Even if you in a Benz you still a Nigga in a Coupe: Racial Profiling Resurrected in “Post-Racial” America
EVEN IF YOU IN A BENZ YOU STILL A NIGGA IN A COUPE
So goes the line in one of Kanye West’s first smash hits entitled, “All Falls Down.” The prophetic phrase strikes the core of the frustrating racialized experience of Africans and other so-called “minorities” in America. The bottom line for many of a darker hue in this nation is that no matter what you do, how much you accomplish, how great an impact you make on the well-being of society – there will yet remain unspoken rules and moving hurdles designed to remind you every now and then that you’re not completely accepted. Many Black and Brown people know this subconsciously and others “overstand” the situation right well. The latest national figure to be reminded of his unshakable “Blackness” is the esteemed Harvard scholar, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. who was arrested for disorderly conduct after being suspected of breaking into his own home.
I wonder how those who are intoxicated with the illusion of a post-racial, Obama-era America are reacting to this. Surely you remember the warm and fuzzy feelings born during kum ba yah moments after the historic election of the nation’s first Black president. Racism was dead and all was right with the world.
“This is only one misunderstanding blown out of proportion,” some of them will certainly say. “Ol’ Skip was probably talking too loud at the kind officer who was just doing his job.”
Sean Bell probably was hoping that he had a gun which of course would warrant immediate execution.
Those three boys in Philly deserved that beating – didn’t you hear they were “suspects” and that’s synonymous to being guilty when talking about “those kind” of Black people.
Those children from that summer camp had no business sullying the premises or good people of that private swim club. Yea, it’s open membership, but not THAT open. Didn’t you hear the owner? They were changing the complexion of the pool – we can’t have that now can we?
Then here in Baltimore we have that troublemaker Rev. C.D. Witherspoon. The politically active young leader must have done something to precipitate being called a “nigger” and having pennies thrown in his face by his waiter at a downtown restaurant.
All of these and the countless hundreds of other incidents that happen “below the radar” can be cleared up with rational explanations. NAACP hold your horses, Jesse sit down, Al take a chill pill. No need to dust off your KRS-1. The President of the United States has this one.
What did you say Mr. President?
Black folks need to spend more time with their children, aspire to be scholars and doctors, and turn off the TV? Yes, suh. You’re right. Go ‘head with yo’ bad self, President Obama. Keep readin’ us Black folks the riot act. Those stereotypical pathologies fit us so well. Guess you TOLD us!…and we LOVE it! That’s right. We’ll try harder and we’ll do better. We are our own worst problem.
Don’t mind Dr. Lawrence Bobo from Harvard – he said, “ain’t nothing post-racial about the United States of America.” First of all he’s wrong and secondly he used “ain’t” in a sentence. (He needs to turn off the TV and do more studying.)
Somebody done told him wrong!
Didn’t he hear Young Jeezy? Our President is Black!
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So what do you call a black man with a PhD, Malcolm? Who would have ever thought of Dr. Gates and Rodney King being captured in the same light in a post-modern American, so much for the illusion of a post-racial American society? This event might help to explode the illusion which was created by Obama's succession to the office of President, that America has changed. This event might also help to reinvigorate the narrative with respect to continuing the work of building a truly post-racial society.
Also, Obama's poll numbers have been slipping, and the Republican Party rather than attacking the President, especially a black democratic one, in the traditional way (via white policing or obstructionism), was smart enough to select a willing Michael Steele (who is now being willing used as a house negro, Condi and JC Watt's old job), to do their dirty work for them. And how about the white police officer that refused to permit brother man to enter into the hospital in order to see his mother-in-law before she passed away! The more things change, the more they remain the same in some respects, twho Harvard men are finding out!!
The illusion of a post-racial America only applied to blacks. It is tantamount to going to a good church service. The band is cranking(the primaries), the rockin' service(the nomination), the holy ghost(election night). Two hours later, reality. Back to the bar, back to the club, back to being a nigger.
I think the way that the Dr. Gates 'case' has been handled, by the officers involved as well as by the mainstream media coverage, is an incredibly revealing look at how we handle race in America.
How quickly the issue became a question of "was the officer a racist," with proofs like "he lead workshops against racial profiling" brought to the table to "prove" that this officer was not a racist and therefore could not possibly act in a racially motivated way. Of course, the race issue isn't a matter of "is someone a racist," but rather, as you point out so well, of "unspoken rules and moving hurdles designed to remind you every now and then that you’re not completely accepted," of structural racism that is built deep and taught deep.
Dr. Gates was arrested for committing no crime (great legal analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/nlpch3). The police department and the officer involved has refused to issue an apology. Even if this had happened to a leading white scholar at Harvard, how quickly would an apology have been issued?
Rev. Brown, have you seen this? http://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/virginia-...
Completely ridiculous.
Wow, David. I am so disturbed by this and at the same time not surprised…sadly, not surprised. The more and more I see things like this the more convinced I am that the issue of tension between the African American community and law enforcement involves more than just a "few bad apples on the force."
Just in case others haven't seen this:
[youtube Gv7qyXvoM5E&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv7qyXvoM5E&fe... youtube]