I have been very busy with work and travelling this week, however two stories caught my attention. Although they involved Black children, what I found interesting and most revealing was the reaction of the African American community to both stories.
The first story had to deal with FOXNews personality Glenn Becks spoof of a conversation between President Obama and his daughter Malia on plugging the hole of the oil leak in the Gulf. During a press conference on Thursday, Obama stated: “When I woke up this morning and I’m shaving, and Malia knocks on my bathroom door and she peeks in her head and she says, ‘Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?’ “ Beck did a skit on his radio program mocking what this conversation would sound like (here). When I first heard of this story, I thought “hell no, let’s kick Glenn Becks azz!” I read headlines in the MSM such as, “Beck Attacks Obama’s Daughter!” and “Glenn Beck Crosses Line, Teases Malia Obama!” etc. As far as I’m concerned, children are (should be) off limits in political debates. Unfortunately that is certainly not the case in American politics.
However, once I read these articles I thought to myself, there has to be more to the story than this. What Beck did may be considered in bad taste and juvenile, but it was pretty tame, I would even say “inconsequential”, when compared to what was said of Sarah Palin’s children during the 2008 presidential campaign. Still in my “as a father” induced rage, I went to where I would hope to get the real story, a true perspective of what was said and in what context: the African American media and blogging community. Imaging my (non) surprise when I found a parroting of the MSM reports: theloop21, theRoot, the Field Negro. Maybe a little more of an emotional response, understandable since Beck mocked the Black Messiah and the First Daughter, but I found nothing more of any value.
The second story that caught my attention this week involved an RCMP officer who returned from Haiti and reports that orphans are being smuggled into the Dominican Republic to be used as sex slaves and in child sex videos (read article here). Once again in my “as a father” induced rage, I went to where I would hope to get the real story, a deeper perspective of what was actually happening: the African American media and blogging community. Imaging my (non) surprise when I found nothing at all in regards to this story.
So what ignites African American pseudo-intellectual rage? Glenn Beck’s childish antics or the worldwide phenomenon of sexual exploitation of Black/African children? I saw on Field Negro’s blog, a call to boycott Beck’s sponsors. Really!? Does Glenn Beck have that much power on the quality of life in the African American community!? How about calling for a boycott of the corporations that fund the militias in the Congo that rape women and girls, so that these corporations can control the mineral resources of the country (here).
I’m sure the Obamas, especially Malia Obama, isn’t losing any sleep over the comments of Glenn Beck. She will do more than “okay” in this life. With the prestige and privileges now associated with the “Obama” name, her life will be more like the black princess in the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. In contrast, there will be soon be the release of countless sex videos starring nameless Haitian orphans for the African American media and blogging community to ignore, while eagerly waiting to report and comment on the next Glenn Beck fiasco.
afrospear.wordpress.com 
Hi Brother Asa! I’m surprised, (and not surprised) that I hadn’t heard about this story. This is outrageous and just another situation we have to fight against.
But I wouldn’t be too surprised if I were you about not finding it in the African American blogging community, or press.
It’s not part of “American Culture” to report the truth concerning black people, especially black people of other nations. It’s the reason that many black people of other nations consider African Americans ignorant. It’s because we are uninformed, misinformed, misled and otherwise.
I’m surprised that we heard about the story of the church members who tried to smuggle those Haitian children to the Dominican Republic. That’s why we thank God for the Afrospear, were we can hear the truth from our black brothers and sisters across the Diaspora.
I’m going to report the Canadian press story about this tragedy right now at the Black Culture blog.
Much love Sis. Anna,
I read a report based on a study not too long ago which concluded that although the internet theoretically makes it possible to be able to access a variety of informational sources and points of views, most people will frequent sites that reaffirms their beliefs and worldview. Most people are not too open to consider varying beliefs and/or perspectives and are in fact very narrow-minded in their scope of the world. So although this post was directed to the African American community in general, I do realize that they are not the only ones, as a collective or individually, who choose to limit themselves to be “uninformed, misinformed, misled and otherwise” as you correctly state.
I would challenge the AA community though to spend a week not getting their daily dose of propaganda from CNN, MSNBC or FOXNews. Apart from their local news reports, I would recommend taking the time to view online BBCWorld, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Al Jazeera, Africa Tv Today, etc., for a different and more varied perspective on world events. There are also numerous news sites and blogs from Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, as well as other parts of African Diaspora, which discusses issues of politics, economics, social dynamics, race, art, music, fashion, architecture, photography, religion, family life, etc., from a variety of perspectives. One has to choose to open their mind and expand their boundaries.
There is an unhealthy fascination within the AA media and community in general, with the “white man”. Whether it’s Tim Wise on the so-called “left”, or Glenn Beck on the so-called “right”, there is this subconscious worship on the “altar of all things white”. You captured the essense of this dilemna in your post at the Black Culture Blog, “White Approval Addiction-You got it!” I hope you share that post here. You drop some powerful truth in it.
Keep on keepin’ on my sister!
