Posted on 07/02/2008 1:08:52 PM PDT by Coffee200am
*Now that I have your attention, you have to know that the title is far from the truth.
At least it is for any sane person, but not for a growing number of Black women who are now using the R. Kelly acquittal to bolster their claim that Black men hate Black women.
Before I deal with that, let me tell you a story.
It was the mid-nineties and I was hanging out with Jermaine Dupri at the Santa Monica airport in California, where R & B group Jagged Edge was filming one of their videos.
It was Summertime and the honeys were out in big numbers--legs, breasts and butt cleavage on display for all to see.
These honeys were in line to be chosen for participation in the Jagged Edge video and what happened next stayed with me for a while.
Jermaine pointed to the line and said: “DJ, watch this, man.”
I watched as the young Black women in the line foisted breasts, hiked up skirts and exposed as much flesh as possible the closer they got to the front of the line.
I asked Jermaine if this was usual and he shook his head and replied: “It’s like this all the time.”
Over the years, I learned that such is the behavior of the so-called “Video Hoes,” who are painted by some as strong independent women and by others as victims of sexism.
While I always have problems with such labels as “Video Hoes,” I have an even bigger problem with blaming their behavior on sexism. Particularly knowing that their avocation is an unpaid one.
I have yet an even bigger problem when Black women pretend that the existence of “Video Hoes” is only at the behest of the Black men who make the music. It leaves so many people out of the loop.
It leaves out parents, educators, the media and of course, the women themselves who participate in the degradation of their own image and standing in society.
It also ignores the dichotomy of public opinion regarding music videos, music and sexism, which frankly draws a line down the middle of Black womanhood. Some Black women celebrate the sexual imagery in entertainment, while others decry it and blame it solely on Black men.
But, if Black women can not reach a consensus about crucial issues including sexism and misogyny, then how can anyone expect a consensus from Black men, particularly if they are only watching?
I guess I could have put the cape on and flew to the rescue of those poor “victims” at the Jagged Edge video, but anyone with half a brain knows that none of those women would have come with me to safety. In fact, I would have been laughed at and cursed out and possibly even assaulted.
So why do some Black women continue to blame Black men for any and everything that happens to any of them?
And why do some Black women claim that because Black women are subject to sexist views and sexist behavior it is only because Black men are failing to protect them or because Black men actually hate Black women?
Simple: Because it is the path of least resistance since anyone can say anything about Black men and very few will come to their defense.
I mean, really, we must ask ourselves: Has it been open season on Black women, or on Black people?
Now, back to R. Kelly.
I tried to stay out of the discussion about whether he was the man in the video and whether the young girl was a victim and whether he should be jailed, because, for me, the man deserved a trial before being convicted and punished.
Some people compare it to the OJ Simpson case and claim that African Americans don’t care if a Black person is guilty or not—they just want to see them go free.
That’s asinine.
And it’s also a damned lie.
African Americans are not so unsophisticated that they just want any famous Black person to go free simply because they are famous. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Black people who cheered for OJ did so because the “evidence” was not evidence at all. They cheered for his acquittal because whites with the same level of evidence had been acquitted. In fact, most Black people don’t really care about OJ, because they know he’s an idiot.
It’s just that we understand the justice system and if “they” can get off, so should we.
For example, there was and still is no moral outrage over filmmaker Roman Polanski, who admitted to raping an underage girl and then fled the country to evade prosecution. There are no extradition efforts and no outrage from women who want his art boycotted and/or to use him as an icon for the sexual abuse of women. Further, he was given a standing ovation at the Academy Awards a few years ago.
The people who cheered for R. Kelly understood that no matter how much people became emotionally involved, he could not be convicted simply because people wanted him to be convicted.
The tape was not evidence enough, as demonstrated in many cases involving police brutality caught on tape.
And the witnesses, including the alleged victim who swore she was not the person on the tape and the woman who stole from Kelly and admitted to extortion were not enough.
For all the crowing about Black men not protecting Black women, this case shows clearly that apparently many Black women aren’t willing to protect themselves, as evidenced by the cheering of Black women over Kelly’s acquittal.
Sad.
What is also sad and very confusing is that in light of Black women’s failure to stand up for Black women, groups of Black women are still willing to give too much focus to chiding Black men about standing up for Black women.
WhatAboutOurDaughters.com, a site run by Black women, admitted that during the R. Kelly trial, it was Black women and not Black men who acted the most disturbing in their defense of R. Kelly.
Yet, the site has posted and is promoting a petition targeting Black men and their need to stand up for Black women by battling the exploitation of their daughters, sisters and wives.
Something is wrong with that. Where is the petition for Black women to stand up, or the petition for Black women to stop participating in their own exploitation?
It’s not that I am opposed to the protection of Black women. I just think it is a mistake to lay the burden of protection solely at the feet of Black men.
I also think it is a grave mistake to link the defense of Black women and girls to the allegedly unjust acquittal of one man. Leave R. Kelly alone, because there is nothing there.
We would do better to launch unified defense campaigns of Black women and girls, simply because it is the right thing to do. We should do so because we love and cherish Black women and girls and they should be defended.
It’s said that some people think we need an icon.
Why not go after all the media outlets that facilitate the soft porn of Black women?
Why not go after—and I know this won’t be popular—the very Black women who participate in and facilitate the destruction of Black women and girls?
And while we’re at it, why not go after the Black women who participate in and facilitate the destruction of Black men and boys?
Really—who’s hating whom?
