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by Dr. Boyce Watkins
This morning, I saw a quote that someone passed me from the singer Frenchie Davis (the one who really won American Idol, but wasn’t given the award), who said, “I love Joe Biden. He is the angry black man that President Obama can’t be.”
Frenchie’s quote was similar to another assessment by Professor Michael Eric Dyson at Georgetown University, who said that President Obama was overly deferential to Mitt Romney because he was afraid of being stigmatized by the media as being too angry. Dyson and Davis aren’t the only ones to make this argument, others have said that President Obama’s dismal performance in the debate was simply due to the fact that he didn’t want to make white people afraid of him. You know how those angry black men can be.
Perhaps we can find other excuses for the reasons that our president let us down: He had a cold, his feet hurt, he ate some bad pizza, he had a bad dream the night before, he has a fear of crooked microphones, whatever. While it certainly makes sense to support the president, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to excuse every mistake that he makes. This is a common problem in the African American community, where leaders who are exalted to superhuman status are given every excuse in the book for bad decisions and bad outcomes.
I’m sorry my friends, but I’m not buying it. I’m sure that President Obama knew about the pressures of the job before he decided to take it. Even he admits that he didn’t give his best performance.
Let’s be clear on the “Angry Black Man” stigma. I know it well, because my colleagues have defined me to be an angry black man for the entire time I’ve been on the faculty at Syracuse. My classmates at The University of Kentucky defined me to be an angry black man whenever I wrote in the campus paper. My teachers defined me to be an angry black man all through elementary school. This is a label that burdens you, but it is also one that I accept. Perhaps if more black people got angry about the condition of our community, we would be in a better place.
Here’s one thing that is typically true about the angry black man stigma: It only applies when you’re angry about things that white people don’t care about. If you get angry about mass incarceration of black men, white people might tell you to shut up. But if you get angry about global warming, they applaud you. If you get angry about the piles of body bags holding black children on the south side of Chicago, they want to fire you from your job. But if you get angry about gay marriage, they give you a job in the White House. President Obama hasn’t uttered a word about racial inequality since Tupac was in diapers, so he has no reason to fear the stigma of being an angry black man.
The fact is that there is no reason for President Obama to fear the stigma of being an angry black man, because his constituents want him to get angry. When BP decided to turn the Gulf of Mexico into a can of motor oil, liberals were upset at President Obama because he didn’t get angry enough. They want Obama to be angry about the economy, the environment, the vultures on Wall Street, and all the other things that make liberals march in the streets. If anything, the American people are disappointed that the president is too nice to protect their interests, which might explain why they aren’t going door-to-door for him like they did in 2008.
Obama’s license to be angry was given to him when over 50 million Americans selected him to be President of the United States. Allen West was given the chance to serve in Congress after being angry enough to become the darling of the Tea Party. The idea that Obama would somehow offend the millions of Americans who are seeking a strong leader to get them out of a tough situation is absolute nonsense.
What’s the point here? I know that Obama surrogates on MSNBC have the express assignment of getting President Obama re-elected, but the fact is that you have to be honest in how you analyze him. You can’t see all that is Obama with rose colored glasses, like a grandmother excusing her grandson every time he fumbles during the big game. Obama is fighting in a dirty arena that is built for tough leaders. If he can’t stand the heat, then he should have stayed out of the kitchen; the president knows this himself.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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truthbeliever
October 29, 2012 at 10:12 am
Boyce Watkins is so full of himself it is pitiable. He’d like nothing more than to be known as the Black Messiah- Saviour of all things dark. I’ve read many of his rantings and they all amount to one thing: his disdain for any African American who has more notoriety than he does. He has criticed everyone for Lil’ Wayne to Eddie Long to Tyler Perry to the President of the United States.The truth of the matter is that none of these gentlemen are perfect, not even Boyce Watkins. And yes, we can all voice our opinions, but every now and then, when you don’t have anything good at all to say, shut the h**l up and sit down.
Emma Oliver
October 16, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Dr. Boyce, let me begin with thanking you! I was one of your best critics, now I admire your courage and pray your job remains secure, because America and the African American community need truth tellers! May your contributions be received and may we all consciously vote not out of ignorance; but out of concern for each others well being!
