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Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 3365
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 12:59 pm: | 
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First Blacks Always Get the Shaft
By Ailene Torres
Posted: 10/10/2006
When you are black, it never pays to be first.
Take Condoskeeza Rice, for example. The first black woman to be National Security Advisor and Secretary of State who plays scapegoat for the Bushies whenever possible. Remember those redacted lines out of that damn report? Or the 9/11 hearings?
And poor Colin Powell, he was lured into the same game thinking he was one of them and not one of us, until the decorated Gulf War hero became party to instigating a war on a lie. Remember those maps where the infamous WMDs were supposed to be?
I could go back to the CRM days and mention, the first blacks to integrate white schools, first black television performers who were not depicted kindly, etc... They were pioneers who took it hard for all of us. You know all of that.
On a more personal note, now my executive editor, E.J. Mitchell was removed from his post as the first black top editor of this flagship Southern newspaper.
Since the day he got here, there were some that couldn't stand him. And they were not quiet about it. Readers (some powerful, some not) accused him of being an arrogant Northerner, who thought he was better than those he was hired to cover.
By the time the dust settled, we got a new publisher and within months Mitchell was moved to be top editor at a much more accepting paper in Cherry Hill, NJ. It's right outside of Philly. Apparently, folks there can readily accept one of the most powerful men in the city being black.
This whole ordeal brought to mind a conversation that I had with a former friend.
While she was going through a pretty tough time, she commented that if she were black, she would have more job opportunities. The comments poured out of her mouth dripping with so much disdain, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Back then I let it go because I knew if I spoke at that moment I would have been enraged. But in a recent recap of the past, I explained why I was so offended by her comments.
To my surprise and dismay, she was not sorry for her words. She was sorry her words hurt but NOT their meaning.
She explained that everyone in Southern California told her that if her resume appeared as if she were black she would get more interviews. First of all, isn't the entire purpose of a resume to be colorless?
I digress.
She further explained that because "her friends" were telling her this she was well within her right to believe it. She was right about that.
But as her only black friend, it was my duty to explain to her that it was racist rhetoric and ideology. Anyone who said that and the persons who believe it to be true are absolutely racists.
Besides, who in their right mind thinks black people have all the opportunities? Hello blondie, I got two words for you: HURRICANE KATRINA.
Well, I was the first black to say her thinking was out of line. As the first black to speak my mind on this issue, I lost what I thought was a friend.
Well, at least, I didn't lose myself unlike Condoskeeza and Colin.
To read more from Ms. Torres, check out her myspace account, where she keeps a blog. Google her name to read her news articles, which are pretty damn good.
http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=226 |
Va_sis
Regular Poster
Username: Va_sis
Post Number: 151
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 02:15 pm: |
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She should have told her "friend" to move to Virginia.
In politics & corporate America, "taking one for the team" is expected in every office, in every state, every day. Should we feel bad for them because they are black? Apparently, their prestige, position & power means much more to them than a clear concious. |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2824
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 02:48 pm: |
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An old saying goes, "Two blacks I can't stand is the first one and the only one." |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5444
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 05:27 pm: |
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She should've told her white friend that her resume would certainly take precedence over any sista named Rhasheika Jackson or T'eshwna Williams or LaShinequa Jones. |
Urban_scribe
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Urban_scribe
Post Number: 131
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 09:17 am: |
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Torres' friend's response is typical "White privilege rhetoric". Most Whites believe that, by virtue of being White alone, they are entitled to the best of the best that America has to offer. When they don't have the best educations, don't have the best careers, don't make the best salaries, don't drive the best cars, don't live in the best neighborhoods, etc - it's always Black people's fault.
Their thinking is if it wasn't for Affirmative Action, quotas, and Civil Rights, in other words if it wasn't for "niggers", they (Whites) would all be sitting pretty. Poor Whitey - they tend to believe that they're all victims of "reverse discrimination". Meanwhile, none of them ever stop to consider that if THEY didn't discriminate in the first place, there wouldn't be a need for so-called reverse discrimination to sorta, kinda level the unfair playing field that THEY created. Poor Whitey - my heart bleeds. *sarcasm* |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5450
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:25 am: |
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Black folks really are a thorn in the side of white people because they are the constant reminders of the consequences of slavery, and are the recipients of the revenge "granted" a race of people who were denied freedom and equality. |
Nolanfane
Regular Poster
Username: Nolanfane
Post Number: 273
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 12:01 pm: |
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Yo Urban_scribe---WORD. You totally on point.
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