Cobb: Black Misery Month

January 08, 2004

Black Misery Month

Since M9 is about to be promoted to M10 within the next few weeks, I have already started to think about February. You know and I know that it's Black History Month, and I've already begun to dread it.

Last year, I started out on the good foot with Carter G. Woodson. I ended up doing pennance by serving some time at SCAA as a community service. Considering a comment I got a few days ago, I think perhaps it's time to remind everyone how real white supremacy is in America. Here. Now.

So if you do nothing else for Black History Month, spend an hour reading what goes on at SCAA and try to imagine hearing that kind of bullcrap your entire life.

It's not that I don't support and respect Black History Month. On the contrary, I'm drawn to it for all the right reasons, just as I am to Kwanzaa. Since you may be aware of the kind of bodewash that passes for legitimate commentary about Kwanzaa, you can probably imagine (well you can see for yourself at SCAA) the kind of offal downpour heaved during February. What am I supposed to do, ignore it?

As it happens, the jagoff they shot yesterday was named Bikel and his partner in crime was named Schlagel. Somehow, some idiot kids thought it was cute to pronounce his name 'Schnigger' in my wife's presence in the local elementary school library. As she shushed them knowing they were playing around the bad word but not necessarily directed at her, M9 didn't quite understand. This means I had to give the 'this word is Nigger' speech that I created purely off the cuff.

Interestingly (or not) enough, there aren't any big pictures of lynchings on Google when you need them. But I essentially explained that this is what people did to people they considered niggers. It is a word of profound disrespect. I'm fairly certain by his brief expression of puzzlement that he has yet to be dissed in such a manner. I would hardly expect my explanation to be an inoculation, but the spousal unit and I made it clear (we hope) that we are especially intolerant of that particular word.

What a headache. I'm glad I know what I'm doing.

Posted by mbowen at January 8, 2004 09:09 PM

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Comments

As someone who can't relate to the subject at all, unfortunately for the caucasian segment of the population, I've always thought that some of the things that were done during Black History Month just came off somewhat like pandering. For instance - I'm a big fan of rap, hip/hop, and the like - but when MTV2 decides that it's "Hip Hop Month" or whatever, it just comes off as a little bit odd - only because it tends to coincide on/about the time of Black History Month. Perhaps it's just me. Does this make sense?

It's like, I think I see what the point is supposed to be, but I always would like to think that people should be celebrated for all they do, all the time, not just like pigeonholed in a month. I don't forget about Martin Luther King, Jr. for the rest of the year, why should I just think about him now. I don't think about individuals like Hiram Revels or Ida Wells or people who were able to shape the USA into something (hopefully?) better than it was before their time just once a year.

I hope I'm not starting an ugly discussion here, and I *definitely* don't have the wool pulled over my eyes about the state of our nation today. I think I just am really upset about how things are working, and it's unfortunate when you think there are a lot of voices who share your opinion but don't seem to be making their way through the din.

I come to this blog because there's always some great topics to hear about and a super perspective that a lot of people miss out on, and I think it's one of those things where if I can get one or two folks to just read something similar, they would have a different thought process on things...

Okay, I'm rambling, so I'll quit now.

Posted by: djspicerack at January 11, 2004 08:20 PM