Malik Shabazz sends box of Oreos to Orr, Bing & Brown....

[bailey]

Meanwhile, activist Malik Shabazz sought to present Oreo cookies to Orr, Bing and council President Pro Tem Gary Brown at City Hall on Monday, saying the cookies are "black on the outside, white on the inside…. You don't do anything to hurt the majority population of our city."

This is April Fools' Day and we have gifts," he said, adding Brown was included in the cookie stunt because he's a "quarterback" for Gov. Rick Snyder.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2PF3acemy

I wonder what the level of outrage would be around here if Brooksie sent Malik a box of "nigger toes" one april fool's day. It's not racist, they're brazil nuts....it's just a joke. Right Malik?

[TKshreve]

Who cares?

[TexasT]

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2PF3acemy

I wonder what the level of outrage would be around here if Brooksie sent Malik a box of "nigger toes" one april fool's day. It's not racist, they're brazil nuts....it's just a joke. Right Malik?

Serious question - does he actually have followers or a church or anything like that?

I was in line in front of him when he went to testify at City Council for the Belle Isle lease issue. He was quite nice in person.

I don't like the term "Uncle Tom," but I find the term "Oreo" to be way more insulting, personally.

[bailey]

Who cares?

I would think a lot of people. I would think in 2013 in Detroit this level of overt racism would be roundly and loudly criticized and Malik would be furiously issuing retractions and apologizing to "all those he may have offended" as the media, his followers, those he claims to speak for, and his financial backers would be demanding he do so.

[Detroitnerd]

I would think a lot of people. I would think in 2013 in Detroit this level of overt racism would be roundly and loudly criticized and Malik would be furiously issuing retractions and apologizing to "all those he may have offended" as the media, his followers, those he claims to speak for, and his financial backers would be demanding he do so.

To me, overt racism is a klansman beating up and lynching somebody. Please don't dilute the power of the word "racism" by applying it to every discussion of race.

[iheartthed]

Who cares?

I know, right?

[bailey]

To me, overt racism is a klansman beating up and lynching somebody. Please don't dilute the power of the word "racism" by applying it to every discussion of race.

Don't be ridiculous.

Overt,

Adjective- Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden.

Malik Shabazz is an overt [[and it would seem, unrepentant) racist. It's a simple statement of fact.

[Detroitnerd]

Don't be ridiculous.
Overt,
Adjective- Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden.
Malik Shabazz is an overt [[and it would seem, unrepentant) racist. It's a simple statement of fact.

Leaving Shabazz out of this, I'm just going to repeat the point to you in a slightly different way, hoping you will understand.

Have you ever heard that calling somebody a Nazi because they told you to go to bed has a way of diluting the horror of what the Nazis did?

Similarly, when you cry "OVERT RACISM" when somebody is handing out cookies as a stupid publicity stunt, you devalue the actual overt racism that is widely practiced in and an integral part of the history of the United States.

Please make a note of it.

[Eber Brock Ward]

Leaving Shabazz out of this, I'm just going to repeat the point to you in a slightly different way, hoping you will understand.

Have you ever heard that calling somebody a Nazi because they told you to go to bed has a way of diluting the horror of what the Nazis did?

Similarly, when you cry "OVERT RACISM" when somebody is handing out cookies as a stupid publicity stunt, you devalue the actual overt racism that is widely practiced in and an integral part of the history of the United States.

Please make a note of it.

Huge difference. Shabazz is being racist. The person telling the other person to go to bed is not a Nazi, presumably.

So you don't dilute the word "racism" by calling someone that is being racist, you know, "racist." Nor would you dilute the word "Nazi" if you called Herman Goering a "Nazi." It applies in both cases.

[firstandten]

What a juvenile stunt from someone who doesn't like the solution but has no alternative solution to offer.

I may not like the men that he sent the cookies to but until Mr. Shabazz can come up with something that works, then these stunts mean nothing to me

[TKshreve]

What a juvenile stunt from someone who doesn't like the solution but has no alternative solution to offer.

