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Entries tagged with 'Race'
Posted Apr. 9, 2008,
On Racism, Vogue and now Spike Lee
By David Hershkovits
One of the most contentious posts we've ever had was written about the current Vogue cover featuring LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. PAPER managing editor Rebecca Carroll, jumping off comments by Harry Allen, opined that she believed the cover to be racist because it succumbed to sterotypes that have been plaguing African Americans for centuries.
Though she made many valid points and I never expected everyone to agree with her, I was surprised by the vehemence of many of the comments expressed by those whom I know or assume to be not African Americans. What I took away from this is that there is a longing among many otherwise liberal people for the race issue to be put behind us. Call it fatigue with advocates who are perceived to have been playing the race card for too long. Barack Obama, himself, has worked hard to make distance between his brand of African Americanism and the old school Civil Rights movement's breed of leaders like Jessee Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton. Be that as it may, race continues to be a hot button issue. The reactions to Jeremiah Wright's histrionic preachings is an example of white folks feeling sterotyped by blacks just as blacks feel stereotyped by whites.
Posted Mar. 31, 2008,
Is Vogue's Recent Cover Racist? Um, Yeah.
By Rebecca Carroll
“Facts or knowledge do not blunt racist intent. This is a truth daily and ancestrally familiar to Black people.” –- As quoted from a recent post on Harry Allen’s “Media Assassin” blog about the stupid-ass LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen Vogue cover for the magazine’s current “Shape” issue.
Here’s the thing of it, people -- is the cover a “less than subtle piece of racist indoctrination”? Duh. Of course it is. That’s not really the question. The question is: Isn’t it enough that there is doubt surrounding whether or not this cover is racist? Did absolutely no one at Vogue think for five seconds that this might be viewed as offensive? Are there NO black people or culturally aware white people at Vogue? Do they not ever run images or ideas by people who might have a different perspective, say, a broader scope -- people who might, I dunno, live in the real world? If that’s the case (no black or culturally-conscious folks on staff, no outside perspectives allowed in), then I feel slightly more forgiving, because how could they know otherwise?
How could they know that the image of a big, hulking black man forcefully clutching the fragile waist of a white woman evokes the image of the black (slave) buck and the white mistress; the black athlete and the coveted, trophy white woman; the black pimp and the coveted, trophy white woman; the black thug and the innocent white woman; the scape-goated black rapist and the unsuspecting white housewife…oh, and the black man as ape, sure. Over 150 years of this image just about everywhere: How could they know this might be offensive or appear racist?
Posted Mar. 19, 2008,
Obama Talks About Race -- The Right Way.
By Rebecca Carroll
Through writing, editing, interviewing, talking, hoping and sheer willing, I have tried over and over again to help change the way that people think and feel about race in America. Ever since my (white) fifth grade teacher told me I was very pretty “for a black girl,” I have wanted to understand, both for myself and so that I could help others to process, the legacy of race and racism in this country. Not necessarily in a Martin Luther King, Jr.-Malcolm X (community-activist-leadership) way, or a Henry Louis Gates, Jr.-Cornel West (scholarly) way -- not that I haven’t at times tried one or both, and not because these approaches don’t work, but rather, because they’ve not worked thoroughly enough -- but in the most primal and accessible way. The way that Barack Obama is trying to do it: Through fearless, thoughtful, aggressively meaningful and non-condemning words that people can hear, take in and respond to.
From Obama’s Marcy 18, 2008 speech on race and Reverend Wright:
Posted May. 11, 2007,
Being Black in New York Magazine
By Rebecca Carroll
The May 14 issue of New York magazine offers up the second story in a row featuring a formerly down on his luck, under the radar black man who by some great feat or just general perseverance suddenly becomes newsworthy. The story in the May 7 issue is about the “Subway Superman,” Wesley Autry, who jumped in front of an oncoming subway to save the life of a stranger, and has since received national praise, recognition, money, and expensive clothes (the story was illustrated in part by a picture of Wesley dressed head to toe in fur looking every bit like the pimp next door). The May 14 story, “The Panhandler's Payday,” is about Eddie Wise, a hustler who figured out a way to sue the city of New York, and won a check for $100,000. The story is furnished with a pull quote that reads: “Everybody is thinking I'm going to be broke pretty soon, that I'm going to spend $100,00 on crack,” says Eddie. And by everybody, he might as well mean people who read New York magazine.
I have been a subscriber to New York for over 10 years, and despite its clear elitism and consistently I'm-cooler-than-you-whiter-than-you-and-richer-than-you tone, I enjoy it. And I'm a complete sucker for its crossword puzzle. But these two back-to-back stories about poor, unknown black people who emerge from relative anonymity to become interesting enough for the pages of New York magazine have made me question my willingness to continue turning a blind eye to its blatant patronization.