Have Some Nigger Cake: The Impossibility of "Revamping" Derogatory References

My post yesterday was a very labored one because there was so much anger going on while I was writing it that I had to edit a lot of my first thoughts.  I wanted to convey my anger, disappointment and revulsion about Makode Linde's decision to create a racist cake "sculpture" (that depicted a racist caricature of a Black woman in black face) without distracting from emphasizing his assault on Black female identity as his means to an end.

I will not presume to know what Mr. Linde was thinking when he decided to start creating a series of blackface art".  But I will say that there is not one part of me that believes that he didn't know what he was doing when he created that repulsive cake that has now been circling the internet as "the Nigger cake".

He was obviously trying to be provocative but it was at Black women's expense and somehow I don't think that showing insensitivity towards women is a positive when you're supposedly addressing the horror of female genital mutilation (which occurs in places other than Africa), as he stated originally.  His creation has allowed yet another degrading image to become attributed to Black female identity.  All Black people should be angry about that, not just Black women.

Mr. Linde, a 30-year-old Swede with an African father, explained that the screaming cake was part of a series of works he calls “Afromantics.” His intention for the works, he said, is “revamping the blackface into a new historical narrative and sort of lifting invisible prejudice to an exaggerated level, where it’s becoming over-obvious and in a way more in your face and easier to talk about.”

He initially said that he created the cake as a way to bring attention to female mutilation and now he wants to "revamp blackface" so that we have new and improved racist imagery to deal with as Black people.  (Gee, Thanks.)  There is no way to revamp blackface or the word nigger for a more palatable consumption.  They will always incite anger and pain because they represent the rabid hate that is an atrocious reflection and indictment on our white supremacist society.

Mr. Linde also said, “In my art, I’m more like questioning the different images of blackness. I’m not illustrating real black identity. I am illustrating ideas, or concepts, or patterns that surround ideas about black identity.”      

What questions?!  There has never been a question about why the different racist images or names for Blackness exist in this society.  Mr Linde should be honest and say that he wanted some notoriety by any means necessary (no pun intended).  If he really wants to break new ground for a new historical narrative to draw attention to "invisible prejudices" then he should take the pictures (of all those participatory smiling white faces) from his event and turn that into art.  Of course that art won't be shown in Sweden's Museum of Modern Art, but at least that art would be highlighting the real problem.

Racism is a societal defect that was created by morally and mentally corrupt people.  Mr. Linde can't correct a defect with something defective.  Black face already existed, there was no need for "new black face".

We live in a white supremacist structured world and the only way to combat that is to stop placating white society.  Those that indulge in the cruelties of racism need to be called out on a daily basis if necessary every time that they do.

[Source]

Apparently Black Woman Mutilation In Black Face Makes Great Art and Dessert

I am so beyond angry and tired of seeing Black males creating and participating in the continued pursuit to crush the Black female identity.  To simply say that I became ill when I saw this garbage on the internet would be a huge understatement.  You want to believe that the males that do this can't possibly be that stupid but they really are.

The diseased mind of Swedish "artist" Makode Linde thought that it was a good idea for him to create a cake in the racist caricature form of a Black woman (with him as the head of the cake in Black face) to draw attention to female genitalia mutilation.  Watching a collective of white people walking around gawking at his creation was completely appalling and reminiscent of the tragic life of Sarah Baartman.  By allowing those grinning white faces in Sweden the opportunity to cut into a cake of his degrading representation of a Black woman, Linde showed the world that he has no respect or empathy for Black women in the process.

His supposed desire to draw attention to the cruelty of female mutilation with this exhibit was lost from the moment he decided to represent the horror of female mutilation with a damn cake!  A cake that was first sliced by the Culture Minister of Sweden, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth (who should be fired) while she grinned and giggled for the cameras and at one point fed Linde some of the cake.

<--Yes they were that stupid, vulgar and insensitive.  Where in that display of glee was there any real understanding of the tragedy of female mutilation???  The imagery this "art" installation evoked was one of horror and pain.  This was not "art" to teach and inform, this was mockery of Black women and racism, plain and simple!

Can we please pay attention to the fact that Linde decided that the color black was to be used as the skin tone of this degrading spectacle and not the color brown.  Black is a race designation of people and the various shades of brown represents skin tone!

With "brothas" like Makode Linde you know that Black women are own their own and need to always be on guard.  Those that are socially perceived as the closest to you in society will sacrifice you on an open fire if the price is right.  I am tired of ignorant self-hating Black males objectifying and disparaging Black females as a source of social, financial or political gain.  Makode Linde proves that the sickness that has infected the Black male collective doesn't have borders.

What other race of male publicly creates and defends this type of degradation towards the women in their racial group?  If lost Black men don't get some self-respect and start protecting and defending Black women they will cease to exist.

Take a look at the YouTube video and the comments if you can stomach it.  This F-O-O-L has the nerve to make screaming sounds (which sound more like a comedic yelp) as the cake is cut.    

If My Support Is So Important...

Try creating films that I want to see!

While reading my Google reader there was a post that popped up from Clutch and the title was "We Still Need to Support, Think Like A Man".  *falls over laughing hysterically*

How about creating films that don't dismiss and demean Black women and then turn around imploring (and often times demanding) that we spend our money on it.  I refuse to spend one dime of my money to help Steve Harvey keep his third wife or to help Kevin Hart remain relevant.

I knew that the articles about why we (Black women) should support the film Think Like A Man were on the way since it is being released on Friday.  But to see this article written on Clutch (a online magazine that promotes itself as being "for Black women") was too much of the ridiculous all within a couple of paragraphs.

