Comments on: Jackson v. Obama

By: Does Jackson Have The Right Idea? · Articles

Does Jackson Have The Right Idea? · Articles — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:18:37 +0000

[...] post on Jesse Jackson calling Obama out on “Acting White” on the Jena Six issue inspires a few of my own musings. I don’t like the specific rhetoric, [...]

By: Karol

Karol — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:01:14 +0000

I have a real issue with anyone using the term “acting ____” if your social circle is predominately one race or another you’re called a “traitor” of sorts. I have a majority of black friends, we all grew up in a mostly black neighborhood. I have heard the question time and again “why are you trying to act black?” How exactly do you ACT a color? It sickens me every time I hear it, and I always respond with “colors can act? Damn, my crayon box was pretty dull then” I get apologies and the typical “oh you know what I mean”…naw, I really don’t.

I use slang of the neighborhood in which I grew up, does that make me someone who is “acting black”? If I grew up in a trailer park in the south and said “hey ya’ll we fixin to go to the store” would I be more acceptable?

My ex-husband (a black man) grew up in the south, had no accent, 13 tattoo’s, long hair, and listened to grunge metal, was told he was “acting white” because he didn’t talk “right” (i.e. using slang and ‘country english’)

The US needs to grow up and realize that the way someone talks, the people they surround themselves with, or their ambition is NOT predetermined by their racial group. There are those who are slackers and those who excel in EVERY race on the planet.

By: DLS

DLS — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:58:48 +0000

Nope. The guy who wants the circus is Rev'r'n'd Al, Baby! [tm].

By: DLS

DLS — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:36:51 +0000

Jackson is an idiot, again. Now he wants a Congressional circus (he wants a “hearing”) in which the District Attorney is to be grilled by (pompous, posturing) politicians (some of whom also want this).

By: George Sorwell

George Sorwell — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:35:33 +0000

What domajot said (and said quite well!).

By: Does Jackson Have The Right Idea? » The Moderate Voice

Does Jackson Have The Right Idea? » The Moderate Voice — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:54:04 +0000

[...] post on Jesse Jackson calling Obama out on “Acting White” on the Jena Six issue inspires a few of my own musings. I don’t like the specific rhetoric, [...]

By: donkeyportrait

donkeyportrait — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:13:58 +0000

By: donkeyportrait

donkeyportrait — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:13:55 +0000

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:58:17 +0000

Jesse Jackson is an ass. He’s traded a great deal of his legitimacy in the civil rights movement in order to become a political power broker. His primary concerns are power and money, civil activism is just his vehicle for getting it. Talk about acting white.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:59:10 +0000

I’m about the whitest white person you could ever meet, and I went to one of the whitest colleges on the planet. But I made most of my friends when I joined a sorority geared towards minority women. One afternoon, I was walking with one of the other members and we were talking about one of the black guys on campus and I said “how does he even count as black? He listens to rock music, he dresses like a goth – he’s the antithesis of black.” I didn’t even realize how racist that had to sound, especially to a black woman. But she (very coolly) responded that his personality and his lifestyle are not predetermined by his race. We shouldn’t let the stereotypes cloud our judgments of people, especially when they are based on something as inconsequential as skin color. I think that was one of the deeper and more important lessons I learned in college.

By: The Detroit Times » Black Democrats Throw Obama under the Bus

The Detroit Times » Black Democrats Throw Obama under the Bus — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:24:41 +0000

[...] The Swamp, CNN Political Ticker, Captain’s Quarters, The Atlantic Online, The Moderate Voice, Political Radar, Cliff Schecter, Stop The ACLU, On Deadline and small dead animals, Hot Air, News [...]

By: domajot

domajot — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:00:05 +0000

Isn’t Jackson’s ‘not black enough’ criticism just another version of criticizing Edwards for not being poor enough?

Stupid criticisms abound.

By: DLS

DLS — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:33:36 +0000

Acting white = acting mainstream. Other than hard-core multiculturalists and professional victims and their exploiters, people see nothing wrong with that.

By: T-Steel

T-Steel — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:19:27 +0000

Just from my viewpoint, at my law school, some of the angriest people about this issue are white students, so he is insulting white people by equating their skin color with their values. Also, â€œacting like heâ€™s whiteâ€ is a bunch of high school BS. I was accused of â€œacting like I think Iâ€™m whiteâ€ by other black students in high school for trying to excel academically. Grow up.

I was treated the same way in high school for the same reasons as you cited Angela. Unfortunately, I had a temper and “cracked a few heads” to earn respect. Not one of my finer moments. On to the issue at hand:

This is precisely the reason why Jesse Jackson is foolish. “Acting white” is a disparaging term that some black people use without really thinking about what they are saying. White people are universally slandered with that statement and black folks are hurt and embarrassed by it. It’s a no win situation when you invoke “acting white”. The Jena 6 situation is terrible and ALL PEOPLE should be concerned about the unfairness of the situation. Guess Ol’ Jesse will now start with “the man keeping him down” talk now.