I'm a big time lurker here, and have been for many years. As an African American woman, I'm compelled to temporarily "unlurk" to speak out about what I see as an unwarranted, over the top attack on Shaun King, just because he had the unmitigated gall to express his opinion about his impressions of a recent Meet the Press appearance by Bernie Sanders.
It's really something else to witness two backlash diaries chastising Shaun gain such enthusiastic support by numerous Sanders supporters, who apparently have very thin skins.
Wow. You'd think the brother said something totally awful about Bernie. So, I read his original diary. You know the one that many of you are so outraged about...and I find what Shaun said to be pretty benign. But, of course, I'm looking at it from the perspective of someone not "feeling the Bern" at the moment, so those of you involved in the worst of it probably think my opinion about your support of this bashing sucks too. I don't care.
From my perspective, Shaun simply expressed doubt about the yawning gap between what Bernie said on TV about not apologizing, and what one of his staffer's said in an email sent to certain blacks who they wish to dialog with. Shaun didn't castigate Bernie. He didn't throw him under the bus, and he didn't demand anything from Bernie or his campaign. Shaun simply expressed his personal opinion about what he thought about the email and how that meshed with Bernie's public response to it.
To Shaun King
Keep on speaking out and expressing your opinions from your perspective, because you know you're speaking for millions who aren't able to do what you do so well. I support you in your truth telling, and I understand you do it because it's a burning passion to seek justice for all of us and move this country forward. Don't let the name calling and "rude" people silence your voice in any way. You are carrying on the tradition of truth telling like James Baldwin, a black man who also made some white liberals uncomfortable, as well as the establishment. Julian Bond was also a courageous truth teller so you stand on the shoulders of giants.
I am one of many silent ones who often visit this blog, read your diaries and appreciate how you shed light on the ugly underside of American society. Just know that you are not alone in this fight - not by a mile.
Continue reading under the orange puff.
To Bernie Sanders Supporters
I like Bernie Sanders, and have watched him speak out on social issues for years on MSNBC. I know that Bernie is authentic in his support of social justice, and I'm aware that back in the day, he stood up for and with black people. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Bernie Sanders understands black people more than many of his followers, because he has befriended us, eaten with us, marched with us and debated with us. So, I've got no problem with Bernie as a person, or his views about people of color in America.
However...Bernie Sanders is NOT a God. He's not a social savior. He's not going to magically wave his hand and make America's troubled social problems disappear. Bernie Sanders is a man, and as a man, he is prone to making mistakes and being tone deaf at times.
Shaun King is NOT your enemy. He's NOT a spy for Hillary. He does NOT have a secret agenda to destroy Bernie Sanders. What he DOES have is an OPINION, and he has every right to express his opinions about what he thinks about your favorite political candidate.
Some of you are attempting to silence Shaun with your verbal and HR attacks merely because the man has an opinion you don't agree with. He DARED express doubts about Bernie's sincerity over efforts to reach out to influential blacks. Many of you are way over the top with your vitriol and disdain on this matter. To me you look ridiculous - like children having a temper tantrum.
Shaun said nothing that smeared Bernie, but Bernie and his supporters need to know when the message he's putting out there is not coming across like he intends. This whole Meet the Press bruhaha is obviously a case where Bernie is not in sync with key staffers on communicating with the black community. These are public mistakes that need to get ironed out if your guy wants to attract more black voters. Shaun simply pointed out an obvious problem with messaging that is causing him to doubt what Bernie is saying.
Sure, Bernie earned his props on civil rights back in the day, but Bernie and his followers need to realize there are lots of younger black people who don't know him, or what he's done in the past. This is a new era and new generation, and it's all about what Bernie Sanders intends to do for black folks now.
Bernie feels strongly he doesn't need to apologize for his reactions to BLM controversies. Fine. He should sit with his staffers and come up with a cohesive message that avoids apologizing, explains his views about BLM and current civil rights issues, and get everyone on the same page. This latest messaging issue is minor in the scheme of things, in my opinion, but some of you feel the need to blow it all out of proportion.
GROW UP!
Attacking Shaun like a pack of hungry hyenas isn't doing you any good, and you're not winning over the hearts and minds of the black community with your childish outbursts, whining, bitching and moaning. If you are not able to express your disagreements with Bernie's critics without going into hysterics, then maybe you need to stay on the playground. Yeah, that's where some of you are right now since you decided to take your white support ball and go home, after having your fee fees hurt by two black women who called you a bad name.
While I agree that those two sisters made a big mistake in how they used BLM to protest Bernie, and I don't like the ugly language they used. However, they don't represent all of BLM, or most black people on the issue of Black Lives Matter. They are two women who did their own thing. But, I see that many white liberals have the same problem that many whites in general share.
What's the problem you ask?
I'll lay it out for you.
Any bad thing one black person does applies to all black people. Therefore, what two black women BLM supporters did applies to all black BLM supporters, and therefore, the entire BLM movement is no longer worthy of your support.
Got it. You see many of us black folks get it. We've grown up seeing this same type of behavior. We know this white mindset so well that it's ingrained in our bones. We cringe every time a black person gets national news attention for doing something egregiously wrong, because we know many white folks will paint us all with the same "bad person" brush.
This attitude is why some cops feel free to hurt and kill us. Those cops and prosecutors feel this way, because it's an attitude that is prevalent among the general white population.
