Saturday, April 22, 2006

Lessons of the Duke University Rape Case

I am learning something as I read and research the Duke University Rape Case. In case you are not up on this latest piece of tragedy in our nation, the lacrosse team of Duke University had a party, hired some strippers, one of the strippers accused three of the teammates of rape. DNA is inconclusive...but the charges are not going away... The case is significant because it is a glaring case study of race, class and sex. It has exposed the ugly wounds of racism and elistism in the college town of Durham, North Carolina. We don't know if the girl is telling the truth or not, but we do hope that the truth comes out real soon....

In the meantime, I am learning about the challenges that today's twenty-something black woman goes through. In the Duke case, the guys actions are, as some scholars and philosophers have described, a manifestation of how the white male views the black female. A being that is to be submissive and sexed over, because that's how they like it and the white male is going to display his racial superiority through dominant sex. It is a view that has been a part of this nation's history since the first slaves were brought over from Africa. But even at that, the present day urban entertainment culture displays the black woman as a overly sexed being, exuding sexuality - often x-rated sexuality - just as she goes aboiut her day. This x-rated sexuality is reflected as one walks around the 'hood and sees how young women carry themselves, how they talk to one another, how they dress. One doesn't have to go too far to see how this is coming about...The music videos have a distinct impact on the images of black women. And for most white folk, this is the only glimpse of black life they see.

I've learned that the 20-something black woman can meet a white guy, and more often than not, the guy will make a comment that totally reveals that he thinks this black woman is someone who walked right out of the video screen or off the ho' track... In some extreme cases - actually quite a few from what I have been able to observe - the white guy will walk right up to a girl in the club or at the concert and smack that booty... The black woman's beauty, the curves, her essence drives the white male wild.. so wild he says and does things that are totally contrary to what his family rasied him to do when it comes to the honor of a woman... Why? Because he sees all these videos and images of the black woman as some sexual trollop. And since this is all the exposure he is going to have regarding the black community, he thinks that this is how the sista wants to be treated....So in this age of ultra integration, on the college campus, or places where you'll see more and more assimilation into society, the 20-something woman has to endure the white male coming up to them, rubbing that booty, or after a gentlemanly introduction, making lewd comments because they actually think that's what the black woman does!!! I'm not making this up, y'all!! The Duke case has illuminated this on campuses across the country. (See MSNBC article Duke Case reopens wounds for black women)

I bet you think I'm going to place the blame for all this white on black misogynism at the feet of the "evil white man"... Nope, definitely not. The man is going to be the man is going to be the man. We've already learned from scholars that this behavior has been a part of our nation since the first slave ships arrived on our shores... Oh No.... It is the brothas that are to blame for this societal problem. I mean we are the ones who promote pimps and hos in the music. It is the black man who produces the videos. It is the black man who in his quest to reign supreme in the world of entertainment and provide everyone with a glimpse of the 'hood (you know-keepin' it real?), has presented a global view of women as ho's and brothas as gangstas and thugs. The black man made the pimp game a cool pop icon..... It is our music, videos and sometimes movies that has the world thinking that we are a degenirate people. It is the brothas who first disrespects his woman by promoting her as a sexual trollop, cheap, easy... A creature who is not to be treated with any form of respect or reverence. Folk see this and think that's how the woman should be dealt with. And to make matters worse, my brothas put this treatment on videos for everyone to see across the globe...

A friend of mine went to Turkey with her husband. She was telling me about how surprised the Turks were that she did not act or look like the black folk they see on video.... hmmmmmm. The global perspective of our people is that of gangstas, thugs, pimps and hos.... Brothas, you are the ones responsible for this...

As we talk about revolution, equality and social justice. The preservation of the family unit is nuclear to the survival of our people. The way we treat our women is a glaring weak link in the history of our people and the reason why we have a HUGE gender gap within our culture. Brothas, we are not staying with the mothers of our children. Sistas, you are not respecting the man, further castrating him in this society where he is already down. They think we are thugs, crooks pimps, and they are intimidated by us That's why we don't get the jobs...and when we come home, here you come further putting us down.... (All men are dogs - He ain't nothing)

Brothas in the industry, you are promoting our women alright, but as ho's and strippers (btw, why is the number one song in America called "I'm in love with a Stripper"?). How come we can't promote the beauty of the sista, the essence of her strength, her natural inclination towards spirituality... Can't we talk more eloquently about her God given curves and sexual essence? I mean she is the mother of the earth, the center of our existence.... can't we treat her like the queen that she is??? Sistas, can't you walk with more regality? Can you get over the neck bending, tongue wagging, finger pointing? Can you not buy into the ho mentality, thinking that you cannot get a man unless you conduct yourselves like the images on video?

Folk are going to think what they think.. There's a 400 year history of that, but we don't have to encourage that behavior by promoting our culture as something that it is not.

In the meantime, we have to help our young sistas gain and keep respect - from all males - especially the brothas..... It's getting dangerous out here......

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