Poor Whites United with Black freedom Protesters, Hillbilly Harlem, Poor white flight from bourgeoisie, dual consciousness of class and the untold story of Post-modern class, actually. Click the title of the podcast, above, to listen, or listen, here.
The above podcast, Blacking It Up (officially comprised of reasonable Negroes), was, to quote host (and unofficial spokesperson for the ACLU) Elon James, "magic on a stick". It provides zen-like commentary on a topic covered in previous posts on, Interracial Friendship, specifically interracial friendship in America (the dynamic in Europe is similar). The issue of friendship, discussed in the lecture featured in Interracial Friendship was framed in the context of political brinksmanship between Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The friendship was productive but tenuous. Granted this interracial friendship took place over 100 years ago, during the modern era. Has interracial friendship changed in the post-modern era?
The above podcast is an excellent example of the discussion of post-modern blackness. Melissa Harris-Perry published an article in the Nation blog. The post put forth a hypothesis in progress or an argument that white liberals are seemingly less supportive of President Obama, due to his race. The article, published in the October 10, 2011 edition of The Nation, appeared in the Sister Citizen feature. Black President Double Standard:Why White Liberals Are Abandoning Obama, sparked a fire storm among liberals, apparently. Perhaps the level of controversy was high, because Dr. Harris Perry is quite well regarded in Liberal circles, perhaps not.
Interestingly, Harris Perry has published previous articles on electoral racism, however, the Nation article caused quite a stir in the internets, including some who attempted to critically assess the topic. but one wonders if the topic or the culture of arena in which the touchy topic of race was broached caused so much controversy. Listen to the Podcast for a funny and informative take on the wrangle. Hear it above, or in the Podcast section, it also updates daily on this blog, go grab the feed and listen for yourself. Full disclosure, it is one of my favourite podcasts, it has a permanent place on my playlist...
Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, indirect friends, cultural opponents and socially mobile young men who represent industrial era cultural change. Perhaps they represent role models for change in the digital era.
"Lincoln and Douglass were low-caste figures in American society and being intelligent young men, they knew it, and struggled to escape it. Both identified reading and education as the key to their ascendance, and each took solace (and early moral and political shaping) from a book titled The Columbian Orator."....Michael Patrick Brady18 November 2008
Brady goes on to state,
"In this sense, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln is an extraordinarily apt book for our times. Obama’s political and personal pedigree has drawn comparisons to both men."
It is almost as President Obama's duality as a black political figure is inspected in this interesting lecture.
In reading and writing about the Post-modern construct of the world very little is written about the black experience, directly. There are plenty of allusions to post-racial America and the word bigot is applicable to ignorance outside of race, however there are constant indicators of how far we have progressed in this era. bell hooks writes;
Her critique of blackness in the post modern era hinges on the sense that critical theory is absent or muted in expressions of blackness. I would agree wholly with her assessment. Particularly within the media, blackness is quite churlish and stereotypically literal. In music, theatre, television, video games and films the black experience is depicted as reactionary and anti-intellectual. One main reason for this is as hooks writes in Postmodern Blackness
Because blacks have not sufficiently defined themselves, there exists no clear consciousness of the black experience. While prolific in the modern era and early post modern, discourse on blackness has waned and devolved into an antiquated and inaccurate and an often self-promoted, stereo type of the reactionary emotional black person. Thishasallowedfor the play of the 'otherness' card by those who would like to continue to exploitracial difference. One of the questions explored on this blog is what is British Blackness?
really made me think about blackness and the black experience in the post modern era. A reference to hip hop was veiled in an Austin Powers reference,
During the film Austin Powers in Goldmember, one of Mike Myers's characters, a Belgian criminal mastermind called Dr Evil, performed a parody of a hip-hop music video"...Dr Evil's intervention here typified postmodern culture: ironic, knowing, quoting from a source that was already quoting from another source and – perhaps this the main point – thereby cannily making a packet for a film franchise that, if one can be serious for a second, really didn't warrant a third outing. Such "bricolage", as Lyotard would put it (ie assembling artefacts from bits and pieces of other things from unexpected eras and sources), was key to the hip-hop culture Myers pastiched. And hip-hop culture, which is postmodernism's ironically adopted child, is everywhere – clothes, graffiti, poetry, dance, your iPod, my iPod, everybody's iPod. Everywhere apart from on Classic FM, because Classic FM doesn't roll that way.
