April 2007

The Arrow

Volume II, Issue 3

Greetings for one of the last times from Arizona. My wife and I are in the process of moving to White Plains, NY, as she has been promoted to run Chase Bank's branch network in Westchester County. We are thankful that God continues to elevate her in her professional career.

THE SHOT

This column was printed in the April 17, 2007 edition of the Arizona Daily Star)

There is a double standard. It is a standard that is familiar to anyone who is a member of a family. Family members often disparage each other, but rally and close rank when an outsider lodges a similar criticism. “I can talk bad about my brother, but you better not!” is a familiar refrain in many families. Here, African-Americans who use offensive language are “family” with those who are the subject of their comments. Their use of such language is no excuse, and provides no license, for” outsiders” to use the same language.

Further, oppressed minorities have often appropriated offensive monikers for the own use. By doing so they attempt to rob these epithets of their power to injure. Thus, southern whites refer to themselves as “rednecks,” gay men refer to each other as “queer”; and African-Americans sometimes refer to each other as niggers.

This tactic may or may not be healthy, and none of this is to suggest that the hip-hop culture is a positive influence in our society. In fact, many responsible leaders in the African-American community have lamented and criticized the use of terms and images that degrade blacks in general, and black women in particular. But that discussion is totally irrelevant to the question of whether it is appropriate for Don Imus to refer to successful African-American female scholar-athletes as “nappy-headed hos”.

It is ironic that in his defense Mr. Imus is aligning himself with a segment of our society that he obviously despises; however, given his history of racist comments ( Gwen Ifill a “cleaning women”, Clarence Page an “affirmative action hire”), it is probably his best defense. His best defense, but in the end no defense. The use of offensive language by twenty-something black males is no excuse for the use of that language by a 67 year old white man.

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON?

Later in the month we were the guest speaker for both morning services at Restoration Christian Fellowship in Denver, CO and at a men's workshop held at New Community Christian Fellowship where 75 men came out on a Monday night to hear the word of God.

Finally, at the end of the month we were the featured speaker at the Men's Super Conference sponsored by the Mississippi General State Convention. Under the leadership of Bro L.C. Mitchell, 600 men and boys came together for a day of classes and fellowship.

WHAT'S COMING UP?