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Thursday, January 22, 2009 | 4:35pm
UPDATE: Boondocks Creator Clarifies Allegations He Claimed Obama’s Not Black
Issues a press release claiming he was misquoted. *more rotten eggs and tomatoes fly*
A story out Richmond, Indiana’s which is picking up steam alleges that Boondocks creator, Aaron McGruder got the crowd pissed at him during an Earlham College lecture over comments asserting that he President Barack Obama is NOT black.
During the appearance which was scheduled in conjunction with the school’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, McGruder, A Howard University Graduate got into a heated debate with associate professor James Logan regarding the race and ethnicity of Obama claiming he is not black because he is not a descendant of a slave.
“The person who is one of us in the White House is Michelle Obama and her momma,” McGruder said. Obama’s father was Kenyan; his mother white.
McGruder also expressed a very grim outlook on the new Obama administration.
“I don’t think you’re going to see any dramatic change from Barack Obama,” said McGruder, who wore a “Boondocks” T-shirt over a black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. “I’m hoping he proves me completely wrong.”
Speaking about the entire electoral process, McGruder continued to rant, “It was a sham then … It’s got to still be a sham,” McGruder said about the 2000 election. “I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but it’s what I tend to do.”
RANT: Sounds like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. Geeze…what happened to “Yes We Can?” I understand if you don’t believe but don’t go on an appearance designed to inspire in the name of Dr. King and piss in the ear of America’s youth that are right now inspired. You’ve obviously had an ascension to a level of grace and others look up to you. This defeatus attitude doesn’t help. Its ok for you to feel that way but keep it to yourself.
UPDATE: The following is a press release issued by McGruder to address the controversy discussed above.
“For a long time now, I have tried to keep my opinions on the election and Barack Obama to myself. I occasionally do speaking engagements, which are not open to the press, and unfortunately some of my comments have been twisted around in a silly manner. The claim that I asserted our new President was not Black is categorically false.
“I have seen an endless stream of Black pundits on TV pontificating about the significance of President Obama’s election – many of them making reference to the 3/5th’s clause in the constitution regarding slaves. The point I was making is that this is not an accurate comparison.
“Barack is the son of an immigrant, not the descendant of slaves. It’s like comparing a half-Japanese man to the oppressed Chinese who built the American railroads. Yes, they are both Asian, but it is not an honest or accurate comparison. We all share the common experiences of being Black in America today – we do not all share a common history. A history that in part makes us who we are – and in some cases (as with the psychological damage that still lingers from slavery) holds us back. These are not, I believe, insignificant distinctions.
“I did say I was cautiously pessimistic about Obama’s Presidency – but this is simply acknowledging the reality of an American Empire that is out of control and on the verge of collapse. Let us not forget that on the eve of the election, we witnessed a near-trillion dollar robbery of the US treasury. That robbery is still taking place. I do not blame President Obama, but I do not believe the financial and corporate interests that own and control this country will fold so easily. I do not question the integrity of the man as much as the power of his office – which I believe has greatly diminished over the years. I believe the Federal Reserve Bank, the Military Industrial Complex, and the massive corporate interests that run this country have more power than our new President. I hope I am wrong.
“After 9/11, I witnessed most of this country become obsessed with squashing dissent and silencing critics. I hope this election does not turn Black America towards this same, fascist mind state; but already I am starting to see it, and it saddens me greatly. I absolutely wish our new President and his family success and safety. But after all I have witnessed in my lifetime, and especially in the last eight years, I am not ready to lay down my skepticism or my outrage for this government. To do so would be unwise and, ironically enough, anti-American.”
FILED IN Need to Know, News
He’s on his “Huey” skepticism right now (“Riley” would be the full on support). That really all I have to say at the moment….
I used to have a lot of love for Aaron…but with the show just sliding down the tubes…and this crap???
This is as bad as the Hebrews saying Obama is the antichrist (ok maybe not that bad) but what difference does it make if his father was descended from slaves?…they had slaves in Kenya at some point I’m sure…
Am I not black because my father came from the Dominican Republic? has Aaron checked his own DNA? He bout as light as Obama so he obviously is mixed too…
I swear…I hate haters…
Agreed.