Since Clutch has now removed this ridiculous article I have included what I received below.
------------------------------------------------

We Still Need to Support, “Think Like A Man”

from Clutch Magazine by Risa Dixon

The movie based on Steve Harvey’s book, “Think Like A Man,” comes out in theaters this Friday.  Despite personal views, it still needs our support. Many may not agree with the premise of the movie (myself included), but it is a film with a majority black cast. Not seeing the movie because you don’t like the book will not only hurt Steve Harvey, but the other black actors in the film as well.
We need to support all black films so that Hollywood continues to give funding for films with black actors. I know some of your may say you don’t like the caliber of the majority of black films that come out, but the more we support them the better they will get with time. Boycotting will actually do more harm than good in the long run.  Going to see this film and other all black movies will show the purchasing power of the Black community. It will show that it pays to have movies that have black actors and that deal with issues that our community has to encounters every day.
We can’t complain about the lack of Black actors in movies and then not support movies that do have an all Black cast.

Will you go see it?
------------------------------------------------------     

I wonder if the author really believes what she wrote or she was just looking to get page clicks.  Either way she might want to "phone a friend" before hitting the publish button next time.

George Zimmerman To Be Charged For Killing Trayvon Martin

Update:  George Zimmerman has been charged with the second degree murder of Trayvon Martin and is currently being held without bond.

After nearly 8 weeks the person that killed Trayvon Martin will be charged.  I am glad that George Zimmerman will finally have to answer for the events that took place on the night of February 26 that ended with Trayvon Martin, 17, being shot to death walking back home from a neighborhood store.

There are so many things that can be said about the appalling length of time that it took for this to happen.  The fact that the police department in Sanford, FL decided that the life of a Black youth was not important enough to warrant a proper investigation when he was murdered.  The police department failed to secure the crime scene and Trayvon Martin's death was so unimportant to them that they waited three days to notify his parents.  The people that are charged "to serve and protect" don't get to choose who that applies to and who it doesn't apply to.  DO YOUR JOB.

No one in this world should look at this case and see anything less than the abominable fact that systemic racism in this country allows the people that are born to the "privileged" race to behave as if they are above reproach.  There have been many reports from those that support George Zimmerman claiming that he was defending himself when he decided to follow and use a gun to end the life of Trayvon Martin.

The people in Zimmerman's camp have been defending his right to defend himself under Florida's Stand Your Ground law by offering up one scenario after the other to paint George Zimmerman as the victim.  Shaken baby syndrome?  It is a realistic and sad state of affairs to see in action those things that Black people endured generations ago taking place in the twenty-first century when it comes to the justification for taking the life of a Black person.

For insecure people that enjoy debasing, demeaning and destroying the life of people because of the color of their skin.  It is fitting and not surprising that when it comes to standing behind the beliefs that encourage them to treat others as insignificant that they would hide from being able to declare it publicly and take responsibility.  At their core those type of people are cowards.  George Zimmerman and is no different.

Trayvon Martin didn't deserve to lose his life at the hands of someone that was too cowardly to address his issues.  Let us hope that now that George Zimmerman will be charged that Trayvon's parents will finally get justice and receive answers as to why their son had to lose his life because a man thought he had the right to take it.

Shaking Off A Whiteness Defined World

A whiteness defined world establishing itself as the norm perceives other races as lesser or insignificant in comparison.  This is the world in which we live.  A whiteness defined narrative is what makes it difficult for non-white people and white people to see and effectively challenge the truth about America and the world as we know it.

We live in and condone a world built on lies, degradation and the destruction of all things counter to the whiteness narrative.

Word choice has been an integral part of  marketing and propelling the whiteness narrative.  For example colonialism or colonization are the words that have been used to define what happened during the time that Europeans invaded other countries and instituted means of control through mass murder, demonization and then appropriation. The use of the words colonialism/colonization allowed for the white narrative to be molded into one of heroism instead of terrorism.

Imagine for a moment if more accurate words (invade, kidnap, torture, murder) had defined the atrocities that took place in order for white people to ascend to a position of power.  There would have been little chance of white people being able to adopt the position that what they inflicted around the globe could be labeled as "progress".  It has been difficult to fight against that which too many sees as a positive.  I have heard people say "Well our lives are probably better off here than we probably would have been in Africa if not for the slave trade."  That is a colonized mind speaking and because the Europeans saw fit to take away our ancestors options we will never know.

What more could the continent of Africa have been by now if some of its most precious resources had not been taken forcibly (many dying en route) to enrich other lands?  How might Africans have enriched the continent with fair trade deals in place? 

With terms like colonialism/colonization being used whiteness had it's narrative foundation allowing for white people to be portrayed as "hero" or "savior".   Those words allowed the re-imagining (read: fairy tales) by covering the atrocities that took place with a veil of lies that stated colonialism/colonization was a necessity.  The choosing of these words was intentional because these words are benign compared to more specific, more accurate words that really define the actions that took place and those seemingly benign words are every bit of the problem with our history and our present.

"Progress" didn't include all people and to continue to see and portray it as a greater good for everyone is the problem that continues to plague this world.  Colonialism/Colonization created a white defined violent laden society that would ultimately need to be maintained through more violence.

There hasn't been any good that has come from minimizing the magnitude of the devastation caused by the idea and consequently the indoctrination of a white defined world.  Why are so many people (non-whites especially) still on board with it?  Placating a narrative that has done nothing but destroy the lives of millions of people has been no less than a declaration of defeat..