ARE WE ALL BLACK?

ARE WE ALL BLACK?
by Andy Weddington
Saturday, 30 September 2017

Any colour - so long as it's black. Henry Ford

Two commentaries in one day is rare.

Penning commentary on a Saturday evening, before a beer? 

More rare, if ever. 

So it must be important (to me).

It is. 

I trust, by end, to others, too.  

Today I did not watch football. None. 

What I did watch was golf - the Presidents Cup. 

A few observations ...

All the American players caddies sported bibs adorned, front and back, with an American flag. 

When an American players' name was posted on the television screen, an American flag preceded his name.

Just off one green, I saw a trio of young men (college age, maybe older), clad in eye-catching suits mimicking our flag. And they looked fabulous against the strong greens of the course. Enthusiastic. Patriots.  

During more than six hours of televised coverage, I did not see a single player or fan take a knee in protest of anything.

While watching and working on my iPad I stumbled on a post by Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame). 

Mr. Rowe posted a short retort to a woman who took exception to his use of the term "black people" in another social media post. The woman said she was "a woman of color" and the proper term was "African-American." She did have a positive word about Mr. Rowe's charitable foundation work but said to be heard he needed to be more respectful.

Mr. Rowe wrote three paragraphs. His focus was on the hyphen. And, from my angle, its divisiveness. Americans are we. Period.

It is his last paragraph that I am going to assume he would not take issue, since it's on social media (Facebook), with being quoted here ... 

"I could write a few thousand words on the evils of the hyphen, and it's role in identity-politics. But I doubt I could say it better than Smokey Robinson did in a Def Poetry Jam seven years ago. If I were King of the World, this would be required viewing in every single high school - starting tomorrow. The language is salty, but the sentiment is precisely what America needs to hear - no matter where you're from..." 

Mr. Robinson's music is familiar to me. His prose not. I had never heard nor heard of this piece before. 

I second Mr. Rowe's King of the World plan but add show it now to the NFL, the NBA, and any other sympathetic uninformed fool, black or not, taking a knee (raising fists, sitting, stretching, interlocking arms) before our Colors and Anthem. Show it to them today! 

Now, take a few minutes and listen to a sage, poet, and master of the stage, Mr. Smokey Robinson ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9zPRVKQvIM

As is done on Facebook - Share. Please. Share. 

Mr. Rowe closed his note to Carla Jamison, "Have a great weekend. Mike". 

I second that, too.

Thanks, Mike. 

Now, about that beer.