Not Your Typical Nappy Haired Negro

In case you haven't heard let me be the first to tell you that there are two sets of rules in our society: one for blacks and one for whites. The rules go something like this, when it comes to race blacks can say whatever they want because they are now and will forever be the downtrodden victims of a failed America. On the other hand are white folks who must be quiet because they are still the oppressors and unles they are acknowledging their guilt they have no credibility on race issues. However you cut it whites will never be able to say certain words, make jokes, nor will they be able to redeem themselves after making a stupid blunder. After several days it seems like Don Imus is another victim of this outrageous double standard.

When I was a little girl my family lived next door to a white family. The family was by Jamaican standards, rich. My brother and I became friends with the two kids and we played kids games and attended birthday parties. During the years that we lived next door I started to wish for soft curly hair like my friend Tanya. I also started to wish that my lips were thin like my friends next door. My nappy hair was a bone of contention for me until I had the opportunity to "perm" it. Years later people are paying thousands of dollars to make their lips look full and I get to have the last laugh.

I share this story to make a point and that point is that its not that Don Imus is a racist it's that he touched on something that is taboo in the black community. That "thing" is one of many things that we as blacks hate about ourselves. Having "nappy hair" is not a horrible thing but its horrible when a white person calls attention to it. Everything that we hate about ourselves is somehow intensified when a white person calls attention to it even though these same people laugh at nappy head jokes when told by the likes of Chris Rock, Sinbad or any other black comedian that may have used it as part of their material. But there is more to just making jokes about black hair its about breaking the agreed to rule that whites not speak negatively about the "chosen" people. If you do then you kiss your career goodbye regardless of your mea culpas.

So Don Imus made a stupid remark and he is not only suspended but he continues to be battered by the media, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and many blacks who thing whitey has gone too far. But some of the same people now standing on moral high ground have they themselves contributed to, engaged in and perpetuated some of the more vulgar and out right racist rants this country has witnessed in many years. The fact that these people are black is where the double standard becomes evident. The fact that Harry Belafonte can call former secretary of state Colin Powell and current secretary of state Condileeza Rice house niggers and no one call him on if is outrageous. The fact that Jesse Jackson can call Jews "hymies" and New York "hymie town" and get away with it without a peep from blacks is down right disgusting.

The fact that Andrew Young, former U.N. ambassador for the United States, can say that Jewish Korean and Arab merchants are "overcharging" blacks and who sell "stale bread and bad meat" to blacks without asking him to retract his statement is unjust. The fact that Julianne Malveaux can state, "I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease," without any push back from blacks is sickening. And to top it off she is rewarded with the post of president at Bennett College. I'm sure Dr. Malveaux will say that she "deserves" the post because she has served her people. Where is the outrage?

The bottom line here is simply this, black people can't have their cake and eat it too. If we are going to condemn Don Imus for what he said then we have to start doing the same to everyone regardless of race. And here are just a few: Miss Jones in the morning appears on Hot 97 a local hip hop station in New York. In some circles the station is known as "shot97" because of the gun fights outside the station. Let's see, Ms. Jones calls women bitches. She and her partners use the word nigger like its everyday language. She advocates violence against cops. And Al Sharpton has appeared on her show not asking for her to resign nor is he calling for demonstrations outside the building; Charles Barron, New York City councilman, advocating violence against white people without censor from the council; and Al Sharpton and I don't think I need do anything else but type his name.

So, do I think Don Imus should be fired? No way in hell. He has apologized profusely and we need to move on. And until evryone else that I mentioned above and others like them are called on the carpet then I say he should stay right where he is. But here is just some of what's happening as I write this. And here.