Having a bit of a hard race day. First there was the whole birther-Donald Trump-white-supremacist circus that finally strong-armed Obama into producing his Hawaiian birth certificate. And on top of that, some of the anti-racist outrage seems to be taking on a hyper-nationalist tinge. “Of course Obama’s an American citizen! Black Americans are some of the proudest, bravest Americans! He’s the President of the United States! Citizen all the way! All Americans have the right to be Americans!”
I am grateful to Baratunde for giving voice to a heavy inheritance of humiliation, Diasporic pain, and desire to belong and be recognized. But I don’t like it when “citizen” or “American” becomes synonymous with “worthy.”
Then, I was reading a conversation on a comrade’s Facebook wall, where a Seneca nation man was railing against interracial dating (specifically men of color dating white women), because it dilutes the purity of the race.
So I thought I’d offer this self-portrait, a play on “MAKE TOTAL DESTROY.” No peace under racism, no freedom under “purity” and “citizenship.”
JOMOApril 29, 2011 / 3:50 pm
the politics of purity and authenticity on the one hand, and then on the other the politics of cooptation/invisibility of identities and struggles and experiences that come w that, really drive me nuts and get me depressed and make me want to scream and slash and burn, which is equally unfruitful:) that’s where metta comes in right? oh, so elusive…
RogerApril 29, 2011 / 4:06 pm
What does a person from the Seneca Nation care about the ‘purity’ of anyone, much less whites? And what a hoot,”purity”!! In what century is this fool living?
This whole bag of bullshit surrounding the birth certificate makes me once again regret not getting out of this country when I was young. Every time I pay a dollar in tax, I see the pie chart showing the massive portion going for militarism while children go hungry and homeless and go to crappy, crumbling schools.
I have TOTAL LOVE for this post. Mixie power, I always say.
On one hand Obama advances the imperialist war machine and continues deportations and on the other he is subject to nativist white supremacy. He charges Bradley Manning with treason and then shows his own papers. He speaks about justice and reason in the face of his own attacks and not on his policy attacks on others I am wondering what racism is doing in these instance — it’s real but what happens to it in this context? Being a person of color watching this unfold is a trip!
ninjanurseMay 1, 2011 / 4:13 pm
wow. yes. this ‘show your papers’ thing has been really discouraging for everyone who wants to believe that the arc of the universe bends towards justice. or even to believe we are getting less stupid.
but you have allies in all the people who are bullied and disparaged for being different, and we make a large majority.
Kloncke 
Background:
Having a bit of a hard race day. First there was the whole birther-Donald Trump-white-supremacist circus that finally strong-armed Obama into producing his Hawaiian birth certificate. And on top of that, some of the anti-racist outrage seems to be taking on a hyper-nationalist tinge. “Of course Obama’s an American citizen! Black Americans are some of the proudest, bravest Americans! He’s the President of the United States! Citizen all the way! All Americans have the right to be Americans!”
I am grateful to Baratunde for giving voice to a heavy inheritance of humiliation, Diasporic pain, and desire to belong and be recognized. But I don’t like it when “citizen” or “American” becomes synonymous with “worthy.”
Then, I was reading a conversation on a comrade’s Facebook wall, where a Seneca nation man was railing against interracial dating (specifically men of color dating white women), because it dilutes the purity of the race.
So I thought I’d offer this self-portrait, a play on “MAKE TOTAL DESTROY.” No peace under racism, no freedom under “purity” and “citizenship.”
the politics of purity and authenticity on the one hand, and then on the other the politics of cooptation/invisibility of identities and struggles and experiences that come w that, really drive me nuts and get me depressed and make me want to scream and slash and burn, which is equally unfruitful:) that’s where metta comes in right? oh, so elusive…
What does a person from the Seneca Nation care about the ‘purity’ of anyone, much less whites? And what a hoot,”purity”!! In what century is this fool living?
This whole bag of bullshit surrounding the birth certificate makes me once again regret not getting out of this country when I was young. Every time I pay a dollar in tax, I see the pie chart showing the massive portion going for militarism while children go hungry and homeless and go to crappy, crumbling schools.
I have TOTAL LOVE for this post. Mixie power, I always say.
On one hand Obama advances the imperialist war machine and continues deportations and on the other he is subject to nativist white supremacy. He charges Bradley Manning with treason and then shows his own papers. He speaks about justice and reason in the face of his own attacks and not on his policy attacks on others I am wondering what racism is doing in these instance — it’s real but what happens to it in this context? Being a person of color watching this unfold is a trip!
wow. yes. this ‘show your papers’ thing has been really discouraging for everyone who wants to believe that the arc of the universe bends towards justice. or even to believe we are getting less stupid.
but you have allies in all the people who are bullied and disparaged for being different, and we make a large majority.