Race & Identity

I’m Not Black, I’m Coloured – Identity Crisis at the Cape of Good Hope

Greeting’s Everyone,

First, I need to thank Cedric McCay for bringing this video to my attention. He is a great person and I was trying to learn French from him, but I failed miserably. Cedric is an advocate to “Embrace culture, Serve humanity. 1914. Share Africa’s wisdom. Enjoy God’s gift of Life. Bilingue et intéressé par les événements en Afrique et en Caraïbes!”.

I encourage everyone to watch this video. It has affected me personally because being an African-American who lives in Cape Town, South Africa, I am understanding the social dynamics of this country and this coastal city.

I arrived in Cape Town, South Africa in June of 2012. I was excited, nervous, and curious to be moving to my third country.

I love it here in Cape Town, South Africa! You can certainly be successful here! It is interesting to see how much of the Black South African  population follows the American hip-hop community. I am treated well. They ask me questions about Rick Ross, 50 Cent, and other artist. People will call me, “Obama”, while I walk down the street. I have to admit that was interesting for me.

However, in the beginning of my arrival, I had an interesting time because of the racial dynamics in the country. The black South Africans would just look at stare at me. Most were extremely friendly, but I did have a few that just gave me a dirty look. I didn’t understand the situtaion. I asked a good friend that I met in South Africa about the situation that I described. She stated, “Oh! You didn’t know? You one of us! You are Coloured”. She further stated that she new I was an American once I started to talk.

My mistake in this lesson was that I applied my knowledge of race and identity from the United States of America and applied the ideology to my situation in South Africa. Big mistake by me, but I learned from it.

As humans, we all desire to be part of a group or identity. South Africa is a great country and it has deep roots in regards to Race & Identity. This movie was made in 2009 and things have slowly changed, but in my opinion, the Identity crisis continues.

So check this video out (Click on the image)!

In the event, the link doesn’t work. The link is: http://vimeo.com/23617382

Peace,

altglobal

“Quantum Beauty” by Lesley Ann Brown

Sister Ana recommended this post from the blog, blackgirls on mars. It’s brilliant and very insightful… the best thing I’ve read in quite a while. Click on image below.

Jasmine Revolution: An African Revolution Not For Black Africans

One of the illusions that Europeans and Arabs alike have successfully perpetrated for over a century, is that the northern part of Africa is not apart of the African continent. I have had discussions and arguments with so-called “highly educated people”… those with more than one grouping of letters behind their names, who are not aware that Egypt for example is in Africa. This includes Black People! This propaganda is so deep-rooted that Egypt is seen to be in the Middle East, while the countries to it’s west, namely Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and The Western Sahara, are termed The Maghreb.

When one studies the history of the region and the Arab/Muslim conquest and migration into the northern, as well as parts of east Africa, the fact is that Arab aggression, oppression, exploitation and depopulation of black Africans and their resources occurred long before the Christian Europeans arrived. Even today, chattel slavery of black Africans by brown and white Arabs is still practised in countries such as Niger, Sudan and Mauritania.

It’s no wonder then that the so-called “Jasmine Revolutions” sweeping across the Muslim states of north Africa, which in reality are African revolutions to free the people from decades of state oppression and exploitation, does not include those Africans with black skin. It brings to mind the French and American Revolutions for freedom from the state oppression at the time, both of which did not include freeing those with black skin. History once again repeating itself.

The fact is that in Libya, black migrant workers, as well as black Libyans, are victims of thefts, beatings, imprisonment and lynchings by their “light-skinned” African brothers. Read this disturbing article in the New York Times, one of many I’ve read on this subject in the past couple months.

Black people in North America are quick to sympathize (be used) and take to the streets, to protest against the oppression of (brown) Palestinians by the (white)Israelis, or demonstrate against (white) American aggression in (brown) Iraq and Afghanistan. However I hear no condemnations from our “brown” brothers and sisters, nor do I see our “brown” comrades in arms here… nor anywhere in the world for that matter… take to the streets against the oppression and murder of black Africans, by their own kind. I have always stated that I would rather be the victim of American rather than Arab or Persian imperialism. In an Arab/Muslim dominated world, I would most certainly be considered and treated as an “abeed”… a slave… simply because of my black skin, regardless if I was a Muslim.