Hip hop has as everyone's adopted child, a striking and accurate simile that defines a specific black expression and experience as abandoned by its parents and nurtured by 'others'. The article points out how art has become a commodity, it appears blackness has as well. In this instance, perhaps the bits and pieces that Lyotard refers to as 'bricolage' are the black experience, undefined.
Atlantic history is truly rooted in not only the cultural constructs built during the Atlantic slave trade. This era in history runs concurrently with the construction of the British Empire. In many ways the concept of blackness was born from the identities constructed in the modern era. The following interview from KPFA's Against the Grain is required listening for any of us living in the multicultural postmodern era.
Arguably W.E.B DuBois and Paul Robeson are not only the fathers of Afropolitanism but truly the founders of black culture. By saying this I am also Including South Asians as black people. During the modern Era south Asians and Caribbean blacks were invited to their post colonial motherland, England, to work, more on this later..
Why have so many European leaders recently proclaimed the failure of multiculturalism? What should we make of their claims, and of the proliferating rhetoric of blame directed against Muslims and other immigrants of color in Europe? John Bowen distinguishes rhetoric from reality in France, Britain and beyond, and Nicole Newnham discusses her film about the human cost of US deportation policy.
Is the concept of the Afropolitan dead? Is multiculturalism a drain on European culture and economies or is multiculturalism a product of Europe's endless quest for cheap labour and neo-colonialism? Listen and judge for yourself...
Last week I sung the praises of We Are Respectable Negroes! More from the respectable ones soon.. However in this post round up Afro-Europe is in the spotlight. Created by Eric K. Afro-Europe describes itself thusly,
"I am Erik K and I write Afro-Europe International Blog, since 2008, to explore the politics, people and culture of black communities in Europe. Prior to Afro-Europe I wrote for an Amsterdam local newspaper, a Dutch Caribbean magazine, and an E-zine. I was born and raised in Amsterdam and I am of Surinamese/Dutch Caribbean descent"
Afro-Europe is intelligent, well written, well researched and culturally conscious. This blog truly helped me construct a culturally relevant and insightful context for living in Europe. The concept of being Atlantic, Afropolitan or cosmopolitan is truly represented in Dutch culture. The Post Modern Netherlands are as representative of the cultural,melting pot phenomena of nations enriched by the Atlantic slave trade.
"The Queen was immediately impressed by the girl's natural regal manner, exceptional intelligence and gift for academic studies, literature, art and music that she gave her an allowance for her welfare with Sarah becoming a regular visitor to Windsor Castle."
The apparition haunting the interwebs known as Chauncey DeVega is another Afropolitan or Atlantic person who seemingly reaches out to us from the small group of Islnads known s Cabo Verde or Cape Verde. He describes himself as "a race man in progress and occasional polemicist. He is also a resplendent purveyor of negro wisdom and collector of Black wit. Holder of the sacred chalice of the Ghetto Nerds. A believer in Black Pragmatism and the glories of the Black Freedom Struggle. Chauncey DeVega is a speaker for the tribe known as We are Respectable Negroes...folks who are just a little angry (and you know what happens when we get angry). It may appear that we are the same, but as you will see, we are actually quite different. He remains anonymous for now. But there will be clues, tasty morsels of information, that friends (and perhaps enemies) can use to find out his gov't name."
This post about black politicians who pander to ambiguously racist political factions, was almost a counter to our Identity Politics and Relics post. In it we questioned the appearance of 'connectedness' of black pols in Britain while we asked you to harken to the past to remember influential black British political trliblazers. In no way am I suggesting that any British black political player is anywhere close to the level of tom foolery displayed by the ones displayed in the following link, however Tom foolery, and buck dancing are behaviours that require vigilance.
Is everyone here familiar with Tomming and Buck Dancing (which is so Atlantic as it combines Irish dance with African, most likely evidence of multicultural working class slaves and indentured servants on plantations. Buck Dancing is an also An African American metaphor for pandering to white power structures.)? Illustration of each here and after the jump.. Confederate Veterands Buck Dancing and
Buck Dancing for Confederates.....
