OPINION & EDITORIAL
James Kent: Bigger and blacker
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Also by James Kent:
- Diversity is more than race (September 6, 2001)
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- Students must make effort to stop hate on campus (February 2, 2006)
- A crucible of culture (February 28, 2002)
- The enlightened (October 31, 2001)
- Diversity isn't just color (September 7, 2001)
- The tao of higher education (May 9, 2002)
by James Kent
Thursday, November 29, 2001
It has been brought to my attention that on this campus there is a serious amount of enmity towards my writing and me in the black community. I have not and will not apologize for my views or the way I express them.
What troubles me is a recent assertion regarding my personality and the level of “blackness” it contains.
First, I must say that none of my critics know me well enough to make character judgements, so this is nothing more than out-of-hand name-calling. Yet, I will address this view because it leads to a much larger argument.
Apparently, to some on this campus, I don’t display an appropriate level of black culture in my speech, dress and political views.
This is not new to me — I have heard this sort of ludicrous sentiment for most of my life. When I was young it bothered me to be seen as an outsider by my own people. As I grew up I began to understand that I need not change to fit someone else’s mold. You see, I realized that stereotyping exists on both sides of the black vs. white (or any race for that matter) idea of the world. I have never bought into that line of thinking, which may be the source of angst toward me today.
At this point in my life, my personality has become intractable. I will not change who I am to fit anyone’s preconceived notion of what a black man should be. I am not interested in pursuing the impossible task of pleasing everyone; besides, I have never come in contact with the ultimate judge of black culture.
Perhaps one of my (many) detractors can tell me where to find the great oracle of blackness, so I might learn what the appropriate level might be.
This attack on my personality reveals the larger underlying problem of prejudice within the minority community. I contend that it is no less prejudiced for a black person to assume my personality than for a white person to do the same. There is no set rubric for life. I find the idea of a homogenous society — including black society — to be nauseating. Just as this campus as a whole badly needs diversity, there must be a diverse group of people within the minority community. If differing views aren’t allowed within our own ranks, how can we expect the campus at-large to accept the unique perspectives of minorities? I find it extremely disheartening to find the same small-mindedness in minorities as in the infuriating people who preach against diversity. If you can’t bear to hear a conflicting view, you expose the insecurity of your own beliefs. There is no contradiction in my life, or anyone else who may not fit into the nice, neat box society tries to force us into.
It is indeed OK to be a black man and a conservative, it is great to be a homosexual and a Republican and, believe it or not, it is possible to work for The Badger Herald and not be a racist. If there were a contradiction, it would be the clash of small-minded views with the expansive nature of reality.
There is room enough for every view in this world. As awful and hackneyed as it sounds, the term “big-tent” applies to life. Your views may not be accepted, but they should be heard.
I am not at all squeamish about being persecuted for being me. If others (be they black or white) find my lifestyle incongruous with my skin color, they need to examine their views of what being a racist truly means.
By making me the proverbial square peg in the round hole, those who say I am not “black” enough have helped me earn my title as iconoclast.
