I read a post by Jose Vilson in which he, so eloquently, thwarts the idea that Michael Jackson was not Black and it made me think a little harder about this community of hue.
Michael Jackson spent a lifetime trying to fit in with us all. He wanted to be accepted by his father, by his family, and by his fans and yet, he wasn’t really. His positive contributions- his philanthropy and concern for the human condition- were unnoticed when you consider all that he did to make the world better. Yet, his negative actions were focal points for the media and he was written off as a freak and a criminal. I am not making excuses for him nor am I asking anyone to have sympathy for him. I am however, wondering if we as a community- the community of color turned our backs on him long before he was considered a criminal.
Then I read Vilson’s entry. He, much like I do on a daily basis, questions why we are content to write off the accomplishments of our own with a few simple words like, “You act white.” It’s a loaded phrase on so many levels and one that I have heard frequently in my 31 years. It urks me to this day- the implication that if one becomes accomplised, educated, reserved, that he/she is less Black or is trying to no longer be Black.
And so I ask, what does it mean to be Black? Can we define a race in such specific terms that if one no longer adheres to them, his/her race is switched? I began this entry determined to write about what I considered to be the definition of race, but, I have decided to open this forum up to hear what YOU believe it to be.
I think it’s time we had a discussion. Comment here and then leave your thoughts over on our Facebook Fan Page.
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I have been thinking on this for a while, and I just posted on Michael Jackson as well. Labels become pretty difficult to swallow, even if they are true.
Mommy Niri´s last blog ..Meet Margaret Johnson, CEO Of SABI Games!
I can’t wrap my head around what it means to be Black any more than I can formulate a position on what it means to be my own arm or leg. I am a Black woman as I understand it, the same way I learned to call these appendages arms and legs. They are labels. I, Tameka am a soul in Black, female packaging. What I contribute to the “community of hue” are products of that soul. While my soul does not function primarily in accordance with the societal dictates of packaging, it does long for the realization and acceptance that within this familiar package is a unique and unfamiliar soul.
I encourage my children-of mixed race, to be revolutionary in spirit, it is the only armor in this label-laden packaging war.
What MJ’s soul endured was the result of “pitching” to a fickle market on a very grand scale. You can’t please everyone and the customer is always right.
t. allen-mercado´s last blog ..July 12, 2009
“I, Tameka am a soul in Black, female packaging.”
I can definitely digg that!
Kristina you pose a very good question. Seems that we are constantly bombarded with what “Black” should be, all while constantly being asked or forced to redefine ourselves as Black people. To pick this way or that in order to have access to the community. I remember having the same challenge growing up which resulted in a search that continues for the “real” me. So, I too, am still unclear on exactly what it means to be Black. We are minimized to appearance, perception of that appearance, popular culture, and mainstream fashion.
Ms. Bar B´s last blog ..Decisions Move the Process Along
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