You Go, Boys!
ALa posted about this story today, and I just loved it.
Morgan Freeman is calling for an end to "Black History Month", because Black History is AMERICAN History. Their history is no less important- or no MORE important, than the history of Anglo's in the New World, or the American Indians, or the Spanish-Americans. We are ALL Americans. They don't call America the Great Melting Pot for nuthin!
Morgan went on to say "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man" during his interview "60 Minutes" which is scheduled to air this Sunday. He points out that the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about it, and start treating each other simply as people. Period.
The African-American community is not pleased with Morgan's remarks.
They had a similar reaction in 2004 when Bill Cosby spoke out how the African-American community isn't doing themselves any favors when it comes to getting rid of racism in America. During a speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education decision, Cosby was heard to say "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk." On the subject of the African-American crime rate, he had this to say: "These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake, and then we run out and we are outraged, saying, 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What in the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"
One of the things that stands out the most to me is that if these comments had been said by a white person, they would have been declared a raging racist. Since these comments were said by black people, the black community is "outraged"; the white community is "supportive"- but no one is calling them a racist.
I *hate* double standards.
Morgan Freeman is calling for an end to "Black History Month", because Black History is AMERICAN History. Their history is no less important- or no MORE important, than the history of Anglo's in the New World, or the American Indians, or the Spanish-Americans. We are ALL Americans. They don't call America the Great Melting Pot for nuthin!
Morgan went on to say "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man" during his interview "60 Minutes" which is scheduled to air this Sunday. He points out that the best way to get rid of racism is to stop talking about it, and start treating each other simply as people. Period.
The African-American community is not pleased with Morgan's remarks.
They had a similar reaction in 2004 when Bill Cosby spoke out how the African-American community isn't doing themselves any favors when it comes to getting rid of racism in America. During a speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education decision, Cosby was heard to say "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk." On the subject of the African-American crime rate, he had this to say: "These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake, and then we run out and we are outraged, saying, 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What in the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"
One of the things that stands out the most to me is that if these comments had been said by a white person, they would have been declared a raging racist. Since these comments were said by black people, the black community is "outraged"; the white community is "supportive"- but no one is calling them a racist.
I *hate* double standards.
posted by AFSister at 10:41 AM | 
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