even an astronomically huge one such as Mr. Obama being named President-elect – to erase five hundred years of racism. While Obama’s victory is a major step, it is a step. One. Of many.

Now, the passing of Prop 8 did reek of “one step forward, two steps back” in terms of discrimination and civil rights in general. And while, I do agree that, in general, it does negate the “let’s all hold hands around the earth” vibe that Obama inspired, it bothers me when these two facets of civil rights are compared inaccurately and unfairly.

Let’s take the following scenario. A Black straight man (Man A) and a White gay man (Man B), both from California. Both have their share of prejudices against them as well as their privileges in society. For one, both are men. Not much needs to be said on their obvious “shark” ranking in the “food chain” of our society. Now, let’s take what’s stacked “against” them. Man A has to withstand acts of discrimination from the jump. He doesn’t have the “privilege” of hiding his “minority” status as Man B does. To the naked eye, Man B is still just another White man, in all of his “majority” glory. Now, all hell breaks loose when his secret is discovered. Now he has to withstand hate crimes and other acts of discrimination. Thing is, Man A is still withstanding it and has been withstanding it from the moment he was born (sometimes not as overt as Man B’s discrimination, but discrimination is discrimination). Okay, so let’s say both of these men fall in love. Man A can definitely marry the person he loves legally, while Man B can’t. So, while Man B can cohabitate with the person he loves, he can’t share the same benefits with his partner as Man A. And to top it all off, there are homophobic and racist themed tensions between Man A and Man B themselves! Hmm, the phrase “divide and conquer” comes to mind.

So, above I’ve pointed out an example of what one oppressed group has to suffer and the other group doesn’t. I did that because; frankly, this game of “which is worse” between Black folks and gay folks is ridiculous. It’s incredibly insulting to the respective histories of each group to compare the two beyond the fact that they are both discriminated against and that both seek civil rights. To use the overused idiom, this issue is not “black or white”. The many elements of oppression within each group cannot be defined using a blanket generalization. The ways in which the oppression was born as well as the way it is implemented is very distinct for each group. This post would be even longer than it already is if I were to get into all of it. And even if I did (which, I’m not… my fingers are cramping), the song would remain the same: When it comes to Black and gay civil rights, there are many shades of gray.

And with that, I’d like to pose this question: How about spending less time on fighting over which one is worse off or more progressive than the other and spending more time fighting together to obtain civil rights for all?

Love ya like Bush loves oil,

Cheekie