BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Is the NAACP Right? How Racist Is The Tea Party?
July 15th, 2010
There’s a dust up going on over an NAACP resolution passed yesterday at their annual national meeting that “calls on the tea party and all people of good will to repudiate the racist element and activities within the tea party.”
Tea partiers are flailing around claiming no such a thing exist with in their ranks, save a few fringe individuals, or those that are sent to infiltrate by the media. Yes, that second one is actually the claim of the head of the Tea Party Express. He made said claim on CNN yesterday while debating Roland Martin.
I had a short but engaging convo on twitter with a user about the nature of labeling the group with a broad brush. I would like to recap our exchange, then pick up with further commentary from there.
Mediaverse: Mid-South tea party criticizes NAACP resolution » Commercial Appeal http://ow.ly/1qHRzb :: No comment.
Yobachi: Of course. Racist always deny that they’re racist. The White Citizens Council never admitted to it either @Mediaverse
Mediaverse: @Yobachi One should be careful with broad brushes. With that said, The Tea Party will have a hard time getting beyond its start. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to Yobachi
Mediaverse: @Yobachi Then again, every movement has fitful beginnings. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to Yobachi
Mediaverse : @Yobachi Lastly, it’s wrong to equate them with White Citizen Councils. WCCs were never diverse. At least the Tea Party has specks. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to Yobachi
Yobachi: @Mediaverse Actually, the comparison to the White Citizens Council makes the point, because when an org who practiced stark racism…
Yobachi: …doesnt even admit it, then its no surprise and is meaningless that one who practices a more mild brand doesn’t admit it either @Mediaverse 40 minutes ago via web
Yobachi: And no, I don’t think everyone who participates in the Tea Party is racist, its that they tend in that direction as a whole @Mediaverse 38 minutes ago via web
One other broader point. I think the Tea Party hinges more strongly on Nativism than racism in specific (though many of its members are clearly very racist), with racist tinges bubbling beneath the surface. It’s a nativism that goes beyond mere county before humanity thinking; but even widdles it down further to either you’re like me (white Judeo-Christian American, with my political beliefs), or you’re my enemy. It parse itself further in that: we might accept you with a darker complexion but only if you’re a black (or whatever) ideological acolyte – one of the good ones - a credit to your race, who repudiates the majority of your own kind in an elevation of the superiority of white male thinking (As this ideology is clearly driven by white males, and by far the largest demo holding this ideology are white males).
It’s a stark tribalism. The whole movement is obviously, in large part, though not in total, racially motivated as witness by the fact that these masses of white people became upset only right after a black man took office; but had little anger when a white man was shredding the constitution to spy on American citizens even before 9/11, exploding the national deficit (which included a new unfunded socialist medicaid program), and bailing out banks with welfare packages that project mothers could never dream of.
Not to mention them claiming Obama’s not an American despite overwhelming fact proving that he is; and calling him a Kenyan lion and such, as making blacks out to be jungle animals is classic racist iconography.
It’s an ideology that if you’re not a white, Judeo-Christian American, evangelical politically aligned to the states rights, unregulated business market political line of thinking, then you’re not a “real American”, as Sara Palin has labeled these people. So even if on paper you’re an American, you’re not one of them, and hence are an outsider and enemy to their nativism.
posted in News & Events, Politics, Racial Injustice | | | View blog reactions |
6 Responses to “Is the NAACP Right? How Racist Is The Tea Party?”
Leave a Reply
About The Blog
Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
I created this site to give new voice to socio-political issues that are in need of thoughtful consideration and redress.
Click the "More About The Blog" link for rest of this statement.
Also, if you like what you see, subscribe for a once a day email to be sent on days when we post by entering your email address in the feed burner subscription box below.
- More About The Blog...
Subscribe via email
Blogroll
- Abagond
- AfroSpear Blogs & Info
- All About Race
- All Africa
- BlackPerspectivenet @ Youtube
- BlackPressUSA.com
- From My Brown Eyed View
- Redding News Review
- Sojourner’s Place
- Tasiaxm.com
- Trini Gourmet
- UltravioletUnderground
Site Meter
Meta
Subscribe Via RSS
My Twitter
Recent Posts
- African Women Win Nobel Peace Prize
- How Black Colleges Are Turning White – The Ethnic Cleansing Of African Americans in the Age of Obama
- Social and Cultural Causes Also on Display At African Street Fest
- Video of Obama’s Jobs Speech
- Eric Cantor Two-Faced on Offsetting Disaster Relief
Yobachi.
Thanks. In the grander scheme of activism, Tea Partiers are nothing new. People have protested the actions of government with every administration and have done so in ways that are bound to offend someone. Why would it be any different under Obama?
Where were these Tea Partiers during the Bush administration? Well, they were probably rooting for the Republicans to accomplish their goals and now many of them are upset that the GOP isn’t in office anymore. I’m just sayin, people tend to sit on the sidelines when their guy wins the White House.
Mediaverse: “In the grander scheme of activism, Tea Partiers are nothing new”
Yeah, we saw them in the 90s when Clinton became president. Some of the Tea Party leaders are even the same militia leaders from that time.
I think they were going to be irate no matter what Democrat won; but the racial factor has added layers - another component to the outrage of those who have racial animus.
“people tend to sit on the sidelines when their guy wins the White House.”
Touche’. I don’t think the left, the middle and those who are just not coo coo are getting why its not okay to just sit back and let the Tea Party drive the national debate, and frame all the issues. That’s why, though the NAACP often annoys; I’m glad they’re standing up and saying something because hardly anyone else is.
Yobachi
You are quite more diplomatic about the Tea party than I am. As far as I’m concerned, like the No Nothings, White Citizens Council and so many white churches they are based on believing this country is theirs by a God given right. They’re no different than the Klan. Same propaganda less violence. Mediaverse can make excuses all that he wants in terms of Tea Party diversity. But as Michael Steele and Clarence Thomas have proven, you can find black people who hate non whites as well and will gladly service their aganda.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yobachi, Yobachi. Yobachi said: @Mediaverse I Had some elaborations on the ideal so I wrote "Is the NAACP Right? How Racist Is The Tea Party?" http://bit.ly/9CDf2x [...]
Thanks.
I just want to make sure that I understand: it’s the people who aren’t on your side that have the problem? They are the ones who seem crazy and even racist because you simply don’t agree with their school of thought. Sada tai.
There were protests on the left, middle or whatever during the Bush years that were equally offensive to others. So, yes, these anti-government protests are constants but the participants flip from right to left and back again. It is what it is.
And as far as race is concerned, African American thought has never been a uni-mind. Nor should it be. I might not agree with the Steeles and Thomases of the community but I don’t denigrate their right to believe what they believe.
Mediaverse
Your welcome.
To help you get it straight and understand, I’m talking about the racist hypocrites that support a white supremacist agenda but call it conservatism or Tea Party or patriots.
If you knew the history of this country you would know that there were always black people comfortable being slaves and following the masters dictate. House nigger field nigger read Malcolm X. Our thoughts may not be unimind but we certainly could do without the influence of traitors. As for protests during the Bush/ Cheney regime I never saw personal attacks on his wife. or rampant death threats against him or heard the violent rhetoric encouraged by church leaders and political talking heads.