This is just one of the many things that I'm sure Bernie Sanders understands about black life here in America that many of his supporters don't get, because you don't really know us that well. I'm confident that Bernie will get things together and be able to address Shaun's doubts within a short time. But, I'm not confident at all about some of you who can't even handle any type of criticism - or expression of doubt.
Institutionalized racism in America is a complex issue that requires multiple solutions, and it won't be defeated without a coalition of black, white, red, yellow and brown people working together to end it. So, there's no time for playground antics when it comes to such a seriously entrenched problem.
Racism is strangling this country and we can't move forward and resolve other pressing problems such as economic poverty and global warming unless we can get rid of this asinine Jim Crow mess. I want Jim Crow to die and so do you. But, there are many in this society who benefit greatly from institutionalized racism and will do anything to keep it going.
We need a strong coalition to build our ideal multicultural society.
Frankly, many of you aren't ready for this fight. You're proving to me and other people of color that you are woefully unprepared to deal with all the slings and arrows that come with fighting the good fight. Racism against blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and people of Middle-Eastern heritage is a real issue that millions of us are aware of and deal with every day. It's an ugly thing, but we don't have a choice.
Whites, however, do have a choice. You can choose to be open to understanding where some of the anger at Bernie and white liberals comes from, learn how to talk to those who are expressing anger, and come up with positive solutions for dealing with it. Or, you can keep sucking on your white privilege pacifiers and turn away.
Whitesplaining how we're supposed to react to certain things, and placing conditions on your support is not going to cut it any longer.
This is one black person who is sick and tired of my people coddling white folks. We've been coddling you for hundreds of years. We've been dealing with being subjugated, beaten, killed, used, betrayed, ignored, yelled at, spit upon, threatened and told to shut up. And, generations of us learned not to share our true feelings about all of these things with our white friends, because we know many of you feel guilty, or can't relate to our struggles, and would rather avoid the whole subject of racism. It's uncomfortable to talk about.
Well, here's the truth...
It's heartbreaking and deeply disturbing for many of us when ugly, terrible things happen to our own as a result of ignorance, bigotry and intolerance. Instead of compassion and understanding, many whites shrug with indifference, or tell us we deserve the treatment, because (insert bullshit explanation here)...and such nonsense.
Enough is enough.
We're NOT going to be silenced. We're NOT going to be told how to express ourselves. We're NOT going to choose just one way to deal with racism. We're NOT going to rock you in our arms and soothe your hurt feelings like black mammies and live-in nannies did in the past.
It's time for white liberals to grow up on the issue of entrenched racism, economic and social injustice. You've been protected far too long, and now it's time you learn to deal with this stuff on your own. Yeah, we need your support, but we expect you to be able to toughen up and roll with the punches. Get over yourselves. My people have been dealing with hurt feelings and deep pain over this ugliness for hundreds of years. So, I'm not sympathetic to your temper tantrums over being called a few bad names over a temporary disagreement.
If you cannot handle the heat of this highly complex and controversial issue, do us all a favor and remain on the playground. Your tantrums are being ignored by those of us who want something done about institutionalized racism. You are of no use to us. Enjoy your games.
To those of you who continue to support BLM, but still feel the need to keep complaining about what those two inexperienced black women did to your guy...
Let it go. As a former Howard Dean supporter, I get your passion for Bernie, and understand you feel you must defend him, because he's a good man. That's all well and good, but please, don't make the mistake of holding onto bitter feelings and turning against a movement you believe in. BLM is not just those two, but many. I get that you feel hurt and disrespected (feelings that many people of color deal with all too often). Instead of stewing over it, try talking it out with other BLM supporters (or people of color you respect) who are willing to listen, and keep on keeping on.
To my white brothers and sisters who are truly making an effort to understand the black and brown struggle in America, institutionalized racism, urban poverty and how white privilege plays a role in all of these issues...
I appreciate you taking time to learn about the truth. I appreciate you making changes in your personal views, and I know you want to continue getting to know us better and figuring out how you can make a real difference. We can't change this culture of intolerance and injustice without you. Know that your efforts are worthwhile and that you are helping to build a new and better future in America.
Disagreements happen. Liberals, progressives and moderates who come here seeking truth, knowledge and ideas that support our worldview are sometimes going to fight. Hey, we're all passionate about the issues we care about, and don't always agree on the best approach to solving divisive problems. However, let's not bash each other to the point of alienation, because it's not worth it.
BLM is not the problem.
Shaun King is not the problem.
Hillary Clinton is not the problem.
Bernie Sanders is not the problem.
Institutionalized racism and its power to destroy lives is the problem.
As a person of color, I don't have the luxury of misunderstanding that, or blowing it off because some white people made me angry. I'm a part of this struggle for justice and the right to fair treatment regardless of race, creed or color, and I'm letting you know that we will never stop moving forward. If my people let name calling stop us, we wouldn't have made so much progress over these last 200 years.
I hope that the next time Shaun writes something about Bernie Sanders that you don't agree with, you can at least respect his right to share his opinion. Every person of color is entitled to say anything we want about how political candidates handle issues that matter to us, and systematic racial oppression matters a whole lot to millions of us.
As for our big, passionate family of liberals and progressives...we're all on the right side of history, and we need to keep supporting each other so we can WIN.
Meanwhile, we can fight all we want, as long as we kiss and hug each other afterwards. Let's get back to sharing our favorite snacks and drinks while watching the other side have meltdowns over their crazy mess.
As they say, "Only the strong survive."
I know I'm strong. Shaun is strong. Bernie is strong. Hillary is strong. Obama is strong.
How strong are you?