(a) People will make mascots of cultures that they respect because
that culture has qualities that they would like to emulate.
For example: Norte Dame's Fighting Irish. Mario & Luigi from
the Mario Bros. Video Games and cartoons.
Because there is a very high lack of respect paid toward
African-American culture, they will not attempt to make mascots
of us.
(Ok, enough of my bullshit reasoning.... I only believe half
of the reasoning I put up there.... Now here's my real reason:
(b) In the past they used to have mascots of African-Americans on
many products and to this day two still exist: Aunt Jemima and
Uncle Ben. The reason why there are no more new ones, and the
reason why, for example Aunt Jemima was changed so that she
would not look like a slave, was because the average white
executive is honestly scared of us.
In the mind of white America today, the feeling is:
If we make a team called the Negroes, we are likely to get our
asses kicked between our ears!
Of course, when African-Americans create a team with that name
is is immediately understood that the AA has honest respect fot
the name... and it is also expected that this AA will not
project the "wrong" image lest this AA find their ass kicked
between their ears by their own people.
That's my view of the reality.
50 years ago, African_Americans were in about the same boat mascot-wise
as the Native-American people.
African-Americans were lucky that we were able to twist the arm of the
establishment and get our respect. Of course, we were sort'a in a position
to be able to pull it off (not that it was easy, but you'll see what I mean):
(a) My ancestors were not native to this place.
(b) My ancestors were a part of the machine that made the US. Granted
we were slaves, highly oppressed, raped, killed, mutilated, etc.
But we were always kept within the heart of the system. While
the natives were always driven away. The natives were viewed
as an enemy to the system, so the system threw all of its energy
at the natives. The slaves were viewed as a part of the system,
so they never really expected they needed to keep the slaves down.
(c) Being a part of the system you learn the flow of the system.
When you know the flow of the system and are a part of the system
then you have the opprotunity to change the system.
The problem was/is that the US has been at war with the Natives, so they
[the US] it makes it easier to focus their aim. The Natives were placed
in reservations in which the US can monitor their activities, when
necessary, strike down a whole movement easily.
African-Americans, even today are an inter-woven part of the US fabric.
Granted, targeting us isn't too hard either, but we're a tougher target
to hit (by a small margin).
SO far what they do to keep us down is scream "quota! quota! quota!"
Where I work at now I have to deal with some folks who believe that any
promotion I get is because I am some kind of "quota" piece. Granted,
every once in a while they may realize that I know something, but often
I have to deal with folks thinking like this.
That is how the US has gotten at a lot of the African-Americans who
have gotten somewhere in life.
For those who are trying to get somewhere, they simply cut funding to
anything that benifits inner cities (where you find a lot of us) or
education, or attack Affirmative_Action.
But becaus
New mail for david@trace has arrived:
----
Date: 31 Jan 92 09:28:00 EST
From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us
>From: "Charles Cusenza 8907" <CHARLIE@tecvax.grumman.com>
Subject: netnews
News articles that are older then 72 hours were being expired
3 times a day, 6 days a week(except Sunday). Given the normal netnews
..more...
Well... that's my theory.
I am also a Native-American by my grandmother.
Funny thing, we never found out until a few years ago.
When asked why she never told us [the grandchildren] before,
she replied, "Well, no one ever asked!"
Gotta admit, now we know, we can see why everybodies features
in the family are the way that they are.
She finds it hard talking about the past though... so it looks like
I'll have to find out this stuff about my family on my own.
Hey, respond to this ok?
I'd like to know your impressions on my views above.
And, byt he way... you were 100% right about people focusing on the
mascot issue. You have to fight for the things that really count:
like existence.
THen the respect comes naturally.
And the mascots go away... later.
David