It is difficult to explain the high level of awesome in which We are Respectable Negroes exists. It is the place for happy, non-threatening, coloured folks. It's clever, informative and fun. Most of all, I have to acknowledge a blog that recognises that Frylock is clearly a respectable Negro pack of flying fries.
When are black people coolest? What do black people need more of? Good art, that's what! African Digital Art provides sweet artistic weekly, in their African Weekly Inspiration feed. This week provides interesting commentary on The G-Man.
In an attempt to stay connected to current events in America one relys on podcasts, online newspapers and blogs in order to consume sweet American awseomeness. This clip from the Rachael Maddow Show was thought provoking.
Sat in the UK watching this I was forced to become reminiscent for home and my deceased grandfather. My grandfather was somewhat of a groundbreaking individual. My grandfather was an Omega Man, he attended a Historically black Union University. He moved to Boston in the 1930's to attend Boston University graduate school. He was admitted to the school only to be told the quota for black students was full. Not to be deterred, he became the first black man to run a national chain grocery retail store where he employed Malcolm Little who later be known as, Malcolm X. He was the head of the Massachusetts NAACP and Urban League successively. While head of the NAACP he debated the Nation of Islam at Boston University, the religious groups representative was Malcolm X. Malcolm opened the debate by stating, "Mr. Cooper, you gave me one of my first jobs, I am going to take it easy on you."
My grandfather also was the first black man to run for Mayor of Boston Massachusetts as a Republican (This was in political protest of a oppressive, Democratic party in 1950's Boston). I remember being the only one in the family to have the honor of sitting in his chair in our livingroom. Seated in that chair I was surrounded by copies of the Crisis, Ebony, JetEssance Magazines as welll as the prototypical aspiring middle class badge of honour, complete sets of the western cannon.
Currently in the UK, I question who among any political players at the Council level or seated in Paliment have the cultural, political and social skills to garner the over whelming support of black constituticancies. In class struck Britian is a politiation able to speak both to the middle class and working class (although no one claims the working class moniker any longer in ol' Blighty)? Specifically which Black politico's are able to connect to voters both ideologically and verbally. Do all black professionals the fear of apperaing uncooth in both general society and politics?
How does one speak to the folks in private and to the country in public? In what ways do politicians navigate political parties and use their standing in their local communities as leveraging votes or a political party as well as having the ability to push policy that is beneficial to their constituency economically and socially. This is a much more difficult course to navigate here in England than in America.
How does the black politition garner the public support wielded by the CBC or even President Obama? How does a politician acrew the support of a significant percentage of the electorate? To whom do they speak? What do they talk about and who do they talk to? More importantly what obstacles are before the democratic process here in England? A concerted effort to make the democratic process difficult for some exists in America. With the political clout that some blacks enjoy the ghosts of the apartheid past still roam the corridors of Washington DC.
Exercising ones rights of citizenship are paramount for any democracy. A legacy of both the tireless pursuit of civil rights as well as apathetic attitudes define the civil rights or voting rights struggle for black voters in America. From the civil rights movement Blacks in America were able to forge a political identity and gain leverage within the system. Like everything else that governs black identity in America the black political representative had to adopt what WEB Dubois dubbed a dual conciousness.
I believe my exposure and induction to the world of politics was special, but perhaps not unique. As my grandfather was active in civil discourse, England also has a legacy of black forefathers who have sacrificed for our current freedom and citizenship. I understood that dual conciousness is a requirement for maintaing sanity in the modern era. The Legacy of African survival in the west also required a secure sence of self rooted in admiration for the legacy of sacrifice of my fore fathers and mothers. This legacy pre-dates America's by centuries.Black presence in Britain has helped to establish institutions and shape the country we love today. It is time to celebrate ourselves, it is time to remember our black heroes from England. It is time to remember our grandfathers. It is time to fully celebrate our Pan-African roots, our Atlantic roots?
The author of this blog in no way endorses the recent riots in London, or any public displays of violence, theft or assault. Condolences to all who experienced any fear, intimidation or injury. The rioting in London was hard to watch.