Peppa
October 16, 2012 at 11:09 am
I had often wondered why so many posters on this blog, felt that Dr Boyce hated the President. Now I see why. I will ask Dr Boyce, if he felt he could do half as good as Barack is doing. I would ask him, if he realizes the pressures that this man deals with on a daily basis, not excluding the constant death threats that secret service are not allowed to let the public know about. Dr Boyce went through something in 2008 with O’reily, and he was so stressed because it could have cause him his job. Imagine if he went through the pressures that the President goes through daily. So many people are trying to make Black American hate this president. If he starts to cater to the Black Community, he would not stand a snow ball’s chance in h**l at being re-elected. This is a racist country we live in and the racists has the power. WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE. Do not let others (BLACK INCLUDED) stop your support of the President.
Kunle Olu
October 16, 2012 at 8:02 am
If Obama gets angry, the world will know. He is a gentleman by nature. He thought that he could turn America around by appealing to the emotions of the white conservatives. He was mistaken. They don’t want a black man anyway, so they did everything to frustrate him so he will get angry. Unfortunately, Obama did not want to offend them. So, he continued to be gentle. Look at the way that Romney was rattling at the debate as if he was the president. Romney knew that he has nothing to lose. Obama is burdened by all the problems besetting his government, and he was prepared to be humble about it. But the time has come for Obama to shine. He should call the bluff of this Romney once and for all.
ST
October 15, 2012 at 2:43 pm
He doesn’t have to be an angry black man! Those who think anger is a factor are missing the point! Obama was elected because he came across as an intelligent, smart and passionate black man. Dr. Martin Luther King is remembered for being an eloquent, brilliant, passionate, courageous, determined black man. Only chronically angry people see anger as a solution when things don’t go well. Tons of people who write these websites are angry. Tons of black men in the streets are angry. Yet, most of them have no solutions. They are not insprational or effective because all they have is their anger. Conservative Republicans are VERY angry, yet, until Obama bungled it, he was the one who was winning. Yes, anger can be the driving force, but it’s not the solution in itself. People aren’t looking for anger, they’re looking for effectiveness. Obama didn’t show up that night. He didn’t show passion. He didn’t show drive. He didn’t show the willingness to fight. He didn’t challenge his opponent even when the opponent constantly lied about Obama’s record. Obama didn’t even try to defend his own record! Romney was eager to engage his opponent. He showed up ready for a fight and it showed. Yet, Romney didn’t come across as an angry man. He came across as a confident man. Biden, also didn’t come across as angry. He simply attacked the lies put forth. Obama lost respect because he did not respect the public enough to see to it that the truth got to them. He didn’t respect his office/title enough to “SHOW UP”. Anger does not equal being effective! The ability to CONFRONT does!
Derrick
October 15, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@ST:
Excellent commentary!!!
You can get your point across in a diplomatic way with being called angry!
He was told how to ‘act’, and not to make willard look dumb, especially in front of his own people!
You could tell he was frustrated, and couldn’t say what he wanted to say, but let’s face it; he’s controlled by the elite and tomorrow, I’ll expect the same.
The elite just wanted to let Black people, especially the Black man, that they still are in control. They don’t want our Black male children to be in an authorative position…that’s all that de-bate was about!
Derrick
October 15, 2012 at 6:29 am
Would you want a pit bull to defend you in court, or would you like for a poodle to represent you? O’Drama is a lawyer, and acted like a poodle IN FRONT OF BLACK FOLKS!!! Would you want a lawyer like him to defend you?
If you were president of a corporation, and some small time white boy DISRESPECTED you, INTERRUPTED you, and made you BOW DOWN to him, would you just be quiet like a mouse or SPEAK UP, like a man?
CHECK:
One thing a negro and a cracker have in common… everybody around them ain’t squat! Both are so POWERLESS, they want to leave everything in god’s hands.
Both are AFRAID of power. We never have to wonder why so much is left in the hands of, so insanely few, and the world is being poisoned and falling apart!
WAKE UP DUDE, THIS IS 2012; NOT 1712!!!
SLAVERY IS OVER!!!
Anthony Jones
October 15, 2012 at 3:35 am
Its just outright silly that someone would call himself an intellectual….and then expect the POTUS to be ‘hootin & hollerin’ at every turn just because he thinks that’s what ‘the people’ want. Give me a break.
Personally I agree with President Obama’s decision to stay on message and not stoop to angry emotional outbursts. The angry jabbering and whining and complaining is good for Reality TV not intelligent politics.
Consider this: Obama is cool, calm, collected and POTUS. Boyce Watkins is angry and ranting on yourblackworld.com
What does that tell you?
