Spewing Black Venom
This is me jiggin’ to the sounds of passionate black power chants of the 1960s on audio. Well, no, not really but let certain folks tell it this is what we do late at night whenever we gather around. I’m pretty sure Clifford H. Bell Jr. thinks this judging from the email he sent me this morning.
It read:
Play your race card you idiot!!! Spewing your (black) venom is what keeps you black people down, when are you black people going to understand that??
Whew, I feel the rage and it’s troubling my soul. Or something. When I saw this I instantly thought, “Hmm, that AOL piece I did must be up.”
Actually, it went up yesterday and I’m surprised that I only got one hateful email versus a dozen the way I do any other time I write about issues that deal with race. I always find it interesting when people get riled up about the things I say when I often have to state them in the mildest of terms. For professional sites, that is. Sometimes I have free reign to just be, but more times than not editors like the PG-13 version of me. Or G. I get it, but you know.
People get very very offended very very easily. Please read that sentence in your best Elmer Fudd voice if you can.
Anyhow, in this piece’s particular case I target black people than white. I didn’t say anything about white people per se, but I suppose when you reference systematic factors that have paved the way for the problems minorities face today some will feel a certain type of way no matter how you word it.
The topic may be a bit stale to some now, but it’s not to those currently suffering and those who sure would love to capitalize off of it.
So, if you have a moment, check me out over on AOL News by clicking here.
Then join me in singing this:
You know what? Would I be wrong if I emailed this video back to him along with the message, “Thank you, Sandra Bullock. I’m most grateful for you helping me see the error of my ways?” He sounds angry and in need of a morning jig.
I swear you would’ve thought I wrote in the article that black people need to free themselves from the man and start throwing buckets of fried chicken at them on site.
Oh, post racial America. How I love thee.
Again: Click here to read it.
Sunshine
March 11, 2010 at 1:20 pm
just read your Aol post.. i liked it, but i didn’t see a place for me to leave a comment.. whats up with that?
chelle
March 11, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Liked your article Michael. When Obama began his term I thought he would publicly advocate equity but secretly take a special interest in us brown folks. I guess not. As far as the hate mail you receive – not surprised. Keep the enlightening commentary coming and your home address a secret:)
Cassie
March 12, 2010 at 10:57 am
I read your AOL piece and shared it with my class. People were turning all kinds of colors LOL. Keep up the great work and don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing. These conversations need to be happening!
Mia (Lioness)
March 15, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Love the article Mike! Also your comment
“They act as if I said we need to throw buckets of fried chicken…” made me LMAO!
ThoroughBread
March 16, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I read your article on AOL and thought it a tad mild for chastising emails lol. But face it, if the person doesn’t fall into the category of the disenfranchised, their guilt of receiving more opportunities because of the color of their skin causes that kind of reaction. I remember being in my first college history course and I had a black teacher and he was saying some things about U.S. history that were making the white kids angry and this girl says “You make us feel guilty for being white.” I almost fell out my chair laughing. Oh, ok so because you feel guilty we should never know the facts? Then some Black people and Hispanic people I know feel guilty for acknowleding true facts regarding the modern day statistics concerning race and improvement (or lack thereof) in minority communities. Like to acknowledge the facts means they are going against progress. Until we can all be real with one another and can swallow real statistics that show there is still a major decline in minority communities, we will never be able to move forward with equal opportunities for everyone.
Charlae
April 9, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Extremely well-written, valid commentary. The Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of the world make it bad for all of us. I get it, it stemmed from the successful 60s strategy when King was at the helm, but a) he was actually walking the walk, not just talking the talk, and b) it sounds bad, but the black masses are complacent nowadays. It probably will take some mass genocide to get everyone that united again.
It seems black america’s collective motto is fuck yours, I get mine.