There is a VERY necessary conversation to be had on two very important positions on racial stereotypes: one that insists defying them, calling them out is the only way to transcend them, and the other that insists on safety and survival, by avoiding playing into them wherever possible. Example: If youre a black guy that wears locks in his hair you shouldnt be discriminated against (Correct). If youre black guy that wears locks in his hair you shouldnt be surprised that youre discriminated against. (Unfortunately, Also Correct). Neither are wrong. One comes from an angle of defiance and resistance, and the other from a place of safety and security. How are we supposed to heal if we keep expelling each other from conversation? The hard truth is that we need both - including the conversation between the two. Shutting each other down, or expelling each other from discourse, is really the position that has no merit at all. My parents and I often have hard conversations (similar to this) about my identity as a queer person. Dont rock the boat is the summary of it. I tell them Ill dress how I like and date who I like. But secretly, I heed their words. There are situations where it simply will not serve me, personally or politically to rock the boat. The conversation about this tension between navigating discriminatory stereotypes from a place of resistance AND safety is missing, making this whole Anthony Mackie political roast frustratingly unnuanced.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:23:44 +0000
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