Friday, May 15, 2009

Why don’t you speak about the evils of white men?


What do you see?




So, why don’t you speak on the evils of white men?

I think black women are well acquainted and comprehensively so, of the evils of white men. As far as I am aware black women are in no doubt whatsoever that white men:

Raped our foremothers
Made us slaves
Instituted racism and actively discriminate
Visit police brutality on black people etc etc etc

White men’s evil is old news, common knowledge and common analysis (we are at this point very much in need of new understanding and further analysis to bring a better picture of what ails us as black women).

In addition 'White man as originator of all evil' gives a huge and blanket covering for other groups to keep hiding their own deliberate oppressive behaviour towards black women. In other words, they can brutalize black women and point at white men as being somehow responsible for shaping their actions. Often times this leads them to be treated leniently while black women are denied full redress.

Indeed if a white female boss victimizes a black woman and if this situation, is pursued in court, and if the white female is able to argue that the white man somehow made her act 'out of character'(often by saying he created the climate under which she was forced to act in such a way), and manages by this to gain some leniency, well guess who has been short changed in terms of full justice? You guessed it, the black woman.

Yet, if we imagine this scenario but replace white women with white men, a black woman has access to enough analysis to make a strong case for the full weight of the law to come down on him. She can claim sexism and racism; both recognised as discrimination and frowned upon generally. Yes the analysis for recognizing white males as victimizers, oppressors and misusers is in place and it is unambiguous.

Black women must understand that it is not in their interest to gloss over details when it comes to analyzing oppression, because it is in the finer details that black women‘s real situation is revealed.

Do not be thrown off the scent by some broad arguments out there of how others are 'victims' and all are 'victims' of white men.

If a black man beats down and beats up a black woman and then claims that overarching racism has placed burdens and stresses upon him to the extent that he 'brutalizes the black woman', and if he manages to gain leniency as a result, guess who has been short-changed in terms of justice and redress? You got it again; the black woman. Using a simple analogy, if the black man had to pay for the black woman’s medical treatment and was able to slash the amount due to half the value, then the black women gets treatment worth half the value of what should be due her, regardless of the fact that her injuries are just the same as if her attacker had been white (an attack for which she could claim full compensations).

We must see as simply dangerous, any discourse that does not visit equal condemnation and guilt to all oppressors of black women. Any act of direct oppression towards black women must not be made less, because it is occurring in ‘wider’ oppressive fields. This would be ratifying and endorsing certain conditions under which it is ok to annihilate black women and this loop hole must never exist for anyone to exploit. What made them do what they did? Let others worry and concern themselves about that, we have to ensure our survival. Indeed the most important thing here is black women being able to continue to ’present’ as entities among all other beings on this planet, and if there is a ’clause’ under which their destruction becomes ’excusable’ or ‘tolerated’, then it is a call for this to happen.

Black women MUST recognise a need for a black woman-centered analysis of oppression, which simply is an analysis which makes no concessions to any, but calls for equal and maximum penalties to be meted out to all and any who victimize black women. This serve as a deterrent to those who would attempt to hide behind the accepted discourse of 'white men are the source of all evil' to acquire leniency for acts of deliberate aggression against black women.

It is not for us to worry about what would happen to our attacker or to 'feel' for them because their poor life experinces made them whatever. We must careless or else we will be sitting ducks for them indeed why dont they target other demograhics if it is just a simple matter of their hard life making them do whatever? No it isnt just about 'their hard life', it is about an opportunity to express their damage on those who have less recourse because of their social positioning. It is about target practice on those who society does not adequately and actively protect. Therefore, our focus must be on sending a strong detering message to any would be exploiters and abusers.

We continue to foolishly adopt an approach that enables others to argue against paying the full pound of flesh for targeting us. This is indeed and again the repeating symptom of black women not understanding their interests, because it is for others to argue for concessions and reprieve, it is for us black women to vehemently reject such proposals!

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9 comments:

foreverloyal said...

Bringing it as usual Halima!

Zabeth said...

Excellent commentary. There really isn't anything to add.

I think this shows that we as BW really have to think about our station in life and our well being. We've got to get away from the idea that others do have a "common interest" and will look out for us because the inverse is the reality.

Khadija said...

Halima said: "Black women MUST recognise a need for a black woman-centered analysis of oppression, which simply is an analysis which makes no concessions to any, but calls for equal and maximum penalties to be meted out to all and any who victimize black women."

YES!!! {raised fist salute}

Peace, blessings and solidarity.

Anonymous said...

Great post!

This is an extreme example, but years ago I was dating an abusive black male. I managed to escape the relationship after a year of physical and emotional torment. During that time, I told my abusive ex about a white guy i had dated right before him. I broke things off with the white guy (who treated me great and was a sweetheart) to be with the black guy because he was Nigerian like me, and i believed that was my cultural ideal.

Well when he found out that I was with a white guy, he was livid and talked about how i had slept with the slavemaster and how i was now unclean.

I simply said to him that the one who was vistimizing was him, not my white ex.

