Cynique

Today's my 84th birthday. I'm amazed that I'm still around. Grateful that i can separate life from living. One i observe, the other i do. One day at a time.

SMH. 29 year-old Colin Kaepernick didn't just decide to demonstrate after years of seeing discrimination! He led a naive, privileged life as the bi-racial child adopted by a white couple who are reportedly disappointed by his knee bending gesture. Kaepernick was just recently encouraged by his woman-of-color girlfriend to embrace his black side and recognize what blacks have gone through, and to show solidarity with his people. This man you are exalting had to wait until he was up in his 60s to publicly speak out against racism, only doing so as an obligatory act, mindful of his role as CEO of a company he didn't want associated with some one who didn't reject white supremacy. There's nothing unusual or courageous about a prominent black man like him condemning racism. And there were plenty of people on the "reject-Trump's-apologizing-for-Nazis" bandwagon when Frazier expediently scrambled aboard. Get real. This man obviously has great business acumen but there's nothing extraordinary or influential about his taking a stand.

Thank you for bringing these quotes to my attention. i find them very salient. I don't know. I can't think of a good reason. To ease a guilty conscience, I guess.

@Pioneer1 Well, Kaepernick is an athlete who did his thing in the arena of his expertise which, incidentally, commanded a large audience. And, unlike Kenneth Frazier, Colin didn't wait for a specific event to prod him into taking a public stand. He just quietly did his thing. And what waves will Frazier's gesture make, other than to make himself look good? He's not even getting that much publicity. The "average" person doesn't even recognize his name. I didn't. I'm unimpressed. Frazier really hasn't accomplished any more than Kaepernick and he risked nothing by denouncing racism, just like all the CEOs on the council who followed suit because, like Frazier, none of them want to be involved with anything that would damage their precious corporate image and their bottom lines. Furthermore, Kaepernick's taking the knee proved to be prophetic, and on point, putting him in the vanguard of a movement gaining momentum in post-racial America where White Nationals are making a mockery of the national anthem, with their Nazi banners and high regard for men who fought to keep slavery and advance white supremacy. What's-his-name is just a member of the bandwagon everybody is jumping on, in order to distance themselves from an ignorant fool. I also have my suspicions about this guy being appointed to this council by Trump which could mean he was a supporter of #45 or at least a rich Republican conservative. Not the type of negro i personally admire.

@Troy In case you're confused, I'm talking about Eddie Anderson, not Eddie Green, who the book is apparently about and where Eddie "Rochester" Anderson is mentioned as being a good friend of Eddie Green.

LOL i think red-bone is more insulting than high yella.

I don't if this is relevant, either. When i was 12 years old, I was sent from my northern hometown located west of Chicago to spend the summer with my Aunt in Nashville, Tennessee. Once i got settled in there, with my 2 male cousins, 11 and 9, from Atlanta, Georgia, who were also spending the summer there, i immediately begin to notice differences. They did every thing slower. The talked slower, moved slower, ate slower and seemed to find me funny perhaps because i was more animated than they and I talked fast. As the summer wore on, i started to get used to the slower pace of life, and all the people both old and young kind of regarded me as an amusing novelty. One thing i was pleased to appreciate was that the boys seem to find me more attractive than those back in my hometown. My aunt noticed this , too, and seemed tickled by it. Finely she broached the subject. "Don't you know why these young fellas seem to like you?" I was hoping that the reason was that i was maturing into a fine young chick. But in the 1940s South, something else made a difference, where the caste system was still alive and well. "Cause you a "high yella" gal," my aunt informed me. I was at first taken aback but then i just accepted it for what it was and enjoyed myself. When i returned home to my natural environment at the end of the summer, i had to make an adjustment. Back to trying to get a word in edgewise among my chattering friends, where i was no more popular than any of my female peers of various skin shades. I almost attended Fisk University in Nashville, whose campus was right across the street from where my aunt lived. But i instead elected to go downstate to the University of Illinois with a group of my high school girlfriends. I often wondered had i gone south to obtain a higher education, would my college experience have made a difference in how my life turned out...

I'm devoted to seeking the truth, whether it makes me uncomfortable or not. One truth i have learned early on is that the truth is evasive and that constancy is a marker for the real truth. I've also learned that seeking the truth calls for honesty on the part of the seeker and this creates internal conflict and mixed emotions. The one thing that continues to stump me is whether religious beliefs are true. Now more than ever, because i am daily bombarded with religious memes and prayer requests and testimonies on FaceBook. I don't have a problem accepting that there is a higher intelligence and an almighty force of nature. Whether or not this power can be reduced to being a man who inspired other men to write a book of myth and fables, is something i'm luke warm about . That's because the world shows very little benefit from religion because it is too often at the core of so much conflict, not to mention how much evil thrives. Plus, the bible is so contradictory, alternating between forgiving and punishing, between overlooking some despicable acts and damning others, while portraying god as an egomaniac, condemning the free thinkers that he, himself, has created, relegating them to hell-fire for not accepting Jesus as his son. I do find a little truth in the observation about the only thing being wrong with Christianity , is Christians. Buddhism holds some appeal for me, however, because it more about getting in touch with your inner spirit. Yet, millions are totally invested in religion, afflicted by blind faith. Although i do not consider myself a hard core atheist, leaning more toward Humanism or Pantheism, FaceBook has also introduced me to Atheism, and i must admit, its logic impresses me. I do think its true that most people need something to believe in and to turn to for comfort during a time of need, A simple phrase, like "it's god's will", apparently helps to bring closure for many. I ponder whether it could be true that humans are not only star children but are divine themselves, only needing to discover that what they attribute to a higher source is something they have extricated from their inner power. in seeking the truth, i am a little troubled about what conclusions i've come to about my own race and, in truth, some of these ideas undoubtedly have to do with my being assimilated and brainwashed by white values. But i can truthfully say that i have never had to do a lot of soul searching when it comes to whether or not i would rather be white. My answer is simply no. And that's the truth. I wish i could be a little less discriminating in my compassion. i don't always feel sorry for people who probably deserve sympathy. "This above all, to thine ownself be true", is my mantra.

