afternoonsnoozebutton:

thepeoplesrecord:

The troubling viral trend of the “hilarious” Black poor person
May 7, 2013

Charles Ramsey, the man who helped rescue three Cleveland women presumed dead after going missing a decade ago, has become an instant Internet meme. It’s hardly surprising—the interviews he gave yesterday provide plenty of fodder for a viral video, including memorable soundbites (“I was eatin’ my McDonald’s”) and lots of enthusiastic gestures. But as Miles Klee and Connor Simpson have noted, Ramsey’s heroism is quickly being overshadowed by the public’s desire to laugh at and autotune his story, and that’s a shame. Ramsey has become the latest in a fairly recent trend of “hilarious” black neighbors, unwitting Internet celebrities whose appeal seems rooted in a “colorful” style that is always immediately recognizable as poor or working-class.

Before Ramsey, there was Antoine Dodson, who saved his younger sister from an intruder, only to wind up famous for his flamboyant recounting of the story to a reporter. Since Dodson’s rise to fame, there have been others: Sweet Brown, a woman who barely escaped her apartment complex during a fire last year, and Michelle Clarke, who couldn’t fathom the hailstorm that rained down in her hometown of Houston, and in turn became “the next Sweet Brown.”

Granted, the buzzworthy tactic of reporters interviewing the most loquacious witnesses to a crime or other event is nothing new, and YouTube has countless examples of people of all ethnicities saying ridiculous things. One woman, for instance, saw fit to casually mention her breasts while discussing a local accident, while another man described a car crash with theatrical flair. Earlier this year, a “hatchet-wielding hitchhiker” named Kai matched Dodson’s fame with his astonishing account of rescuing a woman from a racist attacker. But none of those people have been subjected to quite the same level of derisive memeification as Brown, Clark, and now, perhaps, Ramsey—the inescapable echoes of “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife!” and “Kabooyaw,” the tens of millions of YouTube hits and cameos in other viral videos, even commercials.

It’s difficult to watch these videos and not sense that their popularity has something to do with a persistent, if unconscious, desire to see black people perform. Even before the genuinely heroic Ramsey came along, some viewers had expressed concern that the laughter directed at people like Sweet Brown plays into the most basic stereotyping of blacks as simple-minded ramblers living in the “ghetto,” socially out of step with the rest of educated America. Black or white, seeing Clark and Dodson merely as funny instances of random poor people talking nonsense is disrespectful at best. And shushing away the question of race seems like wishful thinking.

Ramsey is particularly striking in this regard, since, for a moment at least, he put the issue of race front and center himself. Describing the rescue of Amanda Berry and her fellow captives, he says, “I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway!”

The candid statement seems to catch the reporter off guard; he ends the interview shortly afterward. And it’s notable that among the many memorable things Ramsey said on camera, this one has gotten less meme-attention than most. Those who are simply having fun with the footage of Ramsey might pause for a second to actually listen to the man. He clearly knows a thing or two about the way racism prevents us from seeing each other as people.

Source

Now that you know this is a thing, please stop sharing these memes. Poor Black people speaking candidly about various serious incidents isn’t a hilarious joke.

^Valid point

(via dressthesavage)

silkchemise:

never forget that margaret thatcher was a racist who didn’t want gross brown asian immigrants coming into britain but was totally in favor of white immigration because

She made clear, however, that she had “less objection to refugees such as Rhodesians, Poles and Hungarians, since they could more easily be assimilated into British society”.

(via tofslan)

slowdowntito:

The Myth of Black Homophobia, Why I’m Not Feeling Macklemore and Why White Saviors Are Anything But.

jawnita:

Crucial, crucial read, all of it.

(via tropicalfishgigi)

taliaitscoldoutside:

kahsennanoron:

Cultural appropriation is something that I have discussed before on tumblr. I think that it would be best to now specify what people cannot use from our culture/traditions. I am half Mohawk and half Mi’kmaq. I grew up on a Mohawk reserve most of my life and have been taught (and practiced) my traditions and language. 

So first off let’s start with some basics before we begin.

Mohawk is a term that describes people who eat flesh. The name was given to us from a combination of things, European settlers (misunderstanding) and our traditional enemies (the “Mohawk”/Six Nations were know to be fierce warriors that would often kill and capture many of their enemies). Therefore the term itself is considered disrespectful for our people. We prefer to be called Kanienkeha’ka. This means “the people of the flint”. It is pronounced 
gun-yay-gay-ha-guh

Mi’kmaq is also not the traditional name for my other Nation. L’nu is the traditional word and it means “the people”. You may also state that someone is “Mi’kmaw”.

Mi’kmaw is pronounced: mig-ma 
L’nu’k (sometimes there is no k) is pronounced:   ull noog

Now onto the other details. I will mainly post from a Kanienkeha’ka perspective because I have much more traditional knowledge from that Nation. My mom’s Mi’kmaq reserve has lost many of their traditions.

