I’ve always tried to avoid doing it- getting into an internet fight. Fighting on the internet is about as productive as going onto facebook when you have homework to do. It just doesn’t work. But when I came across an article about the new web browser designed specifically African Americans in mind, I couldn’t help making a comment. To be fair, I usually don’t go on the KKK’s website to discuss Barack Obama’s merits, but this news article was on a seemingly innocuous technology blog.
Sure a reader had referred to the African American developers of the browser as “ignorant clowns” incapable of designing their own browser, but I was sure all the other readers were reasonable folk. If I only shed some historical perspective on the purpose of the browser, surely other readers would understand.
Boy was I ever wrong. Somehow, in the course of explaining why African American’s might want their own web browser (even though I myself wasn’t completely sold on the idea), I was called: “a loser”, “a white hating racist”, and “an angry black man”- and that’s just what I saw before the moderator deleted “racist jokes and comments”.
I figured I would check back this evening, and found new developments: I was informed that one of the readers “didn’t want any blacks on their premises”, and a link to a racist website was provided, complete with a video entitled “Who likes a N*gger?”
I’m not naive about the state of race relations in our country, but because I don’t ordinarily seek out racist enclaves, I found the response to my remarks surprising. If nothing else, what was said on that website was a fresh reminder that, contrary to the November 5th headlines, we do not live in a “post-racial” society.
-kd-
The link to the website is: http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/mozillas-blackbird-web-browser.html
The comments (as of November 13th) are reproduced below:
Comments
Filed under: From the Editor | Tagged: angry black man, post racial society, racist |
Justice Today 
I think the concept is silly, but this is *not* “Mozilla’s Blackbird” nor is it developed, distributed or promoted by Mozilla. It is developed and run by 40A, which is a group of three African American entrepreneurs. When something is “powered by Mozilla” that simply means that it uses Mozilla’s open-source materials to build upon.
FROM VICTOR: Jacob, I looked through the “about” section a little more, and I think you are correct. So I’ve made some edits to the headline and the post itself. I still think this is really weird, though.
Victor, I agree, it’s very weird. Honestly, can you imagine “Whitebird: The browser for whites. Connect, Empower, Entertain”? Somehow I don’t think it’d go over the same way.
Their resources would have been better spent building a web portal of some sort that aggregates and such. Seems strange to focus the tool (browser) so narrowly.
let me know when they come up with the corned beef and Guinness browser for this ol Irish lad
Runs off of the Mozilla engine, these racist clowns aren’t smart enough to develop their own browser.
I will make the comment here, made elsewhere on the web that a few of you have completely missed:
White bird already exists. White Entertainment Television exists. They are simply known as the the default, the standard in America.
Our society was founded on genocide (Native Americans) & racism (slavery). The last vestiges of this oppressive system were only lifted in the current generation of adults.
To think that society is now a “color blind”, where everything is equal and dandy is naive and ignorant.
It is almost humorous that some people would joke about the improbability of “white focused” entities as if they do not already exist.
Turn on your television. Flip through some channels, and tell me that the racial representation is indicative of the racial composition of our nation.
Much of what you consider “normal” and “color neutral” is tainted by the fact that white privilege is alive and well, whether the white beneficiaries desire and seek out that privilege or not. To declare otherwise is to belie a certain naivete about the world.
What is the threat to you, why is this idea silly? What is so incomprehensible about a culture wishing to have a tool that acknowledges it?
It is hard to imagine, but suppose this were true:
You are white & the majority/dominant culture is black. Everything about the culture is black. Every TV channel is filled with blacks. Whites appear in token ads, token commercials. White history is largely ignored by public education. TV newscasters are overwhelmingly white, etc..this is the world that blacks in America live in, and yet you would have the audacity to call attempts to highlight their own culture “silly”.
Recommended Reading for you:
-When Affirmative Action Was White
-White Washing Race: The Myth of a Color Blind Society.
Perhaps most telling will be your reaction to this post. Do you dismiss it as the ramblings of a minority bent on making race an issue when it is not? Do you enjoy the ability to read the comment and then for the rest of the day, never think about how your race is devalued by dominant culture?
