Seriously: if the Mike Brown killing hadn’t happened, I’m convinced this would have been THE story.
Between this, the video that revealed the cops blatantly lied about what happened,and police officers having the nerve to publicly blame an innocent 12 year old for his own death because he was so FREAKISHLY TALL (Um, 5′6″) this really is one of the most ghastly things ever.
“The whole trend of white girls appropriating black culture was so corny—it was more corny than it was offensive. Trust me, I’m not offended: All the things I’m trying to run away from in my black American experience are all the things that they’re celebrating. So if they fuckin’ want them, have them; if they want to be considered oversexualized and ignorant every time they open their fucking mouth, then fucking take it. But more than that, the art is not good. These songs are not good. It’s like, “Oh my God, you’re doing this black woman impression, is that what the fuck you think of me, bitch? I need to meet the black woman that you’re imitating because I’ve never met any black woman who acts that bizarre.” It’s crazy that this becomes mainstream culture. All of America is celebrating shit like that. It’s so weird.”-Azealia Banks interview for Pitchfork
When you saw “The Hunger Games,” who did you root for? Katniss and her beleaguered community? Or people in the Capitol wearing pink eyelashes and obliviously eating until they vomited while the people in other districts starved?
Ok, next question: When you saw the protests in Baltimore, who did you feel for? Because if what you did was look down on the protestors for disturbing the peace, break out the rainbow wigs and sparkle mascara because you might be from the Capitol.
White folks can empathize with fictional white people but the minute they are faced with actual dystopian shit happening to people of color, they do not care.
This country has never stopped seeing Black people as property to exploit. We are not human. We are not people. We are the permanent racial underclass. And as such it angers those who want to keep the status quo intact.
it’s offensive because it’s directly hijacking the method that black people used to create awareness for themselves. moreover, it’s because Asian invasion and all those other minority selfie days are born out of the kind of attitude you’re exuding in this message–“why can’t WE have this for ourselves, why does it always have to be out of THEM”, etc. it’s particularly interesting that you would approach me, someone who’s an avid participant in Asian-American activism, and think that I don’t believe in protests for our own race. of course I want us to have more visibility, just not in a way that takes away from a valuable and often-ignored conversation about black beauty and excellence. fuck off.
Your skin color doesn’t offend me, your arrogance does. Your pale skin doesn’t cause me disgust, your entitlement does. Your complexion doesn’t bother me, your need to tell me what I need and then feel oppressed when I don’t need your help does.
