Althouse: How a black man could be white in the American South in the 1940s.

July 19, 2014

How a black man could be white in the American South in the 1940s.

Wear a turban!

38 comments:

Scott said...: That's just Sikh.; 7/19/14, 10:29 PM
averagejoe said...: Anyone familiar with Korla Pandit?; 7/19/14, 10:30 PM
David said...: Someone was scraping the barrel for an essay topic. It worked for one guy, maybe two. The others that tried it, maybe we did not hear from them again.; 7/19/14, 10:37 PM
Ambrose said...: Funny, but a white man could be a "minority' today by doing the same.; 7/19/14, 10:44 PM
Alex said...: Crack click-bait.; 7/19/14, 11:50 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Outsmarting whites.

Blacks are so stupid.

As that racist, Unknown, recently said, whites have geniuses, blacks - not so much.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!; 7/20/14, 12:03 AM
rcommal said...: I'm herein interested in both the notion of "Asiatic" and "mid-20th century" and more!

Especially if mid-20th century means the 1940s...

...which decade also included the mass relocation and internment by the U.S. government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt of those classified as Japanese, native Americans or not.

FDR approved the notion that a Jap is a Jap, and the culture of our U.S. country, all of the cultures of our U.S. country then, for the most part, went along with that.

---

It is for this collection of reasons that my attention has gotten caught by this post--

--and why I'm herein interested...; 7/20/14, 1:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Crack would have you believe the same is true today.; 7/20/14, 2:36 AM
Chuck said...: And how a white woman could get on to the Harvard Law School faculty in the 1980's... check off the "Native American" box on your application form.; 7/20/14, 3:28 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

When a man with a turban walks down my block I place myself on high alert. Turbans amongst the suburbans can easily lead to anarchy. Still, I am neighborly unless I need to act otherwise; I wave 'hello' and the man nods. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 4:41 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

The black family at the rental house threw a party the other night. Cars parked helter-skelter throughout the neighborhood, loud thumping ethnic music after 10:00 AM. Being black, they may not understand the etiquette of the neighborhood as of yet: I let them off with a severe unspoken warning. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 4:45 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

I saw one of the black teenage boys talking with the adulterers' teenage daughter: this can inevitably only lead to anal sex or pregnancy, I know how this world works. I will keep my eye on them. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 4:48 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

I spoke with the adulterers' teenage daughter: I know how this world works, and felt it my duty to educate her on what black boys want from young white women; she laughed and said there's no problem, he's gay. I had suspected the boy was bad news, anal-sex-wise: it is good to have my sensitivities confirmed. Still, I will keep my eye on him: sometimes gay people have straight sex, too -- I've read that. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 4:53 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

I do not have a problem with black people in the neighborhood, especially if they are only renting. Someone had called the cops on their party that night; three patrol cars showed up, lights flashing. Evidently someone else in the neighborhood took it upon themselves to usurp my Authority. I will make it my mission to discover who this interloper is. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 4:57 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

Sometimes the gay black son has black friends over to the rental house: maybe they are all gay, maybe they are a gay gang. Being gay certainly explains some things: they are courteous and keep a clean lawn. No doubt they know that the Neighborhood Avenger is watching. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 5:00 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

The black father has confided in me that a Mexican family will be moving into the house around the corner: he is not sure what to make of that. I tell him it might not be a problem, perhaps their Mexican sons are gay, too. The black father looked at me funny, but I think he understood. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 5:03 AM
Anonymous said...: The Passive-Agressive Neighborhood Avenger says:

I have noticed at the neighborhood grocery store that more copious amounts of ethnic foods and spices are taking over the shelves. This is a bad sign; I buy my Cremora and leave, thinking strategies. I am the Neighborhood Avenger!; 7/20/14, 5:05 AM
rhhardin said...: It's race, not skin color, that matters.; 7/20/14, 6:34 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Anyone familiar with Korla Pandit?"

The author of the linked article is.; 7/20/14, 7:32 AM
Saint Croix said...: I'm sorry Althouse didn't blog on Iggy. I don't know if Crack has blogged on her, but I'd really like to hear what he has to say about it.

