Tayari's Blog: Modern Nig*** Manifesto?
Posted by TayariJones on November 26, 2006 08:37 AM
Filed under
Friends, I was getting into the holiday spirit this morning, planning to kick off the week with a seasonal blog post-- a shopping list, or maybe a nice southern recipe-- when I got an email from Dr. Jelani Cobb, alerting me to a new article by John Ridley in this month's Esquire.
The mistletoe will have to wait.
Frankly, I was so stunned and offended by the article entitled "The Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern American Nig***," that I flipped to the end, waiting for a punch line. I mean, this just had to be satire, right? No one could be this mean-spirited and unnuanced. Could they? He isn't really writing in Esquire about the difference between "ascendant black people" and "nig***s?"
Uh, yes he is. And he's not using asterisks. I am sort of freaked out, so I will let Brother Jelani take it from here.
From Jelani Cobb:
Dear Friends:
I opened this month's Esquire magazine to find an article titled
"Manifesto of Ascendancy of the Modern American Nigger," written by
John Ridley. I have been an Esquire subscriber for nearly 10 years and
they have almost never touched upon race as an issue. Until now. I was
offended in the extreme by the denigrating tone and half-truths of the
piece attacking the black poor.
Ridley's essay would be inflammatory had it been published anywhere,
but publishing an article in a magazine with a 97% white readership
that derides "niggers" and attempts to highlight the differences
between them and "good black people" is highly irresponsible.
Moreover, Esquire would never publish a piece that sought to
distinguish in earnest between whites and crackers, Italians and wops
or women and bitches. I have already sent them a letter and will be
cancelling my subscription.
I have included a link to the essay below. I am requesting that people
send letters to the editor of Esquire and forward this email to as
many friends of yours as possible.
The link to send a letter to the editor.
Take care,
Jelani C.
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There are 1 comments on "Modern Nig*** Manifesto?". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by yemisi ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
I just happened to peruse this site as I was told about your book The Untelling by a friend of mine. I must say this article by Mr. Ridley is shockingly irresponsible. I don't even know where to begin. I am an African writer(but a pup writing my first novel)and I can tell you from an outsider looking in, this is why stereotypes about blacks continue to thrive, when an African-American with a platform to reach a wide audience instead chooses to use it to grandstand and pander I think to the largely white readership. Whites will read this and laugh because this is what an African-American is saying about his own people. Calling them, or 'the bad ones', as he says, n***s. Yes, I see the point he is attempting to make about the issues that plague the inner cities and low income areas but is denegrating the race the way to get their attention? Is that constructive in any way, I ask? And his comments on Condaleeza Rice are insulting. The idea that she would be heartily welcomed at the Bush's because Jeb's latina wife has been says what exactly? Does that not imply that somehow being accepted by whites is some sort of achievement thus making them superior in some way? Whether I agree with Miss. Rice's politics or not, I agree that she is an extremely accomplished individual and her credentials clearly speak to that fact, but I am sure she could do without this sort of praise! An appaling, highly irresponsible not to mention offensive piece.
November 26, 2006 07:48 PM