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New York, 1:40 PM
Tue Nov 10
54 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/06/08
I think I'm the only black person everyone I know (including coworkers) knows and, to be honest, I'm sick of talking about it. I really hate the Teach Me Negro game.
11/05/08
But I see your point - his skin color is black.
11/06/08
11/05/08
When I was in third or fourth grade, my mother was called because of a supposedly overly-pessimistic essay I wrote. I can't remember how it came up, but in school we had to write about the first "Negro" president. I'd said that unfortunately, I did not expect to see a black president in my lifetime. My mother, in a rare show of solidarity, backed me up against my rabidly liberal white teacher, saying my view was perfectly defensible.
I'm delighted my elementary-school self was wrong, but really, who knew?
11/06/08
11/05/08
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11/07/08
11/05/08
I explained no, I'm not racist, I just think the idea of a "Black National Anthem" is divisive. We have a national anthem; it's theoretically for all of us, right? Isn't establishing separate songs for black Americans to sing a divisive act? Wasn't that kind of missing the point?
He explained that my cracker ass didn't know a thing about America and threw me out of school for the day. I guess I've always been kind of haunted by that. It felt like a generational thing, you know?
11/05/08
11/05/08
Was it "Raise Every Voice and Sing"? If so, I understand its symbolic importance but find it musically awkward and nearly unsingable.
11/05/08
Dunno, I only heard like a quarter of it. All I can really remember about that day is that chain of events and going home unsure if I was a racist or not.
11/05/08
I was in high school in the mid- to late-80s, and I refused to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance that they broadcast over the intercome every morning. My homeroom teacher went nuts. I explained that I was an atheist, and I wasn't going to make some pledge involving God. She was pissed, but what could she do? I must say, after reading your account, I guess I got off easy.
Really, really wish that I had known then about how they added the god thing in the 50s because of McCarthyism. Would have made her head 'splode, I think.
11/05/08
11/05/08
I have that affect on people.
The 90's.
11/05/08
Effect. Fuck.
11/05/08
11/05/08
That said, Hamilton, this is probably the best post you've ever written. And it's competing with some good stuff.
11/05/08
11/05/08
And Obama's rainbow actually has a variety of colors.
11/05/08
I was in college and grad school throughout the 60s part of the Civil Rights Movement. I don't think that anyone imagined how much different things would be.
But no one imagined teh Internets and how it has made race so easy to ignore. In the year I've been a commenter I've made some good friends, and with many of them have no idea if they're black or white, male or female (or undeclared), gay or straight, or whether they live in Crown Heights or New Zealand. A lot of old distinctions just don't compute anymore. A related example is that McCain raged on about Ayers and the Weatherman without the slightest clue that "the Weathermen" means nothing to 3/4 of the electorate and is of declining relevance even to Bob Dylan scholars.
I think that race will matter less and less and that in another 200 years we'll all be sort of beige. I really think that last night we saw a good number of blue collar guys who otherwise would be considered racist going into the voting booths and deciding that Obama simply was more qualified. They would have preferred a white guy, but the black guy was obviously best. Fifty years ago they would have voted for a less qualified white guy. Not any more. But it took eight years of the worst president in American history plus a world-encompassing recession to get there.
11/05/08
Hamilton I just want to echo what some other commenters have said; great post.
11/05/08
11/06/08
*shakes your hand*
@Hamilton: yes, great post. We should all attempt to hear what "the other guy/gal" has to say about grand issues.
11/07/08
11/05/08
11/05/08
11/05/08
Do you think Jesse was thinking, "I could've been a contendah"
11/05/08
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11/05/08