Well, you did a terrible job of making your case by presenting a hypothetical argument that you have concocted saying what i never said or implied. Hypothetical is by definition an unproven theory. Give a specific example of my having said what you have transposed. You put your spin on my words and then reply to what i haven't said. i don't know whether this is a ploy or whether you are just crippled by your inability to be objective. Yes, i am argumentive but you provide me with such golden opportunities to be so. I can't believe that you continue to post these long repetitive responses to what Mel has said. It's like nothing she said registered with you. Instead of acknowledging what everybody else has repeatedly said in regard to you and her being from different worlds, you keep droning on and on, making her argument for her.

I remember Eddie Anderson well. He originated the "Rochester" character on the old Jack Benny radio show which our family used to listen to when i was a little girl. And of course he has a long list of credits in Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 40s, including "Gone With the Wind" and "Cabin in the Sky" with Ethel Waters.

Well, we don't know whether the common ancestor was an ape or a human. Darwin theorized that apes came first. And he is just as credible as the NOI.

SMH and LOL The "Mansplaining" Mel referred to is so right! Men either recycle what you say and feed it back to you as if it's their idea, or they misinterpret what you say because they hear what they want to hear. So many times, i have to correct and remind a guy that what he says is something i already said! On my job, men would unconsciously co-opt my ideas. With Pioneer, he is constantly thanking me for making his argument, an argument he hasn't even articulated and, in fact, has to have Troy translate what he is trying to say. Men also put words into your mouth and respond to something you haven't even said. Also Pioneer obviously thinks that the adjective "strong" only applies to physicality and that the idea of men having strong intellects is something he can't fathom. To me, not realizing this is being a linear thinker, rather than a critical one. i was struck by Troy saying once that he didn't bother to proof read his posts on this board because he figured we'd get what he was talking about.(he' has since greatly improved. ) Del just assumes you know where he's coming from and rarely puts his comments in context. But - we are who we are. I am hyper critical and like to have the last word. Except with Mel. She always makes her point. She is a personable, castrating woman. The male and female brains are wired differently. Therein lies the ongoing conflict. Mars and Venus orbiting each other.

Actually, we shouldn't assume that black women don't support their men. Many have no problem encouraging a man who shows good potential and - is emotionally stable. What they don't do, in enable an incompetent man. And why should they? i really don't believe that ambitious black women look for a black male to support their aspirations because these motivated women are independent. That is not to say that they don't appreciate any support offered. And of course, certain black women are inadvertenly supportive because these airheads make their men feel superior.

Thank you @Cynique , it's message I keep forgetting. Before I drifted off to sleep last night, I remembered that Pioneer1 and I come from different worlds. His world view is foreign to me as mine is to him. May i interject that Mel acknowledged that she and Pioneer are speaking from different perspectives. My comment would be that we are talking about a very basic tenet. Life is a survival of the fittest, where the strong thrive.

amerika. Watta wunnerful country

@Pioneer1Come on, yourself. The NAACP is not adopting a "can't we all just get along attitude". That's your spin. The NAACP is, after all, an organization whose original and primary function has to do with using the courts and take a legal approach to confronting discrimination. You sound like a wanna-be Black Panther, advocating an aggressive "hands-on" approach. You see where that got them. No where. Exactly where your hot air argument leads to.

Welcome to post-racial amerika! Electing Donald Trump opened up a Pandora's box full of bigotry just waiting to be unleashed. America's only salvation lies in the hands of white people of good will who are willing to fight for the common good. Blacks can't turn things around without allies from the ranks of responsible whites in positions of authority. On the other hand, black people have to stop being their own worst enemy, especially in their inner cities where they sow the seeds of self-destruction through what results from the "baby mama/baby daddy" dead-end lifestyle. Like the Roman Empire , amerika may implode from within, while Kim Jong Un looks on.

