I heard Cornell West once talk of political “code words” for race - terms like welfare, affirmative action, and deadbeat dads – all universally disgusted, all obviously tied to racial undercurrents in America. With eyebrow raised, I think of West’s words when I come across the “it” term “Rev. Wright” in my daily digestion of internet news.
The new codeword has emerged. “Rev. Wright” isn’t about ties to one with radical views (McCain’s evangelical endorsements would make Jesus pissed) or uncontrollable America hating. The power of this codeword rests under the surface - the place the media won’t acknowledge - into the hearts of the most politically correct Americans, those who need to be subtly reminded that Black people hate America, and that one of them is running for president. I know not one person I would consider racist, yet ignoring the current of racial unease that flows underneath our political correctness would be ignoring the lessons of public school and OJ.
Something startled me into writing this piece tonight. I was organizing my digital music in order to make a backup and was exploring my media player for clues on how to work the damn technology. I was amused that Microsoft could inform me just how many hours worth of music I possessed in each genre. I had 41 hours in “Rock” and 45 in “Soul and R&B.” This was nice. But what was the difference between the two? The results shocked me. This is a list of artists based on race and their musical classifications:
| Rock | Soul and R&B |
| White | Black |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | Dr John (least white “white” man in world) |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| Jimi Hendrix (alien or from the future) | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| W | B |
| Mixed | B |
| Unknown | B |
| W | Prince (???) |
| Santana (alien) | B |
| | B |
| | B |
| | B |
| | B |
| | B |
These are scientific results, not the freak result of a music collection of poor taste. All classifications were produced by the Windows Media Player CD online recognition mumbo jumbo.
I am a fiercely liberal Obama supporter living on the south side of Minneapolis. Its 2008 and my Rock music is segregated by race.
I would like to believe that 41:45 is a good ratio and that Otis Redding, Joe Cocker, Link Wray and Bo Diddely have nothing to do with race outside of some corporate online recognition system. But I can hear the code words, I can remember the lessons of OJ, and I can smell the bullshit p.c. in the air. Obama supporters guard your hearts – this is a referendum on not just racism, but on America and on our future.
Its 2008 and my music is segregated by race.
