Asterisk

I thought I was done with my look back at 2009 with this morning’s post, but a few minutes ago I saw something that simply demands response. Yesterday, the Boston Herald published an opinion piece from columnist Joe Fitzgerald called Looking at ’09 failures can make more perfect ’10. In this article, he scolds Rev. Joseph Lowery for his inaugural benediction in January. Fitzgerald does a fabulous job of missing the point, as you can see in this looooong post from January. (Of course, today Fitzgerald named John McCain his man of the year, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that he missed the point.)

As I was preparing my post on the inauguration, I found that there was one part that needed more room than the rest and decided to post it in the morning. But after seeing the venom being directed at Rev. Joseph Lowery for his benediction, I thought it better to put it up tonight. Here is the benediction that impressed me so much:

Now I’ve been in enough churches to know that a good preacher knows when to inject some humor, and it seemed to me that that’s all Rev. Lowery was doing when he ended the benediction with this:

…we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around [laughter] … when yellow will be mellow [laughter] … when the red man can get ahead, man [laughter] … and when white will embrace what is right.

Rev. Joseph Lowery: An American Visionary

Others didn’t see it that way.

It’s interesting to me that so many white folks found this offensive. We’ve certainly got a long enough history of being the oppressor, of not embracing what is right. We’ve demanded that someone who is black sit in back, we’ve told someone who is brown not to stick around. I mean seriously, this is recent recorded history. Is there no collective memory in this country?

But I knew it had to be more than Rev. Lowery just stringing together a few rhymes all on his own. His experience as the Dean of the Civil Rights Movement demands that I give him the benefit of that doubt, so I started digging.

The first thing I found was the song Black, Brown, and White (1951) by blues singer Big Bill Broonzy. This is verse four.

Me and a man was workin’ side by side
This is what it meant
They was paying him a dollar an hour,
and they was paying me fifty cent
They said, “If you was white, ‘t should be all right,
if you was brown, could stick around,
but as you black, hmm boy, get back, get back, get back”.

So yep, here we have a song from right before the Civil Rights movement went into full swing. But maybe there’s more still. Next I found the blog Diary of an Anxious Black Woman and her post from today. In it, she mentions the little rhyme.

For all those who did not get the cultural allusion, and believe that only white people were being chastised for failing to do what’s right, Reverend Lowery was referring to a childhood rhyme about racial hierarchy:

If you’re white, you’re all right
If you’re yellow, you’re mellow
If you’re brown, stick around
But if you’re black,
Get back!

In short, he specifically asked that, in this “new era,” we dismantle the system of white privilege and hierarchy and truly make room for a multiracial America based on racial equality. Unlike those who’ve been calling for a “Postracial” America, in the wake of President Obama, Reverend Lowery reminded us that our goal is really to move towards a “Postracist” America. I’d like to see our first African American and 44th President of the United States committed to the same goal.

YES! I knew there must be more to it! And here we have someone else who knows what it is! I love the internet!!!

(I know this post is getting long, but I think the next part’s worth it. Besides, brevity has never been my strong suit.)
But I still wanted to see more, and I found more in the book Mother Wit from the Laughing Barrel: Readings in the Interpretation of Afro-American Folklore, a collection exploring African American folklore edited by Alan Dundes and originally published in 1973.

The following is an excerpt from As Crinkly as Yours by Eldridge Cleaver. (Italics denotes commentary by the editor.)

There were deeply imbedded [sic] in the thinking and folklore of the race such adages and beliefs as: “If you’re white you’re all right; if you’re brown stick around; but if you’re black—GET BACK!” And some of these same old sayings are still current in the Negro community.*

Think on it: this was the era of the camera. Negroes saw photographs, paintings and portraits in which the beauty of the Caucasian was extolled saturatingly throughout the land. Negroes witnessed beauty contests in which Caucasian men and women were held up and proclaimed the most beautiful creatures that God had fashioned and placed upon the face of the earth (it never dawning on the Negroes that it was the Caucasians themselves who were pinning roses on their own lapels). Great numbers of Negroes were learning to read and write: and in the books which they read, the process took on a sweeping new dimension. When a Negro retired in solitude to relax and enjoy a great book, it was the Caucasian standard of beauty which was flaunted before him and held up for him to praise—and praise it he did, unable to resist or dispute, having no criterion by which to refute. In the novels, he met heroines with creamy white skin, sparkling blue eyes, and long flowing blonde tresses; and heroes with rugged Roman noses, wavy black hair and perhaps a gentle sun-tan. And then the motion-picture industry sprang into being, and with it, a constant deluge reiterating and indisputably establishing the Caucasian standard of beauty.