Or do you sit, and think for a while about the world, and educate yourself before denigrating something you aren’t sufficiently versed in?
Kevin, you’re a white-hating racist. Go away.
Kevin,
You’re right. When I turn on my TV, the racial representation is definitely not indicative of the racial composition of our nation.
Instead, blacks are far OVERrepresented, especially in positions of high achievement. The top surgeons, computer experts, pilots, etc. are black. For the last 15 years, every judge on TV and in movies has been represented as black. Every cast includes at least one black person; every legal team, medical team, business department has at least one black person on it. Characters in books who were white are changed to black for the film adaptation. Blacks take the role of “numinous negro” and acts as fonts of general-purpose wisdom, with their words and actions cast in the light of an almost spiritual transcendence (think Morgan Freeman in just about every role.) This certainly doesn’t comport with the reality of our society, where blacks are markedly absent from such positions.
Meanwhile, blacks are not portrayed in the one segment of our society in which they ARE overrepresented in proportion to their numbers: violent criminals. If a violent criminal appears on a television show, you can be certain he’ll be white. Crime shows with episodes based on real-life incidents (“ripped from the headlines”) change the race of the real-life killer from black to white.
So, sorry, no, I don’t see the black race being devalued by the dominant culture. On the contrary, I see it being undeservedly exalted.
As for the market for a Whitebird, I personally have no need for one, but whites, who were 90% of the US population in 1960, are now, thanks to immigration laws enacted by–you guessed it–whites, only 67% and falling. If different racial groups have different interests, there is now a significant segment of our society which presumably doesn’t share the same interest as whites. So what would be wrong with a browser that catered to white interests?
I agree with Jacob.
Additionally, I noticed Kevin stated:
“The last vestiges of this oppressive system were only lifted in the current generation of adults.”
What will his excuse be in another generation if blacks and whites do not achieve parity? How will Kevin find a way to blame whites?
and this statement from Kevin:
“White bird already exists. White Entertainment Television exists. They are simply known as the the default, the standard in America.”
Nonsense. “White Entertainment Television” and “White Bird” are required to act against their own people and include (in fact emphasize) non-whites. Under the current ruling system, using the tool of affirmative action, whites (especially white Christian men) are required to be discriminated against in order to foster equal result.
There is no way possible to analyze the current political order throughout the and conclude that the goal is anything other than the destruction of White Civilization.
How much you wanna bet that no conservative black websites or writers will be allowed to be part of their “service”?
To all reading, I am a white American, born and raised in the South. I live my life standing up for this country beside men and women of all races, creeds, religions and genders. I have been called racist by the people who do not know me. I want everyone to know this. This African American web browser completely undoes decades of hard work by men both black and white. It took two assassinations on the books, and countless murders for all men to treated equally. Now this blacks only web browser comes along and reverses the deeds of so many American heroes. I’m a white American,but does it really matter the color of my skin? I’m still an AMERICAN!!
“This African American web browser completely undoes decades of hard work by men both black and white. It took two assassinations on the books, and countless murders for all men to treated equally. Now this blacks only web browser comes along and reverses the deeds of so many American heroes.”
Web. Browser.
Blackbird is a super computer for gamer’s made by Hewlett Packard that not available in Europa only can buy in shop United States of America.
Blackbird browser hide your IP address with secret technology Stealth that made US defence.
Kevin is obviously an angry black ma. Jacob is an angry white man. OK, somebody needs a hug. I’m a white man, married to a jamaican woman. My family calls her daughter, her family calls me “a good candidate for the KKK, because I’m proud of my heritage” and other equally polite terms.(note the sarcastic attempt). I have no problems with blackbird. Why not? If it promotes decency in society, I say great. If they turn it into a hate browser, then I’ll have a problem with it.
I’ve noticed Black folks, or “You People” can be the most ignorant people in the world. I went to my wife’s parents house with a black buddy of mine once. I was not let in the door, but my Sister in law said he was welcome. Black folks will always be welcome in our house, is what she said. Blame Whitey all you want Kevin, but the generations of the past that hurt the black folks, are dust. Why not let the hatred over something that happened 300 years ago, turn to dust too. Nowadays, Reverse racism is acceptable, it seems, it’s even in fashion. Just check out BET.
