Sticks and Stones, and Yes, Words Too
2007
Last week, the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team played the University of Tennessee in the NCAA championship. If you haven’t heard, nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus and executive producer Bernard McGuirk (and others), commenting on the Rutgers women’s basketball team on his show “Imus in the Morning” said the following, in part (click here at MediaMatters.org for a detailed account and video of the incident):
IMUS: That’s some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and –
McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.
IMUS: That’s some nappy-headed hos there. I’m gonna tell you that now, man, that’s some — woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like — kinda like — I don’t know.
McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.
…ROSENBERG: It was a tough watch. The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the Toronto Raptors.
Many people have commented on Imus’ remarks, calling for his resignation. It was racist and sadly, FCC-supported. While I support the move calling for his resignation, I did not write this post with that intent. This post is a call for people in this country to think a bit more critically to understand that contrary to the popular children’s rhyme, sticks and stones hurt, and words hurt as well.
I was styling my daughter’s hair this morning as I listened to a Black radio talk show host addressing Imus’ racially-charged criticism of women he hadn’t met and didn’t know. My daughter is beautiful, intelligent, a great person, a superstar, as my husband, Manchild, says, “destined to achieve greatness,” and a gorgeous three-year old Black girl with very curly, beautiful hair. We constantly affirm her in who she knowing she will encounter ignorant remarks such as those Don Imus and his cohorts so insensitively made. I grew up in the Midwest/North, yet, racism was and is still alive and well. And being called out of your name, while knowing inherently the filth directed toward you isn’t the truth, it still penetrates, it still hurts. So when (notice I said “when,” not “if”) our daughter hears racial slurs spewed across the airwaves or in her face, she will know the truth. I pray it will not penetrate her soul. I pray we will impart so much of how much we love and esteem her and how gloriously God views her that her spirit will not be damaged.
Unfortunately, the damage has already been done to some. During the Michael Baisden show (a nationally-syndicated Black radio talk show airing weekday afternoons), a young Black girl called and expressed her views about Imus’ epithets in the form of a powerful poem. She read the poem with such passion that it’s difficult to really hear the pain and anger in her voice as she read it over the air. Michael Baisden posted the poem on his forum at MingleCity.com. I offer the poem here as well.
Violent
By Yvonne Espinoza
We’re violent because this is all we know
You taught us this along time ago
We’re violent because you made us this way
You beat us naked, you hung our people,
Raped our kids and stripped us of our pride
And you now wanna ask why?
Give us a reason not to be
You can’t, it’s impossibleBecause to give us a reason, you’d have to right all the wrong you’ve done
But you can’t and if you could then
You’ve only just begun
You’d have to beg for mercy, plead and cry
You’d have to feel the pain we felt
The pain that took livesYou go through the hardships,
The trials and tribulations,
The suffering, the heartache, the dying babies
You sit on a boat full of hundreds of sick,
Old people living to die
How about you dance to make money
Look ignorant on t.v.
Go to jail for nothing
Harassed because others don’t like what they seeHave your people get beat to death
By those who get paid to protect
You eat trash to survive
How about you watch your people and babies die
Get sold for a dime
Kill themselves because they don’t want to live this lifeWe went through it then and we go through it now
And you know it’s true, and you still ask why?
How dare you have the audacity
Who made you king?Despite common belief and despite what you think
There is only one king, one God
And he walks with me, with us
The ones who were forced to live in grief
Who were cut, killed, raped and beat
Like animals, brainwashed to think like youYou hacked away, pulled and dragged us down
Until we didn’t want to be Black or Brown
We didn’t want to be Colored or Negroes
We wanted to be High, Suddity, White Folk
We though if we looked, smelled, and act like you
We could live a regular life, and though we tried
You still continued to beat and lay us out
To hang us from our necks, to laugh at our bodiesYou could never blame us for being this way
Because you taught us violence
So how dare you think of forming any kind of alliance
Now we know that two wrongs don’t make a right
But since we have none,
Why should we spare your life?It’s your fault for all of this
And if you didn’t teach us violence
Then who did?
It couldn’t have been us
Because, remember, we’re ignorant!You should be careful what you say
Because your words have power
Say it enough and it’ll come true…
I know you’ve heard of karma
God have mercy on you.
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I will share your post and I think this a good job. I have a black friend on EbonyFriends.com . My friend is young ,he have a pure heart . Mabe the pain exist in his puer heart. He is so intelligent that I hope there is no pain at all.
Who is Imus to say such a thing? If it makes any difference, I had never heard of Imus until this morning. It’s truly sad that it takes an ignorant statement like the one he made to make himself known.
A very powerful poem by that young lady, I thank you for sharing. Words and actions equally impact all of us. The energy that encompasses our every action resonates like a pebble in a pond. It is high time that we become aware of and mindful of our own actions since they are what is in our power to change. We also hold power to decide how we will respond to negative energy such as Imus’ hate speech. Some will attack him right back, using hate speech of a different color but what will that accomplish? We need to generate positive actions and words that enlighten us to our collective potentials. I am sure your daughter will absorb and make her own your teachings of her worth. She will effectively use that power to shield herself from hate while spreading love and tolerance.
