First boxer Bernard Hopkins claimed that Washington Redskins (Redskins--that's a whole 'nother story) quarterback Donovan McNabb is not black enough. Now Professor Cornel West opines that "I think my dear brother Barack Obama has a certain fear of free black men." "All he has known culturally is white." "When he meets an independent black brother, it is frightening." Disappointing.
Check out Professor Melissa Harris-Perry's reaction to West's comments here. A few snippets: Regarding West's "fear of free black men" and culturally white statements, Harris-Perry writes that West "has spent the bulk of his adulthood living in those deeply rooted, culturally rich, historically important black communities of Cambridge, MA and Princeton, NJ." Noting West's critique of President Obama's economic policies, she writes that West "remains silent on his friend Tavis Smiley's relationship with Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo, and McDonald's--all corporations whose invasive and predatory actions in poor and black communities have been the target of progresive organizing for decades."
Who's "black enough" is such a tired question and weapon of mass distraction. But check out all of the linked materials.
UPDATE: Check out Paul Devlin's "The Professor and the Bellhop."
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