<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d13627209\x26blogName\x3dThe+Cynical+Ones\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://thecynicalones.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://thecynicalones.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-4663045453058572490', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>
About Me

Writer. Music head. Political junkie. Pop culture whore. Funny black boy. Looking to have a voice in the world -- with a few good sponsors.

View My Complete Profile


Find Me Here:

The Recession Diaries

The Spin

Stay Tuned

Twitter


The Roll

1016

Aliya King

All That I Am: A Diary of My Randymethoughts Pt. II

Amerika's Muse

Bark + Bite

Basement Elevation

Bomani Jones

Bossip

Brooklyn Sista

Clay Cane

Concrete Loop

crunk and disorderly

Dope Penmanship

Fly Cliches

Four Four

GangStarrGirl

Got Sole?

Hot 2 Def Inc.

Incommunicado

Just Another Girl on the IRT

Me, Myself An Eye

Middlechild Promotions

Mz. Virgo

Necole Bitchie

Negrita Linda

One Boy Revolution

Oo Itz Santo

Queen of the Non Sequiturs

Queen To Be

Rhymes With Snitch

Soulbounce

Straight From The A

Thank God I'm Famous

That Grape Juice

The Fury

The Real 7

The search for RELLevance

Think2wice

Toya's World



Previous Posts

Who's Going To The Bad Place?
You're A Mean One
It's Not Just George Bush
It's Britney, B*tch
We're Getting Dumber and Fatter
Giving Me Something I Can't Believe
The Gays Have Done It Again
Same Old, Same Old
GIVE A BLACK MAN A CHANCE!
Kelly Rowland Doesn't Care About Success

archives

May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009


Add to Technorati Favorites

Site Meter

free page hit
counter

Friday, September 21, 2007
4:00 PM


Re: Jena

 


This might not be a popular opinion, but I'll go ahead anyway.

I'm glad people are in Jena and I am glad people are taking a stand, but it actually bothers me a bit that it takes a story of stereotypical southern town with hanging nooses for people to talk about racism and segregation in large numbers in this country.

When I first heard about Jena, I wasn't surprised because I already knew about towns like that in Louisiana, Texas, and other parts of the South.

There's a town in Texas called Vidor. It's en route to Louisiana and it's a town I wouldn't dare stop in. I'm not welcomed.

But the irony is, every major city in this country has large portions who harbor that same attitude towards people that look like me. It's called redlining. I was listening to coverage on CNN for a few minutes and I heard the anchor, Tony Harris, say "It's just like the 60s here." Then he went on about Civil Rights. I'm just amazed that in this country everything has to go back to that.

I'm not saying forget, but I would think with schools more segregated now than they were before legalized segregation, and the end of affirmative action, jail figures, the way we're depicted in the media (including Fox News anchors being openly racist on air), the huge numbers of blacks not even finishing high school, gentrification, and just so many other instances of obvious racism (even if it is covert, it's obvious) going on in this country that people won't talk about or take action unless you hear a story about a noose. There's already a noose tied around Black America's neck; a lot of us are just too busy pretending it's not there.

Like I said, I believe that this a great thing that people united to take a stand. I'm not trying to say it's pointless in any respect. I appreciate the symbolism.

But, I get the feeling it might take another noose or a burning cross to get major reactions out of people --- and it shouldn't have to.

The Cynical Ones.
posted by Michael at