There were many many lessons from that "relationsip", but the onle that applies here is that clinging to tradtion and the idea of a "black family" can be dangerous, unhealthy, and cause one to sell themselves short.

Pamela said...

More than likely the problems that bw will have in the dating scene will be from bm, not wm, mainly because of who they choose to date.
Check out every man you deal with. Bottom line. There are unique dynamics taking place with differing groups BUT the bottom line is to only select the best man that is going in the same direction as you are. There are bad men everywhere. Weed them out quickly and move on.

I'm really glad to see bw opening their options. Those that scrape up the nerve to do so will probably be glad they did.

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

Hi Halima!

I think this is a rare moment for me!! I happened to drive by and see this post and had to give a comment!

You said:
"In addition 'White man as originator of all evil' gives a huge and blanket covering for other groups to keep hiding their own deliberate oppressive behaviour towards black women."I agree with that wholeheartedly.

I have listened to many black men state that black women who date interracially "gloss over" the history of oppression of white men.

Bogus!The fact remains that more black men have killed black women than all of the white men in the history of this country.

Have they not looked at those stats?

The fact remains that more black men have raped black women than all white men in the history of this country.

Have they not looked at those stats?

What makes those statistics even more horrific is that black men only represent about 5% of the nation's population....

When you mention the statistics, then the accusation is launched that you are bashing black men. Ummmm...presenting what is verifiable is "bashing"??

I don't think so....

Just point them to Google and allow them to do the work themselves...

Riot Nrrrd™ said...

Hi, token WM stopping by here, puzzled by the use of a photo of Aretha Franklin collaborating with Jerry Wexler (co-founder of Atlantic Records, a label that certainly one of the greatest examples of White men - 2 Jewish men to be exact - trying to be color-blind and help push the careers of many of our fabulous Black musicians).

No disagreement with any of the post (love me some swirl, that's why I'm reading! lol), mind you, just curious about the juxtaposition Halima!

Halima said...

I think you answered your question. I am trying to show here that what the picture suggests to those who are suspicious of white men, is not really the truth of the situation. I guess this is one aspect of 'the doctrine of the evil white man' rearing its head.

david said...

@ blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogspot.com. hi, I am a black teen boy, some of what you said is incorrect.white men has killed and raped black women waaay more than black men has. they just never put any of that on record. As I descovered, the so called"police" is not for us at all. since the time of slavery the police was a white man's best friend and they would called them on black men i we ran away from the plantation. the police and jail worked as a team for more than 300 year to bring down or extinct the race of african americans, starting with the black man. dont get wrong there is some black men that do dumb stuff to get into jail just for bragging rights thinking its all cool. me and my family has been accosted many times from the police...all...white men. my dad, held at gun piont more than a dozen times for no reason by a white police officer. he made complaints to the stations and courts. never put on record. My mom, sexually harrassed by a white officer. Made a complaint to the stations and courts, never put on record or brung to justice. Me,my 16 year old brother, and 14 year old sister, held up at gun piont for the first time in out ENTIRE lives, by white officers because they said they "thought" we were highjacking a car when we were happily entering with smiles
on our faces the car our MOM was in to go home. they pionted a gun even at her. This happened 4 nights ago. We put our complaints in and they didnt go on record. The system trys to keep white people looking good but when you meet them face to face, their the nastiest people you ever met. Dont get me wrong not all whites are like that. I got a white friend and he's my brother from another mother with a different color,lol. but thats the other thing, us blacks look at each other and think"uggh, he's just another dumb n-word".but see a white man and say "hello and good morning, anything I can do for you sir?". Now, black woman constantly complain that black men keep abusing them but when I over hear them of what type of guys black women want, its always a bad ass gangtsa or mean thug...ive NEVER heard a black woman say they want a black man who's a chemist or a doctor, or business man...Most of the time i feel horrible for a brilliant strong black woman is battered and abussed by some thuggy black man. I dont want to sound like Im making an excuse from those bad men but most of them has never had a father figure in their lives and think that they can make a million selling drugs and never get caught. I am still growing up with my mother and father and we have a great family relationship with each other.but nowadays a black man really needs a black woman. If they are a successful black woman, show that black man that he can be successful too, just force his butt off the couch and say "get a job or get outta here!!!" He still might not do anything or even show love for you but its better to help someone than leaving them for dead. Most of the time a well functioning family or relationship is usually runned by the will and grace of a woman. look how white woman treat black men. they dont have that attitude that most black woman have toady. If the guy is still abusing you, thats the sign for you to leave him and go for something better, but theres nothing stronger in this world than a womans love. For example, president obama and first lady michele. she make obama feel like he runs the world. look at every time he goes out there she always cheers him on. I know im still a little too young to under stand the complexcity of an adults relationship. I have a black girl friend and i treat her with the upmost respect.I've never hit her, called the b-word or called worthless. I plan on getting people away from that mentality of the typical "black man" and hopefully become a great man in the futer. I want to become an air force pilot and if that dont work out, I want to became an artist. thank your time