The Recklessness Of Calling The President A 'Nigga'.

At President Obama's final White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this past Saturday night, jokes were told and punchlines were... well, punched. And yet, I can't help but feel a little disappointed after watching the event. Larry Wilmore, a rather talented comedian and news pundit, hosted the event. I typically enjoy Wilmore's comedy, but his closing remarks left me scratching my head. To quote:

“I’m going to keep it 100. Yo Barry, you did it my nigga.”

Now, I'm not going to lob accusations of racism at Wilmore. I fully realize that he did not intend anything atrocious by calling the President a 'nigga'. In fact, Wilmore most certainly intended the use of the word as a friendly gesture. And yet, the callous implementation of such a derogatory label represents the very problem I have with someone identifying the President a 'nigga'. Or, for that matter, anyone else. Our President, love him or hate him, holds a distinct honor of lofty esteem. The office of the President deserves respect, even in moments of anger or disagreement. It's not the person filling the shoes of Commander-in-Chief, but the position itself that should be venerated.

Wilmore's use of 'nigga' represents a continuing social dilemma that I've written about previously (read here, here and here). For hundreds of years in this country, minorities of African descent were chained, enslaved, beaten, attacked, raped and all-around denigrated, only to be called 'niggers' as a stamp of sub-human garbage. As recently as the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, our fellow citizens bled (and in many cases died) to live as equal men and women, free from the label of 'nigger'. Over the course of recent history, 'nigger' has morphed into 'nigga', essentially as a product of slang and street culture. Though they may be spelled slightly differently, they are one in the same. 'Nigga' is spelled phonetically to represent common vernacular.

And here we are, 2016... our President (a man of mixed heritage, nonetheless) being called a 'nigga'.

Such reckless abandon for our own shared history, no matter your ethnic heritage or place of origin, is grossly negligent. Despite the friendly motivations by calling another man a 'nigga', are we so blind as to not understand what the word means? Do we not understand the immense struggle behind such a connotation of disparagement? I don't believe in censorship of any kind, but I do believe that we must be responsible for the words that we speak.

No man is a 'nigga'. Not your friend. Not your family member. And most certainly, not the President.

Racial History Months Are Divisive And Racist.

I find the concept of month-long celebrations centered around a certain race to be prejudiced and highly divisive.

Now, before you pull the race card and call me a bigot, let me explain.

Humanity, as a whole, is 99.9% alike. Take two random people from opposite sides of the world and compare their DNA. What you'll find is that they're almost identical. If you were to study these two samples anonymously without knowledge of who donated which DNA, you'd probably have a difficult time discerning which sample belonged to which person. The only differences, that 0.01%, are merely variables that affect how and why we may develop certain diseases or peculiar health conditions.

All humans are related and extremely similar. Hence, a person's ethnic heritage (race) is completely inconsequential.

Local student Walter Gadsden is attacked by police dogs during the Birmingham civil rights protest on May 3, 1963. Did the dogs attack Gadsden because they knew he was 'black', or because they were trained to do so by the police?

Photo by Bill Hudson.

Race, by and large, is a social construct that mankind has generated to divide people. We label groups of humans by certain names based upon purely superficial features. This person has slanted eyes. This person has dark skin. This person has curly hair. None of these surface features reflect any sort of genuine biological division between people -- they're merely reflections of various genes (found within a very tiny portion of our entire genome) being turned on or off.

In essence, race does not exist. Alternatively, you can state that there is only one race -- the human race.

How does this relate to a month celebrating one particular race of people? I'll explain.

February is Black History Month. Irish-American History Month is in March. Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 to October 15. I could go on and on with more examples, but you get the idea. Each of these months serve as a period to single out and celebrate one particular 'race' of people over another.

This is akin to celebrating Red LEGO Brick Heritage Month or Green Skittles Awareness Month -- it just doesn't make any sense.

If all of humanity is equal and related (which it biologically is), then what purpose is there to sequester and elevate a particular group of people that generally match the preconceived societal notions attached to a specific race label?

Much less, how can you define the boundaries of a race? Are there certain qualifiers to being a member of a race? Do you have to look a certain way? Must your facial features be of a certain size? Does your skin have to be a certain color tone? Who is to say what one race is and is not? Would the judgment of one person on the definition of a race not be completely and wholly subjective in nature? Take my own genome for example, which has genetics tracing to Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Which 'race' am I?

Which of these men are 'black'?

Trying to define a race is as arbitrary as defining the borders between states or countries. It's all just a bunch of imaginary lines saying one side is mine and one side is yours. These lines don't actually exist. There is no separation between black or asian, white or hispanic.

There are only human beings. No imaginary lines. No invented labels.

When we celebrate race-based history months, we're perpetuating three negative and dishonest concepts:

• That human beings are divide by stereotypical, superficial features.
• That the history of all people should not be uniformly celebrated in equal measure.
• That a particular group of people aren't as important the other eleven months out of the year.

