Bringing the World Together One Question at a Time

Ron Tinsley (2008)

Lately, I have been pondering this idea of how cultures operate within other cultures. How does a culture with a small population function within a culture with a larger population. Is one culture hostile to the other? Conciliatory? How does the smaller culture maintain its distinctiveness? How did Irish culture survive under British rule? How did Jewish culture deal with Hellenistic culture during Jesus’ time?

Every culture has what I call an inside voice. There are things discussed within that culture that are not supposedly discussed with outsiders. Typically these cultures that have been marginalized by a larger group reflect this mentality very explicitly. It is obvious through their writings that Native Americans still feel slighted by their treatment, past and present. An influx of casino money does not change that. People forget about the Japanese American ordeal during World War II.

African Americans have developed a culture that is codified so well that the larger culture mines it for language, fashion, attitudes and even behavior. Because of the open hostility during pre and post slavery days, African Americans sent messages to one another through dances, songs and language. This is one way that the Undeground Railroad developed and flourished. Even today, most African Americans are aware of phrases within our community like Uncle Tom, Field Negro and House Negro. (On the left, click this link to watch Malcolm X’s speech on the field negro and house negro)

The Problem
But a problem is posed when an inside joke becomes available to those outside the culture. So, is the joke inside anymore when it becomes common?

Many Black comedians brought many inside jokes, first to an African American audience and then to a white audience. Segregation and racism played a huge role in this as laws sought to keep the races apart. So, some aspects of African American culture developed apart from the larger culture. So our humor, dance, singing, body language and speech have a folk art quality to them. Some white ethnic groups like the Italians, Germans, the Polish and Irish who came during the first wave of European migration had this as well. They were initially marginalized and stereotyped as backward. But since they often looked like the Anglos, they assimilated and have mostly committed this experience to memory and stories. Some of the stereotypes still persist but they seem to work in their favor. The Irish are seen as spirited instead of drunken hooligans (sometimes). The Italians are seen as passionate instead of angry hotheads and mafioso. I hate to say it but I don’t think American culture has found a positive spin on African American people (except in February). There is still much about African American culture that has not been discovered by mainstream America.

Comedians like Moms Mabley and Red Foxx paved the way for raunchy profanity laced humor that often exposed the foilables of Black life unseen by mainstream America. Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy picked up the mantle. But Dave Chappelle elevated it to another level. Dave had the financial backing to turn his ideas into well produced skits that Eddie and Richard never had. This allowed him to mine his ideas on a deeper level metaphorically and aesthetically.

But there is something lost in translation…and sometimes the approach backfires.

It is no secret that Dave Chappelle showed America and the world the seedy side of Black ghetto life and African American life in general. But it is also no secret that his commentary on race exposed the hypocrisy of white people and American culture. He showed people only what Eddie and Richard could only say.

So why did Dave Chappelle walk away from millions?

The Truth

Well I ultimately dont know but I can tell you this: when an inside joke is exposed to an audience who simply tolerates you, the joke is really on you. If Dave was to really deal with race a lot more explicitly, his white audience would evaporate overnight. Ask John Singleton why his 1997 movie ‘Rosewood’ did not do well at the box office among white people.

The problem isn’t letting outsiders ‘in’ on the joke. That happens all the time. I have a brother-in-law who is Puerto Rican and one who is South African. We tell each other ‘inside jokes’ about our people all the time. But we have similar upbringings and cultures that allows us to grant each other a form of amnesty. But we dont just grant this to just anyone. Also, the joke just isn’t funny when you have to explain it. It’s just that simple. When the actual outsiders are connected to a people and culture that helped create the conditions for the inside joke, a power issue emerges . The truth his, the joke is on you because while they are laughing, they know they don’t have to lift a finger to change the conditions that the inside joke comes from. So, this is when they are laughing at you instead of with you.

