Unconventional Wisdom: Everything You Know Is Wrong (Maybe)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 10:14AM
Last month I teased to what would be my next big series (or first series in a long time), "Unconventional Wisdom," a project that will look at things that are taken for granted or regarded as cannon in the black community and see if what we believe or what others believe is really valid. In the original post about the series where I asked for your ideas for topics I received tons of suggestions and even offers by some to write on the topic. Here are the stories you can look forward to over the coming weeks that made the final cut.
- The Case Against Integration (Or If Your HBCU Is Near Dead, It's Probably Your Fault)
- That's Funny, I Flunked At The "White" School Too and Other Suburban Myths
- Light, Bright and Still Black: The Grass Is Not Necessarily Greener For the Person Two Shades Lighter Than You
- Sometimes that White Girl/Guy They're Dating Isn't About You
- What's In A (Really Ghetto) Name? A Lot of Foolishness
- And This Is Where We Part: The Case Against Self-Segregation
- Black Church? What Black Church?
- The Lonely Life of A Black Liberal
- Fear and Loathing In the Diaspora
- The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of the Desperate Black Woman
- The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of the No-Good Black Man
- How To Excel Yourself Right Out of the Community in 10 Easy Steps
- Harriet's Gun, Part II: Fear Will Not Keep Me By Your Side (read the original post "The Sell-Out" here)
- Black Republicans Would Have More Friends If They Were Blue Dog Democrats (Ask Harold Ford Jr.)
- I Don't Know What Black Is Anymore and If You Think You Know, You're Lying
- There's A Reason Why That Korean Family Runs The Beauty Supply Store And You Still Shop There Even If They Give You The Stink Eye The Whole Time (Or Why "Buy Black" Ain't Nuttin' But A Word)
- Black Feminist Is Not A Dirty Word
- No One Has Permission To Say "Nigger." You Just Say It and Face the Consequences Like Everyone Else
- There's No Sexual Revolution In Black America -- Just Sex
- Massive Fail: If Black Gays Are Still On "The Down Low" It's Probably Your Fault
- Everybody's Biracial (Even You)
- Memo to Black Americans from Black Europeans: You Have Everything. Please STFU. Ain't No Barack Obamas 'Round Here.
- Can't Make You Do Right, Can't Make You Do Wrong: The Myth of the Strong Black Woman and Her Not-So-Magical Powers Over Black Men
- Rap Music Didn't Make You Do It
As I explained in the original post, people are invited to present their arguments and counter arguments to these topics. In some cases, I will be taking positions contrary from my own views and I will note as such in those particular articles. If anything raises your hackles ... GOOD! That's the whole point of the series, to get people thinking and talking and wondering.
If anyone is interested in writing about any of the approved topics (or the counter-argument), just shoot me an email. The first story, "The Case Against Integration," will run Wednesday.
Reader Comments (16)
Where's the beef? Let's see some words behind those titillating headlines.
Ooooooh! I can't wait to sink my teeth into some of these topics.
I kinda think the discussion about the topic "Sometimes that White Girl/Guy They're Dating Isn't About You" unwittingly began on May 12th with the post about Disney's movie featuring a black princess...lol. I'm curious to see what will carry over from that hot thread.
Sounds interesting, but I am seriously tired of the everyone is biracial routine. Only black folks say that, biracial people will quickly point out to you that none of your immediate relatives are white
Whoo! Hoo! I am looking forward to this! I see and smell some great discussions coming. Bring it on!
Can't wait, Snob. Thanks.
WOW...these are explosive topics! I...Can't....Wait!!!
I can't wait to read this!
This series looks interesting! I just might be shooting you an email about one of the topics...maybe...lol.
L
i'm anxiously waiting to read about all of these topics....
Very thought-provoking topics and I've often wondered about some of them myself. Can't wait to see what becomes of this.
I am so excited.. can't wait to read 'em all!..
i can't wait for light, bright and still black.. i'm a light bright who has listened to too many ebony friends tell me how easy my life must be or give me that 'it's a black thing you wouldn't understand' vibe..sooo frustrating!!! tell it like it is snob!
i'll send you $20 if you start with the down low article! we out black gay men need to hear from a sista who'll stir it up!
[quote]Black Republicans Would Have More Friends If They Were Blue Dog Democrats (Ask Harold Ford Jr.)[/quote]
Hello Black Snob - I haven't read your blog in a while.
I found the title that you chose above quite interesting because it tacitly implies something that is quite disturbing to me. (and should be disturbing to others).
It seems that conscious Black people hate Republicans more than they hate the people who are running every single local institution within the Black community today.
* Our Schools
* Those Who Purport To Keep Our Communities Safe
* Those who shape the local economy in the way of producing jobs and markets for us to exchange with each other
If "Black Republicans" were to simply switch parties - they can go Denver, party with the Democrats and attract more Black people because now they have a greater level of TRUST? I am not following the logic here.
Could it be that there are too many of us that have placed our ideological and partisan interests ahead of our permanent interests? Even after assisting this machine to take power over our communities, when they fell short on the deliverables in many areas we were so happy about THEIR victory that we join in to pursue future victories, with the hopes that our excitement over their victories will translate into "community victories".
When I hear people say "Black people don't vote for Republicans because they don't have Black people's best interests in mind" I return with the statement "Black people DON'T VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS and they don't run the institutions within Black America. Thus why do you all incessantly blame them, focusing in on the 'national Republicans' rather than the 'local Democrats' who promised to fix what ails us.
I am not sure if Black Republicans (I am a Black Conservative not a Republican) becoming "Black Conservative Democrats" would actually make a bit of difference. It all depends upon what one sees as 'a VICTORY for the Black community".
Some people have told me that having a Black president is IN AND OF ITSELF proof of the advancement of the Black community.
I prefer to see this proof at the periphery in the school performance, community safety statistics and local economic growth statistics.
Thus the question should be "What eroded conditions will motivate Black people to place our own PERMANENT INTERESTS above the electoral success of the Democratic Party where we live in the highest concentrations?"
@ constructive feedback
Um. You're going to have to wait to read the article. All the titles are purposely enticing or provocative because I want to get people's attention. After you read it and learn what I actually mean by the title then you can draw your conclusions, but right now you're basing everything on a title that really explains nothing.
The whole point of the whole series is to be thought provoking/challenging, even with viewpoints that are different or contrary to my own and I've invited people to write opinions and counter-opinions if they please. If you're interested in writing something on the topic and would like to know more about it, just email me.
Found the 'steps' interesting. Agree on number ten.
One can try but can never separate himself/herself from the culture one was born in ( if honest). You can accept the good, downplay the bad, but you know it and it shapes who you are. Will embace and learn about all cultures wherever possible but as Ghandi said, referring to the British colonialist during his fight to see India independent.. his culture is the best! That said, I will relegate none other to a second place. Only embracing mine like a comfortable blanket.