« Blasters of the Universe | Main | Central Georgia, Near Earth Orbit, Mali, Chicago/Atlanta »
July 30, 2002
I am not from your tribe
From that Village Voice article mentioned below:
Studying at elite institutions has alienated these Afrodemics from blacks who see higher education as whitewashing. Yet their views still cause mainstream whites to ostracize or misunderstand them. Isolated from both camps, and even each other, they've developed an independent party of race politics with an intellectual bent. All that isolation and scholarship are what classify them as nerds. None of them object to the label. Southgate embraces it: "In high school, I never found my way into the black social circle, but I never felt fully comfortable in white social circles either. I certainly am a nerd!" For Southgate and others, righteous anger usually takes a backseat to curiosity, compassion, and a dash of world-weariness. "People ask me at readings to provide answers to this conundrum," she says. "I don't really have any. I'm just interested in exploring that tension."
Not sure I'd call Screw of I an elite institution (although it's apparently moving in that direction. Waiting lists? Fuck that noise, waiting lists are [ok, were] for the Bozo Show). Gotta agree with the statement about mainstream whites, although if Jeffy, Andrea and Bill Quick represent the mainstream, we're all fucking doomed. And if it's John Hawkins and his fans, I'll gladly push the button myself.
I note the article most definitely does not mention conservative rent-a-quote guy John McWhorter, instead spending a few paragraphs on his arch-nemesis Glenn Loury, and specifically states:
They're neither co-opted conservatives nor keep-it-real black nationalists. Their politics are questioning, not exclusive. Rejected or misunderstood by blacks, whites, and nearly everyone else, their view of race matters balances the sins of America's past with hope for an internationalist future.
Sorry, Mr. Thornton, looks like you ain't invited to the party. Larry Elder and FrontPageMag. Christ. And anyone who thinks I'm a "keep-it-real black nationalist" really, really needs to get out more.
Internationalist future? Nah, we're already here. The problem now is getting everyone else to notice. . .
Update: In a supreme piece of irony, Mister Charlie links to this article, asking, "And is there an intersection between this particular nerd culture, and geek culture in general?"
Thus far, no one has responded to his query.
I restrained myself.
With effort.
Update 7/31: There's a discussion of the article on the Afrofuturism Yahoo! group. Not sure if non-members can passively browse messages or not, and see no reason to log out completely to check.
Ok, I've forgotten what my password is, and wouldn't be able to log back in. Satisfied?
Also, um. . . (coughs discreetly), one of the topics mentioned is the lack of a clear definition. And how Colson Whitehead's The Intuitionist fails to get a mention.
Loaned my copy to someone. She returned it, explaining that although she liked what little she got through, she just didn't have the big chunks of free time needed to work through the prose. Some books you can read in quick bits, a few pages here, a chapter or two there. Whitehead does not write those kinds of books.
Update: that whole edit for clarity thing, added the Glenn Loury reference, and linked his and McWhorter's names for those unfamiliar with 'em.
Posted by Aaron at July 30, 2002 06:53 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.uppity-negro.com/cgi-uppity-negro/mt-tb.cgi/234
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference I am not from your tribe: