"i'm a lover not a fighter." interestingly enough the thought pops into my head as i'm eating my taco tuesday purchase. a consumer of culture, i continue to ponder. it is an interesting juxtaposition and i just wonder, why are the two separated. aren't they the same thing? to love gives you a reason to fight for something, and i think to love is a constant struggle (not to give a negative conotation to struggle), to borrow a thought by Kweli, i think struggle is a very beautiful thing. and at the same time doesn't a person fight because of something/someone they love? if one fights for one's self then it is because they love their own life. to kind of entreat another thought, the problem with wars and violent conflict is that there is a value of one life over the value of another's life. however, i think i'll continue to eat my tacos, and i'll recall my fondness for Mexican food came about in middle school when my kuya took me out to eat at Sombreros for the first time.
"All revolutions are impossible until they happen, then they are inevitible"
3/15/05
Friday, February 15, 2008
Black Power by Charles Hamilton and Stokely Carmichael (kka Kwame Ture)
Black Power means proper representation and sharing of control. It means the creation of power basees, of strength, from which black people can press to change local or nation-wide patterns of oppression-instead of from weakness.
It does not mean merely putting black faces into office. Black visibility is not Black Power. The power must be that of a community, and emanate from there.
Black Power recognizes-it must recognize-the ethnic basis of American politics as well as the power-oriented nature of American politics. But while we endorse the procedure of group solidarity and identity for the purpose of attaining certain goals in the body politic, this does not mean that black people should strive for the same kind of rewards (i.e., end results) obtained by the white society. The ultimate values and goals are not domination or exploitation of other groups, but rather an effective share in the total power of the society.
Nevertheless, some observers have labled those who advocate Black Power as racists; they have said that the call for self-identification and self-determination is "racism in reverse" or "black supremacy." This is a deliberate and absurd lie. There is no analogy-by any stretch of definition or imagination-between the advocates of Black Power and white racists. Racism is not merely exclusion on the basis of race but exclusion for the purpose of subjugating or maintaining subjugation. The goal of the racists is to keep black people on the bottom, arbitrarily and dictatiorially, as they have done in this country for over three hundred years. The goal of black self-determination and black self-identity - Black Power- is full participation in the decision making processes affecting the lives of black people, and recognition of the virtues in themselves as black people.
"...In short, the failure of American leaders to use American power to create equal opportunity in life as well as law, this is the real problem and not the anguished cry for Black Power.
...Without the capacity to participate with power, i.e., to have some organized political and economic strength to really influence people with whom one interacts, integration is not meaningful.
...America has asked it's Negro citizens to fight for opportunity as individuals, whereas at certain points in our history what we have needed most has been opportunity for the whole group, not just for selected and approved Negroes.
...We must not apologize for the existence of this form of group power, for we have been oppressed as a group and not as individuals. We will not find our way out of that oppression until both we and America accept the need for Negro Americans, as well as for Jews, Italians, Poles, and white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, among others, to have and to wield group power."
It does not mean merely putting black faces into office. Black visibility is not Black Power. The power must be that of a community, and emanate from there.
Black Power recognizes-it must recognize-the ethnic basis of American politics as well as the power-oriented nature of American politics. But while we endorse the procedure of group solidarity and identity for the purpose of attaining certain goals in the body politic, this does not mean that black people should strive for the same kind of rewards (i.e., end results) obtained by the white society. The ultimate values and goals are not domination or exploitation of other groups, but rather an effective share in the total power of the society.
Nevertheless, some observers have labled those who advocate Black Power as racists; they have said that the call for self-identification and self-determination is "racism in reverse" or "black supremacy." This is a deliberate and absurd lie. There is no analogy-by any stretch of definition or imagination-between the advocates of Black Power and white racists. Racism is not merely exclusion on the basis of race but exclusion for the purpose of subjugating or maintaining subjugation. The goal of the racists is to keep black people on the bottom, arbitrarily and dictatiorially, as they have done in this country for over three hundred years. The goal of black self-determination and black self-identity - Black Power- is full participation in the decision making processes affecting the lives of black people, and recognition of the virtues in themselves as black people.
