You start out in 1954 by saying “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968, you can’t say “nigger” — that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like “forced busing,” “states’ rights,” and all that stuff. You’re getting so abstract now that you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things, and a byproduct of them is that blacks get hurt worse than whites.
–Lee Atwater, a head republican strategist, in an anonymous interview in 1981. He is admitting that republicans use coded-language to appeal to the racists in their base. Because, as he always said, “people vote their fears.”
Lee, who would eventually become the head of the Republican National Committee, helped Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush win their Presidential elections by teaching them to use overtly-racist tactics.
When the N-word became taboo, Republicans began referring to black people in less-direct ways, with terms like “welfare queens.” They learned how to say the N-word, without saying the N-word.
Sadly, this still continues today. As seen in Newt Gingrich’s claim that Obama is a “food stamp President” and Rick Santorum’s assertion that he doesn’t “want to make black people’s lives better by giving them someone else’s money.”
(via thesoapboxschtick)
Via Evolution Of A Queen
50 SHADES OF BLACK
(from black coffee to high yellow)
African American Sex Symbols & the Complexity of Skin ToneMy latest art piece is fashioned in the style of a book cover. Its title (most certainly) and its subject matter (very loosely) are the result of a creative play on the very popular contemporary novel Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
Now that the art/cover is created, it’s time to write the book. This is where you come into play. While this subject could very easily lead to a book written by a sole individual, I am interested in a conversation…in a dialogue. I’d like for that dialogue…those contributions from you to be the basis of the manuscript.
Share with me your responses to this piece. It may be in the form of quick comments, reflections, essays, personal stories, anecdotes, memories of things you heard your mama say about Billy Dee Williams, etc. Over time, I’ll organize, synthesize, group, copy and paste these comments into a document with the goal of ultimately producing a FREE downloadable e-book of your contributions to the topic. It’s a book written on the Internet by Internet users. Just like any other piece of art, it’s open for interpretation.
Who knows how this will go? I don’t. I don’t even know if it has ever been done before. But I am very curious what you have to say…and something tells me other people are too.
Let’s talk.
50 SHADES OF BLACK
(from black coffee to high yellow)
African American Sex Symbols & the Complexity of Skin Tone
Conceived and Designed by Carlton Mackey – Written by You
Feel Free to leave comments below
Or
Email extended comments to:
carltonmackey@carltonmackey.com
carlton.mackey@facebook.com
npr:
Gimme the bridge now, gimme the bridge now! — Tanya
Today’s Style section.
Chuck Brown (1936-2012).
The obituary | His impact | The reaction | Video
Illustration by Marc Burckhardt
One of D.C.’s greatest homegrown musical figures, Chuck Brown, died Wednesday. Here’s the Post’s coverage on the guy, who was still an active musician in the region well into 2012.
This was a speech given August 15 1970 by Huey Newton co-founder of the Black Panther Party..here he addresses the issue of Gay Rights… Its serious food for thought coming in the aftermath of President Obamaendorsing Same-sex Message…
During the past few years strong movements…
(Source: hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com)
Ancient West African Megacities
Recent Archeological findings have discovered ancient west African Mega cities dating back to 500 BC possibly rivaling other early urban civilizations such as Mesopotamia. Long before the coming of Islam and the days of the Songhay, Mali and Ghana Empires.
The Archeologists state they have not seen any signs of war & waring, therefore it seems like they lived in relative peace. Some of the cities were twice the size of Timbuktu (Medieval Timbuktu was twice the size of London).
What is most interesting about this information that it emphasizes how little we know of ancient Africa’s past.
Via Black History
Queen Calafia
Calafia is a fictional warrior queen who ruled over a kingdom of Black women living on the mythical Island of California. The character of Queen Calafia was created by Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo who first introduced her in his popular novel entitled Las sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián), written around 1500.
Calafia, also called Califia, has been depicted as the Spirit of California, and has been the subject of modern-day sculpture, paintings, stories and films; she often figures in the myth of California’s origin, symbolizing an untamed and bountiful land prior to European settlement.
Via Black History
About me
Thanks for reading...pretty much my randomness......Me: Southeast San Diego, #HU grad student, #CSUDH alum, loves to walk, work a lot, California native.......twitter.com/1GISK
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