The "Black" world is all atwitter about what other Black people choose to call themselves. Raven Symone says she's an American. Zoe Saldana said something, I don't even care. Not because what she said was or wasn't important, but because as usual we're barking up the wrong tree.
I wasn't moved to write a blog post until I watched the 14 Oct episode of Finding Your Roots, with Ben Affleck, Ben Jealous and Khandi Alexander. I have to say that I've watched most of Henry Louis Gates' genealogy shows over the years, and yet, this episode is my favorite yet. It is my favorite for many reasons, but most importantly because of Khandi Alexander's comments on her discoveries.
I'll summarize. She grew up calling herself Black, as we reclaimed it from being something bad or negative. She hadn't been able to embrace African-American until learning of her heritage through DNA. But she is proud to be an American because it's where as a woman in the world, she is most free.
I could relate my own evolution on this issue, but I won't because it's really not the point of this post.
The problem I've had with this recent need for people to put certain celebrities in their place because they dare identify themselves in a way that vocal Blacks object to is the issue of this post. My general discomfort with people challenging how Blacks they view as privileged identify themselves is the usual "because of the history of America, it's racism, we're not post-racial, how can you fool yourself into believing you're an American?"
My problem with this kind of thinking has always been that it means the racists define who you are. You can't call yourself an American because of racism. You can't do x until. You can't believe y because. The racists still make your decisions for you.
I refuse to be defined by racists. I am not waiting until some time when I can call myself an American. I can call myself anything I want right now. And there are a few idiots, Black and White, who are trying to keep me from doing it. It's not up to them/you. Call yourself Negro, Black, African-American, because it's what you want and choose to do. Not because an ever smaller percentage of racists are trying to take from you what you don't know you already have.
If we would make our decisions based upon choice rather than "because racism," whatever an American of primarily African descent chooses to call himself or herself becomes what you feel the need to convey. And in that case, all designations are acceptable.
The racists enjoy us arguing over what we call ourselves. As long as we're doing that, they know we're still living with the effects of what they did to our forebearers and are in no danger of competing with them.
