Nikki's review
Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal
by Randall Kennedy
Its more than leaders who are hit with this tag. Any of us who appear to work well within the larger/white society can get hit with this tag and God help us if we speak well. If you are in a position of power and are following the rules instead of "helpin' a brotha out" you are hit with this tag. I worked in a record store for years and I was called a sellout at least once a year b/c I wouldn't exchange a CD after it had been opened or something similar and equally as trivial.
That's terrible! Have you read the book? I agree with him that the stringent rules for "being black" make it difficult to go against any black peer group, even a small and deviant one trying to take back opened CDs. But what do you think? Are there real sell outs? Or should the term be avoided?
Nikki's review
Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal by Randall Kennedy
Nikki's review
rating:
Excellent! Excellent!
Upon reading this, I was appalled at how little of black history I knew (I'm white from California). The point of this book is that African Americans are often at odds within their community of which of their leaders has "sold out" and which haven't, leaders both historical and modern (and he includes discussion on who I personally see in the media--Obama, Oprah, Rice, Powell, Clarence Thomes, even Tiger Woods).
Why aren't historically important black leaders in the history books? Actually, now that I've read it, I think I understand. It's too complex for high school. Take, for example, a printed statement from 1868, wherein a black leader calls from the rights for blacks to own land but under white supervision, since black are, after all, inferior. The last half of that statement, under today's standards, makes the black man who wrote it a "sell out." But two things: one, it was radically progressive for its day and started the...more
Upon reading this, I was appalled at how little of black history I knew (I'm white from California). The point of this book is that African Americans are often at odds within their community of which of their leaders has "sold out" and which haven't, leaders both historical and modern (and he includes discussion on who I personally see in the media--Obama, Oprah, Rice, Powell, Clarence Thomes, even Tiger Woods).
Why aren't historically important black leaders in the history books? Actually, now that I've read it, I think I understand. It's too complex for high school. Take, for example, a printed statement from 1868, wherein a black leader calls from the rights for blacks to own land but under white supervision, since black are, after all, inferior. The last half of that statement, under today's standards, makes the black man who wrote it a "sell out." But two things: one, it was radically progressive for its day and started the...more
Its more than leaders who are hit with this tag. Any of us who appear to work well within the larger/white society can get hit with this tag and God help us if we speak well. If you are in a position of power and are following the rules instead of "helpin' a brotha out" you are hit with this tag. I worked in a record store for years and I was called a sellout at least once a year b/c I wouldn't exchange a CD after it had been opened or something similar and equally as trivial.
That's terrible! Have you read the book? I agree with him that the stringent rules for "being black" make it difficult to go against any black peer group, even a small and deviant one trying to take back opened CDs. But what do you think? Are there real sell outs? Or should the term be avoided?