And this is the crux of the argument in my opinion. I have yet to see any realistic solutions proposed to the EM situation by the people decrying the idea of one. Talk about deck chairs on the Titanic.

And in this case, I "dont care" because this guy doesn't need any attention whatsoever. And his little cookie stunt is designed to incite arguments instead of solutions. He's an idiot, and deserves no attention at all.

[bailey]

Leaving Shabazz out of this, I'm just going to repeat the point to you in a slightly different way, hoping you will understand.

Have you ever heard that calling somebody a Nazi because they told you to go to bed has a way of diluting the horror of what the Nazis did?

Similarly, when you cry "OVERT RACISM" when somebody is handing out cookies as a stupid publicity stunt, you devalue the actual overt racism that is widely practiced in and an integral part of the history of the United States.

Please make a note of it.

lol. Please make a note of this: that is a false equivalency.
we're not talking about a child moaning about bedtime or going all Goodwin's law on a message board. We're talking about a public figure sending racist iconography to public officials and doing so in a public forum, exactly for the resulting publicity reasons, and doing so stridently.

I'm curious what you would qualify Malik's action's and statements to be? kinda a little bit racist? Completely accurate political speech and not racist at all? covert racism because he said "just kidding" afterwards?

[Detroitnerd]

lol. Please make a note of this: that is a false equivalency.
we're not talking about a child moaning about bedtime or going all Goodwin's law on a message board. We're talking about a public figure sending racist iconography to public officials and doing so in a public forum, exactly for the resulting publicity reasons, and doing so stridently.
I'm curious what you would qualify Malik's action's and statements to be? kinda a little bit racist? Completely accurate political speech and not racist at all? covert racism because he said "just kidding" afterwards?

Racism is the idea that your race is superior to another. Overt racism is acting out your life as if your race is superior to others, and this is especially dangerous when it's backed by power: political, religious, military or otherwise.

To say that some leaders on the outside appear to have their black constituents' cares at heart, but that, on the inside, they are beholden to the interests of white society, is not necessarily racist.

[Wesley Mouch]

Leaving Shabazz out of this, I'm just going to repeat the point to you in a slightly different way, hoping you will understand.

Have you ever heard that calling somebody a Nazi because they told you to go to bed has a way of diluting the horror of what the Nazis did?

Similarly, when you cry "OVERT RACISM" when somebody is handing out cookies as a stupid publicity stunt, you devalue the actual overt racism that is widely practiced in and an integral part of the history of the United States.

Please make a note of it.

Racism does exist. [[Of course not nearly as much as some may think, but surely does exist.)

By my book, racism requires a position of power. Thus, white on black bigotry can be expressed as racism. Black on white bigotry [[CAY for example) can not be rightly called racism.

Black on black publicity stunts like this just 'devalue the actual overt racism'.

All that said, Shabaz, Jackson, Sharpton, et. al. are simply pandering. They are sad they missed the boat, and can onlhy toss rocks at it.

[TexasT]

Racism is the idea that your race is superior to another. Overt racism is acting out your life as if your race is superior to others, and this is especially dangerous when it's backed by power: political, religious, military or otherwise.

To say that some leaders on the outside appear to have their black constituents' cares at heart, but that, on the inside, they are beholden to the interests of white society, is not necessarily racist.

That is not the traditional use of the slang term "Oreo," which is levied to ridicule blacks who "act white." It's a race-based slam to shame blacks into acting "black."

At best, he's a dumbass for using "Oreo" when he meant "Uncle Tom." But I find this pretty racist, personally.

As far as defining racism, I agree with good ol' Webster's Dictionary:

1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2: racial prejudice or discrimination

If a white person admonished another white person for "acting black," that would be racist in my book as well. The notion that blacks can't be racist is terribly patronizing.

[Detroitnerd]

If a white person admonished another white person for "acting black," that would be racist in my book as well. The notion that blacks can't be racist is terribly patronizing.

