Vision Circle

Dean on Race and Politics

Take a look at this piece at blackcommentator.com. Dean gave a campaign speech a couple of weeks ago that expands his ideas about getting the nascar dads to vote for him. Blackcommentator argues that it is the most important statement on race and politics given by a mainstream politician in 40 years.

They are so on the money it ain't even funny.

For over 40 years Republicans have used racially coded messages to drive a wedge between voters of similar economic backgrounds. Whether using "quotas" or Willie Horton or Sistah Souljah or welfare queens, Republicans AND Democrats have used black bodies to fuel regressive policy agendas. While some may argue that Dean is taking a courageous stand, I actually argue that he's taking the RATIONAL stand. Largely because research has shown that when the cover is removed from the racial code, people tend to respond positively toward the candidate removing the cover. (For more information check out THE RACE CARD by Tali Mendelberg.)

If he continues talking like this I think it is going to be hard to beat him. I certainly wouldn't want to put my money on Bush come the debates. This is what leadership is about.

Dean Braun?

Glen Engel-Cox finds much to admire in the possible pairing of Howard Dean and Carol Mosely-Braun. Now that Dean is gaining momentum, such possibilities are enticing.

..it would be a bold move and be reflective of the diversity and appeal of his campaign. My hope is that she can obtain a position in Dean’s cabinet, as a woman of her intelligence and honesty is sorely needed, and it would be a shame to lose her skills to her family farm, which is where she had expected to spend the rest of her life before September 11.

Things that make you say Hmmm.

Priest Returns

I've been a voracious reader of comics for the last 30 years of my life. Contrary to the belief of some, growing up reading the exploits of Superman, Batman, and the X-Men did NOT make me want to be white. It did NOT make me less "proud" of being black. It did though expose me to a life outside of the mundane, a life rich in possibilities.

Christopher Priest is one of the best comic book writers in the business. But for factors some of us understand all too well, his work does not get the credit from what he calls TPTB (the powers that be). The penultimate smack in the face was the cancellation of his work THE CREW....which only lasted seven issues.

For a while Priest thought about quitting the game. In comic book terms he's getting a bit long in the tooth to be still fighting the good fight. Think about it...who the hell WANTS to be still fighting the good fight into his forties?!? But he held out...and now he's back. Writing CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON of all books.

I write about this here, because I think Priest's plans for the comic remind me of the curious relationship we have with American values and with America. And the way he plays with time and space remind me of the best of African American high culture. So check out his plans, and his views. I think it would be worth it.

And if you hadn't picked up a comic in some years, that might be worth it too.

Tavis Talks

Tavis' Pass the Mic Tour is about to start very soon if it hasn't already. Smiley's already been critiqued among some circles for the cost of his event. To see Smiley, West, and Dyson "pass the mic" it costs $50 (and if you pay $60 you get a copy of one of Smiley's, West's, and Dyson's books). He responds to his critics in two parts. Part one. Part two.

Now I've already said my piece. While I think all three of them are pretty trifling for different reasons, if you're willing to spend the same loot on Stevie Wonder or on Prince or on JayZ, then spending the loot on these guys should be comparable. I don't think the mileage will be the same because the level of artistry required is different in the case of comedy or musical performance. But let's say for the sake of argument that it is similar.

But in defending his pricing structure, Tavis ends up buying into some very problematic notions about black culture and black life.

Indecency vs Injustice

I've stumbled across a polite discussion on decorum. If I had a better grounding in the classics, I'm sure that I could find some period piece, one excoriating the dictates of excruciating manners which aptly applies here. I'm impressed.

It's rather stunning to me that such a detailed analysis of racism takes place in an environment in which racism is so patently weak. And I think it goes to the question of the not only the bizarre directions of anti-racism (which I think is failing) but also to the inability for us to recognize the challenges of civil society. As these outrages in microcosm keep finding their way to us on a regular basis, what are we to think?

Another thing on inter-racial comparisons

I'm thinking about those tables in No Excuses again. The ones comparing blacks to whites to asians? I already noted one reason why these simple comparisons reflected ignorance on the part of researchers--no controls for other factors. Not region, not education level of parents, not amount of school spending (which ITSELF must be measured carefully, as old schools spend a LOT less on students than newer schools do because old schools have infrastructural problems), etc. This would be akin to measuring voting patterns of blacks and whites in the fifties and coming up with the conclusion that black folk don't give a damn about politics because they didn't vote at the same rates.

There is another significant problem in making blanket comparisons between Asian Americans and African Americans. The Asian American population is a conglomerate of several different ethnicities. Thai, Laotians, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, plus several others...all fall in the same pot. These groups have very different trajectories, and by lumping them together we are ignoring significant differences. I am fairly sure that scholars actually CAN disaggregate the "Asian" population they choose not to. Perhaps this is because only by aggregating them are the populations SOMEWHAT comparable in size (black population is around 40 million, the asian population is around 12 million). I also think though that aggregating them (particularly without controls) presents a statistical picture that is in line with the "model minority" myth. If for example, every Asian ethnicity other than the Japanese were shown to have lower incomes, and educational levels than whites, what would that do for the idea that Asians have this culture that causes them to succeed?

The Death of Savoy

Last week it was announced in the New York Times that Savoy, Honey, and Heart and Soul would be shut down. While I liked Honey (kind of a hip-hopped out Essence), I thought Savoy was horrible. It was bad on its own terms, and in no way could it hold the jock strap of its predecessor, Emerge. I'm glad it is gone, and knew this moment was coming. If anything, the story of Emerge and Savoy tells us about the pitfalls associated with large scale black capitalism and black power.