Doo Doo Brown
October 14, 2012 at 3:43 pm
IMO, all of you are right. Although Boyce is a little rough on the President he sometimes makes valid points. The point others have made that Obama feels he must take caution not to offend white people by strongly standing up against a white man also has some merit. It is true that Obama would suddenly be portrayed as an angry black man, particularly by conservatives. But as Boyce believes, who gives a d**n, they don’t respect him anyway. Joe Biden knew he could get away with the buffonery, and he did a great job, irrespective of how his demeanor was attacked by the media and conservatives for his behavior.
Romney in my opinion acted a real a*s too, but he received a lot of praise for doing so. We all witnessed how he manipulated the moderator by taking every opportunity to make his points. Perhaps it was a strategy of Obama to sit back and see where Romney was coming from. Obama’s performance this Tuesday, which I feel will be effective, but not necessarily a political juggernault, will be sufficient to prevail against some of the damage that was done to him in the first debate. Boyce et al., let us pray that God will guide him.
Joseph L. Bass
October 14, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Angry? Why would Obama be angry? He’s the President of the United States. He’s a millionaire. He has a life-time retirement salary that starts the day he leaves office. He has life-time medical care. He has body guards for his life-time. Why would he be angry? If I had all that I wouldn’t be angry either. And we know all the African Americans are going to vote for him so he can make even more money. Angry? O’ Please!
Aubrey Keys
October 14, 2012 at 11:23 am
Boyce makes a great point about America only appropiating the angry Black man stigma when the issues disproportionately effect Black America. Boyce’s stance does not mean that he isn’t aware of the risk of Obama being painted as an angry Black man if he was more aggressive during the debate. Any Black men or women who works in corp America walks this tightro of asimilatation vs. confirming preconceived White stereotypes. This fear of coming across as an angry Black man or woman is a real fear but its all assumption. Advocating on issues that we’re passionate about isn’t an instant qualifier for being the Angry Black men ot women. President Obama could have been more assertive, even on issues that mainstream America cares about (the not-so-Black issues). To conclude that Dr. Watkins is just hating is to presume that there isn’t a space where President Obama can’t be assertive or direct on any issues in our political discourse. Americans love “tough talk” on war. Americans hate to hear “tough talk” on racial profiling. So let’s debate thisur
issue but let’s not assume that being more assertive always precludes the angry Black man stereotype.
Donna Johnson
October 14, 2012 at 6:51 am
I hear you radiah if he isn’t angry he better get that way real quick.
This is America people let Dr. Boyce speak his mind. It don’t hurt to hear others opinions, they don’t have to be right, but we are all individuals.
radiah
October 14, 2012 at 6:26 am
An “angry” Black man better show up on Tuesday the 16th at the debate!
DR.FLOYD DARDEN
October 14, 2012 at 1:31 am
I am not angry, but should try it once in a while: when I do, I find that the power of anger really gets the attention of those that my be in the way of even a small measure of progress. I echo Marva’s words of 177% support for a voting bloc –NOw– promoting another 4 years for the mild manner Black Man in the White House ….. Dr. Boyce has good points, we honor that and this most important forum, however the issues that point to our behavior as black men: we must continue to carry burdens as we move through the storm in America as Black people,,,The anger from Mr. Obama must be carefully planned to be effective; thus it could be a benefit in the next debate if focused on the truth and the reality for most all Americans, not only the Black citizenry.
Richard Johnson
October 14, 2012 at 8:02 pm
i 2nd this notion
onmyway2012
October 14, 2012 at 1:18 am
This is a great article Dr.Boyce. You knew that the Obama zombies would descend on any and every little criticism of their idol. Its their golden calf. Black people have learned nothing from the Holy Bible. Prescient Obama isn’t always going to be president, so these black people are gonna find out that the hard way that after 2016, they’ll be no president Obama reelection.
I agree with Valerie that it is ok to criticise the president because he’s not a blameless person like Christ.
Imhotep
October 13, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Corrections- this and they’re
Imhotep
October 13, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Oh and for those of you that say its the repoooblicans that have been blocking the Prez,don’t forget he had unified government his first two years and a filibuster proof Senate!!! Did y’all hear me? And how much did he get done? Oh yeah the healthcare law-the individual MANDATE that is going to force poor folks to buy something they can’t afford( he wanted a single-payer system like the one govt employees have but he chickened out) and the one that the we Scream Supreme Court said was a tax? Think about his black folks, if you had all the votes you need for two years and no could stop your agenda and thee folks on your side are ON YOUR SIDE, what could you have done? Think deeply, please. I know what I as the President would have had done in those two years, but I digress. That’s the point of his time in office that makes some of us hopeful, tired of things as usual black folks are disappointed about. Their all alligators and Crocodiles. One has a longer tail and the other a bigger mouth!! We are screwed in this Two-party system. We need a Green Party like in Germany that wormed their way in and got some seats at the table and they represent the “common man” ( English House of Commons- our House ain’t common anymore. Have you seen the net worth of a lot of those cats in Congress. Wow!!) Ptah Ra
PetefromDetroit
October 13, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Yep.