To put it bluntly, raced-based history months are, for lack of a better word, racist.

It's not that I don't want only one particular race to have a month-long celebration. I don't want any month-long celebrations for anyone based upon the color of their skin. Your (yes, you the reader) ancestral history is unique and diverse, full of struggle, hardship and joy. Your forefathers and foremothers fought against hatred and bigotry, famine and disease, war and death. They crossed great oceans overflowing with peril and mountain ranges full of danger. They loved and cared for each other in times of great happiness and disastrous loss. They traveled from all corners of the globe, representing the migration of one enormous human family. Your ancestors were light skinned and dark skinned, tall and short, curly haired and even freckled. They had round eyes and almond-shaped eyes. Your family tree has branches tracing back to all sorts of people, from all walks of life.

You are the living, breathing embodiment of diversity, no matter what you look like on the outside. You are not just a divisive label. You're so much more than that... and your history deserves to be revered throughout the entire year.

Forever.

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rachel Dolezal and the Meaning of Racial Labels in America.

There's a great deal of furor over Rachel Dolezal, the now former President of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP. Though born to parents whom identify themselves as Caucasian, Rachel has presented herself as an African-American for some time now. Because of the outrage presented through the national media and via the internet, many have called into question her ability to represent people of color and the NAACP organization.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Honestly, I'm disgusted at how much press this incident has received. Someone whom has spent their entire life apparently devoted to racial equality has been lambasted because she didn't look how many would expect her to appear. Rachel is a graduate of Howard University, a historically black college. She completed her Masters degree in Fine Art in 2002. There is no doubt in my mind that Rachel cherishes racial equality. In my opinion, she has harmed no one and does not deserve the attention she has received.

That being said, this incident with Dolezal raises a much deeper, more thought provoking notion.

What qualifies someone as black?

Does being black look a certain way? Does it mean you wear your hair in an approved style? Does it mean you dress in a specific manner? Does it mean your skin has to be within a particular range of shades? Does it mean you talk with a certain dialect? Where do you draw the line on these issues?

Is this woman black?

How about this man. Is he black?

Is this couple black?

Is this child black?

Here's the point I'm trying to make -- race is just a superficial label that most people cling to. It provides an inherent sense of instant community, but it also divides us in ways that many would never even consider. In the case of Dolezal, she found comfort and support among other people whom also identify as African-American. She obviously loves the nuances and interests of that community. What's not to love? People of African-American descent have given so much to the United States. Without such people with a proud heritage, our nation would not exist. Thereby, Rachel chose to reflect those traits in her physical appearance. What Dolezal does with her body is her business. You, I, nor anyone else for that matter has any reason to object.

Oh, but you might say "Hey, she's not black. She can't just darken her skin and say she's African-American!"

Are these girls trying to be black?

Yeah? Well tell that to the millions of Americans whom visit tanning salons and use skin bronzer. People who identify as Caucasian have darkened their skin unnaturally for decades on end. Are those people trying to be black? Much less, let's flip this around. Many African-Americans have done their best to appear as light as possible. How many times have we seen one person accuse another of being "light-skinned" in a negative manner? Far too many, in my opinion. Are those people trying to be white?

You're not "white" because of what you look like.
You're not "black" because of what you look like.
You're whatever you choose to be at any given time, regardless of skin color, hair style, manner of dress or personality.

People are so much more complex than a silly color or community label.
As human beings, our deep ancestry can be traced to a mutual point. Africa is typically regarded by scientists as the starting point of the entire human race. Thereby, are we all not of African descent? Do we all not come from the same origin? We are all one big, seven-billion strong family of Homo sapiens.

At the end of this discussion, we have to really analyze what labeling yourself by race does. I don't support racial labels because there's no evidence that any of us are different. We are all the same, no matter where we were born or who our parents were. Many of you would look at me and say my race is Caucasian. You're wrong -- the only race I'm a member of is the HUMAN race. When I am asked my race on a form, I always mark 'mixed' or 'other'. I say we treat others with that same manner of respect, Rachel included.

Just be who you want to be... and to hell with what everyone else thinks.

White People Problems.

I want to preface my article this evening with a warning -- it is a work of comedy. I will be making fun of Caucasian-Americans... also known as "white people". Those of you that know me well can readily attest to the fact that I do not believe in the notion of race. All of humanity is one in the same. There are no boundaries between people other than those we place upon ourselves. There is only one "race"... the human race. That being said, please sit back and enjoy what I find to be quite hilarious. If you get offended... well, you've been warned.

How irritating are white people? They seem to experience problems and difficulties that are either absurd, trivial or downright non-issues. Let's discuss some "White People Problems" and laugh, shall we? Good! Let's begin.

