By Lafe Tolliver, Esq
Guest Column
On Fox News, the “reporter,” Laura Ingraham, clearly stated that Kamala Harris was being rightly contested about her racial lineage because she was not, a “foundational black.”
Of course, Laura Ingraham gave no evidence or proofs for her racist statement except to intone or imply from her caustic remark that again it is White folks who are the final arbiter of who is or who is not Black.
Laura Ingraham was reinforcing the racial trope that unless White folks determine or decide where you place on the color spectrum, Black folks are subject to their capricious definitions of what constitutes Blackness.
Upon hearing that remark on Fox News, I decided to go undercover and contact some of my inside sources at Fox News whom I have developed over the years when I had the good fortune of serving in both the Clinton and Obama White House as a special liaison for media coverage.
To my shock and chagrin, my source handed me a sheet of talking points that were fed to Fox News, OAN and NewsMax so that they would be able to counter any questions about their research as to who is who in Black America.
I was astonished at the length by which these so-called news agencies were willing to go in order to diminish the concept of Blackness and to “hack it” up into sound bites.
Obviously their plenary definitions of people of color gave them the noxious ability to bring up certain Black personalities and assign them to boxes of political persuasions that allowed them to handle their on-air critiques of Black media personalities.
I have with great trepidation, presented the below categories of how certain news entities described people of color, and you will see that they can now quickly label a Black personality with a name code, if you will, so that they then know best how to manage that person:
FOUNDATIONAL BLACK: Describes the Black person who can trace his racial lineage to the history of slavery in America and to the present date; and with his ancestry, both mother and father, being exclusively from Mother Africa.
MY KIND OF BLACK: A euphemism for a Black person who gladly and quickly shows deference to all things White and is apologetic when other Black folks get out of line and they give an explanation, unsolicited or not, for their course conduct.
TIM SCOTT BLACK: This is the category of a Black male who will embarrass himself in the front of White people solely for the joy of hearing them tell him that they love him; and that all is well and that White folks can continue with their systemic racism, and they will not put up much of a fuss about it, especially so it his romantic interest is a White woman.
BEN CARSON BLACK: This is the category of Black men who have reached remarkable heights of professional accomplishment and wish to remain unaffected by the racial climate, so they remain still, quietly hoping that the White people in power will not scold them for those, “others.”
NIKKI HALEY BLACK: This is the person who realizes that he must make peace with the inconsistencies of race and racism in America so they do so by calling racism, “just a kink” in society. Nothing more…nothing less. Just a kink. They perceive it as a problem but just a minor irritant soon to be vanquished.
MAGA BLACK: This is the category of the Black man or woman who for reasons of profit or just to get along, will sell his or her conscience so that he or she is looked favorably upon by Trump and his crowd. They wear MAGA garb and are quickto say that Trump is a president for all the people!
CLARENCE THOMAS BLACK: This category of Black people profess a color blind approach to systemic racism in America. They hide behind contorted lines of rationalizing what their eyes see and ears hear but are fearful to acknowledge it as being true because it would mean the end of their ability to be admired by White society and being invited to their social parties and yacht outings and other perks of being a good Negro.
CANDACE OWENS BLACK: This is the person who will put her finger to the wind and will play the odds of being outraged at purportedly offensive Black conduct and will demean people of color in the public square with hopes of being invited to speak at right wing events and being paid to publicly “spank” any Black person who voices complaints again the GOP or the MAGA GOP.
KANYE “YE” BLACK: Go figure!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com