General Discussion

sheshe2

(94,220 posts)

31. It is an amazing piece, Number23.

Sun Mar 2, 2014, 12:52 AM

Mar 2014

And...

One of the most frustrating, tragic and nauseating tenets of American history is the tendency for the voices of people of color to go unheard until a white person says the same thing. Apparently it is too "alien" for people of color to speak for ourselves, we need to "translated" to be made more palatable to white audiences.

That is sad and it is why I would never presume to know what it feels like. I can only empathize. That is why I highlighted

Black Like Me, said activist Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), “is an excellent book—for whites.” Griffin agreed; he eventually curtailed his lecturing on the book, finding it “absurd for a white man to presume to speak for black people when they have superlative voices of their own.”

Thank you for posting more of the poigant story. So hard to try to tell it in only four paragraphs.

I will indeed keep posting things like this one, Number23.

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Black Like Me, 50 Years Later [View all] sheshe2 Mar 2014 OP

I've recommended that book to a lot of folks, and the movie to illiterate white wingers. Hoyt Mar 2014 #1

I read it in high school Hoyt. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #4

I think it was my first quarter in college. I was lucky to get a very liberal sociology professor. Hoyt Mar 2014 #9

Exactly, I read it in Jr. High or High School and still remember some scenes flamingdem Mar 2014 #24

Also see ... ananda Mar 2014 #2

Thanks for the link, ananda. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #6

We'll all be glad to know that a reviewer named 'Cindy', who appears to be white, Sheldon Cooper Mar 2014 #11

I was just thinking that some of those same folks( or their new forms ) lunasun Mar 2014 #19

Here's Cindy, telling us how things are now: Sheldon Cooper Mar 2014 #20

well you know if she doesn't feel it then it does not exist no matter how many say it does lunasun Mar 2014 #22

Yep. Sheldon Cooper Mar 2014 #23

well, if Cindy does not "feel it" clearly it does not exist noiretextatique Mar 2014 #37

I read that book (Black Like Me) long ago - very moving. northoftheborder Mar 2014 #3

That was one hell of an odyssey. LiberalAndProud Mar 2014 #5

I keep hearing here that discussing this stuff is alienating and divisive. Great book, one of bettyellen Mar 2014 #7

My brother read the book in 1959 and talked with my sister and me about it. The book was powerful jwirr Mar 2014 #8

Slightly later timeline, exact same result. Powerful book. I later taught "Black Literature" in h.s WinkyDink Mar 2014 #17

I was in high school when I read it, perhaps 1965 or '66. In looking back, what's interesting ... Scuba Mar 2014 #10

Thanks for the further details. I was unaware of his continuing after the experiment. Obviously the freshwest Mar 2014 #12

It's denial, racism or both. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #14

K&R Solly Mack Mar 2014 #13

I read it in high school in the 60s. Mr.Bill Mar 2014 #15

Back then madamesilverspurs Mar 2014 #16

They were indeed, madamesilverspurs. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #18

He spoke at my High School... PCIntern Mar 2014 #21

i read it very young. stayed with me. bought for my oldest at 8 seabeyond Mar 2014 #25

You are welcome, sea. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #27

I had to read this in high school around 1971 or 72: babylonsister Mar 2014 #26

So that's where "babylonsister" originated from. :) sheshe2 Mar 2014 #28

An Amazing article Number23 Mar 2014 #29

It is an amazing piece, Number23. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #31

but Cindy does not feel it noiretextatique Mar 2014 #38

.. Cha Mar 2014 #30

I read this during high school or shortly after, but not assigned. xfundy Mar 2014 #32

So grateful for the Progress that has been made in Cha Mar 2014 #34

My sister had a teacher who read parts in a class, she wanted to read the book and the library would AnotherDreamWeaver Mar 2014 #33

"Most Americans saw civil rights as a “Southern problem,” " Behind the Aegis Mar 2014 #35

No it is not an anomaly. sheshe2 Mar 2014 #36

That book fascinated me malaise Mar 2014 #39

Me too malaise. nt sheshe2 Mar 2014 #41

Read it in the 8th Grade . . . markpkessinger Mar 2014 #40

kick mstinamotorcity2 Mar 2014 #42