NEWSFLASH!! Blackface: still racist, y’all.

Hello, lovers of racism!

This is in response to the horrifying choice of the Portland Eagle to book Chuck Knipp, a racist who tucks his bigotry and sexism into the alter-ego “Shirley Q. Liquor,” who is a slanderous caricature of Black women.

Here is a clip of this racist BS.

The Eagle posted the announcement on Facebook. There were ,of course, people with intelligence, wisdom, empathy and common damn sense who protested. Troublingly, the Eagle’s first response was to defend it as “comedy.” The second response was to invite people to see the show for themselves and “dialogue about the different opinions” thereafter. Thank you for inviting me to be humiliated so you can further erase me by telling me how I should feel about your fucking racist bullshit. Can you also just cut to the chase and spit in my face?

Most troubling was the flagrant and grotesque commentary from people who saw fit to negate the experience of Black Women and tell me how I should feel.

 

 

The show has been canceled.

And the damage has been done.

And blackface is racist.

And if you think it is funny, guess what?

You are engaging in racism.

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30 Comments

  1. wendy williams on February 2, 2013 at 12:13 AM

    I give a fuck and I will not forget!



  2. Shannon on February 2, 2013 at 12:34 AM

    I adore you. That’s all.



  3. Elspeth Demina on February 2, 2013 at 12:54 AM

    I found out, via the Wikipedia page for this man, that RuPaul supports him and his performances. I can’t even wrap my head around that.



  4. J on February 2, 2013 at 1:06 AM

    Thank you for being so brave.



  5. AJ on February 2, 2013 at 3:18 AM

    This guy has been doing this act for a loooong time, and part of me is like, “I have no idea how he’s kept his career this long”, but I *do* know how. Absolutely sick.



  6. Ressurrection on February 2, 2013 at 2:30 PM

    I have never heard of this person before.



  7. Andrea on February 2, 2013 at 8:38 PM

    black face is racist AMEN anyone who doesn’t think so watch the movie Bamboozled.



  8. Roxy on February 2, 2013 at 11:04 PM

    I just read through the comments from and about The Eagle. It was rough, and I regret that you – that any of us – have to share a planet with such angry, bigoted, small minds.

    They’re wrong. You’re right.

    They are cowardly and ignorant. You are awesome.

    Thank you.



  9. Duncan on February 3, 2013 at 5:33 AM

    I have never seen this blog before. This is exactly the response that was needed, with all the fierce anger that this bullshit situation deserved. Thank you.



  10. romham on February 5, 2013 at 8:12 PM

    Thank you for this response. Here is a version of this video i made with english subtitles for Deaf and hard of hearing folks, and hope it’s ok to post it here: http://radicalaccessiblecommunities.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/blackface-racist-as-fuck-end-of-story/



    • Mollena Williams on February 8, 2013 at 2:49 AM

      YOU ARE THE BOMB!!!



  11. Myke on February 6, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    I watched the clip. Not only was it racist but it was not funny. It was horrid. Wasted 4 minutes I’ll never get back.



  12. Thomas Roche on February 6, 2013 at 10:16 PM

    I have been subjected to other also racist and also unfunny Shirley Q Liquor videos, but I have never seen this particular one you link to above, which exceeds all the other in its racist extremity. If I understand Shirley’s largely incoherent blather, it’s a retread of the ancient and long-ago beaten-to-death trope about African American women being too stupid to understand what they’re naming their children. Wow. That is some racist shit fresh out of a Klan flyer. Wow. Holy fucking shit. Wow.



  13. Thomas Roche on February 6, 2013 at 10:32 PM

    Mollena,

    Your video in response is bad-ass. Speak it. THANK YOU.



  14. shadow on February 6, 2013 at 10:48 PM

    Have i told you lately how damned amazing you are? i am proud as all hell to know you!



  15. Sharon on February 7, 2013 at 12:22 AM

    Thank you for speaking up and please continue to speak out. You are not alone.



  16. Anna on February 7, 2013 at 5:55 AM

    “It’s not fucking funny”

    Amen.