I don't see black racism as being rooted in theories of black racial superiority, so I'm going to have to say it is bigotry. In some cases, it may rise to the level of cultural chauvinism.

Thanks for your two cents, Tex.

[TexasT]

I don't see black racism as being rooted in theories of black racial superiority, so I'm going to have to say it is bigotry. In some cases, it may rise to the level of cultural chauvinism.

Thanks for your two cents, Tex.

Yes, I definitely say this when I'm trying to explain to people why BET and Miss Black USA or BlackPeopleMeet.com isn't racist...

This feels different though but it depends on your definition of racism, of which there are several.

Ugh, just hate that term "Oreo." My best friend growing up liked alternative rock music instead of R&B/hip hop and this group of guys terrorized her over it in high school, mainly using this term. I'm probably just having angry flashback reactions, lol. "Uncle Tom" has a legit use [[although way overused) - this is just an ugly insult amongst black people.

[michimoby]

To say that some leaders on the outside appear to have their black constituents' cares at heart, but that, on the inside, they are beholden to the interests of white society, is not necessarily racist.

Let me understand this in context: are there really people that believe that creating a functional, non-debt-strapped, sustainable municipality is "white society"? Because, in essence, that's the end goal of the EM. If that were the case, Malik would essentially be shaming his own race: "how dare these black men stoop so low and desire to create a healthy city!"

I don't think that's the case: the definition that Malik seems to incorporate when he means "white society" is one that usurps the voting privileges of African-Americans.

But is it really fair - or appropriate - to toss about that type of incendiary rhetoric when a sizable - and growing - percentage of Detroit's population is white? I know it certainly makes me feel very, very uncomfortable as a taxpaying white citizen to hear this.

[Richard]

What kind of person brings Oreos but no milk.

[gnome]

Trying to clean up racism here is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.


heck kids, it is a shabazzian joke. Laugh it off and move on. You folks are too serious about everything. It is April 1st.

and, by the way, who doesn't like Oreos? Crunchy and creamy and real pleasure when teamed with a tall glass of whole milk. Not skim. Not 2%. The real stuff.

would you guys get upset if someone gave you some Oreos? Really?

[TexasT]

Trying to clean up racism here is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.


heck kids, it is a shabazzian joke. Laugh it off and move on. You folks are too serious about everything. It is April 1st.

and, by the way, who doesn't like Oreos? Crunchy and creamy and real pleasure when teamed with a tall glass of whole milk. Not skim. Not 2%. The real stuff.

would you guys get upset if someone gave you some Oreos? Really?

I was wondering if they ate them. I would [[with skim milk).

[iheartthed]

...so the point of this thread is that LBP can't send Malik Shabazz a box of candy with a racist name lest he be called racist? So this really isn't about Malik Shabazz, it's about LBP's right to be racist...?

[Shollin]

I find it ironic that Detroitnerd who thinks all white people living in the suburbs are racists, cannot find anything racist when it involves a black person being racist.

[Hypestyles]

we'll see what happens. I wonder what the first major announcement from Orr will be on decisions made, and what departments he can or cannot consolidate or change service delivery methods..

[Gannon]

That is the problem with assigning your own meaning to words, instead of accepting the common usage. I know, the dictionary is forced upon those with interesting pigmentation by the white man, whatever.

Here is the dictionary.com definition of racism.

rac·ism [rey-siz-uhm] noun

1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human race determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Origin: 1865–70; < French racisme. See race2 , -ism


World English Dictionary— n
1. the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others
2. abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief

The difference I prefer to adhere to is a matter of degree, a capital-R for the institutional/generational version and a small-r for that exercised by individuals. But you can clearly see that this definition allows any race of individual well able to perpetrate this evil, as well as groups of them doing it over time and written into by-laws, laws, and rules. I'd even go as far as to include that within various races, when stratified by degree of darkness.

Cheers, lets get on with the discussion then...