NYU Black Renaissance Noire Fall 2013 | Page 6

My Take It is October 2013 and the United States has been trying—yet again—to have another conversation about race relations in the country. 4 As usual, this “conversation” is tortured, playing itself out in a climate of unreality, ignorance, head-in-the-sand denial, absolutely unworkable, mostly pandering solutions that are dead on arrival the moment they are formulated. First of all, in order to have anything resembling a meaningful “conversation” regarding race in this country, all parties who involve themselves in the thankless task of trying to solve an almost impossible problem have to be absolutely honest and truthful, not only with each other but with themselves and willing to examine the historical roots and reasons our nation finds itself still entangled in this Gordian knot delimma. BRN-FALL-2013.indb 4 By QUINCY TROUPE In my view, being honest with one another will never happen, because there is too much baggage involved— water under the bridge so to speak. To any of you who might think this is a solvable problem, I invite you to tune in to C-Span’s Washington Journal between 7:00 – 10:00 am each and every morning and listen to what the overwhelming majority of callers are s ^Z[????H[??\??HZ[H?\?\??Y?\?[???X?K?H?]?[???\??[?H?????%\?X?X[H?X????%?B?X[?H?]\????[[???\?[??????\??[?\??]?[X?\?HZ[?\??[B??[K?X\??X?H??X?\??[[??[???]\??[H\?X\?[?[????YH[??X\?Y\?[??[K?\?Y[???[XK?XZ?[???\?H\???[H\?[??Y??X?[?P[Y\?X?[?X[HX??]H????Z[H?\?X???[??H?[[Y\?X[??X??\?Y?]\?\?[???^]??X\?[???ZYHY?Y??\?Y???H?]\??Z[??Y??ZY?[H\?H[?[??X[??[???^Z[??HY?Y??\?Y??Y?B??[YH?[???[??[?[[??]?\?B??X??X[H[?\???[??H\?[?\?Y ??\?Y[??[XH?\???[?H?]X?^?Y?[?X[?H???\??]]?K?Y? ]?[?????\???H??H???ZYHY??B????\??[H?\??H??X?[Y????\??]?H?]\?[???YH?X???]X??[X?\?Y[H????]?[????H?\?[??Y? ? ]8?&\??^?H?]\?B?[?\??[H\?YKY???]X?[???JK??[ H?\?Y[??X[^?Y???Y][??Y??H?ZY?Y?\?[?H?X\??X??X[?H?X??[??????X[\?[?[Y\?X?H?X?KXX?[?]?\?B?^K??X]\?Z\??][?[?Y?H[??H?\??\Y\[??ZY] ??H??[?H???][]Y??] ????H?\?[? ??[??&][?B?\??H]Y\?[?8?'??[??&]?H?B??\?HY??ZY??]H[Y\?X?[?X[\?[?\???[??O??'H?]?[?H?X?]??]H[Y\?X?[?X[\?\?HHXY[???\?X[?[\??[?X\??]\?\?\??[??\???[??K??H\?H?]H[Y\?X?[??X[\?????[YZ?H?X??[Y\?X?[??Y[?[?Z?H?^]??X\?[???\??[Y?\????[?[??XX?Y?[B???Y?H?ZY??????\?HHY?]?\?H?Y???O??\?\?Y?H[?]Y??]\?\??]?\??X??\??[HY?\?H??[X]X?]Y\?[???X?X[?\]X[]K?H[]?H?X??\H?X??]]?\?H?]^?[?]?\?H?\?Y[? ]?\?B?\???]?[??\?x?%?]H[Y\?X?[???Y??X?[?P[Y\?X?[??\?X[?P[Y\?X?[???\?X?P[Y\?X?[???]]?KP[Y\?X?[??[?\?[?X?P[Y\?X?[???%\?H[\]X[?[?\?H]???X[?H?]H[Y\?X?[??\?H[???Y??X?HX??\[??\?????][?[????[X?[? [?^B??Y]??X??\Z\????\???X?[]B?[?ZY[??[?X?][??^\?XY????]H[?\?\??[?Z\?YYXB??X??[??\?[???\??Y??]X?X[???HY?[?H?\?H?\??Y??]X?X[??[?YY?H???][?\??Z?H\???[??H?X???\??[??\???]Z[??H?\?Y?\???]H?]?[Y?H[????Y?Z[?H?ZY?????\?[????X??\??[HX???\\?Y??Y????Y[?[???X?X[]?\?[????K?L??L? L?? ?SB??