I Am Not A Mutt
For the most part, I think Kanye West’s music is great. He’s an awesome producer, and he brought a fresh attitude to the game. I appreciate that. Kanye reflects a perspective that was missing in hip-hop since its inception, that of the insecure, evolving man. He’s had some amazing message songs in his short career. He seemed so happy to be alive, in songs like “Through the Wire,” and he proudly professed his faith in “Jesus Walks.” Many of his songs are about being an insecure youth, becoming mature, loving his family, and striving to be a role model. I was kind of proud of his stammering, poorly-conceived political statement after Hurricane Katrina, even though I didn’t ever find out what action he took beyond pointing fingers at obvious targets. These days, I can hardly stand to listen to his music.
Somewhere along the way it became obvious that Kanyeeze was starting to seriously believe his own hype. He’s revealed himself as a poor sport and a narcissist, but keeps deflecting accountability for his immature actions.
Say what you will about Jay-Z – I doubt he would storm the stage and steal someone else’s spotlight if he didn’t win a lousy MTV Europe video music award, regardless of how intoxicated he was.
Although he apologized, sort of for the incident, he still came off looking like a jerk.
Recently, Kanye West’s specialty has been lessons on The Importance of Knowing When To Shut Up. Case in point, what my blog amiga Hottie Hottie referred to as “the Jackass quote of the day.”
In the December 2006 issue of Essence, Mr. West cleverly quips: “If it wasn’t for race mixing, there’d be no video girls. Me and most of my friends like mutts a lot. Yeah, in the hood they call ‘em mutts.â€
Wow, Kanye. You’re working overtime on setting us back.
There are so many elements to that statement that are problematic. First of all, the word “mutt” itself – not only are you referring to mixed-race people as dogs, but as interbred (and therefore undesirable) dogs.
I had to check out the Urban Dictionary for that one. See, back in my days at the University of Miami, the football players used that term for girls who would do anything. And I mean anything. But yes, it’s a derogtatory term for racially mixed people. I’m surprised Kanye didn’t just go for the bigot’s favorite term, “mud people.” I mean, if you’re going to play with racist terminology, you might as well use the term KKK members love to fling about on daytime talk shows.
Then there’s the implication that only light skinned women make “video girls.” You would think a rapper who represents the educated, thinking person would try to change things instead of perpetuate that kind of prejudice. Sadly, that isn’t the case.
I imagine Kanye’s mother is ashamed of his stupidity by now, seeing as she is a college professor and a lovely dark-skinned woman. Kanye’s current lady fits the description of the lighter skinned, possibly racially mixed woman. So would he then call her a mutt? Probably right after he called her a bitch. What’s with the canine terminology, hip-hoppers?
Kanye’s sadly ignorant comment is raising eyebrows with members of the Congress of Racial Equality who express concern that American attitudes towards race are regressing. Funny! Michael Richards expressed the same concern in his embarrassing apology last night on David Letterman.
The recent race hubbub got me thinking about labels, and how we identify ourselves. Kramer invoked an antiquated term, Afro-Americans. For the most part, my friends here refer to themselves as African-American. Some people argue with that term, but it seems to be generally accepted.
If I have to fill out a form at a doctor’s office, I don’t tick off African-American, because I’m not an American citizen. I check “other” if need be, and if “black” is an option, I check that instead. There is never a box for Afro-Caribbean, or “Of Mixed-Race”, although just about all of us whose ancestors were brought from Africa have been mixed racially somewhere down the line.
The “One Drop” theory still rules regardless of shade, and that’s part of why I was so surprised to find that someone the skin color of Shirley Bassey could possibly not identify as black. Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind that some black people didn’t think of themselves as anything but what they are. Or that some black people seek long and hard to be something they are not. I read Nella Larsen’s Passing in college, but I really believed those days had ended with the Harlem Renaissance.
In Trinidad, we’ve got our own multiracial glossary that takes shade and ethnicity into consideration. Walk down any street in downtown Port of Spain, and you’ll hear people referred to as red, brown-skin, darkie. Then there’s “dougla,” a mix of Indian and Black, and “brown Chinee” or “haquai.”
My own racial blend combines black, white, and Amerindian, and some of my friends are so mixed that it’s difficult to tell exactly what they are. If you ask them, they just say “I’m a Trini.” For me, labeling has never been an issue. The color of my skin makes it obvious who I am – a black woman. I might be mixed, but I refuse to be labelled a “mutt.” (My dad’s joke here would be, “you’re not a mutt, you’re a monGrell” because of my maiden name. Ha ha, Dad). I have adopted the term Afrobella, to reveal how I feel about my identity: afro for black, bella for beautiful.