This author remembers the Rodney King riots in Los Angles and witnessed the public displays of gun and gang violence of the 1990's in East Coast America. I also am a student of American and British history. As a knee jerk reaction, when I hear the word riot, I think Nat Turner. Perhaps it is genetic memory, black man's paranoia or a product of my upbringing, none the less, Nat Turner is somewhat of a folk hero among some African Americans and his violence is interpreted by many as necessary for his time.
The rioting throughout England has little in common with rioting in Hampton Roads Virginia. The 2011 rioting in England was multicultural, wide sperad and young. In 2011 violence between police and working class populations of Tottenham sparked violent outbursts that spread in a seemingly unrelated fashion. Was this violence necessary in this time? Was this violence black?
The most recent uprisings of "urban" violence in London took place are twenty six years apart. The two London riots, the Tottenham riots in 2011 and theBroadwater Farm riotsin 1985 definitely have a few
commonalities.Both were a form of
protest or unrest from a seemingly working class population of a major city.At the heart of each was the theme of
not only working class unrest, but black working class unrest.A larger theme also appeared in the media shortly following each uncomfortable period, the concept that black,
working class citizens of the city are somehow more prone to violence, looting
and disorderly conduct.
Unlike similar riots, like the Battle ofBow street, where animosity between Metropolitan Police and a multicultural, poor general public escalated the mood to high levels of hostility, the UK string of riots in 2011 was much larger in size and involved rioters who were not united by geography, ideology or cause, but they were tangentially conjoined by electronic social media.
While looters were comprised of various ethnic, cultural, social and economic backgrounds one major theme that emerged from the upheaval, was that black citizens of urban areas are violent and in need of discipline. The thesis involves painting urban
violence as black. This is not only emerging from the more conservative media, but the left leaning, politically correct Guardian, has also given slight nods to this meme.
Note this video was published on youtube on 31, July 2011
Although Tottenham, a neighborhood within Haringey Council, has a huge Turkish, White
working class and Asian communities it seems the film makers could only find Black people
seemingly aged 18 and under, fluent in London slang, innit. They even found the
one Latina that lives in Tottenham who is also Bare fluent in slang, innit,
bruv. My larger point is that it seems the British media is taking a page from
American media in attempting to paint urban violence black, disparate, and oddly,hispanic.
Hackney MP Dianne Abbot provided some context to her interesting perspective on the cultural environment in Tottenham, she describes a, "tinder box waiting to explode,".She explained that, "it was police-community relationships that provided the spark for the riots". The news also seemed to repeatedly refer to operationTrident's involvement in
this case. Trident officers were in persuit of the young man killed in gun violence. He died due to a police bullet. The Trident
connection serves as a direct link to Black and urban violence in the media. The setting was set for yet another test of resilience for multicultural Britain in the age of austerity.
While a lot has been said about austerity measures as a catalyst, I believe the
rioting in Tottenham is a result of a long festering sore that exists between
the working class and the first line of establishment force, the police. Following the disruption in Tottenham, London boroughs and urban outposts in the Midlands and further points North, commenced further brand snatching and looting.
While the connections to the seminal events in Tottenham are underreported, it is clear that a broad swathe of people across the country thought it was an opportune time to smash and grab for material goods. The psychology of the looters became a widely discussed topic in the media. Zoe Williams wrote a well thought commentary in the Guardian on how class and aspiration play a role in the contemplation of rioting. This analysis echoes similar findings from The KernerCommision. The American commission was appointed by the Johnson administration in 1967 in response to the ongoing rioting in mostly black, mostly urban neighborhoods.
The Kerner Commission found that America was split between a self-interested, white working class and middle class and a poor disenfranchised black underclass. These findings stated, "Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white—-separate and unequal." It seems the analysis is hauntingly similar to the de facto consensus that began to emerge in Britain, there is a split between a poor disenfranchised youth and a self interested population born before 1980. The list of negative characteristics of London rioters included economic status and race, now it included age.
When the rioting had seeming come to an end it seemed that the public, however entrenched in opposing ideology on the causes of rioting, was ready to discuss reconciliation and closure. A large number of citizens took to the streets and organised various clean up crews via social media.
This event along with the aftermath of the rioting have made me ponder, the meaning of "black" or "blackness" in Britain. Which elements have shaped and formed the concept of Blackness in old Blighty?