Free, slave its a mentality anyway. If Obama’s ancestors were slaves and anything like dude they weren’t worried about the chains that bind. They were transcending.
.
Sounds like Aaron was PMSing. I agree the show is wack.
I totally agreed with him at the time on the race because so many people was on that “oh we have a black president” and “as a people we have come so far”, it just seemed relevant to point out that dude is not a descendent of american slaves and therefore while he has had the experience of being a black man in america. How can he truly carry the heritage it? I very much doubt he grew up hearing as most african americans did from our parents and grandparents who went thru it. I still agree with most of Aaron’s statement, especially the parts not regarding the presidents ethnicity. Too bad most don’t or tend to focus on what’s not really important in his statements. We get mad and/or reach intolerance with each other while our government runs wild while handing us the patriot guilt if we don’t support the bullshit. Sometimes I don’t even watch the news because it’s frustrating watching it all slip away.
Thanks Aaron, that’s exactly what we need right now, segregation within our own race.
he’s a fool
I hereby proclaim Barack H. Obama…periwinkle! He’s not white he’s not black the man is from now on periwinkle, meeting adjourned…
*looks up periwinkle on Wikipedia*
it was that color u never used in the big crayola box…well…I used it for Cinderella dress in my coloring book LOL
Aaron McGruder and I have ONE thing in common: being born on the South Side of Chicago. But over the years, that has become about ALL we have in common. Dude is, as we say in the CHI, “Off His Square” on this one. .
Thanks for giving me an idea for my own blog post. I’m gonna link you, just like you always do me.
But if he said Juan, Mike, and Marcus aren’t really black…..man, that would be the biggest laugh ever had by me and Karboso.
Apparently we’re periwinkle too lol.
he sound like y’all sayin folks like jay-z and kanye is doodoofashionites.
Survey says?!
Fam, questioning a mans heritage is NOT the same as questioning his style of clothing. lol, your way off.
no way
The majority of Black Americans stopped looking like Akon a long time ago, obviously he hasn’t checked the mirror himself lately. I’m just surprised to hear this kind of ignorance from someone this young, I expected some old school Brothers to come out of the woodwork and hate on Obama. Like when Jesse Jackson hated.
I say the Panthers In Philly hated more because they showed up at the poles for no reason, at first I thought it was, in their way, support for Obama. But when they got questioned about it, it was all “F*ck Obama because he doesnt believe in Reperations, f*ck Bush, etc.”
:
At least you see Jeese shedding tears, feel me.
lol? Did dude further elaborate on this, or is that pretty much all he had to say? Becuz I feel like I’m missing something.. Is he just plainly saying that if you weren’t a descendant of slaves then that doesn’t qualify you [or Barack Obama in this case] as a black person? If so, I think Aaron got to deep into a new Uncle Rukcus script or some shit.. *disappointed..*
I agree with him as far as the office being bigger than the person. I think Barack is a man of great integrity but that system has been in place for a long time.
I actually agree with him about the difference between being a descendant of slaves, as opposed to descending directly from immigrants. Look at the blogger, The Field Negro. He knows that the term “Field Negro” is more of an American thing, yet he was born in JAMAICA! So, while Prez Obama doesn’t share our exact lineage, he still makes us proud nonetheless. He’s black enough for me. Hell, if Roger Guenveur Smith (Google Him) ran for President- I’d think he was black as well. .
Hell, even JUAN is black enough for me.
But not Mike. I think he’s still lying.
I agree with the post. It’s fine that my man has his views, but it was not the appropriate time/place for those cynical comments. I’ve never seen blacks youths or youths in general so engaged and inspired right now, why mess that up? The boondocks is my ish, Aaron drops jewels on the regular, but sometimes we’re so used to taking L’s that we don’t know how to win and enjoy the moment. It’s hope that got barack where he is and got us all where we are in this country today as black people (decendants of slaves or not, cause I’m pretty sure the Klan is not keeping track of who’s great grandaddy was a slave—darkness/high yalla all BLACK to them). If stop hoping and looking for the sun to shine where does that leave us? Dwelling and being trapped in the darkeness past!
