I love Charles M. Blow. I may not always agree with him, but he’s on point most of the time and his fiery writing reflects a constant synchronization of signals with the African diasporic struggle.
If you have no idea of what I just said, watch how the NY Times columnist regulated President Trump supporter and Conservative CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany last night, who thought she could touch Blow during a CNN panel discussion after calling his journalistic intentions sinister:
McEnany then equated Blow’s objection to being touched with Rep. Maxine Water’s refusal to meet with the President — and then labeled both as not being American.
Let me touch on one thing before I Blacksplain what just happened: Rep. Waters SHOULD meet with Trump, even though nothing legally mandates her to do it. Why the hell should she draw from a taxpayer-funded paycheck if she won’t at least TRY to build some consensus with this madman. An attempt at conversation will at least create a record of sorts to say that she tried to exchange viewpoints and work out policies to a point of failure.
But back to Blacksplaining. From the slave auction block to sideshows — and points in-between like sexual assault in slave masters’ cabin — African descendants have been touched by their oppressors. “Petted” is the word I prefer to use.
I’ll head-off anyone who wants to argue about whether or not McEnany’s petting was racist by saying that I’m sure the men who pinched Saartjie Baartman’s nipples for the first time didn’t think they were racists either.
Therefore, don’t touch a Black person you don’t know. It invokes stuff — plus, many of you don’t really want to know what that “stuff” really is.
And for those of you with “stuff curiosities,” I recommend you find a different setting for exploration. Petting is out.
Don’t touch the hair of the only African descendant woman in the office.
Not the Black guy’s bald head. No petting.
But forget about skin color — why would you touch anyone you don’t know?
People never petted Walter Cronkite Bill O’Reilly on-air — even if the latter may not mind at all …
McEnany was better off buying the blackest blow-up doll she can find online.
But not Mr. Blow …
song currently stuck in my head: “black, brown and beige, part iv (a.k.a. come Sunday)” – duke ellington and his orchestra featuring mahalia jackson
