Oh no you di'n!!
So this whole thing with Mo'nique and United Airlines... I'm sorry but i'm going with Miss Mo on this one. If you have no idea what i'm talking about...apparently sometime in late July the comedian Mo'nique got kicked off a United airlines flight for being a 'threat'. The whole thing started when her hair stylist (who was in coach) put a hair dryer in one of the first class luggage bins where Mo'nique was sitting, and for some strange reason this did'nt tickle the flight attendant who told Mo'nique ‘Listen, you need to let YOUR PEOPLE know … if they don’t straighten out their attitude I’ll have them thrown off this flight’ to which Miss Mo replied 'No, you're not gonna speak to me like that. You're not gonna be rude and disrespectful' and the rest is history.
Is Miss Mo a diva - yeah... is it possible she could have been a pain when disrespected.. yeah - should'nt we all be? Usually celebrities and their barbie lives dont interest me that much. I tend to have enough drama in my life to keep me busy but this incident hit home for me because just last week I said to a friend I will go stark raving mad if one more person talked to me about 'your people'. In the past two weeks, i've been asked "why is it that your people always seem to have good nails and hair while claiming they are poor and have no food to eat?" and "your people can dance but they never take any classes so in the end its just that - street dancing (on so you think you can dance)" and the clincher; last week we were at a grocery store and the attendant kept looking at us funny (you KNOW what i'm talking about!) the 2 people ahead of us got a hi and a thank you... when we got to her it was "Hi, and how are YOU PEOPLE doing today?". aaaaiiiii! What people? What are you thinking when you say that? Honestly, I for one just dont get it!
I know I have a lot of sensitive bones when it comes to these issues, and I know "your people" could mean a lot of things. But here's my beef - given black history, and the nature of relationships that have existed between blacks and especially caucasians, and in this wonderful era of 'political corectness' why why why would anyone want to use 'your people' when talking to a black person? Even if you dont mean it that way - whatever way that is - what do you think i'm thinking?
I personally find 'your people' insulting. Obviously because I dont own any people, but mostly because I never get it when people dont realise blacks are just like caucasians and everyone else: just because we have the same color does'nt mean we belong in one big lump. Whenever I fill out forms I get so upset when they have African-American and no slot for African I usually add my own box and put a huge tick in it - and No, it is NOT the same thing! (dont get me started on that)
I believe in Unity not division, but most of all I believe in the beauty that resides in our differences. I believe in speaking up and in dialogue, rather than pretending these things dont exist; this is the only path to learning and to peace. Of course a lot of strides have been made to repair the atrocities we have committed against each other - some of us more than others, but I also think we still have a long way to go. Political corectness, affirmative action.. all these have made sure the 'front face' of prejudice was taken care of, but there are many many other faces in this battle and now there are countless 'little' battles yet to be won. We have opportunities to overcome these battles by being careful not only how we speak about ourselves but how we let other people speak to us, think about us, relate to us, give us the same sensitivity and treatment they would afford if we were not 'black'. How you let others treat you is how much you think of yourself. For those of you who said why did'nt she just shut up and sit down... where would we be if Luther shut up and sat down? Miss Monique - Your people does'nt sound right to me either I dont care what was being referred to and if you dont like it you dont like it so you go girl! I hope no one is tempted to ask me about 'your people' again soon.....
Disclaimer: Its my opinion: how I see it, what I think and how I feel.
Is Miss Mo a diva - yeah... is it possible she could have been a pain when disrespected.. yeah - should'nt we all be? Usually celebrities and their barbie lives dont interest me that much. I tend to have enough drama in my life to keep me busy but this incident hit home for me because just last week I said to a friend I will go stark raving mad if one more person talked to me about 'your people'. In the past two weeks, i've been asked "why is it that your people always seem to have good nails and hair while claiming they are poor and have no food to eat?" and "your people can dance but they never take any classes so in the end its just that - street dancing (on so you think you can dance)" and the clincher; last week we were at a grocery store and the attendant kept looking at us funny (you KNOW what i'm talking about!) the 2 people ahead of us got a hi and a thank you... when we got to her it was "Hi, and how are YOU PEOPLE doing today?". aaaaiiiii! What people? What are you thinking when you say that? Honestly, I for one just dont get it!
I know I have a lot of sensitive bones when it comes to these issues, and I know "your people" could mean a lot of things. But here's my beef - given black history, and the nature of relationships that have existed between blacks and especially caucasians, and in this wonderful era of 'political corectness' why why why would anyone want to use 'your people' when talking to a black person? Even if you dont mean it that way - whatever way that is - what do you think i'm thinking?
I personally find 'your people' insulting. Obviously because I dont own any people, but mostly because I never get it when people dont realise blacks are just like caucasians and everyone else: just because we have the same color does'nt mean we belong in one big lump. Whenever I fill out forms I get so upset when they have African-American and no slot for African I usually add my own box and put a huge tick in it - and No, it is NOT the same thing! (dont get me started on that)
I believe in Unity not division, but most of all I believe in the beauty that resides in our differences. I believe in speaking up and in dialogue, rather than pretending these things dont exist; this is the only path to learning and to peace. Of course a lot of strides have been made to repair the atrocities we have committed against each other - some of us more than others, but I also think we still have a long way to go. Political corectness, affirmative action.. all these have made sure the 'front face' of prejudice was taken care of, but there are many many other faces in this battle and now there are countless 'little' battles yet to be won. We have opportunities to overcome these battles by being careful not only how we speak about ourselves but how we let other people speak to us, think about us, relate to us, give us the same sensitivity and treatment they would afford if we were not 'black'. How you let others treat you is how much you think of yourself. For those of you who said why did'nt she just shut up and sit down... where would we be if Luther shut up and sat down? Miss Monique - Your people does'nt sound right to me either I dont care what was being referred to and if you dont like it you dont like it so you go girl! I hope no one is tempted to ask me about 'your people' again soon.....
Disclaimer: Its my opinion: how I see it, what I think and how I feel.
posted by Wasiwasi at 10:33 AM
1 Comments:
Ingo Power!
Power to the sister, enough of minorities having to be polite and tolerant. I loved your view on this, too bad we dont see this happening often.
Power to the homies initiating change.
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