These are the comments coming in on the facebook page of Dr. Boyce Watkins:
is the issue that he used the term negro or that he stated what we already know but only talk about in our community? personally, i’m only saddened by his used of the term "negro"…demonstrates how archaic his perspective is…
Yesterday at 4:22pm ·
"NEGRO???" ….I’m speechless. (well, not really… but nothing I’d say here. I’ll pause before reacting.)
Yesterday at 4:42pm ·
I don’t know what in the hell, Mr. Reid was thinking about using the word "NEGRO". That is simply racist. I mean you had the audacity to call him out because of his intellectual and how well he speaks. Yes he might be light-skined, but he is still black and a great candidate. That is to show how people envy each other. It is ashamed.
Yesterday at 5:38pm ·
Wow! I agree with Carlos though. We all know that Reid stated the truth. We know that talking "White" or being light skinned makes us more palatable to others – including ourselves. Do I agree with that reality? It does not matter. But I prefer to use proper English when I speak and write. The truth is: Your opportunities are limited when you do…See More
Yesterday at 5:46pm ·
@Yvonne, Why would rather have a white man call you a NEGRO, do you think that something is wrong with that. Plus I agree that your brother or sister shouldn’t call you a nigger as well as white people calling you NEGRO.
Yesterday at 5:50pm ·
Plus, I am a young person and I don’t text or IMG- messaging, but sometimes when you are texting to someone, you don’t want to take long and write the whole letter out, but the problem is young people get addicted to texting that they forget how to write the correct way or use accurate grammer.
Yesterday at 5:51pm ·
wow. OK, I agree w/Yvonne about Sen. Reid. VERY good point. I have to take exception to the "Nigger" comment, tho. You know very well that’s not the sense of the word as used in the popular black vernacular and social experience. If you’re going to keep Reid’s remark in context (which is correct) then you have to do the same thing regarding the N word debate.
Yesterday at 5:53pm ·
@Jeff, well the N word debate is endless and people are going to have their own views on the N word. PERIOD. People are going to be stubborn about the N word and whether if want to use it or not.
Yesterday at 5:57pm ·
@Victoria – please do research on the various ACCEPTABLE terms we have used as a race of people. I am not speaking of UNACCEPTABLE terms like Nigger or Jungle Bunnies. You will find among the ACCEPTABLE terms the words Negro, Colored, Afro-American, Black, and African American. It does not make sense to me that those ACCEPTABLE terms would become …See More
Yesterday at 6:35pm ·
@Jeff – In my opinion, the younger generations have accepted mediocrity as the norm; whereas, our ancestors were and elders are about dignity. Since the term Nigger was unacceptable to my ancestors, the term is unacceptable to me. I do not care how much ignorant black folks use the term or try to justify it. (When I use the term ignorant, I mean people do not know better.) Evil and wrongdoing are enticing but lead to destruction!
Yesterday at 7:40pm ·
@I can understand your opinion, but I am not concern about the terms like colored or Afro-American. Those words I can accept, but I was unsure about the word "NEGRO. To me it is offense, but you are entitled to your opinion. Also, on the Reid’s case. That was my point when I wrote a comment on that, because people expect us to be "bad boy" in the …See More
Yesterday at 7:44pm ·
Of course we must respect the elders on this issue. My take on it is that young ppl are smarter than given credit for. They will work and sacrifice on a cause when they see legitimate leadership stand up. I know about this from experience. Also, transforming the MEANING of a word takes the power from the original dastardly intentions of the old racists.
That said, I would always respect the elders’ feelings and thoughts no matter what. I know the history, and it’s nothing to mess with.
Yesterday at 8:00pm ·
I…See More
Yesterday at 8:05pm ·
@Victoria – I order you to stop using the word Black to describe us ASAP. (Just funning!) The point: There is no difference between Black and Negro, because Negro means black in Spanish and Portuguese.
Can we agree that it does not matter what people call us . . . it matters only what we answer to? I really, really do not care how other people define me. I focus on living a life that adds to, not take away, from what my ancestors and elders fought to achieve.
Yesterday at 8:06pm ·
When I finish my dissertation, I may officially change my name to Dr. Nigga. …sorry, couldn’t resist that one.
Yesterday at 8:10pm ·
Jeff, DIG THAT!
Yesterday at 8:12pm ·
C’monnnn! (in my congregation shouting voice).
Yesterday at 8:14pm ·
@Jeff – I believe that young folks have leaders. Their leaders are different from the leaders of yesterday though. The leaders of yesterday fought for freedom and civil rights; whereas, the leaders of today fight for a different kind of freedom. They endorse this notion that anything goes. Look at the outcome! We are in a state of emergency as a people.
Yesterday at 8:20pm ·
Yvonne, we;ve been in a state of emergency since we came over! Constantly under attack from day one! THE ONLY THING DIFFERENT IS HEATTACKS ARE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING EXTERNAL…
Yesterday at 8:24pm ·
@Yvonne,
Now I can agree that it doesn’t matter what people call us, but my point is people should not call us that "term" in the first place, but you are correct about how you respond to those terms. I just feel that the term "black" is okay and I don’t have a problem being calling black, because I am black, but people have to realized that black …See More
Yesterday at 8:25pm ·
Yvonne. Yes we are. They (we, me) have been seduced to worship the dollar. Not even realizing that false idol is itself quickly becoming worth 50 cent. There is no leadership today, and I stand accused and guilty of slacking in that regard since I know better and even ENJOY political leadership. When leadership of the caliber we saw in the 60s …See More
Yesterday at 8:27pm ·
@Jeff, I would agree that young people are smarter and they know their way out. I am also a young person who knows what to do. On a different topic, I feel that in this world,there has been lacking of teaching to the youth because they are informed enough. Now what you have to say about that?
