Race Matters

12:46 am EST April 16th, 2007 | News | 11 Comments

I’m not going to go overboard writing about this stuff because then I become ghettoized as “the black blogger who writes about racial stuff” when in fact my positions on race and interest in the topic are not in the black mainstream (I’m a Cosbyian).

But still, it’s kind of sad/funny/typical to hear the kind of dialogue in QandO’s podcast which consists for one segment of White Guys Talking Race (WGTR) without any sort of irony and juxtapose it with stories like this that point out for the billionth time that the idea that the racial playing field is remotely close to level is redunkulous.

And I’m not saying white people, especially men, shouldn’t talk about race at all because they should in order to add to the conversation. I’m just saying that the posture of so many – the poor oppressed white guy who’s not allowed to express himself – is kind of ridiculous when so much of this country is designed specifically for you.

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11 Responses to “Race Matters”

  1. jerry says:
    April 16, 2007 at 12:57 am

    because then I become ghettoized as “the black blogger who writes about racial stuff” when in fact my positions on race and interest in the topic are not in the black mainstream (I’m a Cosbyian).

    What? All this time I’ve been coming here to maintain my cred as a sensitive jewish white guy with a hip black street friend!

  2. Percy Kittens says:
    April 16, 2007 at 3:16 am

    a cosbyian? thats not quite a juanwilliamsan is it?

    first I heard of that adjective…

  3. duder says:
    April 16, 2007 at 8:43 am

    There’s also a War on Christmas and a Homosexual Agenda to go with FemiNazis.

    Straight White Christian Males just can’t seem to catch a break in America…

  4. James E. Powell says:
    April 16, 2007 at 9:07 am

    Since you are African-American, I thought that you spoke on behalf of all African-Americans. I also held you responsible for anything any African-American said or did.

    Sorry. My mistake.

  5. mike in dc says:
    April 16, 2007 at 9:19 am

    Oliver, have you read Michael Eric Dyson’s book critiquing Cosby’s views?

    Just wondering. It’s a good read.

  6. Organic George says:
    April 16, 2007 at 9:34 am

    Last weeks scores:

    White Guys 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

    Everyone else

    1

    Looks like it was a good week for everyone else.

  7. Bendra says:
    April 16, 2007 at 11:03 am

    (I’m a Cosbyian).

    Me too.

  8. Bendra says:
    April 16, 2007 at 11:03 am

    (I’m a Cosbyian).

    Me too.

  9. LMMatthews says:
    April 16, 2007 at 1:32 pm

    One thing about “the Poundcake Speech” though (and I’m not trying to diminish Cosby at all – if anything I’d like to anhance the point to extend past the target audience) – take away the references to the numbers and Brown vs. Board of Education and it could be a speech for any parent in America. This is not solely a minority problem by any means. You see these kids out in the world doing all this crap and you have to wonder what, if anything, their parents have taught them? Or better yet where their parents are?

  10. C.S.Strowbridge says:
    April 16, 2007 at 5:27 pm

    “I’m just saying that the posture of so many – the poor oppressed white guy who’s not allowed to express himself – is kind of ridiculous when so much of this country is designed specifically for you.”

    As a white guy, I can tell you based on my experience I’ve never been turned down for anything because of my gender / race.

  11. fd10801 says:
    April 16, 2007 at 8:11 pm

    I not fully informed on the vagaries of the Income Inequality Gap, but I know all about discrimination against the poor.

    And I can tell you, there is a social stratification in this country that isn’t terribly different from India’s old caste system.

    I’ve seen it in action, when I walk into stores, banks, etc.

    Many years ago, I walked into a television store wearing jeans, a flannel shirt and a field jacket, shopping for a portable TV for my bedroom.

    When I asked him if I could charge it, he kind of stuttered and stammered, and dug his toe in the floor. Then I figured it out.
    I said, “I have a credit card”, and then he treated me like a person for a while.

    I’ll bet we’ve all been discriminated against. But, as I remarked to my ex – wife just a few hours ago, I don’t wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and “Know I’m gonna be black all day”, either