An Arabic proverb (warning): “Me against my brother; my brother and me against my cousin; Me, my brother, and my cousin against the stranger”.

Cosmetics Industry Rakes in Billions on the Insecurities of People of Color

Vaseline's Facebook App and Advertisement for their face whitener for men

Colorism is happening, not only with Africans throughout the diaspora, but also with our equally melanated Indian brothers and sisters. I was surprised, but not surprised (if you know what I mean) to learn of the rampant colorism that’s happening in India. I have heard of the color caste system in their culture, where the darker skinned people, suffer more discrimination and poverty. India has a strict a centuries old, color caste class system, which has been exacerbated by centuries of British and Portuguese colonial rule. (I think it probably arises from it)

About thirty years ago, many American cosmetics giants wormed their way into the Indian culture and started advertising and selling their “skin lightening” products to Indian women.  The Cosmetic giants  are now entrenched in India and are exploiting the Indian people’s misplaced desire for lighter skin for all they can get out of it, and it’s worth billions of dollars! Revlon, Avon, Estee Lauder and other cosmetics giants are manipulating the insecurities of the people with their blunt advertisements for skin lightening products with names like: Refined White, Absolute White and Cyber White EX, (Cyber White EX, WTF?) and it’s aparent that the people are buying into this madness big time. What’s interesting is that those cosmetic firms which have traditionally targetted Indian women, are now, in unchecked greed, going after the men! Last year there was the brouhaha about the Facebook application that could allow users to lighten their profiles.  This whole thing was a campaign launched by Vaseline, and the ad promised to “unleash what was hidden underneath your skin!”   (Another WTF)  In true Madison Avenue tradition, they simply use a famous Bollywood actor in their ads, but in India they go hard!  There is no euphemistic wishy washiness—they just show the actors face split in half:  one half its regular dusky color and the other half lightened.  Aparently this approach worked well, and many MEN bought into this.

I’ve been saying it for years. It’s the media that perpetuate the cultural stereotypes. They understand the peoples’ psychology all too well, even if the people of color themselves don’t, that their oppression by whites creates their self hatred.   The people are psychologically vulnerable, and ripe for the pickings.  So then all the Corporate Cosmetic giants have to do is come in behind and sell a pipe dream to the spiritually broken people. Subliminally, sell the dream of looking more like your oppressors, thereby being a better person and having a better life than you could with your natural dark skin. We saw this sublimation here in North America, then in Africa and it probably occurs anywhere that dark skinned people are being oppressed by white skinned people. The desire to be something other than one’s dark skinned self is so strong that these products truly sell themselves.  They fly off the store shelves. To top it off, the Cosmetics giants have no responsibility for the blatant immorality or even the safety—they can blame it all on the color caste culture of the people, so in effect it becomes the people’s fault that they are oppressed and miserable.  After all, the people WANT these products!!

http://www.aolnews.com/article/beyond-the-pale-facebook-app-lightens-users-skin-color/19552998

http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/004677.html

Thankfully, the people of India are fighting back against this onslaught of, dare I say, spiritual violence! Many groups are popping up to deal with this and there are certain Bollywood actors and actresses who refuse to be a part of the marketing of these horrid products that exploit and destroy their people spiritually. It’s such a terrible thing the way capitalism devours.

I found an interesting Indian blog called Sepia Mutiny (love the name) and they addressed this issue and posted one of the commercials ads. (the link to the article is above) In the ad a sad depressed dark skinned young man couldn’t get a girl’s attention. A properly lightened friend schooled him about using “Fair and Handsome”, a cream made just for men “rough skin instead of using the creams made for women’s soft skin”.   So the depressed guy used the product, turned 4 shades lighter, got the girl and lived happily ever after! That particular post got 289 comments and counting as young East Indian commenters throughout their own diaspora discussed this important topic concerning their own skin issues. I can’t help but feel a kind of De ja vu as I watchd the video and read some of the commentary about this very compelling topic.

