<![CDATA[BLACK IN AMERICA - A Blog]]>Wed, 08 Apr 2020 02:22:14 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Why Are You Writing About This?]]>Tue, 02 Sep 2014 06:30:22 GMThttp://www.blackinamerica.org/a-blog/why-are-you-writing-about-thisWhy Are You Writing About Theses Issues I Keep Hearing?  There Is Not One Answer, So Here Are Some Of My Reasons 

Because every day I am bombarded with incidents of Black killings or brutality by the police. Because everyday I hear people "bagging on each other" saying things like,  "at least I'm not Black like you," or "Yeah, but you ugly. I got good hair."  Because everyday I see people clutch their bags a little tighter, or move it to the other side when they see a Black man walking towards them.  Because there are some days when I wonder - what would it be like to not have to always deal with the issues that come with being Black, what would it be like to live a "Day Not Black."

This is why I write about this. Because it touches me in such a deep place in my soul I don't know what to do. I am angry, sad, frustrated.  I often want to scream, cry, lay down and just sleep, give up - but I can't.  My spirit won't let me. My spirit says get it out, before you split wide open, explode.  Write about it, share what you're going through.  Will it change anything?  I don't know, probably not, but I still write.  I'm sick and tired of hearing about Black men being killed daily by the police.  I'm sick and tired of hearing Black women being beaten by the police. I'm sick and tired of Black children being viewed as "less than" by society.  To all those who say that we are in a new era and racism doesn't really exist, and that it's just a few bad people - think again. Racism is alive and well and will probably never die. 

America, it is okay to say that you see colour. So many people say they don't see colour in their attempts to prove that they have no biases, no prejudices.  Honestly, how you can see a person walking up to you and you don't see colour? What kind of nonsense is that?  If the police ask you to identify the person, would you say, "I'm sorry Mr. Policeman, I can't answer that because I don't see colour." 

I see colour and l love to see the beauty of colour on this wonderful planet.  That's what makes us unique.  Now I do have to admit that I've asked God many times, "Why did you make everyone else's colour similar except Blacks?"  (He hasn't answered me yet, but will let you all know when he does). Look at every race or ethnic group that is not Black. You see what I'm saying?  I do love who I am. I just hate the negative and derogatory labels society has placed on me and and am angry at those of my race who help validate those negative and derogatory labels.

Racism is abuse - a cruel and violent treatment of a person regularly or repeatedly. The continued abuse of a people because of the colour of their skin needs to be evaluated. Do racist people have mental disorders or are they by nature just evil?  Because the reality is, how can any sane person look at another human being and have a deep hatred, a fear, despise them just because of their colour? 

One's fear of me because of my skin colour should be their problem not mine.   However,  it has been made to be my burden, my pain.  I cannot and will not apologize for being Black. I love being Black. Yet at the same time, when I go into a restaurant, I find myself tipping more because they say that "we" don't like to tip and therefore don't want us in their section in upscale restaurants.  I'll sometimes make certain to keep my face impassive so I don't have to see, "Oh, there's the angry Black woman" or "Don't make the Black man mad, you don't know what he'll do." I'm surprised that with all the abuse we've had to deal with, Black people have not come out with multiple personality disorders due to the traumatic events we continue to either suffer or witness. 

Yes, slavery has left its imprint on us, but why must we continue to allow ourselves to be a race to be pitied. Why is it that African rulers will not get their countries economies, health, education, etc. in shape.  Why must one still, in the 21st century, drive in Africa on dirt roads with enormous holes or poorly paved streets.  It's not as if they can't be fixed, for drive a little farther and you'll see homes and streets that rival Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Malibu - yet the majority of the people in the country are starving.  I cannot begin to understand why Blacks, a race of people who have been and continue to be imitated, a race of people who have taught the world so much about art, science, math, religion, navigation, architecture, sports the list goes on, is perhaps the most hated race on earth.  Why?  What is everyone so scared of?

