Have you ever read something someone has said that was so outrageous and unbelievable, it made you wanna just throw your hands up in frustration and exclaim to anyone within earshot and yell out, 'No, she didn't?! This heffah, here!' Well, that's what I did while skimming through a messageboard that I happen to read on a daily basis. I absolutely could not believe the fonts that sat in front of my eyes as I read, Adrienne Curry's, the first winner of America's Next Top Model, views on why she believes the Native Americans deserved to have their own month dedicated to their race, why folks should boycott Black History Month AND B.E.T., why it's racist that only African-Americans have a month dedicated to their race and why it's racist for African-Americans to have a network channel dedicated to just African-Americans.I can't sit here and voice my true feelings about her comments, because if I do, it would take up an entire page. Read it for yourselves and draw up your own conclusions. Does she have a valid point? Below are a few unedited excerpts from her myspace page.
Adrianne’s myspace blog entry: “This is gonna be hard guys. I LOVE the comedians on BET. I also LOVE the fact that they play my favorite show of all time, In Living Color. However, I do not believe in seperating ANY RACE in America. WE ARE AMERICANS! How dare we have Black History Month! In my eyes, the Native Americans deserve it MUCH more, seeing how we destroyed their ENTIRE SOCIETY. There are hardly any of them left! They also have been proven to have the WORST living conditions on their reservations. I want AN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH. One where we learn about EVERY race, ALL OF OUR LEADERS, EVERYONE! I think by having a month dedicated to one race, and not one for any other, is RACIST. Every fund set up to only help people of one race is SICK and RACIST. Every fund set up to only help people of one race is SICK and RACIST. It’s time for us to UNITE AS ONE. I do not think that singling out one race, giving one race opportunities to go to college (I know a TON of poor white.asian, indian, american indian, etc etc that could use that too!), giving one race the EXCUSE to blame things on others for being whatever nationality they are, is a good way at making sure we NEVER kill racism.
If any other race had a chanel dedicated to just them, we would think it was racist. If any other race demanded a month be set aside for ONLY them, they would be considered racist. I am NOT living by this double standard any longer.
So, I will no longer tune into BET. This is going to suck, but I do NOT like the idea of having a chanel for only 1 race. In the year 2007 in a country that is supposed to be the most advanced and equal. This is unexceptable! I will also no longer acknowledge Black History Month. Instead, I will see it the way that Morgan Freeman does (I have the quote at the bottom of my last blog on Obama/jesseJackson, and OJ). AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH! I will read/watch/and learn about ALL the people who made a difference in this country.
Think I am racist? I am not. I know what racism is. I dated a guy named “Justin” in Junior high. Nothing serious, but I really liked him. He was the blackest of black…BEAUTIFUL skin, kinda like Alex Wek’s. He was handsome, and athletic, etc. I was called a ****** lover. But you know what? I was called that by a whole 2 people out of a school with HUNDREDS of students. THAT is why I am NOT buying this racist s*** anymore. Let us teach or children that there is NO DIFFERENCE! We are all human. I hope one day aliens land and try to kill us. Maybe THEN we would finally realize that WE are ONE.
Lets change Black History Month to 2 months of AMERICAN HISTORY. We will still learn about all the black leaders and people who made a difference....just not with the racist name of "Black History Month". It has to start somewhere. I am going to do my part in making sure we are all treated EQUAL in a country that CLAIMS we are. NO MORE SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR ANYONE WITH ANYTHING!
CLICK HERE TO READ ADRIENNE'S BLOG ENTRY IN ITS ENTIRETY..
3 comments:
One of the things that irks me in life is someone forming an opinion based on the lack of information and lack of education.
Adrianne Curry, is one of those people.
This is my response to her blog:
http://nubianwaves.com/americas-next-top-model-calls-black-history-month-racist/
This chick is wholly unaware that Black History Month is/was necessary becasue the contributions of Black people are not acknowledged in general American history. All I ever got in a classroom was slavery, Crispus Attuks, and MLK. And that's basically still it, unless it's February where Harriett Tubman, Fredrick Douglass and kente cloth get put on display FOR 30 DAYS.
If it is left to the general culture to acknowledge us, we will go back to be grossly overlooked and American culture will be even more whitewashed than it is now. If anything, we need a black history decade. All Black people, all the time, except for a few pat awards and a month where we acknowledge Christopher C., the Civil War and George Washington. Let white folk feel for awhile how it is to have another culture and its values and accomplishments shoved down your throat at all times and have your own more or less completely overlooked.
I think her intention was in the right place. But she is the epitome of the sterotypical clueless white girl.
When the playing field has been unequally stacked because of years of oppression and current mind sets to conciously and unconsiously discriminate, we try to give the people with whom it have been stacked against a fighting chance to not only survive but thrive. That is what the Civil Rights Laws, quotas , Americans with Disabilities Act,ect.. tried to accomplish. To the dismay of more intelligent society these law and acts are seen as a threat to less secure souls. People who do not want to accept that we are all different races, religion, cultures and beliefs are not looking at reality. Yes, we are all Americans. We don't ever need to tolerate each other, but we need to celebrate each other and our differences. Variety is the spice of life.