I had no idea she was white. I felt like the Apollo when Buddy Holly showed up.; 7/20/14, 8:06 AM
Unknown said...: Comments in the original article are polarized between people who want to look at facts and people who want to define everyone in terms of either racist or the object of racism. A la Crack.; 7/20/14, 8:12 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I only know one Iggy.; 7/20/14, 8:18 AM
Saint Croix said...: Now there are two: Iggy Pop and Iggy Rap!

That Clueless homage makes me think Iggy ought to invite Stacey Dash to go with her to the BET awards show.

Ooo, snap!; 7/20/14, 8:31 AM
Saint Croix said...: I only know one Iggy.

That girl steals everything!.

Instead of Iggy Azalea, or Iggy Rap, it should be Iggy I. Steal. Can I name rappers or what?; 7/20/14, 8:37 AM
Saint Croix said...: While we're on the subject of rappers, here is Ice T, schooling the English about the 2nd Amendment.

My favorite part is when the limey starts stuttering. "So...so...so..." He's speechless.; 7/20/14, 8:45 AM
MisterBuddwing said...: It's race, not skin color, that matters.

Matters to whom?; 7/20/14, 9:40 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Wow:

Because of this turban, you guys didn't know, I was here the whole time!

Silly white people,...; 7/20/14, 9:42 AM
n.n said...: Saint Croix:

I followed Ice T until he remarked that "United States will not change. You will never have justice on stolen land." That's not actually true. The situation was far more complicated. The "indians" were far more divided and hostile. The "whites" were far more divided and ambitious. It would make more sense for him if he recognized the diversity of "whites" and "indians". People have a false perception of idyllic conditions, which were simply not true. That is not to say that treaties were not violated or ignored.; 7/20/14, 11:24 AM
Saint Croix said...: From the Iggy link...

Recently, my nine year-old nephew came running into the room, eager to find a seat to watch a performance by Iggy Azalea on an awards show. He sat, enraptured by her performance, yelling, “Iggy!” utterly oblivious to the look of chagrin and dismay on my face, as I, too, tuned in to watch this white girl from Australia, turned ATL-style rapper, caricature everything I love about Southern Hip Hop.

The look and feeling of chagrin has stayed with me each time I turn on my radio and hear Iggy’s hit song, “Fancy” coming through my speakers. And some of the dismay I feel is at myself, because almost without fail, I immediately start bobbing my head to the beat.

Yes, that's right! When we were running around naked in Scotland, with our asses painted blue, our tribe used our primitive tools to make music. And you can't help but like it! Even as our tribal beats upset your high society with its five syllable (a-pro-pri-a-tion) words. Yeah, yeah, we stole dat!; 7/20/14, 11:24 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: MisterBuddwing,

"It's race, not skin color, that matters."

"Matters to whom?"

Exactly. That distinction's the elephant in the room.

It's racism that matters - not race or color - but these guys don't take racism seriously. They belittle it. Marginalize those who mention it. Do the Barry Goldwater and make it purr. Saying racist shit while "colorblind" and smiling in your face as they do it.

Racism speaks to character but, as they continuously quote MLK on the subject, they forget blacks know how they do so - by perverting his meaning - and that's a display of bad character in itself. Which is why that quote is useless to racist's purposes - think of Paul Ryan:

He couldn't talk of a "bad culture," and expect to get traction, after displaying bad character (which included using Charles Murray's ideas).

This constant talk of The Democrat Party "plantation" is another example - a Right-Wing linguistic strategy, so doomed to failure, I'm personally shocked it's survived this long - but, kinda glad it has, because it makes it easier to spot the racists in my party.

They're out there - still telling us, seriously, my race matters. No - he matters, you matter, I matter - that's what they miss, and why they so casually kill us and/or allow us to die.

It's the sociopathic culture of a kleptocracy - which is why they can be found ridiculing blacks for caring - thieves and other sociopaths don't care.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'll return to my regularly scheduled practice of disrupting THAT bullshit.