^^^
Best comment of the day!
Wow I feel enligthened. You summed it all up. Bravo. I agree Zack best comment. There’s a time and place for everything and for him to make the comment on the eve of Mr. President’s oath is inappropriate no matter how correct he may have felt. Bravo Deeny.
And the real problem finally reveals itself, he’s still dividing same groups of people. I don’t give a damn where you are from and/or what your past history is once you are born here in this country and have the same rights as any American citizen THIS is your country, this is your history. It just sounds like more excuses for generations of Black Americans who have been born here and have yet to claim their own equal share of being an American citizen. Too many of us are 3/5 of a citizen in our own minds, hopefully Barack being the President will allow more of the new generations to continue to let go of the “glass ceiling” mentality that continues to haunt us.
I know I am late on chimming in on this subject. After reading the original statement and the “explanation” of his statement, I really think he has a beef with government overall. It is common knowledge that nothing that has happened in government for the past eight years has been in “our” favor. What I wish people would realize is Obama being Black is the icing on the cake of this Presidency. If he was not Black and still ran, I would have voted for him simply because he makes sense and was the best and now proven candidate for the job. This man was the head of the Harvard Law Review, a very prestigious and most high position in the law community. This man has been breaking “glass-ceilings” for a while now and he just broke the highest one.
Aaron needs to show Barack more respect then he has. Like Deeny said he is entitled to his opinions, but being a decendent of slaves does not define being Black and when you state your opinion publicly please make sure it makes sense or can’t be easily refuted because in the end you look like the fool. To break down his statement, it does not make sense in that Barak is half Kenyan, so he is a true African and him being born in Hawaii makes him the true definition of African-American, which translates to him either checking African-American or Multi-ethnic on forms. Which be definition any way you slice it makes the man Black. If we went by Aarons definition to define Black, then a whole lot of people would not be Black and I want to know what Aaron would consider us?
What I wish people would realize is Obama being Black is the icing on the cake of this Presidency. You hit the nail on the head. The only thing I would caution though is that it IS his race that has caused such a stir of patriotism among black folks and that’s hard to deny.
Juan that is the most beautiful part of it the patriotism among black people! We did not sit down, sit back and say well my vote doesn’t count anyway so what is the point. We did what our grandmothers and ancestors did , we got it together and handled our business! White people also handles their business to since its obvious they make up a greater population than we do. Imagine if this man lost after all the rallying and hard work? We would really be up sh*ts creek without a paddle, because the hard work would have been thought of as in vain. My only grip with our new generation is we must see results now before understanding that results sometimes are no immediate. I just hope our people give Obama a chance to do his job and understand changing things will a lot of time.
i see his point. of course there is no denying that the man is indeed black. genetics rather than skin color is the determinant, otherwise a lot of us (mcgruder included) would have some ‘splaining to do regarding our racial identity. however, i look upon “african american,” for lack of a better phrase, as an ethnic group akin to himba or fulbe simply because we are a people with a specific history and lineage. this history and lineage also gives rise to a certain world view. yet, while it is true that obama is not a descendant of american slaves, he has still grown up in the u.s., and therefore shares the aspects of our culture that are important where it comes to the ability to make a difference for us. now, whether he will actually do that remains to be seen. i want new orleans, among many other things, on his list of top priorities, like yesterday. however, he seems like a decent guy though he is a politician. if he can get rid of “no child left behind” i will be ecstatic and call it a job well done. anyway, we love aaron for his willingness to speak his mind don’t we? to each his own opinion, and what a joy that he can express it freely without fear of persecution.
Sad stuff to hear. I had high respect for you. Even when you attempted to clarify yourself…
Well at least this is more proof to some white people that not every black person supports Obama or at least blindy off of face value.