what does it look like for both parties to abandon their race / culture?

does it mean not bringing up gospel music to my jewish friend when we exchanged mixtapes in 8th grade? not questioning her distaste for soul/ rap/ r n b music but also not discussing how I am rewarded with peer approval for cultivating a taste for rock music?

does it mean allowing my then-boyfriend to be blissfully unaware of the history of redlining in the city where he bought a house, and how that impacts our differing understanding of the need for affirmative action, or the cause of wealth disparities that fall along racial lines?

even going out with friends, entering a bar where you're one of only a few poc, is a strong reminder (for everyone) that race exists. and the music playing may reflect that cultural divide as well.

are the people making this suggestion even contemplating having to enter, and socialize in, poc spaces with the unavoidable frequency that poc must enter "other" spaces? are they willing to?

as a minority living in a majority culture, i find it hard to conceptualize what it would mean to have this goal cultural / racial suppression work both ways. if you both suppress your culture or race, then what are you offering each other? what songs are left to go on the mixtape?

and really, does anyone mean they actually forget your race? or is it more like seeking advance approval for a policy of ongoing cultural ignorance? because why not just talk about the effects that living in this culture has on people of color? why not juat accept that there are some things you may learn from POC friends that you wouldn't know about, or maybe think about, otherwise?

ps Tasha's character annoys me because as the black character with the fewest racially mixed features -- she's the strongest, butchest black woman on the show. when i go to Bounce and see whole cliques of shayne wannabes, i don't need ppl thinking i might be a marine, or wondering if i've got a motorcycle.

race and gentrification

yes, gentrification occurs when wealthy individuals redevelop a poor neighborhood.

in urban areas in the us, this affects minority populations who are disproportionately poor. 

the dispersal of poor urban communities tends to be the dispersal of minority communities.

gentrification is a cause of concern for minority -- urban -- poor communities.

Asher Roth

tweeted that he was at Rutgers with some "nappy headed hos"

some of the comments over at byroncrawford.com amounted to:

"It has nothing to do with you..."

what's weird is, "nappy headed hos" had nothing to do with the Rutgers women's basketball team -- because they weren't "nappy headed" and probably led perfectly respectable social lives...

"nappy headed hos" has nothing to do with the Rutgers women who Roth was hanging out -- because he's only referencing Imus

and "nappy headed hos" has nothing to do with the black women upset by Roth's statement -- because the only thing this phrase has in common with the women it refers to is the fact that they're black. and that's not racism!!...

..!!111!!!eleventy!!!!buymyalbum!!!mytwitterwashacked!!!!

and a quote from out on a lark;

Mario kart skills are outrageous
Play me any day and I'll be the best racist
Wait no erase it meant to say racer -- asher roth

unfortunately, his album had already gotten panned.

more conversation at
coates site this time about incoherency and the black experience (and why mos def threw assata shakur's name at christopher hitchens in a discussion about Al Quaida) to summarize

Who is Assata Shakur?

... Assata Shakur's is Tupac Shakur's aunt.

His death was mourned as the loss of a great artist -- i wondered why, despite the depth of his catalogue (even unpublished) -- but his story is about someone who was groomed to have an artistic voice. He was the child of revolutionaries (tupac amaru shakur shares a name with a south american leftist group) who grew up to be Tupac -- he commanded a huge audience. then he was killed. i mean shot. by ?

anyway, where are the people spotting tupac in s. america, like elvis

/tin foil hat