Starbucks - How many frickin' times do I have to hear an air-headed white broad scream about getting coffee from Starbucks? Oh, excuse me... it's not coffee, but it's a latte. Run down there and get your overpriced syrup water and waste a ton of money, you shallow dimwit. With the amount of money your typical white girl spends at Starbucks in a month on sugary pumpkin-spice piss, she could purchase a coffee machine, a large supply of coffee and brew her own for half the price. I hope you C-H-O-K-E on it! WHITE PEOPLE!

Candles - Oh look... Amber just spent twenty-five dollars on a Yankee Candle that smells like camel manure! Really?! You can buy candles that smell just as good for much... much... MUCH less. Better yet, why don't you just buy yourself a pine tree shaped air-freshener that smells like your ass? WHITE PEOPLE!

Christmas - Ever notice how white people love to put on pageants and displays of faith at Christmas? Heaven forbid if Jesus or any of his disciples are portrayed by people of color, though. Yet... they're forgetting a simple, important fact -- all the people in the Bible were from the Middle East... where folks are not white! You have to look no further than the new crap-tastic Moses epic "Exodus: Gods and Kings" for proof. It's a movie made by white people, for white people, starring white people... about Africans. WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! WHITE PEOPLE!

Bread - Some white people have no idea how to spend their money. I know of a dull-minded simpleton that always complains about not having enough money to even buy bread... but her loser husband smokes and she gets $150 haircuts. Go ahead... guess what color she is. I dare you. WHITE PEOPLE!

Golf - Who in the hell stands around to watch someone smack a ball around a giant back yard at a golf tournament? What the hell is wrong with you?! Much less - golf is a sport where the person whom scores the least amount of points is the winner. IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY A WHITE PERSON! WHITE PEOPLE!

Paying to See Christmas Lights - That's right... some people actually pay good, hard-earned money to see light bulbs. Here's a hint - they're the same people who hate the idea of a dark-skinned Jesus. Here in my locality, there's a particular ritzy gated community that puts on a Christmas Light show every year. It's so big, the city shuts down the road leading into it for traffic. Before you can drive in (on public streets I might add), you have to pay an entrance fee. That's right... white people expect everyone else to buy a ticket to see rays of light. As if their light is better than other light. WHAT?! Do I have to pay if I'm driving through to get to somewhere else? What if I'm walking and not in a vehicle? Where does the money go to? Are these city streets not already paid for and maintained thanks to my tax dollars? Much less, how can you charge a fee for photons to strike the retina and display an IMAGE IN YOUR HEAD? WHITE PEOPLE!

Lotions and Shampoos - Ever notice how white people get entire rows dedicated to their hair, soap and lotion needs? The next time you go into a department store, just take note of how much crap clogs the store shelves for white folk. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, sunscreen, body wash. Now... take account of how much shelf space is reserved for people of color. It sure as hell is not a lot. Yet, you'll hear some obtuse blonde complain "Ugh, where is my strawberry-scented Fructis?" HELLO - you've got an entire damn aisle dedicated to your hair. WAKE THE HELL UP! WHITE PEOPLE!

Gluten Free Dog Food - If I hear one more white hipster complain that they can't find gluten free dog food in Target (because decent white people don't shop anywhere else), I'm going to scream. WHITE PEOPLE!

Crossfit - When's the last time you saw anyone of color doing Crossfit? YOU HAVEN'T. People of color don't need to work out by throwing tires around and jumping over washing machines. Why? BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE REAL DAMN JOBS THAT MAKE THEM DO WORK! They also work out for free in city parks (which is smart as hell). WHITE PEOPLE!

Weddings - How many times have we all heard some hollow-minded white chick complain about every little detail of her wedding? "OH MY GOD BECKY! MY DRESS IS NOT WHITE ENOUGH! THE WINE IS NOT THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE! MY BRIDESMAIDS ARE NOT IN EXACT ORDER FROM SHORTEST TO TALLEST! MY FATHER BETTER BE HERE WITH THE MERCEDES." AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHITE PEOPLE!

Camoflauge - Why in the hell do white people want to put camo on everything they own? Their couch, their hat, their scarf, their purse, their pillows, their bra, their watch, their phone case, their wallet! Hello you dipshits - if your wallet or phone is camo and you lose it in the woods, HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO FIND IT?! Maybe you should try employing a little bit more of that blaze orange and a little less camo. WHITE PEOPLE!

Elizabeth - There are enough white girls in the world named Elizabeth (sorry Brooks). ENOUGH! NO MORE! FINITO! Parents - show some creativity when naming your white baby. When's the last time you met a Vera or a Suzette? What about Ambrosia? Yeah... that's it... name your white baby Ambrosia. WHITE PEOPLE!

Because white people can be so damned stupid, I doubt this will be my last article about them.

Tonight's article was heavily inspired by Crystal. She helps me point out all the stupid crap white folks do. Without her, I would not have been able to write it. Thanks!