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.

A Different Kind of Black-on-Black Crime

I know some of you have recently shown me a full eclipse in light of the infrequent updates over the past few weeks. To that I say: Thank you for pushing me to blog regularly, but until I turn a profit from this thing some days won’t see any updates. Ya’ll trying to have me sell pills and parts.

And since [the man] took away my health insurance, I have to save. I’m driving a Camry, folks. I could be riding dirty so unless I take my brother’s advice and fake an accent in an emergency room, chances are I might need to worry about a potential bill.

That said, if you’re wondering what I’m doing in the meantime I’m still writing.

My most recent piece for AOL News deals with homophobia in Africa. A lot of our fellow black people are out there being persecuted among several nations. If they’re not being jailed for simply being who they are, they’re being slaughtered for it.

And indirectly, many Americans are helping facilitating this criminalization of homosexuality.

If you know you can’t stand gay people and don’t want to read this, no worries, I’ll be back to scolding Wacka Flocka’s English teacher in no time.

However, if you’re open to hearing a different perspective on the matter I invite you to read this piece. Then retweet, Facebook, and email it.

Click here to read it.

Thank you as always.

P.S. It’s OK to drop some coins in that donate button. Treat it like the tip jar at Magic City, please.

And I do have archives, which you should all read. You can tell how far I’ve come along as a writer. Uh, or not. Your call.

Now let me go back to scouting potential corners.

Black Folks We’d Like To Remove From Black History

I know some of you all must be ready to jig, get it big on my skull for not being as frequent with updating as I have been in recent months (and shut up in advance to friends with jokes — I have been updating fairly often), but you all have to understand this blog isn’t earning me Magic City money yet.

That means I have to use what I got to get what I want. Translation: I use my keyboard to hit up editors to write pieces that will get me money and attention. And possibly heaux shit if that heaux Sallie Mae doesn’t hop off my…ya’ll know what I’m saying.

I have something else that should be running this week, but in the meantime, check out my most recent piece for The Root.

They suspended all blogs back in late November, so despite The Recession Diaries being a wrap I still contribute from time to time.

Like now. So do me a favor and go check out the gallery, “Black Folks We’d Like To Remove From Black History.”

If you’re familiar with my overall style you’ll be able to make out which folks were my brainchild.

Updates on The Cynical Ones are on the way, but in the meantime please check out the post and pass it around. Let them know how wonderful I am. If you don’t think I’m wonderful, click the shit anyway.

Thanks everyone as always!

To read: Click here.

Post-Racial & Post-Editing

Yesterday, AOL News posted a piece I wrote about the idea of post-racial America. In short, I feel this country will become “post-racial” the second after Waka Flocka Flame beats Akeelah in the next spelling bee.

What ended up being published was a very tamed and poll-stat friendly version of the sentiments I sought to convey.

And yet, I was still met with the typical emails:

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Shut Up, Harry Reid

If I had my way that might have been the title of my latest piece for AOL News (formally Sphere), but I can see why they opted for something a bit less intense. No matter, though, because even a defanged version of me can still make a point.

I opted not to fixate on Harry Reid’s “Negro dialect” and musings on the brown paper bag test because I felt we as a country have more pressing matters to worry over. However, when it comes to the issues of Harry Reid’s re-election campaign along with patronizing politicians in general Senator Reid’s latest gaffe is fair game.

Click here to read my thoughts on Senator Reid the Faux Civil Rights Freedom Fighter and why I’m not trying to hear about the Civil Rights Movement in reference to my people and progress in 2010.

Please and thank you!

Obama, Year One: Enough Change To Believe In?

Speaking ill of President Obama is a good way to get cursed out by your favorite auntie, but in reviewing his first year in office I believe one can’t help but note some of the obvious disappointments.

So, in a new piece for AOL’s Sphere, I did just that. Moreover, I pointed to how said disappointments affect Obama’s stock with the youth population — who invigorated his campaign and had much to do with his decisive win.

Will young people randomly switch to the GOP in 2012? That’s about as likely as me fathering Bristol Palin’s second child, but will they come out in full force the way we did in 2008 is the question.

Back in February 2008, I wrote an entry entitled “I Hope He Can” in which I broke from cynicism and fell into a bit of the hype. Another, “Seeing Is Believing,” where I recalled my experience at an Obama really points to my obvious enthusiasm about Barack (particularly after reading his first book, Dreams of My Father).

Do I still like him? Yes. Is there reason to criticize him only after a year in office? I think so, which is why I invite you to read “I Hope He Can” and then compare it to the new piece.

Click here to read “Enough Change To Believe?”

There is some things I left out, namely his record on civil liberties. If you’d like to read more about that, check out the ALCU’s assessment of President Obama’s first year in office.

Reid, Rage, & Race

Wrote a piece touching on the Harry Reid “controversy” and the Negro “backlash” for Aol’s opinion site, Sphere.

Updates here are to come, but in the meantime, gon’ read, please: click here.

I am especially proud of me for managing to work in a Snagglepuss reference in a political piece. I consider that a gift.

Hey, Ya’ll

Expect more updates soon (and by soon, I mean as in likely today, tomorrow, and Friday), but in the meantime, I guest blogged on my favorite site of all time today.

To quote my blog shero, “Get you a piece whore.”

Click here to read “Destiny’s Dickless.”

Guest Blog on Essence.com

Wanna read it? Here it go: click me.

Now Or Never

I could write about the mystery of Nicki Minaj’s ass, the debate over the melanin-challenged winning pageants on the campuses of historically black institutions, racist Rush’s attempt to create his own master-slave fantasy via competitive sports or some random other foolishness, but I’on wanna. At least not today anyway.

Over at the now defunct Aliya S. King blog I took part in an online fiction workshop with the accomplished writer and published author (whose first novel will be released next year…yay). I got feedback on my contribution – a short story – and I’ve decided to go ahead and post it here for additional feedback.

I’ve become a lot more confident about my fictional work (ya’ll remember) recently so I wanted to share. This is literally the very first short story I’ve ever written. I’ve gotten my notes from Aliya and others so I will revise and plan to add on. Who knows what it could turn to.

Still want to get your feedback, though, so see below. This is the version that I submitted to them. I’ll probably be doing more entries like these in the future. Need to show off my versatility as a writer. And shit. Hope you enjoy.

Again: Be gentle. It’s my first time.

“Now or Never”

By: Michael Arceneaux

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