Not Black Enough

Saturday 28 January 2012 - Filed under Uncategorized

At least the US isn’t the only place where a politician might be shunned for not being “black enough” according to arbitrary criteria in an effort to capture the “black vote”. The New York Times:

SHE has unmistakably African roots, from her birthplace (the kingdom of Swaziland) to one of her native tongues (isiZulu) to her mocha skin.

But for many people, Lindiwe Mazibuko is just not black enough.

During a parliamentary session this year, a government minister here called her a coconut (white on the inside, brown on the outside). One political opponent described Ms. Mazibuko as the tea girl, or servant, for the leader of the country’s chief opposition party. Twitter users have flung racial slurs at her, called her a token and said she was naïve.

Even a member of her own party was quoted as saying that when you closed your eyes and listened to Ms. Mazibuko, “you would say a white person is talking to you.”

The only differences are cultural. Rather than our “oreo”, it’s coconut. Rather than our Uncle Tom or house nigger, it’s tea girl. But though the exact terms may be different, it’s all racism just the same.

2012-01-28  »  madlibertarianguy