Well, there are plenty of movies and series on TV out there now that depict black people in diverse roles or in their natural environment; not only on cable channels like BET, TV-One and Oprah's channel, OWN, but on network TV, too. i don't think watching these programs make a lot of white converts. Even millennials haven't gotten past their white entitlement. There was an undercurrent of resentment over black characters debuting in the super hero community. Whites balked at the idea of a black James Bond, and muttered about the main character in the last Star Wars movie being black. Many whites just can't get past skin color. i don't even remember what i thought about Jesus being portrayed as white. Maybe i accepted this idea because he didn't seem to give a damn about what was happening to black folks. When i abandoned religion in my 20s, i did think that it was ridiculous how he was Anglo-sized when he was supposedly a Jew from the middle east. Maybe i am an alien which is why i'm detached about a lot of things.

Didn't i say that Mel's examples were ANECDOTAL? (like yours) Too bad it isn't true that behind every successful black woman, stands a good black man.

i have been hearing this conversation for years and i'm curious as to why it doesn't resonate with me. I grew up going to the movies, beginning in the 1930s because my mother worked at a movie theater and i could get in for free. I'd go to the show every time the pictures changed, and back then a trip to the movies meant a double feature. When i sat in my seat, munching on pop corn, gawking at the silver screen watching all the legendary movie stars, it never bothered me that these people were white and i was not. I simply viewed them as actors who were in the business of supplying entertainment and escapism for moviegoers like me. The characters didn't have to look like me to advance the story line or to amuse me, all they had to do was to embody emotions that i could relate to; human emotions and sentiments that applied to everyone. Back in the 30s and 40s, the only black characters in these movies were either ones grinning and tap dancing or maids and chauffeurs, none of whom i identified with because because i was never around servants who wore uniforms or people who bucked their eyes and danced on tables. I remember going to see "Carmen Jones" in the 1950s when i was in my twenties. It starred Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandrige and had an all-black cast. I looked upon the movie as a novelty, and i didn't identify with the characters because the people were the same color as me, i enjoyed it because it was a compelling story and its character types were universal. In the heyday of the blaxploitation movies, i was amused by their absurdity but i certainly didn't identity with the black pimps and ho's and action heroes and heroines. I've always been big on separating fantasy from reality. To me, these characters were caricatures. The same with Nicki Minaj who has had breast and butt-cheek implants, making herself over as a voluptuous Barbie doll. Yes, men can get by with an average-looking face but women do like well-toned bodies. Halle Berry and Beyonce have both been cheated on by their mates so beauty ain't all it's cracked up to be. Women in touch with the real world, know that looks can only get you so far. And it's not like plain women don't get men. They do and there's a whole population of fine women who are constantly being asked why they're still single. Sometime it's because men find them intimidating. Other times it's because the Mr. Right they think they deserve, doesn't exist. I retrospect, maybe i am a natural born spectator, possibly a product of my passive era because it also didn't bother me that i never had a black teacher. My role models were people i knew, either in the community or in my family. But I was , and still am, impressed and proud when in real life situations, a black person gives a good accounting of themself.

@Pioneer1Well, you must be heartened by how enthusiastic White Nationalists , the KKK, and Neo nazis are "carving out their place" in this diverse American society that you find so commendable in your beloved country. The anti-protestors did follow your suggestion and descended upon West Virginia to fight back and this just fueled the flames and resulted in death and injury! amerika the beautiful? Not. It's a national disgrace that something like this is still occurring in 2017 in the divided states of amerika where people who tell Democrats to get over losing the election can't seem to get over the south losing the civil war and feel the need to preserve the statue of their hero General Robert E. Lee at any cost! @Troy What would you have the media do differently when it comes to reporting what doesn't have to be hyped but is sensational in and of itself??? Why shouldn't these disturbing events be discussed on social media? Should reporting the news be something that is done for free? @Linda Chavis Tell 'em! You're absolutely right!

Ain't amerika great?

@Pioneer1 Apes and humans probably share a common ancestor but somewhere along the evolutionary process, they veered off into separate species. Homo Sapiens and Simians may be cousins. But so what?

@Pioneer1 I hope that Mel's anecdotal's examples will impress on you the reality that the anecdotes that shape your view of the world are simply one facet of the black experience and that your ongoing effort to make the black community over in your image is short sighted. Blackness has become a mosaic not a monolith and in the final analysis, cream rises to the top. The ideal scenario of too many brothas is one where sistas sacrifice themselves on the altar of the needs and desires that black men define as being "supportive", - doing this even when these men are not equal to a task. But black men with the right stuff will succeed in spite of institutionalized racism and uncooperative black women. Furthermore, many of those who do this will be ones raised by a mother who taught them how to stand on their own. Seems to be me a black man would relish the idea of making it on his own because he was strong enough in character and fortitude to do this. A secure, capable man doesn't need to yearn for supportive women; he will automatically attract them. Unfortunately, for many men what support also includes is for women to withhold opinions that take the form of criticism. In other words, they want to be humored, which is another word for having their egos stroked. Of course black women are not with out their flaws. But inside of every loud, overbearing, sarcastic, super bitch is a vulnerable woman who can be cured by a dose of TLC from a strong black man. And, so it goes.

Hummmm. I just saw this. I think they read the book in 2015. (i am a member of this book club. that's why they read it. ) Thanks for the updating.