Be well and enjoy the day.
Danielle has probably left a much more intelligent comment than I could, but I want to say that although I can’t directly relate because I’m white, and I’ve never had to live through the kind of discrimination that the black population has had to endure and continues to endure, I support the efforts of those suffering racism and hate to express their pain and hopefully rise above the ignorance and mean-ness directed at them. It pains me to realize that it is still so alive, although not well. Yes it exists, let us not deny that. But let us not give it too much of our attention lest we give it power it does not deserve. Kwiz, you and your husband, I’m sure will impart the wisdom, integrity and love to your daughter that she needs to become the whole, wise, talented miracle she deserves to be. Rest assured, you yourself have taught me that there is a dependable goodness in this world to rely on. She has that.
Just for clarification, I don’t think highlighting ignorant and abominable behaviour is wrong. It’s right, definitely, because it educates. I just worry about focusing too much on the sadness and pain. In order to heal, and I know this from experience, we have to let go and not focus on the bad things in life. Numerous wisdom has been imparted about how our thoughts create our lives, so likewise, it goes for the good and the bad.
Oh, and by the way, I like your new header image.
Sincerely,
Camille
Hi Kwiz–words also tell us what the person saying them is about. I’ve heard the Imus show a number of times and his “flip” way of talking gives listeners insight into the way he thinks. His remarks come from a person who is callous towards others.
His recent remarks aren’t isolated words, he has shown in the past other types of disregard for others with his words.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. These are times where we must consider how others feel.
Hi Sophia,
Unfortunately, it’s not an issue of wanting to be known. Imus already is very, very well known in the media – he makes a boatload of money for the networks that run his show as well as for his advertisers. Therefore, he, himself, makes millions of dollars. His radio program, while meant to be humorous, also draws many prominent political figures – senators, congresspeople, etc. So that’s really not his issue, I don’t really believe.
Hi Danielle and Camille,
Thank you both so much for your wonderfully thoughtful comments. You ladies are great.
You’re right – it’s not the right thing to do to attack this gentleman for his words. However, it is the contention of many – myself included – that he needs to be held accountable because with power comes responsibility.
That said, though, you’re right – we should focus on the positive, and we definitely do that with our daughter. But here’s the thing. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about the power that one has as an individual to redirect the negative energy nastiness causes. In other words, while I know that I’m not a nappy-headed ho, I’m also 43 years old, and it’s taken me awhile to understand that the pain I endured when I was young can be healed – it is up to me to initiate that process. For a young girl who isn’t nurtured the way my daughter is, it’s tragic, because unfortunately, they may unconsciously take on the image of the one who is dominant simply because they don’t know any better. A good example of that is the video of the doll test – where young Black girls and boys were given a Black doll and a White doll and asking which they preferred. Most preferred the White doll because of what “blackness” represented in their eyes. It’s not their fault that they didn’t get the right education about the social construct of race – yet they now have to endure what they perceive to be a negative – being Black in America.
So while our daughter gets to have imparted into her spirit great things about who she is, what about those young kids and young adults who don’t know how to get that yet?
Thank you again, ladies, for your insights!!! I appreciate so much that y’all took the time to comment. Have a great rest of your day!
Hi The New Parent!
I’ve heard that Imus is generally insensitive to many groups of people. What’s unfortunate about this is that corporations and advertisers are making big money from this personality, as he is as well. So bad behavior is rewarded. Our country’s ideas of what’s of value is so warped to me.
i’ve never liked imus. he had such a fued going with howard stern when really he was just jealous of stern’s popularity. he’s certainly no better. i was thrilled to hear CBS Radio and MSNBC have suspended him though only for 2 weeks.
It’s important for us to realize how wonderful God made us…and you’re right, KWiz, words can be hurtful — and hopefully Imus knows this now and changes for the better.
Hi Paula,
Let’s hope so…nevertheless, we value the craziest things in this country…
Kwiz, I came by as a result of the powerful referral made for you over on The ‘D’ Spot earlier today. I’m glad that I did. Personally, I think that Imus should be fired. However, I am blown away by the poem that you posted from the young sister. Very powerful…and karma is a mutha!
peace, Villager
I congratulate Yvonne Espinoza for writing and publishing this poem! It’s such a powerful statement of her own feelings and thoughts.
I am very much encouraged to see young Black people and other sociological minorities using the Afrosphere to express themselves, communicate and unite with one another. This is the real victory that is emerging from the Shaquanda Cotton and Imus controversies: expression, unity and consensus in the Afrosphere. This is the biggest gift that we can give to our young people.
Although computers and broadband will soon be as common in Black households as color television, computers have the potential to unite and empower us, instead of being simply another medium for the receipt of “white-news” and anti-Black propaganda. We need to interlink ourselves to the maximum degree possible, decide what is most important to us and decide what we are going to do about it together, using the Afrosphere as our medium for communication and consensus.