Sexism on Trial

"so many"
(?) Please be more specific. Is this not Newsweek? I studied journalism and so many was never to be just thrown around because "so many" is so vague and propagandistic.

Comment: I'm a black woman, and I'm about to air some real, funky, dirty laundry about black folks...


Wow. When did it become ok to blame others for one person???s wrongdoing?
Why is it that when a young white man does something wrong we don???t turn around and say oh it was his mom, or dad who didn???t raise him up the right way? No one passes on the blame, but turn the tables around and it is a young black man then WHOAAA STOP THE WORLD - It wasn???t his fault, it was because his mom brought him up with out his dad, because she must not have taught him right from wrong, because his dad wasn???t around enough or at all, because black society is failing at bring up our children right. When did it become ok to do this? When did the indiscretions of the individual be a consequence of everyone but that one person? Neil Entwistle (the guy who killed his wife and baby) is a white man, and from what I have read, he grew up in a well off family with his moms and pops. So who is to blame by your logic? In this situation he had the ideal upbringing so what went wrong?
And as for your comment about the reason why it is black women???s fault (???not providing decent fathers???.??? and ???raising children alone???..???) I just have to say that NOT ALL BLACK WOMEN fall into that sweeping generalization. Ideally every single one of the single moms out there would want to have their partner around but sometimes it doesn???t happen that way. It that case they have to do the best they can. When pple make the statement that they ???don???t need a man??? they mean that in a self-supporting, self encouraging way. Even though they may not have that ideal situation, they will do their best to overcome that problem and try to be independent.
LET???S STOP BREAKING EACH OTHER DOWN AND START BEING MORE SUPPORTIVE!!!!
HERE???S TO ALL THE STRONG BLACK MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE DOING POSITIVE THINGS AND MAKING IT !!!!!!

Posted By: Liliana23 @ 06/20/2008 7:11:21 PM : i am a black woman and I do not even associate with black Americans because I honestly believe they are an embarrassment to the black race.

Quit lying! this is a message posted by someone white. Our black women date and mate men of any race and that is okay. Many of our black women have issues with us black males and I can totally understand them. However, to send in that article 'pretending' to be a black woman is the pathetic! Beyond your stupid ramblings, "beyond a resonable doubt" 'has' to be assumed for a conviction. If that were someone who looked just like you and 'you' were convicted and sent to prison for 15 years, you would then understand why this mostly white jury found Kelly "Not Guilty"! Yes, even I think it looks like him on that video, but I could not find him guilty because I cannot conclusively say: ' yes' that is him'. BEYOND A RESONABLE DOUBT, PEOPLE! One day I was charged with "Felony Assault". It was a complete lie made up by a neighbor who made multiple threats against my wife. I 'did' tell him that I would hurt him if he continued to harass my wife, but I 'never' pulled a gun, nor shot at him. In-Fact, after 1 year in jail fighting these false charges I was found "Not Guilty" by a jury of mostly white citizens. My accuser and his four witneses told five 'totally' different lies, not one agreed with the other. Their lies were so different, that you'd though you were listening to five different assault cases. Without: 'beyond a resonable doubt', every black man charged with a crime will be in prison, simply because someone 'said' that he did something. You 'know' people lies and that people carry lies beyond reason. One day, you or someone you love dearly will be charged with something they 'didn't do. Then, you will understand: 'Beyond a reasonable doubt'. If tomorrow people who know you say: they seen you having sex with a 9 year old boy, but you know that you did not, should you be convicted anyways? After all, the other women did look 'just' like you. The law 'is not' here to protect you, people. It's true nature is to capture you, seperate your families and destroy your homes. Protecting you, is just a side effect of the law. If R. Kelly was really the man in that video and not someone who looks just like him, then why did 8 white people who don't listen to his music and could care less about that black man finds him not guilty. Yes, you may have seen the video, but did you 'investigate', dissiminate or scrutinize the video to be 'absolutely sure' it is he? Well did you? Well, the prosecutor did people. The jury did also. Yet, they found him Not Guilty. Remember people: Beyond a resonable doubt.

I do hope that anyone that reads your article, knows that not "ALL" black people supported R Kelly. As the previous post stated, I too stopped being a fan, not when I heard about his "marriage" to Aalyiah, but when I read saw the marriage certificate myself. I realized then, that Mr. Kelly is and will always be a child molester. Why anyone in their right mind support him? That is a good question. I haven't talked to many people about the verdict, but the people that I"ve talked to were stunned like I was. But at the same time I was suprised. I thought, surely the jury was mostly blacks and that's why he was acquitted. So imagine my suprise to learn it was 8 white and 4 black. So please, white america, be clear..Not ALL black people do everything..We are just like you. We work 8 to 5 jobs (some of us work more hours), we are educated, we strive for a better life for our children (for those of us who have children). So in other words, those stereotypes that are constantly shoved down our throats are not indicitive of our community (the black community) as a whole. Judge, as you will, each person individually, instead of inclusively.

