As a Black writer and educator, I have a perspective that does not speak for all Black men and women raised poor in America, but I hope the validity of my argument is acknowledged. I am over sixty years old and lived the metamorphosis of descriptive terms to describe me. In the 1950s, the decade of my birth, I was Colored. During the late 1960s, I was Afro-American. By the 1970s, I was Black, and from the mid-eighties until now I have been African American; some have objections to that and want a new term.
Along with that identity search and throwing off the real and later metaphoric chains of history that empowered white people to label and oppress my ancestors; within the race were a plethora of derogatory terms. Chief among them was ‘Uncle Tom’ and ‘Oreo Cookie.’ Almost universally, again not ever presuming to speak for every voice of color in America, the two-word invective “Uncle Tom” became verboten. Black people came to understand this word became a tool to create a harmful and misinterpreted monolith of thought. Rarely, even in fits of anger will Black people publicly label another with that term. The last time I heard it used so freely was following the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court by former President George H. W. Bush.
Next on that list was ‘Oreo Cookie’ [white on the inside black on the outside]. The term at the time seemingly explained everything about a group complaining about other Black People who would become a part of the problem as opposed to the solution. The HUD Secretary, Ben Carson and I are of the same generation and the term Oreo Cookie sparks memories of being ostracized if you pursued academic achievement in the 1970s. We were amid the Vietnam War and routinely people of color were literally cannon fodder for an adjust war, so entrenching yourself in what were deemed white pursuits would garner the moniker “Oreo Cookie.” Yes, it seems silly and trite now, but for a culture robbed of its identity, it was significant to carve out a place in a society that worked actively to reject your contributions.
When Democratic Congresswoman of California Katie Porter asked Mr. Carson to explain a rather fundamental real estate term “REO” (an acronym for “real estate owned) the Director of ‘HOUSING’ and Urban Development should understand, I can guess he had a flashback, I did. I confess I stopped a moment to replay the moment on my DVR. To her credit and his dismay, she went on to explain a term taught in weekend seminars to prospective real estate agents.
Mr. Carson followed up by making his own case for his incompetence. He has since blamed his inability to hear clearly, Saul Alinsky (remember him) and late-term abortions for his disgraceful lack of knowledge of his job. Secretary Carson has proposed draconian budget cuts to housing that will hurt family and children, giving short shrift to the devastating mental effects that result from poverty. He closes his eyes, both figuratively and literally to the suffering of the most vulnerable—poor children’s housing rights and requirements. How about one of the staunch Republicans, who follow Mr. Trump like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, practice their convictions of pro-life, not just pro-fetus.
Vote in 2020 for Change.