Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

When I was an Associate Instructor in grad school, we talked a lot about something called a “teachable moment”. It’s the idea that when things go wrong in the classroom, it’s often an excellent time to do some great teaching – especially when we’re teaching students to become teachers themselves (which is what I was doing). Take that disaster, that flub, and look at it, and find the lesson being offered. Share it with your students. Although I was a few hours late in watching the Obama speech, I did finally watch it, and what a speech it was. Obama has been under fire for the things that his preacher said, and I’ve been feeling really uneasy about it. I watched the video of his preacher – the one everyone has been talking about. I have to admit that I thought it was pretty beautiful. It was powerful. He was speaking what I feel is truth. The kind of truth that lots of white people in this country like to hide from and pretend isn’t there. The kind of white privilege we talked a lot about in the class I taught. The point wasn’t ever to induce white guilt. The point is to really and truly understand where another human being is coming from. If you don’t allow students in your classroom or people in your office of friends in your life to speak their truth, then you don’t really know them. If you require that those around you behave in certain ways in order to make you feel more comfortable, than the life you’re living is filtered/watered-down. You’re not interacting with the real world. You’re living in a playland of sorts. This is what makes me so sad about politics. It’s so many people trying to make me see things their way and trying to tell me that what I see isn’t real. It’s a very “Emperor’s New Clothes” request. You’re trying to get me to turn what I see as shit into shine-ola. Well, I can’t. I can learn about who you are and how you got to your ideas, but if you’re asking me to pretend that you don’t see race. Or that everyone in American has an equal playing field… Well forget it. It’s not going to happen.

I was afraid to watch the speech. I was afraid Obama would spend more time distancing himself from his preacher, and if he had done that, I would have lost a lot of respect for him. I imagined him calling up the preacher and telling him that he really loved him, but in order to win the election, he’d have to separate himself completely from his church. What a sad thing that would be. He didn’t do that. He showed that he has conviction. That he knows who he is and what he believes. And when under attack, he doesn’t panic and freak out and hurl daggers. He does the right thing. He makes a speech where he explains his real view, and he tells people like it is. He talks about his experience. He talks about Sunday morning segregation. He talks about what is said behind closed doors. I want more people like that in my life and in charge of my government.

Can we really come out of these dark ages? If we can, I might stop wearing the blindfold. I might start listening again.

I’m gonna vote HARD for Obama. I’m going to push that button/punch that card/pull that level… until it BLEEDS.

If you haven’t seen the speech yet, or if you haven’t seen what real integrity looks like in a while, check it out: Link

An amusing follow-up. It’s a snippet of a conversation I had with my friend Ayse today about Obama:

me: how was the Obama speech?
ae: TEH AWESOMENESS
me: OMG I have to say that I’m pretty bothered by the response to his preacher
12:58 PM ae: to honestly talk about race … amazing
me: It makes me sad that it’s acceptable
ae: me, too
me: For white people to dismiss what that preacher was saying
ae: i know!
basics.
me: Because what he was saying should not be radical
To say that America is failing black people and has for generations isn’t (to me) an opinion
ae: truly
agreed
me: You’re witnessing a rare moment when I can’t avoid being political
ae: i’m liking this moment!
12:59 PM go, abby!
me: Because I’m so bothered when people view dissent as Unamerican
ae: i know, really
me: It’s the most American thing there is, and fuck them for thinking anyone who says
“Damn America”
is evil
ae: really
preach!
me: I hate that Obama is having to distance himself from that man, because that man speaks truth
I really wonder what obama is thinking inside his head right now
What a fucking position to be in
1:00 PM ae: he handled it v. well
me: OK good
I will watch later
ae: said he could no more disown wright than the black comm, than his own white grandmother
“These people are part of me and they’re part of America.”
brilliant!!!!!!!
me: YES!
Very
ae: i teared up then
me: I’m glad he didn’t bow down
ae: so smart, so sincere
1:01 PM me: He’s in a helluva position
ae: me, too! he didn’t!
me: I hate that black people have to be “white” to win and get ahead
I mean, I sort of wonder how bicultural he is
I think that unlike many black people in America
He’s actually what we’re seeing on TV
He doesn’t go home and get his black back on
ae: he said a beautiful thing that he has bros, sisters, nieces, uncles, nephews of every color and hue
me: Which is why he can succeed
1:02 PM God, I hope he wins
I liked that preacher.
ae: he is what we see!
me: Yeah
ae: but “get his black on” is hilarious!
😀
me: It’s like me in my job interview
I decided
ae: were you getting your black on?
hee
me: No! Just… Better be honest now so I don’t have to put on a mask for the rest of my job!

Here’s me twittering about the speech earlier: