(ThyBlackMan.com) I recently saw a news clip which took place in a Black barbershop. A white reporter was asking Black men in the barbershop what they thought of Vice President Kamala Harris. He went on to ask the men if they had any concerns about her being Black enough.
The white reporter, similar to convicted felon and renown misogynist Donald J. Trump, encouraged the Black men to say that Vice President Harris was not a real Black person. They played their roles to perfection with their hats in their hands shucking and jive across the stage to the music of “That’s Why Darkies Were Born.” The lyrics of the song go as follows:
“Brothers, listen to me…
Someone had to pick the cotton
Someone had to pick the corn
Someone had to slave and be able to sing
That’s why darkies were born.”
I am not sure if they felt they had to play the role of Amos and Andy or perhaps Stepin Fetchit. Perhaps, they were thrilled with their two minutes of notoriety. They probably were only too happy with themselves to post the video on social media.
As a proud Black man, I was taken aback and felt, among other things, sorrow in 2024, there seems that there are a lot of brothers and sisters who still want to remain on the plantation. The same asinine criticism of President Barack Obama was fed by handkerchief heads and fetch@@@@@@@.
The question is Vice President Harris Black enough is offending. It is meaningless. Perhaps, the question should have been asked of the Black men in the barbershop if were they Black enough? It would seem a fair question since it appeared they were not sure of their answers and seemed to be relying on the white reporter to shape their minds and answers.
“Massa, what do you want me to say? I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to end up back on the plantation.”
You don’t have to worry about going back to the plantation. You are on the plantation, and you have never been off. Perhaps, that may be one of the reasons why so many of us continue to mistreat each other as we do.
After seeing the embarrassing news clip, I was reminded of the ancient Greek play by Aristophanes entitled “Lysistrata.” The play is named after its main character, Lysistrata, who in an attempt to end the Peloponnesian War between Greeks city states encourages women in the warring cities to deny s-ex to all the men in those cities.
According to Lysistrata in the play the only thing that men truly and deeply desired was s-ex. By having the women in the warring cities withhold s-exual favors to their husbands and lovers the men would rush to the negotiation table to end the war.
Much has been mentioned about this presidential election as being a stark choice between those on one side who seek for democracy with all of its imperfections to continue. On the other side, those who seek an end to the democracy republic and its replacement with an autocracy dictatorship similar to Russia.
Those on one side who seek a better America where diversity and inclusion is sought to make a more perfect union. On the other side, those who fear that very diversity and inclusion as being some diabolical plot to replace them and their distorted world view.
On one side, those who want to move together to address America’s challenges, conflicts and contradictions. Who want America to finally live up to its promise of life, liberty, justice and freedom for all.
On the other side, those with sheets over their faces who seek to take America back to the age when the darkies picked the cotton, picked the corn, did the Black jobs and were enslaved. Back to the time that women were expected to walk two feet behind the man, any man.
Back to the time when women were expected without question to do what the man said for them to do. Back to the time when their coloreds and women knew their place.
Make no mistake about it. Don’t be fooled by the Black faces that are taken out of some hole, dusted off and put in front of the cameras to explain why Black people should not vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Why Blacks should go quietly back to the 1950s to sit in the back of the bus. Why they should vote against their interest, wellbeing and very lives to return back to the plantation to work the Black jobs.
The conveyors of misinformation, disinformation and just plain lies are in overdrive to try and raise all kinds of crazy, nonsense about Vice President Kamala Harris. It is not important if she is a Democrat, Republican or no party at all.
She is a Black woman and too many Black women down through the years have been attacked because they were Black. While they were being attacked so-called Black men, make believe Black men, stood watching with whatever was left of their manhood hanging limply in their hands.
An attack on Vice President Harris, a Black woman, is an attack on all Black women. It is an attack on our Black mothers, Black grandmothers.
It is an attack on all Black women since they were brought as an enslaved people in chains to this God forsaken land. It is an attack on our Black wives and our Black girlfriends. It is an attack on our Black daughters and daughters’ daughters. However, an attack on Vice President Harris as a person is not just an attack on a Black woman, but women of all nationalities, races and ages.
Perhaps, Black women and all women need to follow the example of Lysistrata and withhold sexual favors from now until their men see the light or their balls turn blue.
Staff Writer; Al Alatunji