Yesterday my Twitter feed was peppered with a few references to the parody "Barack the Magic Negro." This apparently made the rounds through the media during the last presidential campaign. Somehow I managed to miss it.
The racism embedded within this little ditty is appalling. Many others have spoken articulately about this. Interested? Here or over here are two places you might start looking.
My point is less about racism and more about what kind of world do you want to live in? Does anything about this "political satire" video make you feel better about the world? Does anything about it encourage us to be more than we currently are? Does it teach us to care for each other? Work toward a common good?
I certainly don't see any of those loft goals held inside this video. I see a whole lot of racist, small minded ignorance. I see people with small dreams and small ideas constricting the collective possibility of what we can be.
Also, if I'm being totally honest, my point is that I'm also irritated that a classic song from my childhood as perverted into racism. It's a melancholy song about loss of innocence--and for me a reminder to remain open and curious.
Listen to the original. How does it inspire you to live your life?
Which inspiration do you prefer?
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