Wojtek writes:
> When I moved to Baltimore at the end of 1992 I discovered that it is easy to be a nice anti-racist liberal when you live on a college campus or perhaps in the suburban wasteland isolated form the real life. But if you live in an inner city - it is a very different story. When every day you see characters from racist stereotypes parading in front of your eyes, you start having doubts: you either believe what you see or you believe in what someone told you is politically correct.
With respect, what you see on the street are people. They only become stereotypes in the mind of people who reduce them to such. I find no problem in living and working in the inner city and remaining progressive and anti-racist.
> To make a long story short, I believe what I see and that is why I started actively looking for counter-examples to the characters from racist stereotypes parading before my eyes on the streets of Baltimore.
But what you see is informed by your knowledge/lack of knowledge of black people and by your Polish/European cultural biases. Racism is a dislike/hatred based on ethnicity. Culture/style/clothing details are added later to help others become racist as well: these details are promulgated for easy identification. "If you see a black man thugged out -- Watch out!!!"
> In other words, I started actively looking for American Blacks who were sharp, professional, and on-the ball . . .
and yes - noticing that Farrakhanites look sharp, professional and well-organized even though the ideology they sell stinks.
I know plenty of black men - gay and non-gay - who are sharp, professional and dress in baggy jeans and truckers hats as well as suits and ties. The editor of Vibe for instance.
> In the same manner, I rant about "gangsta/hip hop identity" which on several occasions provoked ire on this list.
In my case, any ire I expressed was roused by your complete lack of information about gangsta/hip hop culture (which you yourself admitted). My understanding was that hip hop was antithetical to the culture you experienced in in Europe and that you had no interest in any exploration of it.
> This why the NAACP (and the media, to be sure) move to use a criminal hoodlum as the casus belli in the struggle against racism touches a raw nerve.
Wasn't Gideon a criminal whose case established the right of a defendent to legal representation? Does the person whose rights have been violated have to be saint?
> It essentially draws attention and reinforces racist stereotypes - that of the "black criminal" engaging in senseless violence and that of the "black activists" knee-jerk jumping to his defense.
From my understanding, he was acting in a drunken fashion and was asleep on some grass. I guess that deserves being beaten to death.
> I guess I am not the only one who sees it that way - Paul Gilroy (_Against Race_) seems to be going in the same direction, albeit his view are not very popular among the liberal establishment enamored with identity politics.
Sadly, there are more and more people adopting racist thinking. Capitalism needs such racist ideologies in order to thrive and perpetuate itself: "I don't want to be seen as being a (fill in the black), so I better work extra hard to avoid being mistaken for a (fill in the blank).
> If the Cincinnati incident happened in the community where I live, most people would probably thank the police for responding - as the inadequate police response to calls is one of the main complaints of our residents.
The same is true in New York City as I stated in my earlier post. But here the community gets troubled by a police "over-response."
> Our community activists do not defend criminals who got raw treatment, but rather take on slumlords, speculators, and unresponsive city officials.
In Harlem and Brooklyn (the two communities I am most involved with) we do both. I have found that it is the white gentrifiers who move in who are untroubled by police brutality. Like capitalists everywhere, they want their property vlaues protected and the underclass, if not removed from sight, at least tamed so they cause no disruptions in the gentrifiers' lives of placid consumption.
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Activist