IBAR: Her Meme-ish Proposal, My Way

[jalabert]

In celebration of International Blog Against Racism Week, I decided to take up rydra-wong's meme-ish proposal and “just grab the Character of Color/Colour of your choice, and then pimp like whoa.” So you're expecting something about Aiden Ford, right? Wrong. While I have written over fifty stories about Aiden, the fact the of the matter is that 90% of the

Comments

[hsapiens]

Growing up is hard enough when all you have to do is represent yourself. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to have to "represent" one's race. That's one hell of a burden to carry.

[jalabert]

It's a problem made all the more difficult by the fact that one is often called upon to represent her race before she has figured out how to represent herself. Perhaps the matter is a bit overstated a bit here, and I truly hope that it's less true than when I was younger, but the perceptions of us all often hinge on something so fleeting as a sentence in an interview or a faux pas in a social situation. Imagine how life would be for you if the behavior of Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan influenced public perceptions of all white women? You'd know why I cringe every time I see MTV Cribs--or just about any crime show that's not CSI:NY, which ironically enough has been criticized by some people for its lack of crime perpetrated by people of color. The criticism was actually that it featured so many crimes by white people it wasn't truly representative of life in New York City.

[hsapiens]

I've been thinking about this while cleaning house - hey, I'm having a doozy of a weekend - and trying to figure out why this horrifies me so much. My personal philosophy is to try to take credit/blame for my own actions. It means I can't blame others for my mistakes which can be uncomfortable when I screw up but it frees me, too. Because while I control my own actions, I cannot make choices for or force others to do or not do. I don't have to take on responsibility for other adults' choices. The thought that I'd have to pay a price for Lohan's drugging, Paris's sexual antics, or Britney's unique approach to marriage actually makes me angry

Me too

[anonymous]

I am too one of those asked to answer about our race, represent our race and carry the burdens for our race. Since I am not like all the "others" of our race.
It truly is a heavy cross to bear, but bear it we do.

I was impressed with Sheldon also. I saw him on Oprah talking about the book and was so pleased.

You wrote---
"So choose your words carefully. Your words reflect a whole nation--our very history. And before you take a step, brother, remember the whole world is watching and judging you, judging all of us. Our whole world rests on your shoulders, young man. No matter what's in your closet, your words and actions speak loud and clear. They set the stage for the rest of us.

Think before you make that move, brother. Clothes may make the man, but what the man makes of himself, he makes of us all."

WELL SAID.

Thanks for a wonderful post. I felt some of my stress leaving just knowing you feel that same way I do.

Peace sister. Much love.
Liv

Re: Me too

[jalabert]

Thank you!