I wanted to write about the idea of 'the end of the innocence' as a black person, using a scene in Spike Lee's Crooklyn.
This is a concept I've heard of before, inc. in a song by Don Henley, I think. I'll be brief.
As a child growing up in post-race riots Detroit, rest assured, all I knew was: I am black.
In time, other black people made me see that I was different or, to some, of a certain complexion, as a former cohort pointed out.
I saw this experience reflected as a sort of screen memory in Crooklyn, in the scene wherein a little black girl tells a little Puerto Rican girl that she's "just a Puerto Rican," IIRC, putting her down.
Yes, my experience was - at least to some - within the race, but the message was similar.
Get it? They showed me that I was different. I learned it from other black folks.
That was "the end of the innocence" for me, in terms of being a black person.
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Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 7, 2022 at 4:13 AM
That wasn't the only comment I was referring to. Now, I imagine that there will be people reading who thought, hmm. How anti-social and pro-censorship of that guy for doing what I did. Well, I don't like having my ancestors talked about badly, period. Furthermore, mech is a tiresome person. It's taxing doing this day after day, writing nice, well-articulated posts on here (with a Kindle, no less).
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 22, 2022 at 10:43 PM
Oh yeah, I still really dig the lighting technique in the scene you described, to this day... you can see the shadows of a moving fan in the room... so cool. I heard that they didn't shoot Rosie Perez's face in those shots because she cried about being photographed while nude. She says she doesn't see a big deal about it today.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 23, 2022 at 1:07 AM
Haha, Nah, but I haven't seen it in any other film from before or since.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 23, 2022 at 12:46 PM
Back to politics: I’m not invested in Welsing’s proposed origin of white folks… stuff like that is for the birds, to use a cliche. I am interested in solving the problem of racism, for once and for all. Welsing provided a different outlook on the problem, however theoretical it may be.
I agree with her statement in Isis Papers where she says that White Supremacy is war in general, and more specifically, war on black men… just to clarify myself.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 24, 2022 at 12:26 PM
This part of your post could use an edit, methinks.
I was sort of getting at that in my post.
Secret wars don’t have a bunch of data floating around about them.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 26, 2022 at 3:04 AM
It’s a personal post, mechajutaro… I do hope that’s still allowed here.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 26, 2022 at 3:18 AM
The point of my original post has little to do with black privilege, as far as I'm concerned. I simply related my feeling that I didn't see myself the same way after being told by other black people that I was different. Hence, my use of the Don Henley song title
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 26, 2022 at 12:36 PM
I knew I was different from white folks, but didn't feel I was (that) different from other black folks... for some reason. In case you didn't notice, that was the departure point for the thread.
You know, on second thought, that is a sign of privilege....
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 28, 2022 at 1:59 PM
The thing about perceived beauty privilege is: Some people will go out of their way to dog you if they feel you have it. I’m reminded of an African-American deejay, who is somewhat popular, who used to rail against black guys who have a certain hair consistency on the air— or, more accurately, the women who fancy them for it.