Diversity Among African Americans: We are not monolithic!

[Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke]

Photos taken at Oyster Harbor Beach in Annapolis, MD



Happy Monday!

While my dad and I were getting some much needed “plage de temps” (French phrase that means beach time a/k/a chilling out, chill-axing, cooling out, R&R) on Sunday morning in Annapolis, he shared soundbytes from the Washington Post about Judge Sonia Sotomayor and his all-time favorite person, President Barack Obama. He spent time talking about Eugene Robinson’s op-ed that discussed several comments President Obama made about his speech at the NAACP’s 100th anniversary. Click here to read Robinson’s op-ed: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/18/AR2....

Robinson’s op-ed also referenced President Obama’s statement about how the civil rights movement weakened itself by promoting a one size fits all definition of what it means to be Black:

“One of the ways that I think that the civil rights movement . . . weakened itself was by enforcing a single way of being black — being authentically black. And, as a consequence, there were a whole bunch of young black people — and I fell prey to this for a time when I was a teenager — who thought that if you were really ‘down’ you had to be a certain way. And oftentimes that was anti-something. You defined yourself by being against things as opposed to what you were for. And I think now young people realize, you know what, being African American can mean a whole range of things. There’s a whole bunch of possibilities out there for how you want to live your life, what values you want to express, who you choose to interact with… I do think it is important for the African American community, in its diversity, to stay true to one core aspect of the African American experience, which is we know what it’s like to be on the outside… If we ever lose that, then I think we’re in trouble. Then I think we’ve lost our way.”

Love’s Troubadours: Black Folks Ain’t Monolithic by Ananda Leeke (2005)

Message on painting: The truth is that Black folks ain’t monolithic. No folks are. You dig! When Deno and I started writing the novel, we wanted to show the depth and breadth of Black folks loving themselves and each other in and out of life’s joys and pains … in and out of our identities…gender…class…religions…ages… We wanted to tell the truth. The truth being that Black folks are Love’s Troubadours.”


I am so happy that President Obama talked about the diversity among African Americans and how being African American means many things. His statement echoes a familiar chant that I have addressed in my novel, Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (www.lovestroubadours.com), Love’s Troubadours Art Collection, and my new book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (Summer 2009 – iUniverse, Inc.): African Americans are not monolithic. See the photo of my painting, Love’s Troubadours: Black Folks Ain’t Monolithic above. The lives of African Americans are filled with multi-layered stories. We are much more than what we read about in mainstream media. Our lives are richer and deeper than what we see on television and movie screens. That’s why we must be vigilant in telling and documenting our stories.

More on President Obama

Last night I had a chance to catch up on my reading. So I read an op-ed by Shayne Lee, one of my favorite authors. Click here to read Shayne’s op-ed: www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/50451437.html?cmpid=15585797. In his op-ed that was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on July 10, Shayne discussed how former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka cleared President Obama’s path to becoming Senator and President. How could that be? The topic itself made me blink a few times. To see why I blinked, read an excerpt from Shayne’s op-ed below.


“Let’s go back to 2004. National Democratic leaders strategize feverishly in an effort to win enough seats to control the U.S. Senate. They have their eyes on Illinois, a state with no incumbent running for reelection. Obama wins the Democratic nomination for the open seat, and the Republican nominee, Jack Ryan, drops out of the race due to the embarrassing details of his divorce records.

Obama is looking down a clear path to the Senate – until Mike Ditka begins flirting with the idea of running on the Republican ticket.

Some Democrats are champing at the bit for their Harvard-educated lawyer to pit wits against the charismatic but nonetheless inarticulate jock. But others fear that the former NFL coach, who brought Chicago its first and only Super Bowl championship, enjoys instant name recognition, while Obama is still establishing himself with Illinois residents. They find the prospect of a young politician with a weird name running against one of the state’s greatest sports legends somewhat daunting.

So, to raise Obama’s visibility, they grant him the great privilege of addressing the 2004 Democratic National Convention in prime time. Ironically, Ditka announces he will not enter the race shortly before the convention. But Obama’s name is already carved in stone on the schedule.

Almost 10 million Americans watch Obama deliver a riveting speech that changes his life and American politics. Before long, Obama is the new face of the party, criss-crossing the nation in fund-raising efforts for struggling candidates, building strategic alliances, and thereby taking steps toward a viable presidential candidacy.

