A lesson from Condoleezza Rice

Boston Globe | 11-20-02 | By Derrick Z. Jackson,

[Temple Owl]

A lesson from Condoleezza Rice

By Derrick Z. Jackson, 11/20/2002

WASHINGTON

CONDOLEEZZA RICE was reminded of her decision to become a Republican after the 1984 Democratic National Convention. She said the Democratic Party's speeches to ''women, minorities, and the poor'' really meant ''helpless people and the poor.'' In a profile in The Washington Post, Rice said, ''I decided I'd rather be ignored than patronized.''

The national security adviser to President Bush was asked if she thinks the Democratic Party still patronizes ''women, minorities, and the poor.'' Laughing, she declined to answer the specific question last week before the Trotter Group, an organization of African-American columnists. But her answer was as riveting as if she had actually gone on to trash the Democrats.

''The fact of the matter is, race matters in America,'' Rice said. ''It has, it always has ... It is not that I mind being associated with the group. I am African-American and proud of it. I wouldn't have it any other way. And it has shaped who I am and it will continue to shape who I am.

''I do not believe it has limited who I am or what I can become. And that's because I had parents who, while telling me what it meant to be African-American and exposing me to that, also allowed me to develop as an individual to be who I wanted to be.''

Rice said the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham that killed four girls, including friend Denise McNair, shaped her views on the war on terrorism. ''If you've been through home-grown terrorism,'' Rice said, ''you recognize there isn't any cause that can be served by it ... Because what it's meant to do is end the conversation.''

In profiles, Rice talks about being hollered at as a child by a white store clerk for touching a hat. Rice's mother told the clerk ''Don't you talk to my daughter that way!'' Her mother then said, ''Now, Condoleezza, you go and touch every hat in this store.''

That reminded me of around 1965 when I was about 10. I bought comic books and ice cream in a drug store in DeKalb, Miss. Later, my grandfather informed me that was the ''white folks'' drug store. He could have berated me for breaking white folks' rules. Instead, he smiled and said, ''Good.''

For me, not accepting racial barriers would mean going on to little things like being on the first integrated child championship bowling team at a particular alley in Milwaukee, then bigger things like sportswriting when there were few African-Americans covering pro teams for major newspapers.

For Rice, it meant parents who ''didn't say to me, `You know, it's really weird for a black girl from Birmingham, Ala., to want to be a Soviet specialist.''' Rice said that she liked Motown, the blues, and funk music like most of her friends, but her parents drove her to learn Brahms. Rice has often said bluntly that she had to master the white world better than a whole lot of white people to succeed.

''Sometimes when we say to our kids, `You are a minority,' we don't say it in a way that says it is part of who you are, we say it as if it's an impediment that cannot be overcome by hard work and access to education and all of those things,'' Rice said. ''And I just think the messages are wrong when there is only focus on what group you happen to belong to, rather than the group is part of who you are, but also, who you are is who you are as an individual.

''We don't talk about it very much, but, yes ... it is a very good thing for the rest of the world that when Colin Powell and I walk in with the president of the United States, we are there as secretary of state and national security adviser, because I think it says to people that there aren't boundaries in which black Americans are not supposed to play ... I think it's an extremely important message to our kids. That's why I talk so much about the individual. It's not to deny the group, but I really think it's important that we appeal to each individual's worth and capability.''

Such reflections do not make Rice's political views and America's global arrogance any more appealing to me. But those who dismiss her as a hotheaded cold war queen miss a chance to dwell on her focus and drive. Unlike many black conservatives who shout louder than white ''color-blind'' conservatives that race no longer matters, Rice has no problem saying race matters, and since it is so, black folks had better work to get the most out of their individual talents.

In a Newsweek interview last year, Rice said, ''It wasn't as if someone said, `You have to be twice as good' and `isn't that a pity' or `isn't that wrong.' It was just, `You have to be twice as good.''' One does not have to like Rice's politics to appreciate how being twice as good has made her the most powerful woman in the world.

[Tuco-bad]

Any fantasies I might have about Dr Rice are the perfectly normal fantasies any normal male MIGHT have for an attractive woman.

You find Rice attractive?

[discostu]

I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eatin' crackers that's for damn sure. The pillow talk would probably get pretty depressing though, I'm betting we have very few of the same interests and she's a hell of a lot smarter than me.

[Tuco-bad]

I'm betting we have very few of the same interests and she's (Rice) a hell of a lot smarter than me.

I tend to agree with your statement.

[discostu]

Ain't no shame in admitting that woman fluent in five languages with a doctorate who's thesis on international relation was described by Kissinger as one of the most brilliant things he's ever read, is smarter than me. You could do to learn some humility yourself, then you'd be able to admit you screwed up instead of wasting days throwing red herrings trying to distract people from your idiotic claims.