Similarities with other Nations:

• sweat lodges
• fasts
• ceremonies are still practiced - but are not at all the same as other Nations
• longhouse style homes
• traditional songs and dances are still practiced
• our language is still taught and practiced
• we have traditional masks
• rattles
• the use of tobacco, feathers and sage

Differences with other Nations:

• pow-wows - we don’t consider this to be part of our traditions
• rain dances - again not part of our traditions
• ghost dances - see above
• pow-wow drums or hand drums - not our traditional instruments
• the use of the word regalia to describe our clothing
• instead of pow-wows we have socials (kind of like a time to practice our songs and dances) with the other Six Nations
• we use our own form of government still
• we use a water drum that both women and men can use
• we have a calendar to celebrate all of our old traditions 
• we have ceremonies usually once a month
• most Mohawks are still given a Mohawk name

What you can use from our culture:

• non-traditional Mohawk hairstyles (the kind you see at punk concerts)
• words in Mohawk if they are taught to you by a Mohawk person who speaks the language (and if you are actually friends or relatives of the people)
• Our rattles but only if you are offered them by a Mohawk person within a longhouse setting (or another traditional setting) - you should not bring them home (unless given as a gift) and you should never make your own
• you may use our medicine to heal yourself only if it was given to you by a Mohawk traditional healer and it can only be used for yourself - you must follow any rules given to you by the healer or else it is considered disrespectful
• you may be allowed to attend our socials since they are not considered traditional - it is best to ask first

What you cannot use from our culture:

• our traditional songs and dances
• our water drums 
• any part of our ceremonies/festivals - no pictures, paintings, etc are allowed to be used or made by any Non-Mohawk (or Non-Six Nations member)
• our masks - you are not allowed to paint or photograph them as well; this is ultimate disrespect and complete cultural appropriation 
• our traditional clothing
• you cannot give yourself a Mohawk name - especially if you are not Mohawk, you may be given one traditionally if you are adopted (only)
• our traditional form of government (the structure and rules)
• the structure of our traditional villages or longhouses
• our traditional clans or the system we use for it
• any of our prayers/thanks
• you usually have to be invited into a longhouse, we do not allow just anyone to walk into a longhouse
• our traditional kastowa’s (men’s “headdress” - I don’t like this term, but cannot think of a better term to describe it)

Note: I may add on to this list if I remember any other important things.

Many Mohawk people do not consider pow-wows traditional and for us it is not seen as personal cultural appropriation to have pow-wow traditions disrespected, however, we do understand that it is cultural appropriation for some specific Nations. The same goes for rain dances and ghost dances. We do not see the headdresses worn in the south (war bonnets, etc) as traditional for our people, so in relation to us it is not cultural appropriation but we are very much aware that it is appropriation for many other Nations.

If anything written is unclear of if you would like more information please utilize my ask or submit sections in my blog.

Kahs is an AMAZING Mohawk woman and this is a post she took time out to educate people on tumblr that we should all be super thankful for.

(via fuckyeahhardfemme)

Swedish POC react to racial profiling. The Minister for Justice: “I was an exchange student in the US in the 70s, so I understand racism.”

Swedish Minister for Migration on helping illegal immigrants hide: “Sometimes we have this image that people in hiding live with a nice Swedish lady in her fifties or sixties who wants to help. But that’s not how it is. Most of them live with their countrymen who aren’t at all blonde and blue-eyed.”

Just….. fuck you, Dawkins. FUCK YOU.

(Source: maggotmaster, via glompcat)

casual-isms:

niggadidijustcatchyouhavingfun:

Hey there! So you’re white but you are checking your privilege and doing your best to help your POC allies. You know when to sit down and shut the fuck up(hopefully) and you know how much of your opinion counts. But there’s a problem: Uhoh! A white racist dickrag is commenting on POC’s post! Some one writes collect yo folk white people. It’s a call to action specifically to you. But unfortunately, you don’t know what to do. What does collect mean? How can you do it right? Well I am here to help. You can call me the cracker savior if you will. Now these are my opinions on collecting so don’t go thinking this speaks for all POC( but i shouldn’t have to say that because I’m assuming you’re a good white ally)

Collecting: What does it mean.

Collecting means to come and shut down the white racist on a post. POC usually hate dealing with ignorant white folk and “teaching” them. That isn’t our job. We aren’t their mothers mammies and we are certainly not google. Collecting is basically standing by us when racists come to fuck with shit. You be a decent person and say shut the fuck up to dumbasses. Shut shit down when so we don’t have to. 

Let me stop you right there: yes, you are doing work we could do. But we don’t want to. Why? Because we deal with enough racist shit in our lives, the least ya’ll could do is step up and deal with your own people. So when you see a derailment on a POC post speak up and say: dude, cut it out. It’s not about us and our white opinions. You don’t need to educate, because you  aren’t google either, just tell them to shut the fuck up. You can even say munch a dick if you are feeling risky. 

