Black is Black. And the American “NIGGER” Lives on!
Posted on August 1st, 2009
Prof. Hudson McLean
The “Beer Summit” held by President Barack Obama, attended by VP Jim Biden with “Cop & Robber(?)”, the police officerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sgt. James Crowley, a well-regarded white patrolman in the college town of Cambridge, Massachusetts and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ professor African-American black scholar Henry Louis Gates of Harvard University, did not lighten the heat but just fizzled out.
Instead, there were discussions about the brand of beer and if beer was the “cool” beverage which should have been served as the platform to diffuse the “ever living NIGGER” problem.
Instead, Obama should have ordered a Guinness, the black brew with a white frothy head!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Of course the white frothy “head” sits on top of the black stuff beneath.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps some enterprising brewery might invent a white beer with a black head! Silly stuff.
In the recent years, the African-American, the politically-correct-in-word describing those of darker African origin Americans, as well as Asian American Tiger Woods the world golfer No:1, Caribbean African-Brit Lewis Hamilton the F1 champion, took over the jackets enjoyed by the whites.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The image of the Black street fighter boxer was overtaken by the Black golf club, F1 steering wheel and the intellect silver tongue of the first Black President!
Nevertheless, the skin colour remains still as a prime factor in many a socio-economic-political stage.
As in American politics, a Jew regardless of his white skin and black curly hair, may not be elected President for sometime, it was quite a surprise to see Obama coming on-top of the Republican, mainly due to the idiotic Bush saga.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If not for the doings of the political (D-rated) clown Bush, Obama would have been an also-ran.
In Indian politics, Sonia Gandhi diplomatically eased herself out and appointed an older stable caretaker Manmohan Singhe to keep the Prime Ministerial seat warm until the son and heir-apparent Rahul is ready to take-up the challenge and possibly the next bullet.
A white Italian Catholic woman would not fit into the brown Indian Hindu profile, however democratic India has been.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sonia would have succumbed to the same fate as the late Benzir Bhutto, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv. Now the husband of Benazir is keeping the seat warm for their son.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dynastys Live-on!
In Sri Lanka, until the 1960’s a true Sinhala may not marry a Tamil or a Burgher, or indeed outside his own Caste or religion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The “Flower-power” and the Beetles era brought a gradual end to the historically supremist concepts within the Sri Lankan establishment.
However, Black is still Black, even inSri Lanka! When one reads the matrimonial columns, the operative word is “Fair Complexion”, supported by layers of facial creams and powders to enhance the whiteness. The morning after the night before, when the newly wed husband wakes-up and sees the face of the snoring wife, many a man had second thoughts of a divorce when the dowry money runs out.
Its about time that sensible, educated, intelligent people accept that Black is Black and the American NIGGER Lives-on, and the Black has moved upwards, more than people everƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ imagined!
At the sametime, if the Sri Lanka Buddhist President, can live in harmony with a Catholic First Lady, should set an example to the rest of the community that the Colour, Creed and Ethnic considerations are none other than secondary.
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August 3rd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Prof. Hudson McLean, thanks for the opinion. Are you a Sri Lankan writing behind an Irish name?
August 4th, 2009 at 5:31 am
I am not sure that I can see the real point of this article, unless it is to suggest that racism is alive and well in the US and the old prejudices about the blacks still apply. All this is of course debatable. But there is no doubt in my mind that America has (as indeed have many white countries) come a long way from the time when there was open and more widespread discrimination and prejudice against non whites.
One thing we have to bear in mind (and this has been hinted at in the article) is how entrenched in our psyche is the concept that black corresponds to the negative things – evil, death and sin, and so on, whereas white is associated with the good and the wholesome. And so it is we speak of black magic. Christians speak of the soul becoming as white as snow when we repent of our sins and obtain the pardon of God. Even harmless lies are called ‘white lies’. And, in the popular culture of the east, a fair maiden has always been considered more attractive than someone of a darker complexion
So, it takes a great effort of will to overcome these prejudices that are sort of hard coded into us. Having said that, we must acknowledge the great progress that has been achieved in this area, and for that we need to be thankful not only to those non whites who have so diligently worked against the injustice of racial discrimination, but to the many white liberals who have supported them, and in some cases pursued similar movements on their own.
I sometimes wonder whether in fact Sri Lankans (and others from Asia) are not more conscious of racial differences than do people from western countries. My experience is that there is less prejudice evident in the west than there is in Sri Lanka.
Racial prejudice is irrational. All prejudice is. But the record of what has happened in the last thirty or more years shows that gradually people are getting over their historical prejudices. More people are travelling to more places than they did before. And they travel with open minds and without preconceived attitudes. We will never be totally rid of prejudice. But we will be rid of it in substantial measure.
August 4th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I thought of writing this comment after reading the comment by cassandra. As I find, ethnic identity is a core human value that remains beyond individual’s control. In fact, parents decide this matter. Whether it is used to accept or reject is an individual choice anywhere. To understand what happens in America, I strongly suggest speaking to people coming from original Afro-American community. Obama does not carry the history as a product of recent migrant background with direct links to Anglo-American heritage. I would no be surprised if an Indian is selected during the next prez election as the real powers running this ex-English colony use clown faces very effectively to hide their original agenda. By the way, Sinhala people use white for dead or dieing (religious) and black as a non-entity. They do have a huge spectrum of colours in use and are not as narrow as black and white kind.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Priyantha Abeywickrema’s comments are most interesting. Whilst ethnicity may be considered a core value with people, the importance one attaches to it varies according to one’s situation. In western societies which today are multi ethnic and multi religious and inter marriage is not uncommon, ethnicity, as a basis of identity, has lost some of its importance. I am not a sociologist or a psychologist or any such ‘logist’ but I believe all of us seek some sort of separate identity and the comfort a group association provides to give us a sense of reassurance, much like belonging to a caste once did or being members of, say, a trade union, now provides. In that sense, ethnicity can be like some sort of ‘social crutch’.
I am aware the Sinhalese using white in connection with the dead – at funerals and so on. But I believe the choice of white here is not so much as being representative of death itself but of the sombreness of the occasion. And white is also the choice of Buddhists when they visit the temple on Poya days. And it is an excellent choice indeed, as it is with school children. I fondly recall driving out of Colombo very early of a morning and have my spirits uplifted by the sight of young boys in white shirts and young girls in white frocks or ‘lama sarees’ walking to school. I found yourself offering an unuttered prayer for the blessing that the sight of these young people so clad, visited upon me.