Richard Johnson
October 14, 2012 at 7:56 pm
so go on and rollover and continue to f**k yourself, cause nobody named Obama is helping you to do it! You a grown as man or woman, blaming POTUS for your own inadequacies or for your own effortlessness to make something better of yourself for yourself so you’d rather complain and b***h and moan like not even old hoes do! So sick of you know it all answer online and hide behind internet a*s sob’s! In person or in a forum you’d be the silent one! Ever been to a convention, a debate, ever went to a government protest or rally your own town, in person and not online??? I doubt that judging by your responses and replies. You’re part of the system – dividing and conquering with and by your comments and replies past, present, & future!!! You might as well be on the same side as the oppressors – afterall, what are you doing to help??? Your comments don’t even help YOU!!!
Imhotep
October 13, 2012 at 5:53 pm
@ my brotha Derrick and Get Real, right on point!!! We in the conscious community have been saying for years that Obama is controlled by the special interest just like Romney is. Take a look at his tally from 2008, Obama got a lot of it from Brick Wall ST( federal election commission, u can get it black folks right of their site. That’s where I saw that Quincy Jones, Oprah and Michael Jordan gave the DNC 500K in 08′!! Haven’t checked the donors or amounts this year but I will!! You can find out about who and how much they gave, its public record black folks!!) He is a Compromise President that only has gotten tough when white folks money is on the line( extending the Bush tax cuts in 2010 and the Debt ceiling crisis- but only after that Jew Cantor and my bytch Mitch McConnell punked him as the clock ticked on financial meltdown!!)He lost that battle also. I know this and I’m not the Prez but I am a almost always the only brotha when I’m out on assignment and I have been called a few less than nice names, sooner or later you have to put white folks in their place, just like some Negroids. Believe me, they will respect you more and speaking as a ex-military man, you will get them to die for you in the process. The one’s that don’t like you will not like you no matter what you do. Does your boss care if you like them? Probably not and they don’t care either. Stern, and solid garners loyalty and respect. If he would have done a little time in the military or truly spent a little time fighting to get to school and home as a lot of us have, he would have those traits( most of the former Prezez were ex- military, for the stern factor!!) When the vultures smell blood, they will rip out a pound of flesh. And they got their pound from him. Now the ball is truly in his court, lets see what he does. Always look a man in the eye before you kill him( not literally but mentally.) Hotep
PetefromDetroit
October 13, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Excellent. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Derrick
October 14, 2012 at 5:31 am
@Imhotep:
Most negroids don’t ever mention that O’Drama left ALL of bushboy’s appointees on his payroll…why?
NOBODY brings this Truth to the table! That’s why I always say poliTRICKS ain’t nothing, but a game. They (the elite) didn’t allow him to choose his on people, but kept bushboy’s flock!!!
Voting ain’t nothing but a con-game. Our votes are only helping these foreigners because they are the new “minorities”. That’s why willie lynch (government) came up with this word because they already knew that O’Drama was going to let these foreigners come to this country, and make money, then send it back to their poor countries.
By the way, they are the “minorities”, who are riping off the welfare system, along with caucasoids! But, they continue to blame Black people, who are being erased from the system!
If negroids would start reading and researching instead of depending on the media, perhaps they would learn something besides the lies they tell on their outlets.
O’Drama is not allowed to get ‘angry’ because he would give Black men and boys too much pride. They want to keep our men and boys in this submissive slave-like condition forever! I wish our people would wake up to the Truth, but they’re too far gone!
Amen Ra
David2001
October 13, 2012 at 2:42 pm
I understand President Obama represents ALL of America. But he needs to stop worrying about the reaction of conservative white racist whose main goal is to see him fail. These type of people would be the only ones who would be offend by the “angry black man”.
This White House needs to stop obsessing over what these racist clowns (FoxNews) is going to say about the president. IMO when President Obama got elected he should have fired David Axelrod and others who crafted this kindly gentle negro persona. That type of personality doesn’t make for a good leader as we all saw in that debate AND for the last four years.