On the other hand, at the same time I'm sick and tired of America's war on Blacks, I am also sick and tired of hearing about Black people killing each other, degrading each other.  I am sick and tired of hearing Black men saying certain Black women are less than because these men are developing the mental disorder of self-hatred and now believe that dark skin colour is not beautiful, that natural hair is not beautiful (short, natural, braids and weaves, wigs, have been a part of Black beauty time immortal), that a Black woman's full body size is no longer beautiful. I'm sick of hearing Black men complimenting a non-Black woman's large butt, but seeing no beauty in a Black woman's.   Jokes about hair,  weaves, braids, skin colour, the size of one's rear end - jokes that are perhaps intended to deflect from the pain of the abuse of being made to feel less than - but jokes that eventually pierce the skin, pierce the soul, and make our little children want to be something else than the beautiful beings they are. How can we be who we were created to be when self-love is no longer evident?

Why do I write about these issues?  I write about them because I guess deep down I have a need to understand.  My mind is constantly racing in different directions as you can see, trying to understand.  My soul hurts and I don't know how to heal it.  Race is such a huge issue in America, and I wish we would stop pretending that it does not exist.  Let's talk about it - it's okay. It may be uncomfortable, it may be angering, it may make us sad, but we've got to start somewhere.  For only in engaging in honest dialogue can change be made. 






 
]]><![CDATA["Category D" Women - African American, Poor, Not In Good Shape, Medium to Dark Skin Tone.]]>Sun, 20 Jul 2014 05:16:40 GMThttp://www.blackinamerica.org/a-blog/black-racism-prejudice-hollywood-movies-compton-ice-cube-dr-dre-universal-italian-job-mark-wahlberg-charlize-theron-donald-sutherland-google-yahoo-facebook-twitter-instagram-category-d-women-african-american-poor-not-in-good-shape-mediuPicture
It's amazing how so many people are able to pretend that racism and prejudice no longer exist and are shocked (or at least pretend to be) when life reminds us all, that while there may be an African- American man in the White House, racism and prejudicial acts are alive and well.  Many people, Blacks included, said they were shocked by the comments of Donald Sterling; many people, Blacks included, said they were shocked that the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP on its 100th anniversary was going to give Sterling the lifetime achievement award - despite his known history of racism.   Again, many people these past few days, say they are once again shocked that the extra casting company, Sande Alessi Casting, is using what many call racist, demeaning, offensive and divisive racial stereotyping tactics in the casting of African-American women for the Universal Picture film in pre-production, Straight Outta Compton about N.W.A. 

By the way, the film is being directed by F. Gary Gray, the African-American director of the Italian Job staring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, and Donald Sutherland. 

The original casting notice from Gawker.com (It was on the Sande Alessi Casting Facebook Site, now deleted)

SAG OR NON UNION CASTING NOTICE FOR FEMALES-ALL ETHNICITIES- from the late 80's. Shoots on "Straight Outta Compton". Shoot date TBD. We are pulling photos for the director of featured extras. VERY IMPORTANT – You MUST live in the Los Angeles area (Orange County is fine too) to work on this show. DO NOT SUBMIT if you live out of the area. Nobody is going to be flying into LA to do extra work on this show - and don't tell me you are willing to fly in.

SAG OR NON UNION FEMALES - PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN. DO NOT EMAIL IN FOR MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY:

A GIRLS: These are the hottest of the hottest. Models. MUST have real hair - no extensions, very classy looking, great bodies. You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com subject line should read: A GIRLS

B GIRLS: These are fine girls, long natural hair, really nice bodies. Small waists, nice hips. You should be light-skinned. Beyonce is a prototype here. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com subject line should read: B GIRLS

C GIRLS: These are African American girls, medium to light skinned with a weave. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com subject line should read: C GIRLS

D GIRLS: These are African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone. Character types. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com subject line should read: D GIRLS

After it went viral and amid MUCH backlash, it was taken off Facebook.  Now posted on the website of Sande Alessi Casting is:

We are casting extras (African American adults age 18-90) for the new NWA biopic “Straight Outta Compton”
are looking for African American men, age 18-35 with hairstyles fitting the period of 1985 to 1992 (cornrows, braids, high top fades, flat tops, Jheri curl, afros, initials, zebra stripes, shags etc..) We also need gang member types, family members and guys with street swag, age 18-90. We are also seeking all types of African American women, age 18-90 years old (hot models, sassy around-the-way girls, moms, aunts, neighbors.. 