Remember this: African Americans laugh to keep from crying, to cope with our conditions. I believe many white people (if they are truly outside) often laugh at racial humor to keep from taking responsibility for the conditions. Now, that’s real power.

The N word

Many Rap artists use the word ‘n*gger’ alot in their music. Most of the time, in my opinion, its not biting commentary, its a gross exaggeration meant for shock value. Now, some African American youth talk this way but most know when to use it and when not to. Rap artists have always used the word but rap music was not always listening to by a large white population. Thangs done changed!!! Rap music was not always global either. With cable channels and new media outlets, teens in Japan are listening to rap music. Because the audience is bigger than African Americans now, there are people all over the world imitating these rap artists. Since this language is becoming common, so are certain words coming out of the mouth of people who arent African American. So here comes a white person saying to me ‘wassup my n*gga?’ Many rap artists were criticized for making ‘n*gger’ a household word in our culture. The truth is, it has always been a household word. Michael Richards proved that. The rap artists’ response was to come up with a explanation stating the difference between ‘n*gga’ and ‘n*gger.’ That is like saying there is a difference between ‘whore’ and ‘ho.’ One is a derivative of the other which means it carries the original meaning in the shadows.

Even though black people calling each other n*gger was frowned upon, it was not a problem until others outside the culture began to use it in relation to each other and Black people (in an affectionate way of course). In the end, Black people are called ignorant for using it on each other yet popular youth culture has co-opted it for general consumption. When was the last time that someone called Warner Music Group (WMG) ignorant? Has anyone called WMG’s CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. ignorant? They are bidding on the DeathRow catalog that includes profanity laced lyrics from Snoop Dog.

And the winner is…

I think Dave had an epiphany just like Richard and Eddie. But what made his move significant is he walked away from millions. This tells you something about American culture. Eddie and Richard had to move away from cutting edge humor in order to make money. Dave Chappelle walking away from money because it was MOVING his cutting edge humor toward the mainstream! When such derogatory words and profanity become mainstreamed, who wins and who loses? Maybe Dave realized that no matter what he did and how much money he made, Black people would lose. If Black people lose, then Dave Chappelle ultimately loses too. In the end, he is still must deal with the unfair stereotypes that are forced onto Black people. OR he could allow the industries around him to isolate him from Black people.

Take a good look at organized sports in our country. They often raid poor African American communities for athletes who bring something to the game they have not seen or is new. Their skill has the potential to make millions for the sports industry and those connected to it. These athletes elevate the game to a folk art form. They play a game that infuses the best of African American style with the American sports tradition. It is an ‘inside’ game that only those who live there or those who live in similar circumstances know about. Why? Because America does not go in ghettos. We go through them and around them as much as possible. Our bypass highways help us. We only learn about them in the safety of our homes through news and entertainment. In the end, a athlete who comes from a disadvantaged background is showered with millions and new perks (access to white people and the places they go). But in the process, they are often cut off from their origins and are being groomed to be the next O.J. Very few African American athletes make appearances in their native communities except for the occasional basketball clinic. This is sad because they could bring so much more but they dont. They allow the athletic industry to limit them. Arthur Ashe may have bee the last African American athlete to openly protest racism. Muhammad Ali came before. Although African Americans can lay claim to one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan has NEVER significantly spoken out about ANYTHING. The clout he had was wasted and has waned. Why do I say this? In spite of his stature, he was still fired from the Washington Wizards like he was a ball boy. No executive position, no nothing.

Dubois was Right
What is lost in translation is what Dave Chappelle and the African American athlete represents to the African American community. For a people who continually must navigate around white America, we need people like us who remember us and the struggle to be African and American. White America tries to convince us that this struggle is trivial. I would guess that many of them never read W.E.B. DuBois.

“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,–this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face.”

—W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk

In the end, do African Americans need to sell their soul to rich multinational corporations in order to be accepted? I dont think its worth the price. I think that is what Dave was saying…and I KNOW that is what Jesus said.