African American
Related: About this forumFrederick Douglass gave us our answer long ago.....
Last edited Tue Jan 10, 2012, 11:21 PM - Edit history (1)
As to why the Black POTUS meets with such resistance- "Though the colored man is no longer subject to barter and sale, he is surrounded by an adverse settlement which fetters all his movements. In his downward course he meets with no resistance, but his course upward is resented and resisted at every step of his progress. If he comes in ignorance, rags and... wretchedness he conforms to the popular belief of his character, and in that character he is welcome; but if he shall come as a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman, he is hailed as a contradiction to the national faith concerning his race, and his coming is resented as impudence. In one case he may provoke contempt and derision, but in the other he is an affront to pride and provokes malice." - Frederick Douglass, September 25, 1883
(repost from Melanie Watkins)
Adding.....
JustAnotherGen
(31,780 posts)Second - -
I think - that if the President behaved like Snoop Doggy Dog and/or dress presented himself in that manner - he would then be derided for gansta politics. Oh wait! Didn't Michele Bachman accuse of that already?
If he's articulate - that's pointed out.
If he stands up straight and holds his head up - he's standing up too proud.
If his wife dares say: Eat your veggies - she's uppity.
I think Frenchie - that Frederick Douglas looked into the future when he wrote that. I think unfortunately, that there will be some at DU that will pile on with 'But I'm NOT like that - he's simply not progressive enough for me . . . "
I hope they won't. I hope they will read those words and realize - It's not all about you. It's about a group of people who cannot stand the idea that a man with dark skin is in the White House. And very few of those people are in the Democratic Party.
One of them? One of these people is OMG! Orange!
NOLALady
(4,003 posts)He's the color of gold.
SemperEadem
(8,053 posts)than a false progressive with a closed mind like a steel trap.
Frederick Douglas was completely on point and his point is as relevant today as it was over 128 years ago when he wrote that.
So true, so true so true.
nofurylike
(8,775 posts)thank you so much for posting that, FrenchieCat!
Old and In the Way
(37,540 posts)at least with some of the population.
MagickMuffin
(15,924 posts)No one would know what our true skin color would be. We would ALL look identical to each other.
In the scheme of things we are ALL human and our evolution depends upon us all getting past the skin issue. Otherwise we can never realize or care to recognize that we are here to learn to love one another.
Isn't this one of the greatest lessons in life?
Ah well, perhaps sometime in the future we can move past this bitter idea that one race is better than another.
Thank you FrenchieCat for bringing this to our attentions
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)I think that human beings who are so inclined would find something like the size of the nose or eye color, hair color or the lack thereof to differentiate us. I don't care nor have I ever cared what color someone is. I remember listening to a jet pilot speak years ago who said "there may come a day where you are happy just see someone who had one nose on the front of their face. The color of someone's skin would really sink into insignificance." At the time, I wasn't sure what he meant but over the years, it's come to make a lot of sense.
Ain't it a damn shame that we worry about things that really don't matter and not care enough about the things that do...Thank you, FrenchieCat!
WilliamPitt
(58,179 posts)+1
Damn.