By. Any. Means. Necessary,...; 7/20/14, 11:57 AM
Drago said...: Its very easy these days to be black and be perceived as white: simply speak proper english and perform well academically and you will immediately be tagged as "acting white" by the less "successful" brothers and sisters.

Witness the comments on these very boards by a certain "less than successful" excuse monger.; 7/20/14, 12:12 PM
averagejoe said...: "Anyone familiar with Korla Pandit?"

"The author of the linked article is."

Sheepishly LOL. I don't read the articles. I only come here for the comments...; 7/20/14, 1:52 PM
traditionalguy said...: Getting the lynching noose to go over the turban was considered too hard to do, so the local southern boys would let turban guys loose and set out hunting for easier prey. At least that's what all the Yankees think about the south.; 7/20/14, 1:59 PM
Drago said...: Crack: "By. Any. Means. Necessary,..."

LOL

Except, of course, any "means" that requires actual steps to achieve actual success.

So, in reality, it's: By. Almost. Most. Means. Necessary. Generally. But. Not. Always. Cuz. Shut. Up. Racist.; 7/20/14, 2:20 PM
ken in tx said...: Blacks getting over by pretending to be foreign goes back as far as Mark Twain with Huck and Jim. Colin Powell was advised to call himself an African exchange officer when he was stationed in Georgia. The Jim Crow south recognized that foreign persons of color could be equal, high-class, and even noble. They just did not believe American blacks could be. It was a class discrimination system as much as a race one.; 7/20/14, 5:46 PM
John henry said...: There was a 70s movie Bingo Long's traveling Allstars about the Negro Baseball League. Long time since I saw it but I remember it as pretty good.

One of the plot points was that one of players was on the verge of getting signed by one of the Major League teams. The key was that they thought he was Cuban. They still could not have "Negroes" in MLB but a Cuban, even though he had black skin, curly hair and otherwise racially identical to a US black was acceptable. Go figure.

In the 60's(?) I read a book about a boy growing up in Harlem. I thought it was Manchild in the Promised Land but looking at Wikipedia, I may be mistaken.

Anyway, the author, who was black, could "pass" for Puerto Rican and doors were open to him as a PR that were closed to him as a black. For those who don't know, most Puerto Ricans can trace some of their ancestry back to Africa and slavery.

Dominicans (From Dominican Republic, not Dominica) even more so. Dominicans in NYC are identical to African-Americans and nobody will be able to tell them apart until they start speaking. Maybe not even then. Yet they do considerably better, economically, than American blacks. Of course, a lot of this is because they have to. The state will do very little for them if they don't.

Eric Holder's parents were natives of Barbados. On Barbados they were officially considered "white". There is quite a bit of resentment against whites in Barbados. Even though the "whites" are mainly just blacks who have been more successful. That is how you get to be "white" in Barbados.

John Henry; 7/20/14, 5:47 PM
John henry said...: Crack has mentioned, more than once, that some groups like Italians, Jews, Japanese, Irish, Poles and others overcame severe discrimination and roadblocks by becoming "white" over time.

Japanese (concentration camps) and Chinese ("Not a Chinaman's chance") faced especially severe legally mandated discrimination. They have largely overcome it.

I would say that it is that they became "American" (instead of Irish/Japanese/Jewish/Italian/Etc-Americans) rather than becoming "white" but let's use Crack's word here.

So why can't blacks become "white", in terms of succeeding in America? Nigerians and other black sub-Saharan African immigrants do pretty well. Blacks who come here, even with similar or worse backgrounds of slavery, from the Caribbean do pretty well. Better than Whites on average.

So why can't American blacks become "white"?

Help me out here, Crack. I know that many do (your anecdotes to the contrary aside) but why can't more?

John Henry; 7/20/14, 5:57 PM
John henry said...: Crack,

Have you ever seen the movie "The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia"? Available on Netflix and probably elsewhere.

It might give you more grist for your mill. Lord knows you are grinding it pretty thin these days.

John Henry; 7/20/14, 6:02 PM