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Category Archives: quotes
barack like me
David Alan Grier: Is beige the new black?
Comedian writes about how Obama has made being multiracial cool
Every pundit from Larry King to Atlantic magazine agrees: black is in. All shades of black. Which is good for most people, because so many of us are of mixed race. Myself included. It’s mind-boggling that we have ended up here, at this point in our history. There was a time, only a few generations ago, that being of mixed race was not so cool. In fact, it was illegal to try to pass yourself off as a different race. If the authorities found out, you lost everything — your position, your home, and all your possessions. You’d be separated from your family and often lynched.
President Barack Obama has changed all that. People now want to be mixed. Bi-racial, tri- racial, quad- and quinti-racial, how many you got? The more the better. Multiracial is the hot new facial, the best look in the book. Mixed race is the new superrace. If you look too black, people seem disappointed. They look at you and say, “You’re just black. Oh. That’s too bad. Are you sure? Anything else in there?”
They’re looking for the Obama mix. It’s like a new kind of coffee. “We just came up with it. Try this. The new Obama roast. It’s the perfect blend. Strong, but not sharp. Seductive. Bold. Sweet. Smooth. And not too dark. Not like that Dikembe Mutombo roast they’re brewing across the street.”
And why not be black like Barack? He’s the coolest guy on the planet right now. He’s bigger than any rapper, more popular than any rock star. He’s huge. We admire him and kids aspire to be like him.
…It’s still hard to get my head around this, though, the idea of acceptance that comes with the Barack Obama presidency. There is a part of me that acknowledges — and remembers, historically — that people of color who tried to deny any part of themselves were suspect. They would have to make a decision and stick with it. If it was found out that they were denying a part of themselves, they would be accused of running away from themselves and be rejected by their own. We’re looking at a whole new playing field as of right now. You can embrace all the parts of you. You can say, forthrightly, “I am who I am. I am all my parts,” or even, “I am all my parts, but I am embracing this particular one. This is who I am.” And we, as a people, will embrace it as well.
Excerpted from “Barack Like Me” by David Alan Grier with Alan Eisenstock. Copyright (c) by David Alan Grier.
good question
The question being: Why doesn’t anyone quote these words from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
speaking of amy grant
For me, this is long overdue. I’m not sure why I’ve been keeping my love for Amy Grant a secret on this blog. Maybe I thought it unnecessary what with the mulatto diaries vlog #72 thanking God for Amy Grant through tears and laughter. It just doesn’t seem right though. The obsession has faded, the nostalgia and admiration remain. The blog seems incomplete without some sort of acknowledgement. So here it is.
Finding one’s way, learning to value the truth as a nonnegotiable plumb line, experiencing the consequences of violating the laws of nature or the laws of the Spirit, exercising free will, and realizing one’s own impact on and in the world- these are all included in the sometimes painful lessons of life, and most of these must be learned firsthand.- Amy Grant
This is trust: doing what you believe you are called to do and trusting that God will provide. But here’s where it gets personal: God provides through people. Am I willing to be connected to the people in my world, the people at work, the people in my house, the people I encounter in everyday patterns of living? Am I open to the possibility of my life, my gifts, touching another life? My life touching another, the domino effect of God’s goodness rippling through so many other lives, is a powerful, far-reaching concept.
You can still cut loose and have a great time, but part of you has to say, “I will take life with open eyes and a thinking mind, and not as self-centered as I was as a child”. When you start looking at life that way you realize that issues on every level on every continent do have an effect on your life.
If you went to your closet today, would you pull out the same outfit you wore 10 or 15 years ago? You wear feelings and faith differently as well.
But my experience is that people who have been through painful, difficult times are filled with compassion.
You do your best, you do all this stuff, but the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
I think that if my kids are completely convinced of God`s unfailing love for them, whether they fail or not, they`ll have confidence to persevere in life.
(Best Christmas album EVER!)
To me, the human experience does involve a great deal of anguish. It’s joyful, but it’s bittersweet. I just think that’s life.
Without black, no color has any depth. But if you mix black with everything, suddenly there`s shadow – no, not just shadow, but fullness. You`ve got to be willing to mix black into your palette if you want to create something that`s real.
There’s a beauty to wisdom and experience that cannot be faked. It`s impossible to be mature without having lived.
(2nd best Christmas album ever!)Ok, so I spent a LOT of time looking at pictures of Amy Grant on the internet for this. Unfortunately most of my old favs were taken before the days of digital photography, so most of them could not be found. Those that I did find were scanned or photos of photos. I just have to put a few up anyway because most of my wardrobe in the early 90’s was purchased in an attempt to be just like Amy Grant. Looking at these pics answered a few personal “what was I thinking!”‘s.
I remember the day this People magazine came out! I nearly burned a hole in this picture which hung in my locker(s) for the next 2 years. And yes, I managed to find myself a sweater like that. If only I’d known I had curly hair…
I love this movie. Coraline Jones from Michigan. Maybe we’re related.
mulatto diaries 