I hope that the Indian people continue to fight to overcome this assault, bit by bit. It’s just another instance of oppressed people of color being further manipulated for the benefit of these huge corporations for which NOTHING matters but the money in their bottom line.

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Just as an addition to this article:  I was recently informed of reggae artist Vybz Kartel, who has drastically lightened his skin and has incurred the wrath of his fans!  Not all.   It’s so sad that someone would go to these extremes to be considered acceptable to those who will never accept you.   Vybz is now a very cheap version of a light skinned black man, when he was a full version of his beautiful dark skinned God appointed self!  Many say he looks like a corpse, rather than a browning!  But he thinks he looks fine.  Well!

http://www.rollingout.com/insiderohome/ro-today/12598-reggae-artist-vybz-kartel-bleaches-his-skin-why-self-hate-continues-to-destroy-the-black-community.html

Byts and Bytes

1. “It is easy enough to dismiss those who persist in believing that the first successful African slave revolt took place in Haiti. Arab historians have themselves established the contrary, and in contemporaneous detail, so that it is near common knowledge that a revolt of epical dimensions took place at least a millennium earlier, in the salt marshes of Iraq.” Wole Soyinka in Between Truths and Indulgences: Part 2 

This certainly wasn’t common knowledge to me, so I did a little research and found this very interesting and informative article: The Zanj Slave Rebellion, AD 869-883

2. Here’s another quite interesting and informative article by the National Geographic Magazine from February 2008 on “The Black Pharoahs”. Click on the image for the article:

3. Hat tip to MyAfricanDiaspora blog where I found this article: “Being Black in Cuba by Ivan Garcia” 

4. Hat tip to Faye Anderson for recommending this article at the Huffington Post by Dr. Jonathan David Farley: 
“The National Association for the Advancement of Cowardly Pawns” 

5. Informative piece from STRATFOR, discussing the historical immigration relationship between the U.S. and Mexico:  “Arizona, Borderlands and U.S.-Mexican Relations”

The Legacy of the Rastaman Vibration

I’ve been vibing to Bob Marley all day, as sort of a tribute to the man and an acknowledgment of the influence of his music on my life.

As I listen to song after song, it takes me back… waaay back to my yout’… growing up in Jamaica, coming to Canada, struggling through adolescence and young manhood… into adulthood… until today. Through the various stages, however I want to divide and define them, the music of Bob Marley has been there for me. There was a time when I listened to Bob everyday. He was the musical prophet who soothed my raging soul. Even today, when the daily grind of life seems to be taking it’s toll… a pound of my flesh, as well as a quart of my spirit… I throw on some Bob and I am rejuvenated and empowered once again by “don’t worry, ’bout a ting, ’cause every li’l ting, gonna be awlrite”. 

It’s interesting how life and time changes perceptions. Today, Bob Marley is a revered icon in Jamaica and around the world. As a yout’ in Jamaica, back in the seventies, he was seen as a rebel and his music a bad influence on us young’uns. In fact, Rastafarians in general were looked down upon… their hair (it still somewhat amazes me that dreads are now fashionable), dress, religion, music, the ganja smoking, etc.

As a child, living with my grandparents in rural Jamaica, I remember the only records we listened to were Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jim Reeves and Bing Crosby. There may have been a Mahalia Jackson gospel album too… but there was certainly no RnB, Motown and absolutely no reggae. My grandfather was so conservative that as a teenager, if I returned from the barber and my hair wasn’t cut “down to the wood”, he would escort me back himself and get it cut lower. The first time I heard the word “nigga” used was by him, in reference to poor Jamaicans… those not in the same economic and social class as we were.