Yesterday at 8:27pm ·
Victoria, read my last comment and I’m not clear on your question. "there has been a lacking of teaching to the youth because they are informed enough." Who is informed enough?
Yesterday at 8:29pm ·
@Jeff, that was a mistype. I meant not informed. I know you stating that there is a lack of leadership in this world. As leaders we need to step up and take commends. Also the children are not informed enough because we don’t have enough role models, especially in the inner cities to push the kids to greatness. Jeff, I am going back to a T.V show …See More
Yesterday at 8:34pm ·
OK. gotcha. Here’s the deal straight up, no chaser. The fact that we are not chaining ourselves to public schools en masse, and fighting to the death for economic policy change, and free, curriculum-revolutionized universal education from Pre-K to the PhD level for all Americans (starting with the dilapidated school infrastructure in the inner …See More
Yesterday at 8:40pm ·
@Victoria @ Carlos @Jeff – it has been great having this debate. This is what I learned: We have to take personal responsibility, define ourselves, and commit to help others (even as leaders).
@Victoria – I am probably the only person who will not use texting language beyond LOL, OMG, and LMAO. I fight a losing battle daily getting my nephews to …See More
Yesterday at 8:56pm ·
Yea, in Germany they don’t athletic scholarship or America, because in America they have a lot of scholarship for athletic. I do feel you on what you say about we having to fight for everything we owned. I mean that the economy is horrible and people are constantly losing jobs. Jeff, do you remember when Obama was supposed to say a speech to the younger kids about education and some schools refused to listen to his speech. I think that what caused the youth violence to continue or got worst.
Yesterday at 9:03pm ·
Obama is in a unique position, but he’s only as good as his citizens allow or force him to be.
@Yvonne – ur right about the dumbed down language issue. One trick I use is to try leveraging their interest in computers and the internet as a segue to talking about and researching computer theory and science, one of the forefronts of physics/mathematics right now. No simple solution to this problem, tho.
Yesterday at 9:07pm ·
@Yvonne, that’s what happened when people text. I agree that I use "LOL, and LAMO, but I don’t use OMG. That is not me at all. Also younger kids need to be taught the importance of grammer and proper english because other races expect African-American to mis used grammer and to not speak proper english. It seems to me that anything that us black folks do, it always seem negative to the white people. It is ashamed
Yesterday at 9:08pm ·
@ Victoria Boateng
I can understand if you feel the term "negro" is the same as the word "ni—-" but in the U.S., THAT viewpointnot prevalent among most American blacks.
"Negro" is a term that black people used openly and did not feel debased. We still have organizations in 2010 that use "Negro" and "Colored".
National Council of Negro Women..
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ……See More
Yesterday at 11:43pm ·
@Blackwomen blow the trumpt,
I see your point about that, but I am not okay with the term "nigger, but some people feel that it is okay to use that word and that is not the case. The term "Negro" is okay with me, because the term has been used for many years. Another thing that you didn’t use is the Negro Little Legue, or saying that Jackie …See More
Yesterday at 11:56pm ·
I feel you Boyce… but… ionno it doesnt sit well with me.
3 hours ago ·
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Reid’s comments reveal more of a generational than a racial divide — he just hasn’t caught up with things yet….and that has to be embarrassing for a self-professed liberal. Liberals love black people as a whole, just not individually, i.e., I’ll fight for your housing rights but don’t move in next to me. In one respect, however, he’s right, and I gotta go along with Bill Cosby on this one. If you are black, and you want job advancement in America, then do what white people do — dress appropriately (want a clue? Look what everyone else in the office is wearing) and please, speak proper English. Nothing is more irritating to ANYone than to call up an office on official business and be greeted by a receptionist who comes on with barely intelligible street jive. The message is, “I’m not well educated and I’m not ashamed of that. In fact, I expect you to respect my ‘street cred’ which makes me cooler than you.’ We cannot succeed in the world if we glorify the lowest common denominator. Same thing holds true for Spanish in Miami – please, if you can’t speak English, take come classes before you take a shot at the job market dealing with people who DO speak English. Just get practical, people – that’s all you need to do.
Reading most of the comments, I think we fail to realize that it hadn’t been all to long ago when we were openly call the N word. So to expect all people of other races to not to still feel that way is insane. Yes they dress it up for us, but don’t be fooled one bit, that this deep hatred for us has somehow gone away. Growing up in the deep south, I learned that other races tend to accept blacks that remind them more of themselves. It will always be a dispair between dark and light skin people when it comes to acceptance. I challenge you to think, would President Obama been elected had he been a dark skin brother. My guess is he would have made it out of the debates. I have co-workers who have openly told me that their parents said and I quote “I guess he’s not half bad” Senator Reid was just saying a spin off of what they use to say in the good ole days.
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