Regardless of how a child dresses, looks, or behaves that is a child and there is no excuse for a celebrity or anyone to abuse him or her. Stop with the excuses that she looked grown and make an effort to determine if she is grown. Brooklyngirl you are as clueless as they come. If this is your opinion that represents all Black women then maybe those are the only Black women you hang around. Birds of a feather flock together. I am a Black mother that comes from a family with numerous male role models including my father, grandfathers, great grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and friends. The majority of the men in my family are married, working, and don???t have children here, there, and everywhere. Contrary to popular belief I am not an exception but one of millions of Black women who come from two parent, financially secure, and stable homes, and by no means are we the Huxtable family. This is just another example of Black people perpetuating stereotypes initiated hundreds of years ago. You sound just like the Black women you are describing, so maybe you???re an expert on the subject. Again I say we Black women are not a one size fits all, so dust off your degree from BYU(Back Yard University) and get a clue, that is if you don???t mind leaving your comfort zone in Hatersville.

Wow... generalization much? I'm a black woman, and I don't support R. Kelly. I have been hoping for some time (since he married 15-year old (Aaliyah) that he would go to prison. I don't know any black people who support him. If you read black blogs, people are outraged about the verdict.

If the author this article is black, she should be ashamed of herself for helping continue the mainstream belief that all black people are "happy" when criminals get off and that we are sheep with one mindset.

Am concerned with the generalizations about black women and blacks in general in this article. There are not enough qualifiers to really support the idea that Many Black Women support R Kelly. I know many black women (myself included ) who were dissapointed and discouraged by this verdict. Just because you interview a black person about why black people do something that does not mean they speak for all of this. We are individuals and do not a have collective way of thinking. This article is promoting the same tired old sterotypes that all blacks are the same. Tired of it.

Where did they find the people in this article?!?! I haven't talked to ANYONE who is happy about R Kelly getting off. They should check other blogs other than the random ones that prove their point. And as far as people blaming the girl because "she deserved it?" I haven't heard ANYONE say that either until I read this article. If anything, Black people aren't surprised at something like this because Black women are objectified every day, but that doesn't mean we're not angry about it.
If anything, Black people aren???t surprised because Black women, have been objectified on a daily basis for the past three or four generations (aka since slave times???wasn???t that long ago people), but that doesn???t mean we???re not angry about it.

I do not support r. kelly. IT takes two to tangle so mothers next time your daughters walk out the house to go somewhere make sure they are not looking older than you. Do not allow the videos to dictate to your daughters how they should dress and act. I guess asking "How old are you", isn't sexy or appropriate any more. Men stop assuming, just ask.

I, too, was apalled by the verdict. I was even more floored when some of the women in my office had big smiles on their faces. It actually made me sick to my stomach and lose another once of faith in the Black community. Why do we condone all the wrong things? People are happier that he was acquitted than who peed/sexually molested this little girl. And for those ignorant people, she was a child, only a child. How could she know what she was doing.. It all stems from her upbringing and maybe she was looking for that father figure or the fact a celebrity was giving that time, would capture anyone's attention. Young and old. Especially now with the media and videos glamorizing all of the negative images it can possibly fine. The reaction to this verdict only proves that we as a people are going back in time and that we dont care about our beautiful young girls. Its just a slap in my nieces face. It is a back turned to my cousins and its just a look of pure disgust to my god daughter. What in the hell is really going on. Are we saying that its okay to demoralize our black princesses? So what she was a child, he was a fully grown man that knew better. I dont listen to R Kelly or bother with him. It just hurts that all of these years, women have busted their butts for equal rights and to be treated fairly. We just took a huge chunk of that with this verdict. We as a people have got to do better...for real. But thats ok. God is watching us all and please believe, He is not pleased.

I must put my 5 cents in. When I heard the verdict I actually got sick to my stomach. Of course, some black people cheered. They were more concerned with the fact he was found not guilty than a child being peed on. It actually scared me that we Black people are not looking at the problem at hand but just satisfied with a "not guilty". Who knows if he did this but a child was clearly abused. Damn R. Kelly and that horse he rode in on. What about this child? What about women? This sends an ugly message to your young ladies that this is what you may be subjected to. Society is not concerned with the welfare of our little black girls. And that my dear is sad. As a Black woman, I am truly appalled. I no longer listen to or support R. Kelly. Only God can judge him. I did warn a coworker to be on the look out whenever she plays an R.Kelly cd. He may be trying to court her daughter through sibliminal messages.

our system found him to be inocent, enough said!! doesn't matter if black, white, orange, green, or yellow support kel's, right? as i said, before... those guy's jumped the gun. both the victim, and the suspect said it wasn't them. how do yuo go to trial on to convict someone of something the victim said didn't happen (not to mention 10 years after the fact). they (lawyers) wanted to get some publicity, and make some money... thats all this was about! thats lik saying i killed somebody, and they have video of the murder, but the dead person is alive saying, i didn't harm them!

This is such a generalization...its sad that NewsWeek would make such a claim on a whole gender and race....its more opinionated and down right silly