Jamaica at that time was a very class conscious society, with a heavy dose of “colourism” that was added to the mix. The lighter you were, the higher social status you had, regardless if you had the economic/financial resources that went along with this social status. Whites, Mixed #1 (White and Black/Chinese/East Indians), Chinese, East Indians, Mixed #2 (Chinese/East Indians and Black) and then Blacks… was the basic colour induced pecking order. My grandfather was a dark Black man, but because he had made a lot of money and was in the upper middle class of Jamaican society, his economic class trumped his colour based social status… to some extent. He considered himself equal to the Mixed, Chinese and East Indians, but showed a subconscious, but obvious deference to Whites, regardless of their economic status.

This is the societal backdrop to Bob Marley’s music when I started listening to it on the radio and at school. “Baldhead” was a term Rastas used to signify those of the “establishment”… i.e. those with short hair… who oppressed, looked down upon and took advantage of the poor… those like my grandfather. It wasn’t based on colour… it was based on economic class, neo-colonialism and imperialism. That is why there is no White vs. Black rhetoric in Bob Marley’s music or reggae music in general. That is why a song like “Get up, Stand up, for your rights“, transcends race or colour and speaks to anyone around the world who find themselves oppressed by a political, economic, religious or social class.

Once I came to Canada in the late 70’s, going into my late teens, to my university years and into my 20’s, Bob’s music sustained me. He was about spiritual revolution and African consciousness. A young Black man of Jamaican heritage growing up in cold, white Canada, developing a revolutionary spirit, his words kept me grounded. Yeah, I was seen as a rebel by my family, especially after I started growing dreads (when it wasn’t acceptable or fashionable to do so among, especially among Black people) and began advocating for the less fortunate… the “niggas” as my grandfather used to call them. In Canada I was now the “nigga”… but called  “nigger”… based solely on the colour of my skin, regardless of the economic class of my family.

But Bob saw me through it all. He brought clarity to my mind and calm to my spirit. Today as I listen and reflect… and go forward… I share him with my 2 year old son. He will certainly have his trials and tribulations as a Black man within this society. Undoubtedly, the legacy of the rastaman vibration will live on.

Things White People Say

Tags

2008 Presidential elections, 2008 US Presidential election, African-Americans, Barack Obama, Black Issues, Drama, Hot Ass Mess, In The News, Racism

After reading Senator Harry Reid’s [“unintentional“] racist comment, I went into blank stare mode, then snapped out & went straight into no that mutha fucka didn’t mode. In case you’ve been under a rock, this fool said privately that he believed Barack Obama was well suited to a presidential run because he is a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

First, of all, it’s clear that there is a fear/dislike of the dark skinned Black. Reid’s statement & many echoed around news outlets, blogs etc have led me to believe that all of these incidences of unintentional racism go to the core of beliefs held by many white Americans.

I don’t know how many times today I’ve heard that Barack Obama would have not been our president had he been darker. Sounds like some Willie Lynch shit to me. Is a light Negro less dangerous & friendlier than a dark Negro?

Truth be told, if our ancestors were not raped and… No, I won’t go there, that’s another blog post.

Second, what the fuck is a “Negro dialect?” I’ve been searching for that meaning all weekend! And how does Reid know who has the ability to turn said dialect on & off? Is the ability to turn it on & off based on skin complexion?

Dictionary.com defines dialect as – a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

Black Americans, just like any other group on this country are now homogeneous. And the last time I polled, my Negro friends, 94.254% of them sounded like my white friends. I’m just saying.

So now people, mainly republicans are calling on Reid to step down. I’m actually torn on this; not sure if he straight up needs to go or if he needs a verbal bitch slap from the top down; starting with the Black Messiah (Barack Obama) himself. Well, I guess that verbal bitch slap from the Black Messiah won’t be coming. He just feels that Reid used “inartful language.”

Lastly, I have an issue with the Congressional Black Caucus unequivocally backing Reid. Where’s the out rage in our “Black” leaders on Capital Hill?