"...In short, the failure of American leaders to use American power to create equal opportunity in life as well as law, this is the real problem and not the anguished cry for Black Power.
...Without the capacity to participate with power, i.e., to have some organized political and economic strength to really influence people with whom one interacts, integration is not meaningful.
...America has asked it's Negro citizens to fight for opportunity as individuals, whereas at certain points in our history what we have needed most has been opportunity for the whole group, not just for selected and approved Negroes.
...We must not apologize for the existence of this form of group power, for we have been oppressed as a group and not as individuals. We will not find our way out of that oppression until both we and America accept the need for Negro Americans, as well as for Jews, Italians, Poles, and white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, among others, to have and to wield group power."
Who Controls the Past Controls the Present
The major point in discussing racial formation is how various racial projects throughout history frame modern “common sense” about the racial hierarchy of contemporary society. Indeed, one such project is that of Black Sexuality. Patricia Hill Collins reinforces this aspect of racial formation as she asserts in her work “Why Black Sexual Politics,” that “Sarah Bartmann’s past frames J-Lo’s present” (Hill Collins 27.) What she finds important to express is that the new racism of this century does not replace the prior forms of racial rule, but instead incorporates elements of past racial formations (Hill Collins 32.)
In order to fully grasp Hill Collins’ thesis it would be necessary to understand who Sarah Bartmann was and the significance that her life and subsequent dissection play in creating the sexual stereotype of Blacks. Born into a tribe of Khoi Khoi, Bartmann was later captured and enslaved in
With the subsequent dissection of Sarah not only can we see how racism intersects between the various “schools” of academia, but how there is also the creation of the stereotype of the animalistic nature of Africans in terms of their sexuality. Hill Collins chooses to highlight Bartmann in comparison to J-Lo due to society’s fascination with both of their rear ends. While it may be argued by some that there is a clear difference in their treatment, Bartmann being considered a “freak” while J-Lo is considered a sex symbol; this is precisely the point which Hill Collins is making. Bartmann’s proportions helped frame notions of the hypersexuality of Blacks which evolved allowing for J-Lo’s butt to be considered sexy in this modern context. It is this very notion of the “wild,” animalistic sexual nature of Blacks which causes Destiny’s Child and other Black models to associate with animal skin print clothing and sets in which they appear in cages, etc.
Another interesting point Hill Collins chooses to discuss is how the technological advances of mass media allow audiences to view entertainment contained and safe in their private spaces. She questions “Just who are these videos for? What are the imagined race, gender, and sexual orientations of the viewers?” (Hill Collins 31.) There is a lack of accountability in the presentation of these images, “it’s one thing if Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé Knowles profit from their own images…it’s entirely another if adolescent girls tap into this message of female power and head off to their eighth grade classroom decked in the same “bootylilcious” apparel,” (Hill Collins 50.) She reiterates notions of hegemony stating “contemporary forms of oppression do not routinely force people to submit” (Hill Collins 50.) It is through these seemingly benign forms of entertainment that consent is manufactured allowing domination to be achieved as “we lose our ability to question and thus collude in our own subordination” (Hill Collins 50.)
3/01/05
Ethnic Notions: Illusion or Essential?
In their book Race and Critical Theories, Michael Omi and Howard Winant discuss the continued struggle of American society in coming to terms with the concept of “race.” They describe a dual temptation on the part of different groups to think of race as a mere illusion or as essence. This is echoed in the selection of “Ethnic Notions” as the title for the documentary. The combination of the word ethnicity with that of notion, or more precisely the very meaning of notion, suggests there is no concrete definition or description for race or ethnicity. This sentiment is found throughout Omi and Winant’s discussion of racial formation in the United States. Beginning by posing the deceptively simple question: What is Race? Omi and Winant move on to discuss the history of race, implying there was a beginning and possibly an end to this idiom; showing both the answer and the question itself are more complex than they initially seem. The discussion is then shifted to the usage of race in hegemony and the eventual practice of racism itself. In considering the formation of the concept of race and its necessity in developing hegemony, the portrayal of Blacks in popular media, as shown in the film, can definitely be described as not only a natural outcome, but also a necessity as well in both the developing and maintenance of that hegemony. In light of the treatment of Blacks and other marginalized people throughout history, I whole heartedly agree the relationship between these groups and politics as a whole lie in the concept of hegemony which Antonio Gramsci “understood as the conditions necessary for the achievement and consolidation of rule” (Omi and Winant 130.) He further argues consolidation of that rule constitutes a combination of coercion and consent, and it is here where the role of media and popular entertainment play their part.
