Originally Posted by
Overhazard
Candace speaks to a facet of black people that basically have a Booker T. Washington, talented tenth world view. Some black people believe that all our problems would go away if we just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, (and our pants, and wear a belt, and a suit), and just get over racism. That we use racism as an excuse to be lazy instead of starting businesses. Pookies, Ray-Rays, and Shaniquas everywhere. ( I went to school with a girl named Ray-Ray, does that count for anything?). The Government doesn't need to give black people things, they don't need reparations, they just need to get jobs (and quit burning down their own cities, even though most of the BLM protests weren't violent), not white collar ones though, jobs working in trades. Even though we're losing those kinds of jobs to automation, and a lot of them are physically demanding. Ten years ago Owens would have been telling them to learn how to code.
Some black people are very much married to the idea that respectability politics saves lives, even though Dr. King and Malcolm X were wearing suits when they were shot. I shouldn't have to wear a suit with my degree around my neck to prove that I'm a human being who deserves to live.