Now: Do I dare broach the subject of a white man claiming that he’s blacker than a Black man? A nasty looking white man, who’s a disgrace to the state of IL, politics in general & possibly his race thinks that he’s blacker than a Black men; the man running this fucking nation? I think not!

Obama may be a lot of things, but one thing is, he is undeniably is the quintessential Black man in every fashion.

This fool Rod Blababitch Blagojevich said to Esquire magazine:

“I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little Laundromat in a black community not far from where he lived. I saw it all growing up.”

Since when does shining shoes give a white man a ghetto pass? Shit, I play golf but that doesn’t make me white, or wanted on the golf course. Actually, I don’t play golf; I just want to make a point.

Honestly, I can’t even be mad at Blagojevich for his dumb ass comment. It’s clear that he’s struggling to remain relevant & in the news. What better way to attempt that by saying something so over the top. Creating this controversy gave this fool another three minutes on his fading fifteen minutes of fame. I guess his upcoming appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice” wasn’t enough.

I’ll tell you; today, I suffered the biggest racial tension headache that I’ve experienced since Don Dumb Imus said with pride; “Them some nappy headed hoes.”

Is Sammy Sosa a Self-hating Negro…

or is he… as we Jamaicans like to say: ” ‘im jus a fallah fashun! “

We all consider ourselves attractive… or at least want others to consider us attractive. There are billions of dollars spent for products and surgeries, by both men and women, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, region and religion, in a personal effort to attain a semblance of what is considered attractive by the society at large. This begs the question: what is considered to be “attractive” by our particular society? Obviously, since our dominant community is eurocentric based and their influence is indeed worldwide, then European features are presented to us in daily images, whether on t.v. or in print, as the standard to which attractiveness is judged and therefore to be attained.

Straight hair (preferably blond), pointy nose, thin red lips, blue or light coloured eyes, white complexion, red cheeks, slim body, large but firm breasts, flat butt and long straight legs is the measure of perfect eurocentric beauty. Now most people in the world do not conform to this ideal image, however any combination which includes as many of these traits as possible, moves one up on the attractive-ness scale.

We see the effects of this within the black community. Black women sporting straight hair or weaves, with red lipstick, red blush on their cheeks, white powder to lighten their skin clour… and some even going so far as to wearing contacts to make their eyes lighter. Take a look at any fashion magazine, or magazine in general for that matter, which features Black models and/or female celebrities like Beyonce, and you will observe that the lighter the Sister and the more European features she displays, the more attractive they are considered… so the more prominent they are. Look at the cover of any issue of O magazine. Oprah’s skin tone is always “lightened up” with bright red lips, long straight hair and airbrushed to look thinner and firmer than she really is. I remember the buzz around the July 2008 issue of Italian Vogue which featured “Black” models. Click on the image below to see a preview of some of the pics. It’s interesting what is blatantly portrayed as black beauty.  

One of our more popular posts here is “Do Black Men Respond To Natural Hair”, which brings to mind the documentary produced by Chris Rock called “Good Hair”. It has been estimated that Black women spend an estimated $9 billion per year getting the kink out of their hair!

Growing up in Jamaica, I observed the issues around colourism in a neocolonial eurocentric society. Light-skinned women and men, with predominant European features were considered more attractive and therefore desirable. They were referred to as “Royals” or “Brownings”. Jamiacan reggae singer Buju Banton’s first hit in 1992 was a song entitled “Love me Browning”. Conversely, African features such as dark black skin, woolly hair, a broad nose and thick black lips were considered ugly. Here is an excellent and informative article about the issue of colour in the Dominican Republic where Sosa is from entitled: “Black Denial”.  

So really it’s no wonder that Sammy Sosa feels that to be considered more attractive, desirable and therefore acceptable by the society at large, including the Black community, he needs to lighten his skin and wear green contact lenses. Although the obvious poster child for this mindset was Michael Jackson, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us are complicit in some way in making it a “fashun”.