The Problem with Niggers

“In the remotest depth of the European unconscious an inordinately black hollow has been made in which the most immoral impulses, the most shameful desires lie dormant. And as every man climbs up toward whiteness and light, the European has tried to repudiate this uncivilized self, which has attempted to defend itself. When European civilization came into contact with the black world, with those savage peoples, everyone agreed: Those Negroes were the principal of evil.” --Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks

“It’s not the Negro problem. It’s the white problem. I’m black because you think you’re white. You’re the nigger, baby.” --James Baldwin

It’s much too late, and I’m much too tired. Plus, I promised myself I would not do anymore posts like this. I promised myself I would not use that word again. But the events of the past few weeks are tugging at me, pulling me violently from the comfort of my passive aggressive shell, forcing me to act out of character.

Could you please answer a question for me? What would cause supposedly civilized people to conduct themselves as those crowds, those mobs, have conducted themselves recently at the town hall meetings? What would cause people to act in opposition to their own interests? Keep in mind the conservative activist, who just happens to be black, who claims he was attacked by union members, is now seeking donations to help him with his medical bills because—now get this—he was recently laid off and lost his medical insurance. [Click here for full story.]

At first, the racism was only subtle, hinted at. But as time progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that the right wrestles not so much with presidential policy but with the president himself. Or to be more exact, with the president’s race. Somehow the notion of the nation being lead by a black man and a Latina sitting on the Supreme Court seems cause enough to bring the whole structure crashing to the ground. The right would rather see the country fail than to concede defeat. Consider the following clip taken from a recent episode of the Rachel Maddows Show:

You see America has a problem with niggers. It has had a problem with niggers since its very inception. But it is not the problem what it, the nation, thinks it has.

You see America has never taken the time to examine itself critically. It never has taken the time to hold itself up to the light and search for the rough spots, those rough edges that could use smoothing out. It never has taken the time to measure its ideal against it reality. And it has not has to. It has always had niggers.

It was always able to blame the very worst of itself on niggers. Its most immoral, intolerable fantasies—blame it on the niggers. Its most violent, repulsive impulses—the fault of niggers. Its most rapacious, unspeakable proclivities—again, niggers.

That explains the sudden, violent animus. That explains the years of oppression of black people and brown people and red people and yellow people. That explains the religious intolerance, the continual denial of the basic rights of gays and lesbians. America needs niggers so that it will never have to know or admit the truth[s] about itself.

So, this is what’s at stake. If the president, a black man, succeeds, then American must rethink the way it feels about niggers, the way it sees niggers. If the president succeeds, the whole sordid truth will become known. If a black man succeeds where so many other white men have failed, America will then have face itself, examine itself and its history, and see the truth, the ugly reality of it all.

America will be forced to come to terms with itself, and it will no longer have niggers to blame. And the true nature of niggers will become plain. Dictator. Socialist. Terrorist. Dangerous outsider. Interloper. Racist. Nigger. These accusations against the president are but the deathbed confessions of a dwindling and dying majority.