I always attempt to give black conservatives the benefit of the doubt for a few reasons (among others): (1) People have a right to their opinion, (2) it’s difficult to be a black conservative since you are going against the grain and (3) I used to be a black conservative/moderate and not that long ago. Still, I am always amazed at how some black conservatives turn a blind eye to the use of racial politics against black progressives. Yet, many of these same black conservatives are lightning quick to follow the conservative herd that demands blacks are accused of ”playing the race card” whenever most issues of race come up (particularly related to controversial issues of varying degrees). As I’ve written several times before, “playing the race card” is a shield used by many conservatives to deflect people off the disguised and more subtle racism being used by far too many hardcore conservatives (obviously not all, but far too many).
With that as the backdrop, let me mention this blog I stumbled across posted on Booker Rising:
I commented last week in one of the threads that Van Jones, the now-former green jobs czar for the Obama administration, was an Eldridge Cleaveresque black nationalist. Mr. Jones reminds Duane Brayboy, a conservative blogger, of the “talk black, sleep white” black nationalist character in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” (1988): “Just some closing point on Van Jones~
# Jones said that he was a victim of a ‘vicious smear campaign’ against him. So now it is considered a ’smear’ if your past comments and actions are repeated to the public.
# I, we, all expected, Van Jones’ departure is being blamed on race. The left is gonna burn up all their race cards – and we have not completed one year of Obama’s Presidency. Seriously, all this race card business is shaping up into a live version of the boy who cried ‘wolf’. More sooner than later, the race card is going to lose its effectiveness.
# I have no problem at all with interracial marriages. But all I could do was laugh when I saw the following picture. Van Jones is ‘Kalinga’.”
This is a picture of Van Jones and his family. Apparently it bothered a few ignorant people that he has a white wife and biracial kids.
A few points I will make:
- I am always amazed at how people love to try and pain someone with a broad brush based on knowing very little about a person. More and more people are trying to paint Van Jones as this angry black radical who is highly militant (note the reference above to Eldridge Cleaver). Then, sadly, the writer’s point heads downhill thanks to attempts to make fun of Jones by comparing him to a character in the comedy movie “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” It’s an interesting comparison, but it seems you first (to a greater or lesser degree) accept the premise that Jones is an angry and black radical for the comparison to the character in the movie to work.
- The smear is based on Glenn Beck who was angry that ColorOfChange targeted him for his vicious attack on President Obama. Beck targeted Van Jones (I believe) because he was once affiliated on a high leve with the group. Beck used his platform on Fox News and on the radio to wage a campaign against Jones. There is nothing wrong with people having to answer for their words and deeds of the past, but when someone initiates a campaign to smear you (even using your own words and deeds) that is a smear campaign. Beck set out at nearly every turn to attempt to take down Jones using the truth at times, stretching the truth at times and being dishonest at times.
- I mentioned earlier about conservatives using race (for example … Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh almost every day of their lives) to attack blacks and then accusing blacks and other liberals of “playing the race card” when race comes back at them.
- It’s interesting to have no problem with interracial marriages but to then turn around and laugh at the picture of an interracial family and make fun of the family by negatively comparing it to characters in a comedy. It’s almost like saying, “I’m not racist … I have black friends.” Then, you proceed to say something racist or you say that after you’ve said something racist.
- As far as “playing the race card” some would argue you can only play the hand your dealt.
Then there were these two responses to the article:
Robin Martin, a conservative Republican blogger, writes: “On yesterday I decided to see if Van Jones had a Facebook page so that I could read the words of encouragement offered to him by his supporters and I happened upon this picture of Van Jones and his family….Now please understand that I have absolutely no problem with interracial marriage (especially for the sistahs – but that’s another blog post) but I hardly expected to see Van Jones in an interracial marriage. I had to scratch my head. This morning as I read my daily dose of the BlackInformant, I noticed that Duane had the same reaction and related it to a scene from ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”….Ah come on, can’t you take a joke…lol”.
Booker Rising response: Yeah, that’s why you almost never see his wife near Mr. Jones when he’s giving one of his fiery “power to black people; down with whitey” speeches. Very, very few photos of them posing together as well. Mr. Jones practically hides his family. Then again, how ya gonna build a black nation/black unity/you name it when your wife is white? Negro, please…
Being in an interracial relationship does not mean you can’t fight for the rights of people of color. People act as if you sign away your blackness if you get into an interracial relationship. People act like you can’t be down for black causes if you are married to a white person. This is just plain ignorant.
By the way, check out this video to see how “Mr. Jones practically hides his family.”
http://bravenation.com/carl_pope_van_jones.php
Booker Rising:
http://www.bookerrising.net/2009/09/van-jones-kalinga.html
