Black Race Splitting in Two: A Round Table
Folks, I just got the news from Juan Williams of NPR and FOX News fame. Black people have been split down the middle and separated into two new races. If you are like me, this comes as a great shock as racial identity is one of the few things that tends to hold steady in ones life. But, according to Juan, things is ’bout to change roun’ here. I’m lying if I do not tell you how nervous I am. Perhaps there will be mass mailing explaining the situation in a calming tone, listing the benefits of the new arrangement.
I don’t know how you find out which camp you fall into. There are so many details that will have to be considered as the new races are being organized. Who’s gonna get the various ancestral inheritances? Who gets the oral tradition? Which race gets credit for stop lights? What about the first heart transplant (Wasn’t that a black dude)?
Perhaps my greatest fear is what the new race names will be. Will one of the new races get to keep “African American” while the other gets “Black.” There are some other candidates that do nothing for my current apprehension: “Negro,” “Colored,” and the infamous . . .
In all seriousness, I find Juan Williams’ assessment of a new Pew Research Center poll lacks nuance. Juan pits the poor and the hip-hop culture with which they’ve been branded, against Black middle class who’s Cosby-esque views on personal responsibility are only trumped by their anachronistic allegiance to New Deal politics. Whether you buy Juan’s analysis or not, the issues he raises are worth a deeper a look and thats just what I propose. If all goes well. This Sunday, Dec. 2nd, I am going to host a round table on the splitting black race. Check in with WRG for views on this strange but urgent topic.
