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February
8, 2002
John Blair
Criticize
Cheney,
Go to Jail
Cockburn/St.
Clair
Dita
Sari Tells Reebok
to "Shove It"
February
7, 2002
Patrick
Cockburn
Taliban's
War on Chess
John Chuckman
Howdee,
Dick!
Tariq
Ali
Mullahs
and Heretics
February
6, 2002
Amira
Hass
On
the Edge of the
Non-Violent Demonstrations
Vivian
Berger
Sentenced
to Rape
Vladimir Georgiyev
Russian Intelligence:
War on Iraq Begins in Sept.
Tom Turnipseed
"Axis
of Evil" a Cover for Corporate Corruption?
David
Vest
The
Enron Creature
February
5, 2002
Norman
Madarasz
Dispatch
from Pôrto Alegre
Tom Malinowski
What
to do with
Our "Detainees"?
Dita Sari
Why
I Rejected the
Reebok Human Rights Award
February
4, 2002
Eric Miller/Beth
Daley
Five
Weapons Systems
That Bilk the Taxpayers
Kenneth
Roth
Dear
Condoleezza,
You've Misstated the
Geneva Convention
Robert
Jensen
The
Occupation Must End
Shahid
Alam
How
Different Are
Islamic Societies?
David
Vest
Everybody
Says I Loathe You
John Chuckman
American
Politics of Grief
February
3, 2002
Zoltan
Grossman
War
and New Military Bases
February
2, 2002
Francis
Schor
Carlucci's
Strange Career
February
1, 2002
Dr. Susan
Block
The
Great Ashcroft Cover Up
Jeremy
Voas
Why
We're Suing Ashcroft
David
Vest
10
Things I Know About Him
January
31, 2002
Rahul
Mahajan
The
State of the Union:
A New Cold War
Dave Marsh
Miles
Copeland, War
and the Future of Music
John Pilger
The
Colder War
Alexander
Cockburn
American
Journal:
Killer Dog, Weird Couple
Dr. Susan
Block
Blowback
and Daniel Pearl
January
30, 2002
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Linda
Lay, Hill and Knowlton and the Tears of a Clown
Jack McCarthy
Free
Noelle Bush!
Michael
Ratner
Memo
to Bush: Adhere to
the Geneva Convention
Jay Moore
Proud
to be an American?
Susan
Block
The
Great Pretzel Swallower
and Guantanamo Porn
January
29, 2002
Gary Leupp
Why
This War Was, and Remains, Utterly Wrong
Alexander
Cockburn
The
Birds of Kandahar
Patrick
Cockburn
Afghan
Opium Trade
Back in Business
January
28, 2002
Larry
Chin
Brosnahan
for the Defense
Mokhiber/Weissman
Tyranny
of the Bottom Line
George
E. Curry
Civil
Rights Nominee Called Affirmative Action "Racist"
Sen. Russ
Feingold
Campaign
Finance Reform?
Think Enron
John Chuckman
Liberal?
Media?
A Photographic Journal of Life
in an Afghan Refugee Camp
By Judith Mann
Resources:
100s of Links
About 9/11
CounterPunch:
Complete
Coverage of 9/11 and Its Aftermath
Five
Days That
Shook The World:
Seattle and Beyond
By Alexander
Cockburn
and Jeffrey St. Clair
Photos by Allan Sekula
(Click Here to Order from CounterPunch
Online at 20% Off Amazon.com's price!)
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EXCLUSIVE
TO
COUNTERPUNCH
SUBSCRIBERS
Published Oct. 15, 2001
8-Page Special Issue
War Diary
CIA's Assassination Plan a History of
Torture in US Prisons
bin Laden and Bush
Business Connections
Aisha Ikramuddin on the Hidden Hype
of US Food Bombs
Peter Linebaugh on
Pakistan
Christopher Hitchens' Love for Mrs. Thatcher
Jiang Zemin Tells Bush:
Nuke 'Em
Search
CounterPunch
Read Whiteout and Find Out
How the CIA's Backing of the Mujahideen Created the World's Most
Robust Heroin Market and Helped to Finance the Rise of the Taliban
and Osama bin Laden
Whiteout:
CIA, Drugs & the
Press
by Alexander
Cockburn
and Jeffrey St. Clair
The New Crusade:
America's War on Terrorism
By Rahul Mahajan
The Memphis Blues Again:
Six Decades of Memphis Music Photographs
Photos by Ernest Withers
Text by Daniel Wolff
The New Intifada:
Resisting Israel's Apartheid
Edited by Roane Carey
A Pocket Guide to
Environmental Bad Guys
by James Ridgeway
and Jeffrey St. Clair
The
Phoenix Program
by Douglas Valentine
Al Gore:
A User's Manual
by Cockburn
and St. Clair
Buy
This Explosive
New Book at an
Amazing Discount!