Now BACK TO TOPIC:
Since you've admitted that segregation still existed in the post CRA world, why not withdraw your insulting declaration of the story as a "fairy tale" and admit that it certainly could be true and lacking any eye-witness testimony it more than likely is true? Come on, earn your ego, rise above the petty foolishness and admit you screwed up. That's how people earn respect.

[Tuco-bad]

Since you've admitted that segregation still existed in the post CRA world, why not withdraw your insulting declaration of the story as a "fairy tale" and admit that it certainly could be true and lacking any eye-witness testimony it more than likely is true?

Illegal segregation, not legal segregation.

Rice's story implied it was legal, otherwise what is the point of the story of rehashing wrongs that were done to you illegally?

[discostu]

I've already addressed that, there's NOTHING in the story that gives ANY indication of the legality of the drug store's action. Any attempt on your part to re-classify the story is LIEING. The point of the story is overcoming prejudice which doesn't have to be legal to be pervasive and evil.

[WaveThatFlag]

This is great. In the interest of his personal crusade against Condoleezza Rice, Tuco has resorted to tivializing the Civil Rights movment. Even Hillary would not have attempted to sail into the wind in that fashion.

Who would have thought Convervatives would ever be permitted to claim the moral high ground in that argument?
Go Connie!!!

PS> You already lost this debate here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/791939/posts?q=1&&page=1

(and were exposed as a liar several times)

[Tuco-bad]

The point of the story is overcoming prejudice which doesn't have to be legal to be pervasive and evil.

I'm sure EVERYONE has experienced some form of prejudice (i.e., racial, religious, ethnicity, gender, age, appearance, etc.).

Stop crying.

[discostu]

Yes they have, and the stories of overcoming it are one of the bright sides of the human experience and deserve to be treated with a modicum of respect not desperate attempts to discredit the teller.

You're the one crying here. Desperately trying to find a way to devalue the story via lies innuendo and mischaracterization.

[Tuco-bad]

PS>(.) You already lost this debate here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/791939/posts?q=1&&page=1

Yes, you declared YOURSELF the victor.

Some advice: You'll never be a winner if you don't learn how to "connect the dots".

As I said if it wasn't for the 3000+ people killed on 9/11 - I would be ROTFLMAO.

[Tuco-bad]

You're the one crying here. Desperately trying to find a way to devalue the story via lies innuendo and mischaracterization.

Anyone who constantly bring up bad things that had happened to them to incur favor of their audience I consider cry babies.

You know what that means: YES - Rice is a cry baby!!!!!

[cherry]

"I am a Rice fan and would gladly vote for her for President, but in this age of affirmative action and enforced diversity, "half as good" is much closer to the truth. "

I will go a step farther and say I would want Rice for my dtr or my sister....and I would vote for her anyday of the week...give money to her campaign and work for her campaign....you just do not find quality people like her around that much....

[discostu]

She told a story of her childhood, famous people do that all the time. For famous black people those stories often revolve around racism. It's a story of strength to help inspire people. You're the only cry baby here. Continiuing to try to mischaracterize the story.

[WaveThatFlag]

Here, let me connect the dots for you:
When you try to win debates by lying, repeatedly, and you are exposed, repeatedly, people tend not to hold anything else you say in high regard.

[cherry]

"None of you have any idea what she stands for!"

" I don't expect her views to be mine....for that matter NO ONE has my personal views entirely...not Bush, not Cheney, not Powell, not Farwell, not Rush, not Savage, not Sean.....nobody, nada......

Sometimes, you go with intelligence, achievement,committment, integrity, leadership, and confidence....

if your canidate can start with those quatlities....then we have a chance...

[Tuco-bad]

She told a (crybaby) story of her childhood, famous people do that all the time.

ALL the time?

Roosevelt, JFK, Nixon, Bush the Elder didn't.

[Tuco-bad]

Here, let me connect the dots for you: When you try to win debates by lying, repeatedly, and you are exposed, repeatedly, people tend not to hold anything else you say in high regard.

Is that why you followed me to this thread?

[discostu]

You're the only person that thinks it's a crybaby story, everybody else thinks it's a story of strength courage and inspiration.

Of course you previously thought it was a fairy tale.

Then you thought it was about legalized segregation.

So in truth you don't THINK anything, you're just attacking Dr. Rice out of jealousy and hatred.

[Tuco-bad]

You're the only person that thinks it's a crybaby story, everybody else thinks it's a story of strength courage and inspiration.

EVERYBODY - I assume that's poetic license.

[WaveThatFlag]

Yep. It is important for the readers to know that you are an exposed liar, so that they are not disposed to take anything you say seriously.