On their Facebook, an apology:
This is Kristan from Sande Alessi Casting. I've been wanting to say this for two days and now I can. 
I would like to sincerely apologize for recently posting a casting announcement that used offensive language to recruit women for a film our agency is working on. My intention was not to offend anyone and I’m so deeply sorry for not realizing the insensitivity in its content. I'm truly so sorry.

One response to this Facebook post is by a Black gentleman who states:
"I don't think it was offensive. I think ppl overreacted. People who don't necessarily understand Hollywood. Spectators and people who look for something to point out for their very own benefit"


Notice for Girl A, "the hottest of the hottest" can be of any race.  Notice how as you continue to read to Girl D they are only African American Girls.  Many people are angry with the casting agency.  Others think it's just Hollywood, get over it.  One Black woman was begging the casting agency to let her be in the movie.  According the the A, B, C, D, categories she would have been …. Naw, let's move on because I sincerely hope she has. Honestly.  However, let's investigate this a little more in depth.   "Do we REALLY believe that the casting agency decided upon this breakdown by themselves, with no input?" Hmm… wink, wink….Are we going to be "shocked" to learn that there were more involved in this breakdown of Black women as more light is shed?  Oh, and all those who think that when the movie comes out, Girl D will look any different from what is described above, in the original casting notice, please raise your hand.
]]><![CDATA[Am I Black?]]>Sat, 12 Jul 2014 22:55:22 GMThttp://www.blackinamerica.org/a-blog/am-i-blackAm I Black?  I was completing a survey for a project I was working on recently, and it asked that I select one:


Race:
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White

Ethnicity:
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino

For some reason, I still don't know why to this day, but I hesitated.  I didn't want to check anything.  I, like most Black people I know, grew up knowing we were "Black," no question about it.  As a people, we've been referred to as Colored, Afro-American, Negro, Black, African American (with or without a hyphen), Black-American, to name a few.  It's interesting to see in this present day how many people throughout the world, Africans included, who also refer to themselves as Black. 

I was sitting at a cafe a yesterday, when I overheard a group of elderly Black women telling stories of how they referred to themselves racially.  One woman who was obviously from another country (her accent) was laughing and saying she didn't know she was "Black" until she came to America.  The DMV helped her realize that when she went to get a driver's license.  As this lady was filling out the paperwork, she got to race and she didn't see African.  When she told them this, they told her to mark Black.  The confused lady looked at the White man behind the counter and said, "Black? But I am not black.  Can you not see?  I am brown."  The man told her again to mark Black. Confused and thinking the man could not decipher colour differences, so said, "Sir, I cannot mark black, because I am not black. This, this is black," - referring to the black file tray on his  counter.  The man looked at her for a moment then said, "You're in America now, and in America, you are Black. So mark Black."  On that day, years ago in the DMV office, this woman learned for the first time that she was Black.  

For some reason when I heard that story, my mind flashed to Kunta Kinte from "Roots".  He may have been Kunta Kinte in Africa, but in America, whether he liked it or not, his name was now Toby.  Now I want to make clear that I am not comparing the atrocities of slavery to a DMV experience. Rather, it is interesting that how one sees and knows themselves is often not in line with the labels those in power force upon us.

I can't help but wonder if the labeling, the categorizing of a group of people based on assigned color as a clarification of who we are, who we must be, has united or stripped a people of their identity?

]]>