  17. MsTender on February 7, 2013 at 10:09 AM

    I have read your blog and others. It hit me the same way. How can we say we are welcoming, supportive, and look beyond skin as a community but then have VENUES book such acts? We are better than this. Wake up folks… it’s unacceptable. No excuses! Thank you for holding the line and being vigilant.

    We adore you sweet lady.. Hope to see you this year on this coast in September :)



  18. Morrisa on February 7, 2013 at 5:05 PM

    I looked. I need a fucking shower. That is horrible racist filth. His hatred isn’t funny. Go home, sir. You are irrelevant. You are adding nothing, and hurting human beings. Go home and wash. You really need to wash. Inside and out. Shame.



  19. Mischa on February 7, 2013 at 9:23 PM

    I am ashamed for my race. This shit should never happen.

    You are not over reacting.
    You should not relax.
    You are right.
    This is wrong.



  20. Penny Marie on February 8, 2013 at 1:16 AM

    I was part of that whole mess, protstinf the show and standing up for Sophia St. James who started the protests. The sheer volume of racist/sexist mansplaining that was inflicted on us to dismiss us as whiners was deplorable. Staff AT the Eagle actually made direct personal attacks against her.

    And of course the whole problem was just us uppity folks having no sense of humour/being way too sensitive amirite folks? *gags*

    At least Sophia’s work got it cancelled. But the burden she bore was unacceptable.



  21. Shanna Katz on February 8, 2013 at 11:19 AM

    We’ve chatted about this bullshit before, and here is my post, as promised: http://shannakatz.com/2013/02/08/holy-racism-batman/

    So sorry you’re having to deal with all of this.



  22. Krissy on February 8, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    Holy tomato honey. That video is *intense* and wonderfully done. I ache for you. I love you. I hope that your words spread. I’m trying to help.



  23. Substantia Jones on February 8, 2013 at 2:46 PM

    Thank you for this, Mo. I’d never heard of this person before. The theme, however, is all too familiar.



  24. GingerNic on February 8, 2013 at 3:55 PM

    What the hell? You’re right, we can and should expect better out of this community. Even those who don’t bother to think for two seconds and realize that blackface is not acceptable have a responsibility to act like adults and apologize and work to reverse damage once it’s pointed out. And thank you for pointing it out. Having this swept under the rug would only make things worse.



  25. FoxInABox on February 8, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    Yeah, pretty racist. I’m pretty white myself, and I won’t lie that sometimes stereotypes click in my head and I do my best to dismiss them as quickly as possible, being the colorblind individual I would like to be, but this is going way too far. This is just ridiculous.



  26. missjamila on February 8, 2013 at 11:02 PM

    Mollena,

    You are not alone, there are other women of color who are NOT apathetic. I am angry and I am sickened and I have posted your link on Fet.
    Although I still claim a space in the kink community, after hearing about this incident and this past week enduring two bigoted comments from two different people (at the same party), I do not feel as safe as I once did. But the appropriate response is exactly what you are doing, to challenge, engage, and make ourselves heard.



  27. Layla Aaron on February 9, 2013 at 6:17 AM

    I made myself watch that reprehensible sample of work. There is not enough brain bleach, eye bleach, or ear bleach in the world to clear out that fucked-up shit. Your video response is powerful and beautiful. I’m sickened that in the 21st century this is considered acceptable. For those who don’t consider blackface as racist, where the hell have they been? This is wrong. W-R-O-N-G, wrong. How anyone can defend this act is beyond me. Much love to you and everyone who is fighting the fight everyday.



  28. Monica Roberts on February 9, 2013 at 9:26 AM

    Thanks Mollena for your commentary on the Blackface drag ‘show’ for the New Millennium. I’ve been calling Chucky and his BFF RuPaul out about it since 2002 along with Jasmyne Cannick and a long list of people.inside and outside the African-American trans and SGL community.

    http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2008/03/chucky-went-too-far.html



  29. Guy on February 9, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    Not good for Portland. Not good for the Leather community here. I am ashamed for my community.

    This is NOT OK.