Comments on: Ok, How the Obamas Can Earn the Right to Yell at Black Folk.

By: Marcus Vessey

Marcus Vessey — Wed, 29 May 2013 20:49:26 +0000

“The authentic concern should be followed up with authentic action.” – Florence

Well put Florence, that is the essence of my critique of the President.

By: John

John — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:37:48 +0000

In the very interesting anecdote, I would say that Dr. Phil represents White America, BAP or Black Upper Middle class who refuse to confront the establishment with their unequal system.

By: John

John — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:34:31 +0000

In the very interesting anecdote, I would say that Dr. Phil represents White America or BAP who refuse to confront the establishment with their unequal system.

By: Steph

Steph — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:28:21 +0000

In addition, I hope that much more people like Jill Nelson (who wrote Volunteer Slavery) or Ellen Holly (who penned One Life) will have the courage to write about the mainstream is still doing to us related to discrimination. It is by exposing them and fight them that we can go forward.

By: Steph

Steph — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:13:51 +0000

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund said recently to graduates of North Carolina Central University: “Some will discriminate against you,” he told them. “Discrimination exists, just as gravity exists. But in spite of gravity, planes take off and trees grow. Gravity is omnipresent, but it is not omnipotent.” I strongly believe in that. Yes, racism exists and this is the reason why we do not have a choice even if it is not fair to do our 150%. Asians understand that education is highly important, they work together, share old exams, they study together. The results: many are in medical schools, etc. They open their businesses, they buy homes together and so on. As long as we will continue to be selfish by sharing very litlle information among ourselves, that we won’t post jobs in this website and others (I mentionned this by the way many times and the status quo remains)honestly I don’t see how things can be better. To finish, when I will see more of our people in bookstores and libraries instead of parties I will take you more seriously.

By: Florence Johnson

Florence Johnson — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:39:07 +0000

I had to think long and hard about this one. Probably because in and of itself it isn’t a new subject. Bill Cosby was criticized for the same flavor of comments he openly made, and there has been others through out the years. Yes a part of us want to say Why? Why make open and public comments like that about us? And there are other who say Right On, its about time somebody said something!

For me it is akin to the radical community centered movements I was involved in back in the day. Where you have various agencies that come together and renounce the various atrocities going on in the community, what needs to be done appoint committies to gather more information, hire an agency to do a study to come back and tell them the results of the study, have another meeting and so on and so on and so on.

Its not so much what the President said and or other folk like Bill Cosby, but the genuiness of what they claim to be a concern, and instructive reminders, to us as a people. The authentic concern should be followed up with authentic action. When a person gives such a speech as the president gave hopefully it “was” his speech and not some other writer’s, therefore he had to have thought about what he was going to say, including statistics, and any other information that goes along with the manner of speech he gave. Now Mr. President what are you going to do about it before leaving office, m-m-m-m-!

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Tue, 28 May 2013 23:16:08 +0000

YOu know this article is more critiquing, the President, line and word, create messages, maybe the message was not for you, therefore. I our Graduates gave gruff, or opposition that would be totally different, I take these articles to be more about s stir of media turbulence than interpretation. Earning the right to speak plainly, to convey his thoughts, you have the power ask him to explain his address to Morehouse. I believe every Black person of color need to hear these statements as armor not as defeat, if armor reality check are offered, simple recognition identifies game. Why do you feel this is so intoxicating.