Hey there brother! It’s important to understand that those who are misinformed don’t actually know that they are until they get new information. And it up to the informed to give it to them, but the important thing is to do so with utmost respect so as not to embarass. We all are human beings, whether misinformed or uninformed and it obviously is a process to lead broken people out of brokenness.
I would recommend that while you and I are going from blog to black blog, we drop the names of these media outlets in comments, for example: “I heard this point made in a totally different light over at Al Jezeera, which is much more interesting than CNN” or something like that, without attacking the intelligence of the blog owners. I bet that many, if not most would pick up on it and those many more would be informed, and ready to fight. I notice thats how information is disseminated, both here and at my blog and I have no reason to believe that it cant work at the other black blogs, even those who are addicted to CNN. Game?
Oh and brother, don’t call us the AA community!! It looks too much like Alcoholics Anonymous, and as we both have stated, African Americans have enough addictions!! ;-D
Thank you for this information about what is happening in Haiti. Unfortunately, tragedies like that attract sick perverts.
Friends:
It is a troubled world—it is because people do not fear God. that’s why we see all these evil things around the world. We can not protect the children and the poor people in general. We do need to cry to God, ask him to protect people from evil once. The greedy, and selfish people would do anything to enrich themselves–that’s why they give weapons to Africans to kill one another so they can steal their resources, but I do blame the Africans, not the Arabs, the whites, Chinese!!!! They kill, rape, and destroy their own people—they are blinded–not better than the perpetrators. It is the same in United States the blacks have no unity, self respect. Slavery might be over, but their mind not free!!!! I am sorry but I can’t deal with these kinds of people—I began to distance my self from African American people!!!!
@ Genet… I am not sure what your point is, but you sound confused! Not sure if you can be helped.
Genet, change your mindset, and don’t allow yourself to be broken! Don’t fall for the hype and make a point to go past the negative and unto the positive. All black people and all people have both negative and positive, including you, so be a little more tolerant because if you’re black, distancing yourself from your black brothers and sisters won’t truly help you–you’ll still feel deep confusion
I have one question? with the exception of a late night TV host making a joke about the wrong daughter, just what was said about Sarah Palin’s daughters that was as bad as some bloggers and their followers calling 11 year old Malia, a whore and comparing her to a hoochie mama. I also consider Palin’s oldest daughter now to be an adult, since she is raising a child. Although I think, any public figure’s criticism should be only limited to them.
Had you thought to email certain influential Black bloggers about the trafficking of Haitian orphans? It may seem evident to you that we would get the same information as you, but quite often as not, we don’t.
There was a Haitian blogger who was featured here a few weeks ago, have you discussed this with her?
@ Hathor, to answer your first question, I have discussed this issue on a couple of previous posts. You can do a search and comment there if you like. The focus of this post isn’t about Sarah Palin nor even Glenn Beck… it’s about what should spur us as people of African descent. I will say this though, being the simple-minded person that I am, I believe that if you know better, you should do better. If you do the same as your adversary, you are in reality no better than they are (possibly even worse) and are just part of the problem.
Your other 2 points are well taken. I think the solution may be in my response to Sis. Anna’s comment above, primarily the challenge to the AA community to seek out other sources of information and perspectives.
Well said! Thank you for this!!!
You’re welcome!
Blessings!
asabanga,
You made the reference and I did read your last post about Palin and I don’t believe you brought up this issue in the previous post.
Black folks here in the US do pay attention to the Beck’s and Limbaugh’s of the world because of their audience.
Perhaps were are a little paranoid, because we are not that many generations from lynchings. You wonder what it takes for a bunch of yahoo’s to think they can chain a Black to a truck and drag him til he’s dead. You may not be familiar with the code word’s. but daily there are messages that Black folk, including the President are fair game.
I agree, that we are a bit paranoid, but we’re paranoid for a reason, not because we’re just stupid or something! I see an hourly assault, both subtle, and not so subtle against blacks in America. And it’s completely necessary to keep blacks here in America broken and defeated mind, soul, body, spirit, because of the stakes if blacks in America were to truly rise up.
When we rose up with Martin and Malcolm, how many racist institutions fell? Quite a few, and I’d say that marching is quite tame by some standards.
America is the superpower of the world and those are the stakes! America CANNOT afford to allow blacks, latinos, or any race rise up, or this system may be destroyed. It’s not even about the racist whites, as they are simply pawns in this game–and these days, they aren’t even getting the same payoffs as before. In fact they are being stolen from as well, really.
So what happens? The minds of the people are captured, and not just blacks, or latinos, but most especially whites!!! They are being fed this racist propaganda nite and day 24-7-365 a year!
We blacks people are ASSAILED spiritually and mentally not to mention physically, until most are completely broken and without spirit to uplift themselves. They are addicted to what others think and are very traumatized emotionally. I know that we black people suffer brutality worldwide, but Africans in America suffer more psychic, spiritual demoralization, Simply because we’re in the belly of the beast.
