June 19th 2008- Fox News on Black Women

Watch this clip before you read this note: [This clip has since been removed by Youtube, it is basically a clip of Fox News commentator Cal Thomas making racist remarks about a black female politician. He claims that black women are too often complaining and that they are always angry.]

First and foremost let me say, in any "racial" or ethnic group, any religious,cultural, regional group of people or whatever the case may be, each person within that group is not the same. I may be what Republicans like to call a "New York Times reading latte drinker" ( I actually don't even drink coffee) but that doesn't mean that I don't also go to a church. Every church goer doesn't hate gay people and the list goes on. So I am always offended when anyone makes a generalization about Black people, because of course that is a group that I belong too, but as the infamous T. I says "you don't know me." As each member of this cultural group is different, many of us do identify with one another and we share a struggle (contrary to what some believe, Black women do have a struggle in this country and in this world.) So a lot of black women enjoy Essence or Heart and Soul magazines, as with any demographic, there are things that we have in common.

I am reluctant to say that I am angry about what Cal Thomas said, because that would play right into what he is saying, but I do have a right to be offended when someone makes a rude remark about Black women. But his comment is clearly indicative of the lack of diversity in images within the media. Cal Thomas may have his own biases that prompted him to say what he said, but there are people who agree with him, who get their concept of what a black women is from the media. Black women are a diverse group within ourselves, yet every time I turn on the TV, I see the "Levita Alize Jenkins" types from Steve Harvey, or the "Honey chile" types from the Pine Sol commercials or that silly Dr. Miracles commercial " What you saying about my hair?!" or the "I didnt get no sleep cause of you types" etc. So of course people from the outside looking in are going to assume thats what Black women are, they are not going to understand that many black women are cool calm and collected, they don't snap their necks or beat their kids or wear head rags all day long. Some do all of the above. Some are bohemian and would rather eat Sushi than fried chicken. Some are angry, some are confused, some are oblivious to the struggle of a black women, some don't care. Personally, I am not angry....anger consumes you, and I'm not sick and tired either, I'm too young to be sick and tired. I am vigilant, and working hard to try to right some of the wrongs that exist in our world for black women, and I am firm in my views. I am disgusted at some of the things black people, poor people, latinos, middle eastern people etc have endured at the hands of this country's political and social structure. I have every right to be.