While our “common sense” may tell us contrary, race as a concept is recent in nature. As W.E.B. Du Bois satrically points out in his book Darkwater, "The ancient world would have laughed at such a distinction. The Middle Age regarded skin color with mild curiosity; and even up into the eighteenth century we were ahmmering our national manikins in one, great, Universal Man." With the boom of science during the industrial revolution, essential biological notions of race appeared. Unsurprisingly, the rise of Social Darwinism comes in the wake of T.D. Rice’s minstrel act of Jim Crow. Blackface, Minstrel Shows, and their legacy would continue well on towards the middle of the 20th century, some would go as far as to argue it continues today. While there is no doubt that these forms of entertainment were negative and demeaning depictions of Blacks it is important to recognize that racism is more than just ill feelings or bad manners towards a particular group. What is far more important is to recognize how these forms of media helped to consolidate the power of the White ruling class. Through these media Whites were able to control the definition of what is Black and then to further imprint that definition with a badge of inferiority. Therefore notions of Anti-Blackness became “common sense,” it was perfectly natural that Blacks were treated the way they were. Coercion of that racialized power was no longer necessary as consent had been secured by Whites and even many Blacks as well. Through media and popular entertainment those in power are able to reach the masses and control the way they view the world, although it is also important to note that in part of that coercion and consent the hegemony must also entertain ideas contrary to their wants. Thus we find successful well to do Blacks in addition to the oversaturation of images of Blacks as criminals, drug addicts, oversexed single parents, and other negative stereotypes. However, just as it is important to realize that racism is more than simply bad manners, it is equally important to realize that the truth of stereotypes is not the issue; it is the effect that the stereotype has.
One final quote that struck me was that they felt it was crucial to “emphasize that race, class, and gender are not fixed categories” (Omi & Winant 132.) These categories are truly intertwined and constantly interact with each other on a day to day basis.
March 04, 2005
-----------
random quote not in paper
"How easy, then, by emphasis and omission to make children believe that every great soul the world ever saw was a white man's soul; that every great thought the world ever knew was a white man's thought; that every great deed the world ever did was a white man's deed; that every great dream the world ever sang was a white man's dream. In fine, that if from the world were dropped everything that could not fairly be attributed to White Folk, the world would, if anything, be even greater, truer, better than now. An if all this be a lie, is it not a lie in a great cause?"
- W.E.B. Du Bois Darkwater (1920)
for years i've slept in silence
i've seen wars fought and love made throughout the ages
i've heard the crack of bone and sinew splattered on walls splashed with blood
juxtaposed against screams of ecstacy in the night
time never changes
cries sung remain hung by the stars
while the world spins like clockwork
the many ones compose the whole
as time is stolen from eternity
deslote chambers of thought comprise the battlefield of now
and what was now is left to become what once was
as behind sight is the clarity of the future
a lie await at night as i awake from sight
crystal clear
12/20/04
i've seen wars fought and love made throughout the ages
i've heard the crack of bone and sinew splattered on walls splashed with blood
juxtaposed against screams of ecstacy in the night
time never changes
cries sung remain hung by the stars
while the world spins like clockwork
the many ones compose the whole
as time is stolen from eternity
deslote chambers of thought comprise the battlefield of now
and what was now is left to become what once was
as behind sight is the clarity of the future
a lie await at night as i awake from sight
crystal clear
12/20/04
tongue tied twisters tell tales of times torn among forlorn forms of norms divided by the mean as i've seen in between the reams of stories for(e)-i(g)n to me i believe more than i see
because it's more than meets the eye more than a deceptive lie
as hard as i try i feel i'm being left behind
so step by step with my two legs i walk forward
on a well worn path calculated aftermath a phantom draft blows in the breeze
icy winds chill as i see you
12/25/04
because it's more than meets the eye more than a deceptive lie
as hard as i try i feel i'm being left behind
so step by step with my two legs i walk forward
on a well worn path calculated aftermath a phantom draft blows in the breeze
icy winds chill as i see you
12/25/04
stuck in a booth for the next 4 hours
i work for UCI Event Services, aka parking and special events. got this job during the summer after second year and in my 5th year i'm still here.