Reviews of Gore:
a User's Manual
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February 8,
2002
Whispering Black
(or Little White) Lies
By Molly Secours
Several months ago I attended the "State
of the Black World Conference" in Atlanta Georgia. Among
those present were black activists, politicians, scholars and
clergy from around the globe. Even celebrities such as Tavis
Smiley, Danny Glover and Chris Tucker made an appearance in order
to raise the awareness of this important discussion.
Although I learned a great deal at the
conference, I didn't actually need to leave Nashville to be reminded
that for people of a darker hue, the state of the black world
hasn't really changed in many ways.
During the many speeches at the conference
I was reminded of an experience just days earlier. While searching
for real estate in Nashville, I encountered a pleasant and accommodating
middle-aged women who showed me some property in the Belmont
area. Although I wasn't interested in the place, she seemed eager
to help me locate something more suited to my taste. She assured
me that her partner managed many properties and felt confident
he would have something available in the near future. She promised
to have him call me as soon as possible.
Before we parted I inquired as to the
location of another apartment that interested me. Leaning in
close and confidential she advised me to be careful because although
the area in which I was looking was close by, it was still "coming
around". As my mind and heart raced, I tried to appear as
though I didn't know what "coming around" meant.
Normally among whites this coded language
is clearly understood with no explanation necessary. But I wanted
to hear her say it. And she did. In a sweet maternal tone she
warned me of the dangers of the neighborhood because there were
still a lot of "blacks" living in the area. And she
did what white people often do. She whispered the word "black"
as if to protect a coveted secret.
But why whisper? Was she afraid someone
would hear her who wasn't white? Was it because black people
don't know they are black? Or was it to soften her insinuation
that blacks are undesirable to live with? The only certainty
is that she must have felt confident that I would understand
and appreciate her warning.
The next words that came out of my mouth
were unplanned and untrue. I calmly replied that the particular
neighborhood she alluded to would actually work out very well
for me because "I am black". And then without flinching
I maintained a steady gaze and awaited a response.
She appeared nervous and confused as
the flood of caveats and explanations flowed for several minutes.
She clarified that what she meant to say was that the neighborhood
was changing because more full time residents were moving in
and renters were moving out.
She also seemed to struggle with the
data I had just given her regarding my race. Did she somehow
miss any signs that would have revealed my blackness? How did
she not know? Although my hair is coarse and curly my skin is
rather fair. She was understandably confused.
I'm not sure why I told her I was black
rather than just confronting her about the damage of such a blatantly
racist statement. Maybe I figured a little white lie would have
more of an impact. And that by telling her I was black she might
be forced to wrestle with her conscience. She had exposed her
true feelings--which she was clearly uncomfortable sharing with
an unsympathetic stranger. What I most hoped is that she would
reevaluate the ignorance of her words and understand the devastation
inflicted upon every black person when one of us white folks
perpetuates the mythology of blacks as being dangerous.
For many of the attendees at the conference,
this incident sums up the state of the black world. As Dr. Frances
Cress Welsing, the prominent black psychologist suggests, the
best thing whites can do for non-whites is to tell them what
we (whites) say when they aren't around. This way we all know
where we stand.
A few minutes later my cell phone rang
and it was the real estate woman calling to let me know that
she had already spoken to her partner. As it turns out, he had
no available apartments and nothing coming up in the near future.
I thanked her for letting me know where I stood.
Molly Secours
is a writer, activist and videographer. She can be reached at
mollmaud@earthlink.net
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