The blog, Crommunist Manefesto, which was one of my favorite blogs at FTB.com, is now shut down. In the famous last words of blogger Crommunist: “My work here is done.” And, to be frank with you, I’m more than a little pissed off, because it isn’t, dammmit.
Crommunist has written extensively about race and racism. As an Afro-Canadian (is that what you call an “African American” who lives in Canadia?) he certainly has a perspective on race and racism in North America that is worth sharing. But, he has decided that he, and everyone else, has done enough; He seems to think that the “race problem” is solved, and the last Race Card has been dealt. I find it inexplicable, so inexplicable, that I can only show you his own words. Crommunist writes:
One of the things I’ve learned in my years is that there is a fine line between fighting racism and enhancing racism. So when an overt racist act happens, because some “white pride” shithead overtly expresses antipathy towards other, usually browner, groups, if we challenge them we are playing into their feelings of superiority and have essentially lost the argument. If we ignore them, then they are forced to go away, if not right way, then eventually.
Which, I suppose, is sometimes true. But as a general philosophy? As a guide to when to act, or indeed, engage in activism at all? I don’t think so. Speaking of activism (or lack thereof):
I didn’t go to the million hoodie march in Vancouver, held earlier this week, for the very reason that I refuse, from this point forward, to acknowledge overt acts of racism and instead I intend to use my own personal history that puts me in an advantageous position as a model for any of those who might use it as such.
Crommie closes his missive with the most remarkable statement, something Totally unexpected from him, at least by me:
So from this day forward, I am a man with no color. I do not recognize the color of others. Recognition of this irrelevant phenotypic difference between otherwise presumed-to-be-equal human beings is the problem, not the solution. I have no color, and nor do you.
WTF? Unbefuckinglievable.
Go see his final blog post, and for crap’s sake, please leave a comment telling Mr No Color what a clueless moron he is being.
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How sad that so many are leaving on this first day of April.
You and I are both of the caucasian persuasion, Greg. I was raised as a WASP also. The guy that you like to follow sounds angry – and he has a right to be – living an entire life-time (unlike you or I) being treated as a person of color.
I believe that I hear where he’s coming from. Let it be.
Your last comment, Greg – “please leave a comment telling Mr No Color what a clueless moron he is being” – to me – appears to be rather unsensitive and down right mean.
@ Bob Allen: I think you’ve been had. Note the date.
Greg: I’ve been grooving on the April 1 posts all morning but didn’t realize it was a full circle until I started from here. You guys had this better organized than I thought! Not quite up there with last year’s PZ/Cuttlefish extravaganza, but still very good!
With so many people here finding Jesus today and leaving FTBs, I can’t believe everyone let Mohammed stay lost!
Okay, well, you had me worried for a second there, I’ll admit.
Not the most fun April fool prank tho’.
African-American or Afro-American still work, as Canada is in North America. Still, I typically use ‘Black’ in the absence of a preferred self-identification (or in the presence of a self-identification that is contra-functional to the purpose in question), as that’s how the category is usually constructed in practice (for example, it’s not JUST – or even necessarily – about genetic or national heritage: if it was, we’d never hear debates about whether e.g. Obama is “too Black” or “not Black enough”, while purely genetic or national group constructions would not allow for such things, as they’re matters of empirical data), and it’s applicable transnationally to cultures that make similar racial-group constructions. (I also always capitalize or single-quote constructed social categories/identifications in order to differentiate them from natural qualities of the same name e.g. Black people are not actually black, and White people are not actually white.)
IF CANADIA IS IN ‘AMERICA’ THEN WHY DO YOU NEED A PASSPORT TO GO THERE, EH?