* This is invariably quoted as a prime example of “self-hate” folklore. Like all folklore, there is some textual variation. The version in William H. Grier and Price M. Cobbs, Black Rage (New York, 1968), p. 66, is: “If you’re white, you’re right. If you’re brown, hang around. If you’re black, get back.” The version cited in the first pages of Philip Sterling, ed., Laughing on the Outside: The Intelligent White Reader’s Guide to Negro Tales and Humor (New York, 1965), is:

If you’re white, you’re right.
If you’re yellow, you’re mellow.
If you’re brown, stick aroun’.
If you’re black, brother, get back!

Mr. Dundes goes on to reference nine other instances of this rhyme in other books about African-American folklore.

Note that (at least the way I’m reading this) this little ditty isn’t about whites, blacks, Indians, Asians, and Hispanics. This is about the hierarchy within the black community once recognized by both whites and African-Americans. I’ve heard of the paper bag test before, and this bit of oral folklore is another artifact of that sad part of our history.

I guess I have two points here, both directed at the white folks in the crowd. First, think before you cry racism. Were you really that desperate for something to be angry about that you didn’t even consider that there might be a gap in your knowledge?

Second, there is a shamefully deep chasm that separates our understanding of African-American culture. It’s our job to at least attempt to fix that. Start today. Start with Rev. Lowery. You’ll find that their cultural history is rich and powerful. We could stand to learn a thing or two from their experience.

Let all who do justice and love mercy say Amen!

Oh goodie. I was afraid he was going away for reals.

The Colorado Springs Gazette revealed this morning that outgoing Focus on the Family Hater In Chief James Dobson will be starting a new business with his son Ryan.

Retiring is attractive, Dobson writes, but “the institution of the family continues to be in deplorable condition, and children are growing up in a culture that often twists and warps their young minds.”

His new organization will be called James Dobson on the Family and be based in Colorado Springs. Its goal is similar to that of Focus — standing up for family values.

The venture will mark the first time that Dobson and his 39-year-old son are working closely together in the same ministry.

Ryan Dobson was never on staff at Focus, Schneeberger said, though he did have a short stint in the 1990s at the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, which is affiliated with Focus.

Since 2003, Ryan Dobson has written several edgy faith books, such as “Be Intolerant” and “2 Die 4,” and he has spoken regularly at Christian youth events.

But in interviews, he has never expressed interest in following in his father’s footsteps. In a 2005 biography of James Dobson, Dale Buss writes that Ryan “doesn’t feel called to succeed his father as head of Focus on the Family and doubts he ever will.”

Ryan Dobson leads KOR World Ministries, designed “to build passion and identity in Christ’s followers,” according to its Web site. On the site, he hosts a daily podcast similar to his father’s radio show in that both discuss current events and religion.

Some experts speculate that James Dobson formed the new group to raise the profile of his son.

“The motivation may be he wants to set up his son in a parallel organization (to Focus),” said Randall Balmer, professor of American religious history at Barnard College in New York. “He wants to pass the mantle on to his son.”

John Green, who tracks American evangelical religious trends, said there is a long history of religious leaders, such as Oral Roberts and Billy Graham, wanting to pass their ministry on to their sons. “Ryan and Dobson working together may be a way to establish Ryan in his own right,” Green said.

Well this sounds like a great idea. How long do you think it’ll be until the attacks against LGBT teens start? With a book called Be Intolerant and a focus on youth, we know it won’t be long.

By the way, check this little nugget at the end of the piece.

Jim Daly, whom James Dobson handpicked as his Focus successor seven years ago, said Focus wishes Dobson well in his venture.

“He has a chance to share his life’s work and passion with his only son,” said Daly, Focus president and CEO.

“What man wouldn’t choose to do that?”

That’s a fascinating window into how leaders of the Religious Right think. It’s clear that Daly doesn’t think it would be nearly as awesome if Dobson had started an organization with his daughter, for example, or with a second son. No, this is special because Ryan is his only child with a wiener.

