Career Politicians of Colour....
Being an African British MP is quite often a hiding to nothing. When you're a person of colour AND a member of Parliament, you really have to walk a massive tightrope; who's interests are you really meant to serve and where should your career go? The two are mutually exclusive.
It's a bit like white people who wear dreadlocks, nobody really likes you; many white people think it looks stupid and many black people find it offensive. You're alone on an island of defiance...
Let's take the situation of Mr David Lammy. He inherited the Parliamentary seat that was held by Bernie Grant. Bernie was a firebrand MP in the old tradition, who would be at the forefront of all things left-wing and radical. He was the inverse opposite Margaret (henceforth to be described as Maggie) Thatcher. If there was a shooting, death in custody, changes to immigration policy etc, he, Diane Abbot would be there protesting about the injustice of it. Grant put his constituents first and foremost in all his actions (a few controversies aside).
Lammy's misfortune is that he's in the wrong seat for the type of person he want to be, i.e he want to be a career politician in a seat that has high maintenance constituents, and a cherished deceased black MP. Comparisons are obviously made. This highlight's the problem of true politicking; once you become a career politician, you have to start towing the party line. For his constituents of colour, seeing Lammy defending immigration policy, the War in Eye-raq are unpalatable.
Some people in some discussion groups (Blacknet for example) even have harsh words for him because he had the temerity to break up with the queen of lip-gloss Julie Sarpong, and married a white woman. This is unfair, but unfortunately, it's part of the mind set of a great many people.
Lammy and Grant are chalk and cheese. One being a firebrand campaigner, and the other, quite frankly has been anonymous to the many people who share his ethnicity. Grant sought to shake things up; Lammy seeks to climb the political ladder.
This whole situation highlights the problem of being a racial pioneer. What ARE you allowed to do as far as your community is concerned? How far can you go before those nasty "sell-out" comments come to the fore?
Lammy certainly isn't that. In my opinion, he's a career-minded and positive role-model that our youth should be looking at, not another sportsman, DJ, MC (yawn) or person wanting to follow a clichéd stereotype.
posted by britishbrother at 17:38
1 Comments:
Indeed. Pioneers, or outsiders no matter what their hue, or background will always be singled out for one reason or another. The question is how much of that do you take on? Because if you take on those criticisms, you start to limit your own potential. I think we both agree that we can be our own worst enemies. And by accusing others who look like us but do things differently from the crowd of selling out, we more often than not end up hurting ourselves. Though there are some people that are blatant sellouts, but that is a different matter. And as a side note... B.Liar, hangin out with Snoop? Are you for real??! And how is that a good thing?! And let's just think about what that says about Tone and his ideas on what Black people accept as being positive.... Then lets think about who is responsible for giving him the opportunity to think that.
And err, (not that I am trying to get into it), but, wasn't Grant's partner before he died a white woman? Yess indeed, people like to conveniently forget that. I remember he got cussed for that too. And when are you going to write your next post? You are wonderful at being indignant, makes me laugh while I nod my head (to most of what you say - hahahaha)
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