Magical Negroes

Lookee-Lookee! We’re all saddling up (again, damnit?) for some racist boors who created a song that makes fun of President-Elect Barack Obama! The nerve of those poor-losers! But, before we rise and smite them, brothers and sisters, let us dutifully rouse ourselves by overdosing on cable news shows and blogs abou-tit, because somebody must be lambasting somebody right now!

Ohhh, see??? Folks made a parody, transforming “Puff, the Magic Dragon” into “Obama, the Magic Negro”. Terribly clever, don’t you think? Can I get that in a ring tone?

And, please take a moment to commiserate with Poor Peter Yarrow. Back in the hippie-dippie days, his song was banned because somebody misinterpreted it as a pro-marijuana-commie ballad, (Puff the Magic Drag-on! Isn’t it obvious what he was SAYING?) rather than a poignant tale about a boy and his imaginary friend. And, now this. The guy can’t catch a break.

Obama, the Magical Negro. At least “they” didn’t call him “Obama-the-Angry-Negro”, or somehow-worse, “Obama-the-Happy-Negro”. Then we’d all have to saddle up to battle the shade of Uncle Remus (Again? Oh, for cryin’ out loud. Next someone will be throwing Huck Finn on the bonfire). Zippa-dee-doo-dah! Zippa-dee-dayy! My O My … Sorry.

Yet, somehow not sorry enough not to ask: Are we horrified at the characterization of Obama as “Magical” (but he’s a Christian!), or do we protest the label ”Negro” (with the acres of water long flowed under that particular bridge)? Is it that the perpetrators are working from a mind-set situated somewhere on the amusement-disdain-disrespect-hatred continuum? Or, that we, standing at the threshold of some significant victory over the dark hatred that has ever sullied the American Dream, just aren’t going to tolerate any more racist shit?

Me? I can’t seem to get my panties in a twist over this one. Maybe it’s because this issue brings to mind a story told to me about a black theater professional who counseled the white teachers working in a predominantly black school, to develop their own tactics and relationships with their students, rather than relying on black peers –he called them “Magical Negroes” – to solve the hard problems. Was that an insult? Maybe it brings to mind prototypical Magical Negroes in literature and film (Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Denzel Washington – sorry I have to stop; I’m running out of room), who brought a magical wisdom to those who needed a new road in life. Was that an insult? Maybe it’s because I am a Negro, and have the audacity to find myself pretty damned Magical my own self. Is that arrogant? Good.

In fact, I’ll own that and raise you another, because I’m also a woman, complete with all the associated baggage stretching along a similar amusement-disdain-disrespect-hatred continuum. Hell, call me a “Magical Negress”. I think I’ll make T-shirts, and sell them right next to the ones that read, “DANGER! Educated Black Child!”

Honestly.

Because, for me, neither the words “magical” nor “negro” are slurs. Even when the RNC issues an apology over the flap: "We do not want one ill-considered song parody to create the wrong impression. The Republican Party has always been, and will always be, the friend of the negro." then amended the apology with: “"It has come to our attention that we misused a word in our first apology. We should have capitalized 'Negro.'"

I could not magically make this stuff up.

Isn’t it clear? What is needed is not for some perceived enemy-“they” to recognize “us” as good. What is needed is for “us” to acknowledge (finally, publicly) “us-all” as good. Whatever our magical aptitude. Whatever our origin. “We-all” who spend our time and sweat and souls transforming the world in excruciatingly little ways each day. “We-all” who raise a candle, rather than a pipe bomb. “We-all” who shrug nonsense off. Like silly parodies.

And, if someone comes along with magical ambition to cast a big ol’ world-wide spell? Let me know; I’ll be happy to lend him my magic wand.

Now, put that in your bong, and smoke it.