Hey folks,

From my perspective, as reductive and simple as it seems, Blackness is ideological. It relates far less to that imagined social construct of race and far more to an intrinsic desire to self-identify with the African diaspora. It's also a banner that is far less "applied" or "named" by those within hegemonic power (especially in this present state of global thinking), and far more about whom we choose to be. Beyond that, it's clearly academic....

Yours,

Darrell M. Newton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
The Department of Communication and Theater Arts
Salisbury University
269 Fulton Hall
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 677-5060 Office
(410) 543-6229 Department

http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dmnewton/


>>> Alex Pascall <[log in to unmask]> 04/17/08 1:20 PM >>>
Hi
  I have no idea of why or how this debate started, but as I caught sight of it, I thought I should add my comment.
   
  What is it about the word Black that stirs so many debates, when I arrived in Britain we were all "Coloured", Britain was said to be White, I never had a problen with that except that the snow's color was the whitest of all. 
   
  Back home we were Caribbean people, some were fairer than the others, some were darker than the others, but together were were so much more together despite the erroded barriers of the Caribbean seas and the Atlantic Ocean.
   
  We were nevertheless British said to be islanders, during that period there were endless other stigmatised brandings placed on us by Britain and the rest of Europe. We arrived in Britain as immigrants and then had to find new ways to buy out Britishness.
   
  Why at this late time in history we are beginning to debate this ridiculous topic again. Look at the Hillary Clinton and her outdated atrtacks on Obama, just look at the way he has handled the bigots and let's concentrate on what's most important i.e: forging forward while others remain stuck in parables and ignorance of the past.
   
  I'll tell you something for nothing , I am sure of who I am, I could not care a damn what others think. We need to be positive about this. In may radio life I invented the saying; "Black White and Indifferent", because of that same old debate. Please folk let's move on to others horizons, there are other pressing issues.
   
  The damn fog realised that Black folk arrived in Britain and challenged it, so it went away for many decades. The weather used to be cold like hell, since we came we warmed up the place and no one would credit us for it, instead they say it's Global warming, that's not true, it's the Black folk adding some heat in this cold place, please give us the cerdit.
   
  I love myself/
   
  Hope no one gets offended.
   
  Best wishes
   
  Alex 

       
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