Monday, December 1, 2014

In Defense of Black Girls

The recent flap over remarks made by a Republican staffer, Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn), about Sasha and Malia Obama were the latest assault on famous black girls.

In a Facebook tirade, Lauten advised the presidential daughters to, "Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot in a bar." Say, wha'?

Unfortunately, other notable public figures consider the Obama sisters fair game.

2010--Glenn Beck, former Fox News commentator and author, mocked Malia's intelligence after reports that she had asked President Obama "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?" a reference to the BP oil spill.

2012--Noted right-winger Ann Coulter said, "It's time to start imitating liberals in another way and go after the Obama children."

Sasha and Malia are not the first black girls to face harsh public scrutiny.

Consider:

2013 Gabby Douglas, first black female gymnast to win a gold medal at the London Olympics, received worldwide acclaim; however, her permed and pony-tailed hair were the subject of social media posts and Tweets.

2013 Quvenzhane Wallis, nominated "Best Actress" for her starring role in Beasts of the Southern Wilds at age nine, was the butt of supposedly satirical characterization of her as "kind of a cunt" in The Onion, an American news satire organization.

2009 Gabourey Sidibe, garnered a "Best Actress" nomination for her role in "Precious" as an abused and abandoned teen mother. Nonetheless, nasty Tweets sprung up about her weight and outfits that she wore on the red carpet.

Reality check. These black girls earned the nominations, awards, and celebrity for their outstanding abilities.

Snide, racist, misogynistic comments will do little to tarnish their fame; on the other hand, they reflect the mean-spirited mentality of social media morons with too much time on their hands.

No doubt other accomplished black girls in sports, entertainment, and public life will emerge and face detractors.

Happily, there is no stopping the inevitable forward march of black girls toward success and achievement.