What not to do

• Speaking over POC, even if you don’t agree with their opinions, you should never speak over their voices. In a discussion about race and racism, their opinions are still worth more then your’s. I don’t care how much koolaid they sip. 
• Don’t look for praise. You are still white, you still benefit from your privilege, like it or not. We aren’t required to hand out cookies( even though some might do it) Don’t go asking or expecting. 
• Check your privilege. At all fucking times.
• Don’t pull the ” Well I’m trans, queer, mentally disabled, etc, so I have less privilege then such and such POC.” Nope. Nope. Nope. Shut up. Intersection does happen. It is natural but that doesn’t change the fact that you are still white. A queer white person has more privilege then a QPOC. A white trans* person has more privilege then a TPOC. Your oppression might seem bigger then some other POC but that doesn’t make you not white. White is the biggest privilege to have and it trumps cis, hetero, binary, and all other forms of privilege. Sorry. (not really)
• Being a collecting ally gives you no free passes. You can still slip up and we’ll be here to shut your shit down booboo.
• We aren’t obligated to like you because you collect and label yourself an ally. We will decide if you are an ally to our cause or not, some might others no. Deal with it.

Collecting: How to do it

You can take any tone you want. I personally don’t care, it’s up to you. Racist tend to listen more to white voices then POC voices which is a damn damn shame but true. We will say the same words but because of your white privilege in action, they automatically more accepting of your voice then mine. I’m just an uppity nigger bitch telling them what to do. You aren’t. Now collecting means handling. You can fill them in on what they are doing wrong and explain why we are pissed the fuck off. You can also tell them why they are so wrong in their assumptions/opinions. 

Example:

Racist: Always about the race! I’m colorblind,everyone else should be too.

POC: Come collect yo trash.

You: Some people can’t choose to live in a colorblind world. Seeing color can save their lives. It’s not about how you can afford to see the world, it’s about how they are seeing it. Don’t say their experiences are wrong.

See? Easy, fun, and helpful. A real ally is there for us. And one day, when we rule the world and over take the crackers, we will spree you. 

So here’s my little presentation. Hope you learned some shit. No? Well fuck you. 

A simple guide on collecting if you are a privileged person (aka how to be a useful ally) that can be applied to any situation of ignorant privileged people/delusional marginalized people vs. marginalized people. Enjoy. Also feel free to use gifs to collect people. Especially the privileged tears gifs we found last night.
—nappyedges 

(Source: ratchetpussynvrtastedsosweet)

qpocsweden:

(Another day in racist Sweden)

 Yesterday, the project  Love No Borders, a project that aims to support young LGBT-persons of non white  origin,  was to conduct a workshop at Pride House under the title “Queer People of Color.” In the program description, it was clearly announced that the workshop was intended as a venue to discuss own experiences of racism and hetero normativity, and therefore was only for LGBT people of color. This is due to the fact that many LGBT-people of color feel insecurity about talking about these experiences with people who do not carry similar experiences, because they are often questioned. Even though race is a social construction we are treated on the basis that we are not classified as white.

 

However, When the workshop was about to begin, two very white looking men sat a little away from everyone else. Earlier that day a racist online magazine had called one of the organizers of the workshop and asked what they meant by writing that the workshop only was only for non-white people. Following, the organizers were portrayed with their photos on the website. We suspected that the men had links to the newspaper and felt a great discomfort of their presence - therefore we asked some Pride volunteers for help, explaining that the point was not to be open to everyone. The volunteers were very helpful, but the men refused to go, it got so bad that the volunteers had to call for security guards. The men later turned out to be members of the swedish democrats’ (sverigedemokraterna)  youth organization.

 

 Once we were able to start the workshop, we were unfortunately interrupted again, this time by a person who had more responsibility at the Pride who wanted to talk to the organizers. They explained that the men stood outside and that we should talk to them and explain why they could not attend. We responded with surprise that both we and the volunteers who helped us already had explained it many times in the room and that we wanted to continue with the workshop since we hadn’t much time left, instead of spending time talking with these men as we understood them as right-wing extremists and as threatening. Then we learned that we could always take the back way if we did not want to pass them on the way out, as many felt shaken by what happened. Participants responded that it should not be us who needed to take back doors and sneak at the Pride.

 

 It should go without saying that people of color in the LGBT-community have a right to safer places and a given room at the largest LGBT event in Sweden without having to feel discomfort and fear of racists. Many of the participants feel very bad after today’s event and some do not want to come back to the area. We therefore hope that the Pride will discuss strategies for creating a safer environment even for rasified LGBT-people.

This is a translation. The original text in swedish is here.

(Source: qpocsweden)

bell hooks

Relevant every single day to every derailing person who screams “reverse racism”

(via wretchedoftheearth)

(via queerandpresentdanger)