traffic
i'm a damn good traffic director and it's awesome that people say i'm the best traffic director trainer too. it's mainly cause i'm a spartan and i grade hard as hell. haha looks like i'm getting feed back that i grade too hard? i guess, i've got high standards and only excellence will net an A from me. i love to hand out Ds and Cs and well if it's yer first time training why shouldn't you get that low of a grade? i don't really think i've handed out D's on the second training, maybe C-'s but if you get a D you pretty much deserve it if it comes from me.
i grade on the theory that imperfection is impossible on the first shot and so is a B. you're directing cars that can go as fast as 40+ mph 2 feet away from you, i'm not gonna be giving As to folks that aren't extremely good. though i do pass people on Ds, the letter grades on the various aspects of directing i feel really just monitor how well you perform on that specific task. whether or not you fail depends on if you cause near collisions while your training and i'm watching. i try to see it as being similar to a DMV exam.
i do have a benevolent purpose for being such a harsh grader too. the way i see it, an A means nothing if you're getting them all the time; but if someone's been tossing you C's and D's; then all of a sudden you get an A, you know you're doing outstanding, and it makes getting that A all the more rewarding.
booth
so here i am sitting in the kiosk at stanford drive. i was supposed to be training one of the new hires on how to do the kiosk shift. but i guess they canceled cause i had no one to train. that being the case i wanted to get paid to sit on my ass while on the computer doing nothing so i wanted to switch to a less busy kiosk, instead of the main parking structure one and here i am. doing nothing. this place is the best on a saturday afternoon though. i love the times between my transactions:
general permit 4:09
short term 3:37
general permit 2:52
reserved permit 2:35
ab-so-fuckin-lutely awesome.
traffic
i'm a damn good traffic director and it's awesome that people say i'm the best traffic director trainer too. it's mainly cause i'm a spartan and i grade hard as hell. haha looks like i'm getting feed back that i grade too hard? i guess, i've got high standards and only excellence will net an A from me. i love to hand out Ds and Cs and well if it's yer first time training why shouldn't you get that low of a grade? i don't really think i've handed out D's on the second training, maybe C-'s but if you get a D you pretty much deserve it if it comes from me.
i grade on the theory that imperfection is impossible on the first shot and so is a B. you're directing cars that can go as fast as 40+ mph 2 feet away from you, i'm not gonna be giving As to folks that aren't extremely good. though i do pass people on Ds, the letter grades on the various aspects of directing i feel really just monitor how well you perform on that specific task. whether or not you fail depends on if you cause near collisions while your training and i'm watching. i try to see it as being similar to a DMV exam.
i do have a benevolent purpose for being such a harsh grader too. the way i see it, an A means nothing if you're getting them all the time; but if someone's been tossing you C's and D's; then all of a sudden you get an A, you know you're doing outstanding, and it makes getting that A all the more rewarding.
booth
so here i am sitting in the kiosk at stanford drive. i was supposed to be training one of the new hires on how to do the kiosk shift. but i guess they canceled cause i had no one to train. that being the case i wanted to get paid to sit on my ass while on the computer doing nothing so i wanted to switch to a less busy kiosk, instead of the main parking structure one and here i am. doing nothing. this place is the best on a saturday afternoon though. i love the times between my transactions:
general permit 4:09
short term 3:37
general permit 2:52
reserved permit 2:35
ab-so-fuckin-lutely awesome.
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