It’s just so typically and unsurprisingly misogynistic.

Let’s end this year in review on a positive note. We had some advances and defeats within different Christian denominations in 2009, but none compare to the Episcopal Church’s July 2009 decision to bless lesbian/gay marriages (under whatever name) and consider ordination regardless of orientation. It’s a huge victory for the Church Universal, and they’ve already followed through on the ordination bit, electing Mary Glasspool as their first lesbian bishop (pending consent from the Anglican Communion).

Last week after I posted some news coming from the Episcopal Church General Convention, I found out that there would be a whole lot more to come. For the sake of I decided to hold off until it was over rather than posting it piecemeal. Well, it’s over now and the news is just about 100% positive. Here are a few snippets from An Inch at a Time, the blog of Rev. Susan Russell:

We saw those goals realized in the adoption of the following resolutions:

D025 — Ordination
It can – and has – been said that D025 does not “repeal” B033 – and that is, of course, true. There will still be bishops with jurisdiction and standing committees who will choose to “exercise restraint” when consenting the election of a bishop whose “manner of life” would cause concern to the wider Anglican Communion. (And we all know that is code for “partnered gay or lesbian bishop.”) Nevertheless, the inclusive and expansive language of D025 states “this is where we are in 2009″ – and frees bishops and standing committees to focus on the theological orientation rather than the sexual orientation of qualified candidates to the episcopate if they choose to.

Furthermore, by stating unequivocally that “God has called and may call any individual in the church to any ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, in accordance with the discernment process set forth in the Constitution and Canons of the church” – D025 actually states for the first time as an official resolution of the Episcopal Church that the extra-canonical requirement of celibacy of gay and lesbian candidates for ordination is not the mind of this church.

C056 — Blessings
What the Episcopal Church adopted in Resolution C056 is a broad local option for the blessings of the marriages, unions and partnerships of same sex couples and a call to the church to work together toward common liturgical expressions of those blessings.

The Rev. Sam Candler (Atlanta), chair of the committee that presented the resolution, called it “an elegant blend of theological care, ecclesiastical breadth and pastoral generosity.”

In other historic action, the General Convention adopted resolutions supporting the enactment of anti-discrimination [ENDA] and hate crimes legislation protecting transgender people at local, state and federal levels. Both houses also adopted resolutions adding “gender identity and expression” to its nondiscrimination policy for hiring lay employees and calling for the revision of church paper and electronic forms to allow a wider range of gender identifications.

It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of these decisions. The House of Deputies and House of Bishops gave the Episcopal Church access to powerful new tools that will allow the Church to reach so many people who have been outcast for so long.

And it’s already yielding results. In a later post, Rev. Russell talks about the highlights of her experience at the convention.

The woman who stopped me in the worship hall to thank Integrity for our work and then to share that she had attended the Integrity Eucharist with her 14 year old son — and that afterwards in their hotel room he had come out to her.

“I’ve known he was gay since he was about 4,” she said, her eyes welling up. “And have been waiting for him to figure it out. The fact that he came to himself in the context of a celebration of the Eucharist — that he’s never going to have to wonder if his church or his family will love and accept him as he is — I just can’t thank you enough.”

“He’s a really great kid,” she said, wiping her eyes. “And he’s going to be FABULOUS gay man! “

This is how coming out should be. No anger, no estrangement, no hatred. No fear. Only joy, love, and acceptance. What a gift.

I join this mother in thanking Rev. Russell and Integrity^USA for their tireless efforts for the Church Universal and the LGBT community.

I posted quite a lot in 2009 about Jaheem Herrera and Carl Walker-Hoover, two 11-year-old-boys who committed suicide last April because of abuse at the hands of classmates who perceived them as gay. I decided to pull out this post from April 15th, the day before Jaheem’s 10-year-old sister found him hanging from a belt in his closet, because it best encapsulates the problem and the desperate need for adults to stop allowing this kind of abuse.

I hadn’t planned on saying anything more about the suicide of 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, but this morning I re-read the article The Advocate did with his mom. I’d read it last night in a hurry, skimming past the first couple paragraphs. Here’s what I missed, and the reason I’m bringing it up again. Discretion is advised, though I think it’s important to face what’s happened.

