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Celebrate inherent power yourself while the world around you strives to reduce your personality. In essence, this is what he has always wanted to be black in America: shine in shit while she whirls, daring to be boldly against individual and structural contempt. Black History Month is always an interesting study in this reality – an opportunity to proudly display all that we are and a reminder that we remain who we are despite everything. With the current presidential administration and cultural climate, it was particularly important to see black people love each other. And lately, it seems that many people are opposed to this joy.
Black History Month began with a series of Blackface scandals, one involving Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who was allegedly photographed in his film. Directory of the Eastern Virginia Medical School of 1984 in blackface – and Northam responded by denying that it was him in the photo, while admitting that on another occasion, he would have put black polish to look like Michael Jackson. The news was greeted with a wave of calls for Northam's resignation. "Racism has no place in America," tweeted former vice president Joe Biden. "Governor Northam has lost all moral authority and should resign immediately, Justin Fairfax is the leader Virginia needs now."
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring later revealed: "In 1980, when I was 19, I was a student at the university. Some friends suggested we attend a party dressed up as rappers. at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and performing a song, "admitting that he had also worn Blackface. "It sounds ridiculous even when writing it. But because of our ignorance and our casual attitudes, and because we had no idea of the experiences and perspectives of others, we dressed and put on wigs and brown makeup. "
The fashion giant, Gucci, has also been a victim of a woolen hood on his website, which mimics Blackface. The piece is a black turtleneck, worn over the nose, with a cutout red outline for the mouth. The outcry against Gucci came on the heels of a similar criticism of Prada products that resembled Blackface; and shortly thereafter, the athletic brand Adidas removed a casual sneaker inspired by Harlem's Renaissance theme, all in white, just like singer Katy Perry, with her all-black shoes.
Hollywood superstar Liam Neeson has inexplicably revealed his own racist leanings in a now infamous interview with L & # 39; Independent. While promoting his latest action movie Cold pursuit, a film in which his character takes a bloody revenge after the murder of his son, Neeson has plunged into his own story with bloodlust and racism. He recounted how he reacted to the news of a friend's rape by a black attacker. The interview read as follows:
"I went up and down with some space hoping that someone would bring me closer – I'm ashamed to say it – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping that [Neeson gestures air quotes with his fingers] "Black Bastard" would come out of a pub and pick on something, you know? So that I can, "another pause," kill him. "
The Neeson admission bomb became an international controversy and the actor would give a follow-up interview to Hello AmericaRobin Roberts has only fueled criticism. "I went deliberately into the dark areas of the city, hoping to be attacked," he said. "It shocked me and it hurt me … I looked for help, I went to see a priest." But Neeson's candor does not negate the undeniable racism of the story that he shares and should not be used to stifle the legitimate reaction of the general public. If you find what he said relatable, it says a lot about the cultural depths and societal scope of racist conditioning. And to that, everyone should be more than surprised.
And there is the incident involving Jussie Smollett, the star in conflict of Empire who was allegedly attacked on January 29 in Chicago as part of a hateful and heinous crime. On January 22, Smollett, a homosexual black man, reported to the police that he had received a threatening letter to Fox studio where his show was filmed. ; Seven days later, he told the police that two masked attackers had attacked him, spilling him "an unknown chemical substance" (probably bleach), wrapping a rope around his neck and shouting: "This is the country of MAGA!" Two people of interest were arrested. But this weekend it was reported that the police were concentrating on Smollett, suspected of orchestrating the attack. "We can confirm that the information received from those interviewed by the police earlier in the Empire This case actually changed the trajectory of the investigation. We reached the Empire The cast member's lawyer is asking for a follow-up interview, "said Anthony Guglielmi, Chicago police spokesman.
Since this information, some have rushed to charge both Smollett and the communities that have gathered around him. It is a reminder that so many of them seek some reason to express their contempt and anger for efforts to empower the victims; Happy schadenfreude comes from those who never want to take hate crimes seriously, especially when the victims are black and / or LGBTQ.
As new information about what happened in Smollett is published, those who reject or even tolerate the marginalization and oppression of Blacks and LGBTQ citizens will welcome any opportunity to downplay the reality of what it means to be an "other" in America. As is always the case with bigots, the transgression of any person will be used as a weapon to denigrate an entire community or a state of mind – to decry an incident as evidence that we have "gone too far" in these efforts to ensure our friends, our family and our neighbors are not denigrated by the society in which they live. Before making war on such persons, it is important to remember that they will find proof of the validity of any unscrupulous act on which they could stand as an indictment. You do not have to influence them. They are bigots.
February is the moment when so many Americans recognize the struggles and victories of blacks; a month where we celebrate all that it means to be black, and an amplified version of how we cheat our heritage all year long. The BHM has been mentally strangled this year, however. Even if nothing lessens our self-esteem, there have been so many assaults, scandals and puzzles this year that you almost forget that we are supposed to be more and more celebrated: a Bill Cosby incarcerated himself. resembling Martin Luther King, Jr., in J. Lo's current on what would have been a Grammy tribute to Motown, Candace Owens still being Candace Owens. a lot. We may have a better Juneteenth.
Black History Month 2019. One for the ages.
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