“For black people in this nation-state, the color of their skins has always – always – being the singlemost defining characteristic that determined their social, political and economic outcomes vis-a-vis a white-dominated society.”
And this author, and others like him, are working hard to keep it that way.
“No amount of education, hard work, or honest dealing with others has ever changed this dynamic for the masses of black people.”
Never? Really? What about successful black people, like...
“Individuals, yes. Certain, select black individuals – usually those who must disavow any relationship with “blackness” – are allowed a modicum of success outside the black paradigm.””
So, wait a second. Certain individuals blacks can achieve success, but it isn’t because of hard work, honesty, etc? It’s because they aren’t “black” enough? It seems like the standard the only way the author would consider someone “black” enough is if they were a failure in life.
I could also say that, by the way he restricts “a modicum of success” to exclude the millions of blacks who have decent jobs, educations, own homes, and whatnot, that his standards of success must be simply wealth, political power, and fame. That means that this “modicum of success” is also being denied to the masses of white people. Maybe we are not acting “white enough” to have success granted to us? If I start playing golf and listening to Lawrence Welk, will that get me the big promotion?
Not sure if they also experience racial division (between blacks and whites)...if so, it's certainly not as evident as what we are seeing, here.
Wish we could all be "American" first, whatever else you might be, after that :(