Derrick
October 13, 2012 at 1:30 pm
This game of poliTICKS, another word for a blood sucker, ain’ nothing, but a game!
O’Drama is told what do, say and act when around caucasoids, and he must act like a negroid when he’s around his negroid slaves, that will vote for him!
It’s amazing how this mullato treats his own people, but expect us to vote for him. When are people gonna wake up and realize this guy is nothing, but a poliTRICKSTER, like the rest of those clowns.
We have been voting since 1965, but the 15th amendment said we could vote, regardless, of race, creed or color, but why are we still fighting for our rights to vote in 2012?
We are the ONLY people, who are targeted and denied our voting rights. I’m tired of this shyt because regardless of who gets ‘selected’ the beat goes on!
When you tell negroids to boycott, they get scared and start shaking ike a leaf on a tree!
SORRY negroids ARE SICK!!!
caz
October 13, 2012 at 8:41 pm
That’s because we are the only people who demands nothing in return for our votes. I believe that the majority of Black people voted for Obama just because he is half-black. I heard one Black woman say “give the brother a break”. I said to myself what brother? Obama is hardly a brother. We are the only race of people that allows a President to address us the way that Obama addressed the NAACP, asking them to “put on the marching shoes”. To me that was an insult, but he can insult Blacks whenever he gets ready because we are the only race of people that truly relies on the government to take care of us. Besides are we going to vote republican? Obama knows that dumb a*s Blacks will vote for him anyway.
Derrick
October 15, 2012 at 7:34 am
@caz:
Michelle O’Bama has already told negroids, that Black women will vote for O’Drama, regardless!!!
This just proves my point, that these negroid females love this cat just like they love their sceachas! He can’t do NO WRONG! Michelle knows that Black women outnumber Black men; therefore, O’Drama is just USING negroid females to get votes!!!
I KEEP TRYING TO TELL THESE NEGROIDS, BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO LISTEN!!!
THEY DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT US…Michelle or O’Drama, they are using these negroid females and males!!!
Raheem
October 13, 2012 at 12:39 pm
As ususal, Boyce giving one side of the story. He seems to forget that on the day prior to the debate, Fox News and Hannity released that 2007 video of Obama giving a speech about how Black people in New Orleans were mistreated during Hurricane Katrina.
24 hours before the debate white media pundits discussed the video with the question on if Obama was as an angry, militant black men. To take it a step further to ensure they manipulate the minds of white folks before watching the debate, they showed Obama praising Rev Wright as his pastor to cement the question in the minds of whites on Obama being a militant black man.
It would have been political suicide for Obama if he would have shown an agressive demeanor towards Romney in that debate. That strategy would have played right in the hands of the white racist media because that video would’ve been used the following morning after the debate to scare the h**l out of white folks who were voting for Obama.
In life you pick your fights, now we know why Boyce is a college professor and not the PUTUS.
Get Real
October 13, 2012 at 10:36 am
The amazing thing about Obama’s acting like a modern day Rodchester to Mitt Romney’s Jack Benny during the last debate was not only will it cost him the election but it gives all the so-called Liberal undercover patronizing racist something to put their finger on as the main reason he lost the Election. Taking the harder subjects of Racism against him by voting for some clown like Romney who has done pretty much exactly the same things Obama did while he was Governor off the table. Plus the fact that even though Black People were his main base and support system. Not one Supreme Court Judge, not a peep about the new Jim Crow: Stop and Frisk or Voting legislation. All they have to say so their butts don’t start sweating everytime they refer to why Obama lost for the next 30 or 40 years before another Black Person gets to that level again is the debate. Only a White Man in this punk a*s racist Country can have hundreds if not thousands of videos of himself on the internet contradicting everything he has ever said and still get the majority of White People to like him and vote for him. Not to mention the bamboozled Black People who are too stupid to understand that Mormonism is just a cult KKK without the white dresses and still endorse this fool anyway. Even if you don’t like Obama why vote for someone who believes you are cursed with Black skin? If you are grown a*s man and you believe the President whomever it is has the ability to “create” jobs you are an idiot and they love you. I’m going to laugh my a*s when Romney wins because no one can stop the upcoming War with Iran or the financial collapse coming with it. I suggest watching the entire Mad Max trilogy so you can see how we are going to be living in about 20 years. Oh and the 4 digit lottery number for the evening tonight is going to be 2018. Peace lol.
Richard Johnson
October 14, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Some of wht you say may ring a bit true! But not! NOT GONNA HAPPEN MY FRIEND!