(This statement is not to create a ‘who suffers most’ debate) In addition, the very worst of ourselves is always broadcast to us and to everyone else worldwide. And what happens? We and all blacks worldwide believe what we hear!! It breaks us down, and probably embarasses and alienates other blacks, as is seen in the commenter Genet, who doesn’t really understand why they want to ‘distance themselves’
So we then become isolated from our brothers and sisters. But the double edged sword comes when the reports black Americans hear about our brothers and sisters worldwide always have to do with poverty, helplessness, violence, starvation, disease, corruption, decay and backwardness. Never are stories about our brothers and sisters in the motherland and Africa told to us that are positive, uplifting, forward moving, practical, and when it comes to Canada, and Europe, we get nothing at all. Am I right? I’m right! So what do we have? Classic divide and conquer on a global scale!! We assume that African Americans don’t care about the world around us, because that’s what we’ve been taught to believe. We believe that Africans in the continent are all poverty stricken because that’s what we have been taught to believe. We believe that all Jamaicans are Rastas because that’s what we’ve been taught to believe. From the simple minded to the intellectual, we all have been duped, hoodwinked and bamboozled!!! The knife cuts all ways, or should I say the machete hacks all ways? So what do we do the break through this black global madness? We create as many Afrospears as possible so that we can work through this madness–a giant therapy session where we can work this shit out–learn about each other and what we think and how we see the world and learn to respect where we are mentally and spiritually and try to bring each other further along the recovery road and the road to learning how to fight and regaining our liberation!!
HOT DAMN–it looks like things are on the right path!!!
Long live the Afrospear!
Long live the Black blogosphere!
The best advice I ever heard in regards to overcoming paranoia was given by Jesus: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Paranoia is just another form of mental slavery which is utilized by the dominant culture (in the past as well as the present) for it’s debilitating and paralyzing effect on our initiative, so as to keep us in check. Not only are we being brainwashed to fear the boogeymen like Beck, Limbaugh and Palin, but also what their “audience” may possibly be influenced to do by “code words”. huh!? Sorry, I don’t do paranoia and the reality is that we’ve been put on notice by the “actual words” of those in power, including Obama. However I’m not naive and I am cognizant of the fact that one has to be vigilant, cautious and wise as a serpent while being as gentle as a dove in some of our dealings with those of the dominant community.
Every week I post under the sidebar widget: CHOCOLATE SUNDAZE, a blog or website of African descent from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North, South and Central America. These blogs and websites covers a variety of subjects and perspectives. Usually in my posts, I try to provide links so that others can read and research the information for themselves from a variety of sources. However there comes a time when we all have to be responsible for our own education, miseducation or ignorance. Always spoonfeeding knowledge to others doesn’t work in the long term.
Expecting others to take some responsibility to make an effort to educate themselves, think critically and not just swallow everthing they are presented with, may come across as embarassing them or attacking their intelligence. That’s not really my intent but if that’s how it appears… then so be it. Sometimes when you speak the truth (as you see it) or just state what you think plainly without any ambiguities, you’re going to ruffle some feathers and rub some people the wrong way. We’re all big people here and if one can’t take the heat, then don’t enter the AfroSpear kitchen, ’cause we’re doing some serious cooking up in here! [;o)
@ Sis. Anna:
“Oh and brother, don’t call us the AA community!! It looks too much like Alcoholics Anonymous, and as we both have stated, African Americans have enough addictions!!”
This gave me a good laugh! [;o)
Point taken! Whew, it’s gettin hot up in here, up in here! HOT FIYAH!! But you best believe I can stand the heat!!
Thanks for the list of news organizations, I’ve blogrolled them all, plus one my husband reads–This day online–its a nigerian news agency.
Peace, black man!
wow! I hadn’t heard about the second story. This is waaay more important that any Glenn Beck foolishness. I just think he’s sick and needs medical assistance. I really don’t pay him that much attention. You are so right about the Congo miliias. But the hard part about boycotting is often times we don’t know who to boycott. Its more than corporations funding them. Its governments. This is some crazy issh. However, I do know that many cellphone companies are tied to whats going on the Congo because they are there getting minerals for cellphone production. And guess who helps get workers for the companies…the militias. The world is f—–
Asa, I think this is one of the reasons I have not posted as much and as often. I cannot see getting bent out of shape based on what entertainers such as Beck, Limbaugh, Savage and their ilk, which includes the so called white liberals, what they say and do. Neither, can I be swayed by Black entertainers on the radio and TV or blogsphere, simply because these things lead us down a purely emotional trail. Now, I am not anti emotion, I think emotion is very important and plays a very important part in the actions we take. But, I believe we need to become more action oriented and not reactionary in our efforts. This would take some patience and waiting to bring forth the proper information (which most people do not like( they like their senses toyed with.) As you wrote Asa, I am going to paraphrase, we cannot be moved by the “they don’t treat us equal” mentality. When we KNOW this there would be less room and time for such reactionary stories. In addition there may be writers in the Black Blogsphere and Afrospear that write to get the big numbers to track over to their sites. However, There is one simple reason we are swayed by such entertainment, we lack knowledge and the wisdom to wield it. Most people just want entertainment. Like the food they eat it’s filling, but has very little value for the body.
Ensayn, as usual you always come correct and do some serious cooking up in here! I have nothing to add to your commentary but: AMEN!
Blessings!