Who cares what you people posting in this forum against the new browser has to say? You are all unimportant.
In response to the loser Kevin, this Kevin has a different opinion. He says that you turn on your TV and it is proof that whites do have their own stations and such, but the difference is that blacks are allowed on those stations, it is now our fault if they can’t make shows good enough to be put on them. If blacks want an equal world then they have to accept white only things as they want us to accept black only. Why can’t I get into a black college, because I’m white. Why can’t blacks get into a white college, because white colleges don’t exist, every college in America accepts all races except black colleges. Where is the equality in that. I don’t care if you have a all black browser, college, tv station, anything you want, just let us have ours if we please to.
i thought racist comments were going to be deleted?
FROM VICTOR: I just went through the comments and did some culling. C’mon, y’all. Feel free to debate the merits of this browser and racial attitudes in media and society all you want, but let’s hold off the insults and racial jokes.
Good morning all. To your many claims that I am an angry black man:
1- My father is black and my mother is white. What race does that make me in your opinion?
2- Since when is stating the truth about reality being angry? I strongly suspect here that most of your claims and assertions are based on gut feelings and ideology. Try using fact. Tell me the name of one peer-reviewed journal, scholarly publication, or reputable book that will refute the claims that I made that blacks are generally devalued in this society. The numbers are out there- white median income $50,000. black median income- $32,000. more black men in jail than in college….
We can look at figures like this and come to 1 of 2 conclusions:
1- You can revert to racist notions of old that conclude that blacks are an inherently inferior race, or
2- You can recognize structural inequality that leads to disparate outcomes in society.
Call me racist, call me angry, but you can’t dispute history and the facts. I understand you don’t like me pointing this out. Few people in the dominant class in any society want to recognize the inherent advantages they reap in society because of history and discrimination, whether its whites in America, or the highest cast in India.
3- To the assertion that I hate whites. I find that entirely humorous. I actually grew up in Connecticut, and as a result most of my peers and friends are white. Oh yea, and my MOTHER, whom I happen to think is pretty cool.
4- The other Kevin. Excellent work on calling me a loser and providing substantiated claims to back it up. You convinced me. Why can’t you get into a black college? Your ignorance belies you once again. Whites are allowed into what are more correctly described as “historically black” colleges. Do your research before you make unsubstantiated claims. As far as your remarks that there are no “white colleges”, just as there are no “black colleges”, but rather “historically black”, there are no “white colleges”, but “historically white”.
5- If most of you plan to be around in the next 25-50 years, I hope you can learn to come to grips with factual history, and gain a greater appreciation for racial diversity, because you will be a minority by then. The combined Latino/Black population will have surpassed the white population by then, which will make for some interesting social reform.
6- Please learn to distinguish my observations about historical reality, and the modern day implications, from attacks directly specifically at you. I suppose if I had met you in a real life before this forum, we would have gotten along. I am a social work student, and I pretty much like everyone I meet. And contrary to your perceptions, I don’t go around hating on white people. Like I said before, I know that dominant society doesn’t like to be called out. But that’s the reality and I can’t apologize for that. I think none of us who are men, would have to gall to suggest that our gender gives us an inherent advantage in society over women. In the same white, to deny that whiteness does not grant inherent advantage is really a denial of reality. Maybe I didn’t ask to be born male, or maybe I don’t abuse or exploit my male status for personal gain, but all the same its there. The same is true for being white.
In the spirit of healthy debate, and understanding, I bid you good afternoon.
typographical corrections:
would have the gall to suggest that our gender *doesn’t* give us an inherent advantage…
In the same *way* to deny that whiteness…
http://www.wntube.com//index.php?option=com_achtube&task=view&id=569&Itemid=26
‘Nuff Said
for blacks only huh?…kinda reminds me of that very racist line of clothing, FUBU. That’s ok with me, i don’t want any blacks entering my business premises. so lets call it even