Next Week: Black Women Hate Black Men
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the forthcoming powerful anthology “Notes From The Edge.” Discounted Autographed and Numbered Pre-Release copies can be ordered at www.darryljames.com. He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and this year, will release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com
Friend, yes, I am white. Big deal. That has nothing to do with the argument. I stated that 99.9% of blacks will vote for Obama and I still believe that. I see few blacks, maybe military and a few solid conservatives. BUT, I do not believe for one minute that McCain is going to pull 20% of blacks. Hell, he will probably have a hard time getting 20% of anyone’s vote! If J.C. Watts were running, I would have voted for him in a NY minute. BUT, if he votes for Obama, I would never give him the time of day of my vote.
While your statement "While I agree that many a white murdered blacks with impunity" may have been a summation of the world in 1900 or 1950 it's not a very good summation of the world we live in.
White is not a race, it's the background color I guess.
I was, until I learned more about him. Now I see it as a further extension of a lot of negative trends. Sad. Wish that we could have had a better black candidate in his place.
I am white. I don't give a damn what Obama's skin color is. I am prepared to vote for whom I think represents me. Conservative, with family values and worried about the state of the world which I will leave to my children.
If anyone is thinking, even in the least, of voting for Obama simply because of his skin color, then they are just as racist as anyone thinking of not voting for him because of skin color. His agenda, and political and world views are why I will not be voting for him.
Period.
The best example I can think of is MLK. His most famous speech dreamed of a time when his children would be judged on the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
How many are truly doing that with Obama today? I personally know people whose world view and family values are in direct contrast to Obama's, but are going to vote for him simply because he is "black".
How funny... I’m on vaca on Nantucket, enjoying the breeze on the porch, and got to that line... I was semi-interested to that point, then it lost me... He’s FULL OF SHIT... end of reading
I did a research paper on this one time, I believe that most criminals prey on those in their own community and the crossover is about 20 % for blacks and 20% whites committing crimes outside of their own community. I will look up the figures again to be sure.
Of course, if you practice identity politics, like they do, it’s racist... If I vote for McCain cause he’s like me, I’m racist... If they vote for H cause he’s black, they’re creating history... How disgusting
“Yes,its a common misconception that blacks overwhelmingly thought OJ was innocent.Not so.”
I’ve never heard a black person claim he was innocent. I’ve seen much glee at the fact that he got off, though.
Supporting his acquittal because of a presumption of innocence is one thing. Supporting the acquittal of a murderer because he was black and his victim was white is just plain racism in one of its most evil forms.
‘The attitude was”Y’all have used the system to YOUR advantage for years. Now one of US gets over and you want to go into hysterics”’
Yes, for some crazy reason we thought our society had moved beyond that, say, 50+ years ago.
Haven't some of these old white racists been tried three or four times now to get a guilty plea? That's hardly proof of a conspiracy to let off whites. The killer of Medger Evers was tried twice in the 1960s (hung juries) and retried in 1994, and convicted!
That seems to be evidence of "the system" going out of it's way to bring justice to blacks murdered by whites.
Exactly
It’s always 90%... For Gore, Kerry, all Libs... It’ll be closer to 98% this time.
I concur with your analysis.
Looking back as a white kid growing up in the Fifties and Sixties,I can recall when the news would anounce the acquital of a killer of a civil rights worker in the South.Do you think ANY white adult ever got indignant at that injustice?No,not in my redneck of the woods,thats for sure.
I also blame LAPD and the Garcetti for blowing a sure conviction.Marcia Clark was a disaster and the Mark Fuhrman fiasco doomed it for good.
I am not voting for Obama at all. I am merely stating that I am proud that he could have the chance to be elected. While I am Conservative, I am still black. I cannot separate myself from that or what it means. One’s experiences in this country is shaped by many things, color being one of them. If you are one of those “color blind” people, then G-d bless you. Most of us are not. I DO see color and what it means, but I don’t think it is a bad thing to acknowledge the differences of our citizens. Its what makes us great. I am pro-life, pro-gun rights, pro-off shore drilling and Obama is anti- all of that. It’s not that I care what his color is, but what this means for us as a country. It is evidence of how far we’ve come.
Yes,and its about time these killers were federally prosecuted for the crimes they got away with years ago.Looks like Georgia is getting ready to reopen the 1946 Moore lynching.
The sad thing is that I'm sure there are any number of weaker cases against black men that we could ALL (well, maybe most) rally behind, if they were brought to public attention.
The good thing is that they aren't anonymous psycho killers being let go to roam the streets. I'm unlikely to date OJ, and equally unlikely to travel in R. Kelly's circles.
But the actions that are being supported by this kind of amnesty...
We have been married going on 20 years and have two beautiful talented children. It hasn’t always been easy, there are still some knuckleheads out there (black and white) but we are still making it. Thank G-d for His Grace.
No,society has not”moved beyond all that”.Lots of these old angers just fester and marinate until the appropriate time when they explode with vehemence.
Here is the irony of the whole OJ phenomenon-many blacks,especially black women,were angered by his obvious attraction to white blonde females.He was seen as a joke in many quarters of the black community.Yet when he got into trouble he had no problem playing the race card!
Personally,I felt little emotion at the acquital.Reason-I was just not too sympathetic toward the whole Brown-Simpson crowd who seemed like a bunch of drug taking,hedonistic selfish boors.Not that I believe that justifies murder but violating basic moral principles can often lead people to do things once considered outside the bounds of civilized behavior.
Also, every black guy I know is well-known for whining about the price of arugola. (that was sarcasm, for those in Rio Linda...)
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