I sum things up with a sort of syllogism: Obama’s presidential run is unimaginable without the political power and rock-star status bestowed upon him by his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. His speech never happens without a sports legend threatening to run against him for the vacant Illinois Senate seat. Therefore, Barack Obama would not be president today without Mike Ditka.

There is a lesson to be learned from the president’s remarkable journey. Even an immensely gifted, highly competent, Ivy League-trained talent such as Obama needs a bit of luck to achieve great success in America. How much more of it do the rest of us need?"


Okay now what do you think?

If you are like me, you might be saying, “this cat made me think.” That’s why I am a huge fan of Shayne’s work. His writing always pushes the envelope and causes me to consider a different perspective. He uncovers facts and weaves them together with insightful commentary that sheds light on areas most folks miss. I think Shayne moonlights as an “Easy Rawlins” detective when he leaves his gigs as an author, sociologist, and professor at Tulane University.

For more information about Shayne, visit http://www.tulane.edu/~sociol/slee.pdf.

Be sure to check out and buy Shayne’s books on Amazon.com: T.D. Jakes: America’s New Preacher (NYU Press, 2005) and Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace (NYU Press 2009). Support Shayne! His work will enrich your life!

To read my review of Shayne’s book, T.D. Jakes: America’s New Preacher, click here: http://kiamshacom.blogspot.com/2009/02/book-review-td-jakes-america....

Visit BAP Living Radio to listen to a recording of my February 23rd interview with Shayne (search for Episode 13): http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/18598.

Enjoy your day and week!

Peace and Creativity,

Ananda

[Enoch Mubarak]

Diversity Among African Americans: We are not monolithic! Okay now what do you think?
Ananda

Dear sister Ananda, brother Robinson and all others
All the exclamation points provided cannot validate Robinson’s interpretation of the subject matter. The title of your article is misleading and your argument is invalid.

The articles premise and Robinson’s perceptions of president Obamas’s comments are based on wishful thinking, flawed interpretations and faulty analysis void of critical thinking and severely lacking in reading comprehension.

The major statement and the operative 3 words in his statement are one core aspect of the African American experience, which is we know what it’s like to be on the outside.

The minor statement in his comment is “ The civil rights movement weakened itself by promoting a one size fits all definition of what it means to be Black.”

"I do think it is important for the African American community, in its diversity, to stay true to one core aspect of the African American experience, which is we know what it’s like to be on the outside… If we ever lose that, then I think we’re in trouble. Then I think we’ve lost our way”
Barack Obama
President of the United States of America

In regards to the presidents minor statement and to put the presidents comment in context without destroying the integrity of his comment is to say: The strategy of promoting a one size fits all definition of what it means to be Black weakened the civil rights movement.

The president above statement is valid in hindsight as it goes to strategy pertaining to the Civil Rights movement and not to the core of black Americans.

The core of a situation is something totally different.
The core of anything is the central innermost or most essential part of anything. What determines black people as a monolithic group is:

The American experience… which is: we know what it’s like to be on the outside…and if black people should lose that: then I think we’re in trouble. Then I think we’ve lost our way.”

The evidence of the president speaking about us as a monolithic group is reinforced by and in the closing of his statement to say:

"I do think it is important for the African American community, in its diversity, to stay true to one core aspect of the African American experience

If we ever lose that, then I think we’re in trouble. Then I think we’ve lost our way”

” The operative words are: we’ve as in: we have. The term we’ve encompasses all of us.

All of us means all of us African Americans regardless of your diversity to like what you like or to do what you do because diversity is separate and apart from the core.

The core is the central innermost or most essential central part of anything therefore the fact that we must stay true to the core of our existence as African Americans make’s for a monolithic group of people.

If we should not stay true to the core of our existence then…. I think we’re in trouble, Then I think we’ve lost our way.”

The President of the United States of America statements and position pertaining to the destiny of African Americans as to how we must stay true to the struggle and cause fortifies my contention that it is all for one and one for all.

We are a monolithic group of people regardless of our diversity in skin complexion or what we are for or against. We are a monolithic group and as such we must move as a unit to penetrate the dynamic properties resisting and preventing our inclusion in the global marketing equation of the 21st century and beyond.

Sincerely, Enoch Mubarak
President/CEO Mubarak Inter-prizes
www.mubarakinter-prizes.com

[Diane]

Your dad is so cool and any time is a great time to spend with your father. Thanks for sharing, Ananda.