Unfortunately, Adrienne Curry is just showing her ignorance. It is good she is speaking her mind and has created at least an open dialog on the subject. She is open about her beliefs, and I respect her honesty. She legitimately sounds like she is confused and just does not know. I don't think it is coming from a place of hate but it sounds like she has not had a lot of experience with having very close Black friends for an extended amount of time. Trying to be a quote "Credential Carrier" by dating one of the Blackest guys in high school does not count. There are a lot of people just like her who truly do not get it.
Is Adrienne Curry contributing to BET in anyway for BET to care about her boycott? Does she buy the products on the commericials. She does not have enough respect to learn about the racial history and current history of the African Amerians BET is representing.
Many of the networks are separated but the names just say CBS, NBC, ABC...ect, just because the network does not have white or Anglo American in the title does not mean they cater to every nationality.
When is the last time Adrienne has seen a Pakastan sitcom, or more than one Hispanic sitcom? I cannot even count on one hand how many African American shows are on any of the above mentioned networks. If I am wrong, please advise. I will not be offended, but hopeful.
I would also like to know what exactly did Adrienne Curry do for Blacks during Black History month, anyway for her boycott to be effective. Did she visit the Martin Luther Jr King center, or donate any funds to the King center or any African American Charities? Did she volunteer in a predominately African American Homeless Shelter? Did she foster or adopt an African American Child? Did she give money to help Save Darfur? Did she Educate her non-black friends about Afrian American history? How could she, when she does not know herfself?
Black History Month,BET, JET Magazine and Ebony magazine are not racists. It is not an exclusion but a celebration. There is mainstream American and then there are those who are typically left out or not really recognized on a daily basis. Those particular groups homosexuals, hispanics, Asians, African-Americans create their own culture and celebration to uplift themselves and bring up their self-worth and celebrate their culture and differences. They have to create their own magazines, televisions stations, radio stations,Heritage months, Parades ect...because if they did not they would be ignored. Everyone is looking out for their own agenda.
It is just like moving to China and being only 3% of the population. Sure you want to assimilate and learn the culture and join with the natives but how many TV shows, radio stations, magazines are going to be 1st of all in English, secondly, how many are going to be based on American culture and tradition. Most will be in the Chinese and the traditon of the Chinese culture.
Some closed minded or narrowly thinking persons will say what about white history month but White America is the mainstream. I know African American who know more about European, White American or even Native American History than their own African American History. Why don't we have a Male Heterosexual Parade? or quotas to make sure White males are hired? We do not have those events because they are the mainstream and there is not a need because they are the ones benefiiting from the mainstream culture. That is why we have the Alma awards, the Country Music Awards ect.....they are not recognized because they are not mainstream but they still matter and should be counted.....I am not hispanic but I am not offened when they want to have a celebration of their culture and accomplishments outside of what American award show offer.
Everyone needs to stop being so offened when someone wants to celebrate their cultural difference, or set aside a particular time (a month) to educate everyone about the history and contribution of certain races. Racist is describe in the webster dictionary as based on racial intolerance, discriminatory, especially on the basis of race. I do not hear Adrienne complaining about the Gay Parades or other separate cultural or sexual events and celebrations. I do believe Adrienne is racist but her racism I believe comes from a point of ignorance not hatred.
Too bad she let her emotions get the best of her by writing a very deameaning, accusatory letter to Tyra Banks, otherwise Tyra could try to help educated her even more. It is ironic that Adrienne would not be where she is today or even know the husband she has if it were not for a Black woman, but she does not even remotely understand the plight or struggles of the African Americans. Again I will say take an African American History course...as a matter of fact take at least 3....
Girl......get informed and open your mind and time to spend with other cultures, especially African Americans. Slavery has everything to do with it. Not that Black people cannot let the past go but being enslaved for over 400 years and having other races come to America on their own free will, has alot to do with it.
Do you tell a child who has been molested to move on, or a woman who has been abused by her husband for years to move, or someone whose family has been murdered or someone who ecounters racsim on a daily basis to move? Do you tell the Jena 6, Mychal Bell, who has been tried as an adult when he is a child, who has been in jail for almost a year to move ont? Do you question Cino de Mayo? Hispanic Hertiage Month? Green Day? Asian Pacific Month? Chinese New Year? The Gay Parade?
The first step to healing is to stop the abuse. When Black peolple are continually being treated unfairly, blamed for the N word misunderstood, held under a microscope and be subjected to people who have ingnorant paradigms such as Adrienne Curry it is difficult to just get over it. Give Black people a break. They, we have been through enough......but again the fight to peacefully educate continues....
Written By London77 aka MB
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