On April 6, Sirdeaner Walker came home, walked up the stairs to the second floor of her home, and saw her son suspended from a support beam in the stairwell, swaying slightly in the air, an extension cord wrapped around his neck, according to police. He apologized in a suicide note, told his mother that he loved her, and left his video games to his brother.

And that’s where I lose it. That’s where I lose patience with groups like the National Organization for Marriage, Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, and Exodus International. That’s where I lose my temper with demagogues like James Dobson, Rick Warren, Tony Perkins, Maggie Gallagher, and John McCain.

To steal a line from Jon Stewart: IT’S NOT A FUCKING GAME.

And that’s been a big part of the problem for a long time. They treat this like some grand chess match, a diversion from the mundane everyday life. They have nothing to lose, a complete lack of integrity, they tell lie after lie after lie, and they collect MILLIONS of dollars from their supporters.

Meanwhile, we have people making wild assumptions about “lifestyles”. We have people being beaten and killed. We have families being split up because one spouse isn’t a citizen and the other can’t sponsor her. We have adopted children being taken from their families. We have an eleven-year-old writing his will before taking his own life.

And why? Because the boy was bullied by other kids who were influenced by their parents who are influenced by James Dobson and the relentless stream of horseshit coming from the Religious Right.

Walker said her son had been the victim of bullying since the beginning of the school year, and that she had been calling the school since September, complaining that her son was mercilessly teased. He played football, baseball, and was a boy scout, but a group of classmates called him gay and teased him about the way he dressed. They ridiculed him for going to church with his mother and for volunteering locally.

“It’s not just a gay issue,” Walker said. “It’s bigger. He was 11 years old, and he wasn’t aware of his sexuality. These homophobic people attach derogatory terms to a child who’s 11 years old, who goes to church, school, and the library, and he becomes confused. He thinks, Maybe I’m like this. Maybe I’m not. What do I do?”

Ms. Walker is right. This isn’t about being gay. It’s about a culture that permits and even encourages people to look down on others, a systemic problem that school officials, in many cases, aren’t willing to fight. According to Ms. Walker, who is captain of the school’s PTO, she contacted the school over and over and over, and they did nothing.

I just wonder what would happen if people stopped calling it “bullying” and started calling it what it really is: ABUSE. Would that change the way people react to it? Would that loosen the hold of the “boys will be boys” mentality?

The 13th Annual National Day of Silence is this Friday, which coincidentally would have been Carl’s 12th birthday. I hope that this year, the participants and everyone else in the class remember who they’re being silent for.

I’m reposting a few of this year’s important posts during the holiday limbo. This one from July 17, 2009 came during now Justice Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings in one of the most stunningly unambiguous displays of racism I’ve seen on national television. These clips were filmed just before Birther/Teabagger madness took hold. I guess Republican leaders thought Buchanan had a good idea.

I feel bad for Pat Buchanan. I really do. I feel bad for Pat Buchanan because so many others in his generation have died and left him to defend bigotry on his own. That must be frustrating.

Buchanan appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show last night to talk about the confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. It’s one of the most uncomfortable and revealing thirteen minutes of television I’ve seen in a long time. Others have chopped it into bits for easier consumption, but here’s the entire segment:

Buchanan appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews the previous night. The last couple minutes have been making the rounds, but I find the preceding ten minutes far more edifying. Throughout the segment, Buchanan actively ignores facts and points of law brought to the show by John Payton, President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Some time ago I read a quote from Martin Luther King about a conversation he had with an older segregationist who said that he knew segregation was coming to an end, but that he hoped it happened after he died. Pat Buchanan is in the same place, stuck in a time when calling an African American “boy” was not just commonplace, but expected, when a Latina woman was good for washing clothes and not much else.

He’s honestly thunderstruck, with no purposeful malice intended. The thought that a recalibration of the scales of opportunity positively benefits society is beyond him, proof and reason be damned. He seriously believes that Sotomayor’s studying and improving her second-language English in college means that she was illiterate.

In fifty years, I wonder who will carry on for Maggie Gallagher. I wonder who will take to the airwaves and spew long-discarded nonsense when Sally Kern is gone. I wonder whose abject bigotry our children’s children will be surprised by when James Dobson has long since passed away.

Whoever it is, I don’t envy them.