But I am curious about you, dear readers. How do you identify yourself? What terms do you find most offensive? And which cliff should Kanye West and Michael Richards jump off of?
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I’ve learned to just turn the channel or ignore an article that is related to Kanye. I prefer the term black. Although, I am an African American. I feel black is a more inclusive term that includes all children of the African Diaspora and most Africans.
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My boyfriend is Afro-Caribbean, but chooses African-American on forms. Many people don’t realize that the counts of “African-Americans or Blacks” on government forms/census affect federal/state funding for thinks like historically black colleges and universities and health promotion/prevention programs, social programs, and other programs funded by the government that benefit blacks. So if there aren’t enough people checking African-American funding will be cut. I believe the government has tried to fix that issue by making the category “African American/Black” instead of just “African American.” I understand everyone has the right to self-identify (I teach a class on multicultural health”, but realize that “African American/Black” means anyone living in American who of African ancestry no matter how much time has passed since your ancestors left Africa. Sorry so long
Huge problem in the Latin community. I am Puerto-Rican and Haitian and was consistently reminded of my blackness by responsible parents. But I grew up in a Dominican neighborhood (as in Dominican Republic not Dominica). Dominicans probably have the largest black community of all Latinos (excluding Panama and Cuba and sure…even Puerto Rico which is all over the damn place) but I have never met a Dominican who thought they were black. My friend has been dating a guy for over a year who is clearly a high yellow black man w/ a particularly bushy afro. But he has told her several times he is not black….he is Dominican….failing to note the difference between race and ethnicity. While I know I’m mixed I am very clearly a black woman. Just because one of my parents is a white Latina doesn’t mean I can say I am white because really, though I identify just as fully as a Puerto Rican as I do as a Haitian I have brown skin and my natural hair texture is curly and I AM a black woman. Period. I never get how there is room for debate on this issue.
Also, Kanye is a retard. Actually my brother has learning disabilities and might take offense to that. You know I’ve taken slack for dating some white dudes in my day. Denying my race and all that crap. I’m always hearing it from the brothers but let it be those same brothers who will tell me I’m beautiful ’cause I have light skin and spanish blood and soft hair and see how quickly THEIR complexes start creeping up to the surface *rolls eyes*
BOTH MY PARENTS ARE BLACK, MY MOTHER IS AS LIGHT AS MILK,MY FATHER IS AS DARK AS THE BLACK CRAYON. MY SKINTONE IS ABOUT THE TONE OF HALLE BERRYS’.I AM A BLACK WOMAN BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO BELIEVE ME, I HAVE BEEN CALLED MIXED,PUERTO RICAN,INDIAN(NOT NATIVE AMERICAN KIND)AND PASSONBLANC A TERM USED IN NEW ORLEANS. FAMILY MEMBERS CALLED ME WHITE GIRL FOR YEARS BECAUSE OF MY FEATURES.I THINK KANYE IS ADAMN FOOL FOR USING THE TERM MUTT TO DESCRIBE THESE WOMEN.HE NEEDS TO GET HIS MIND RIGHT BECAUSE THE GIRL HE IS MARRYING MAY JUST HAVE HIS BABY. HOPEFULLY THE KID WON’T HAVE THAT “MUTT” SKINTONE. I CANNOT BELIEVE HE USED TO BE A COLLEGE STUDENT.
It is my contention that we must, without fail, hold these individuals that are in a public spotlight accoutable for their actions/deeds. This is so rooted in slavery times it is unbelievable (ie. House nigga’s vs Field nigga’s-sorry for the use of the N-word). In Kanye’s case it is unfortunate to hear this “term of endearment” that is perpetuated by a continual denigration of self. THINK B/4 YOU SPEAK! Personally, I happen to be find folks of mixed heritage to be attractive but I also happen to find Indie Irie, Nia Long, and Alfre Woodward to all be striking too. Bottom line is that a woman is beutiful. PERIOD! How dare you call a woman a mutt. Heck, I too grew up in the “hood” actually southside of Chicago and the S.Suburbs (as did KW) and never termed them as such. Either she was fine or not quite. At the end of the day KW has the right to think whatever he wants too but we have the right to not support his rationale. Lose this brotha’ and don’t support his music or other endeavors.
I am also from Trinidad. My mom is black with a mulatto father and my dad is mixed with a Spanish father and an Indian mother. Both of my parents are also from Trinidad. I have never experienced racism at home. I never considered myself to be much of anything but I knew I was black. My sister was called a dougla back home but it never seemed to bother her. it wasn’t until i moved to America when I was called a nigger. I have never seen such a mass of people called themselves something so derogatory and demeaning. Which brings me to rap and hip hop. I am sick of hearing nigga this nigga that in rap lyrics. its got to stop.
I mean everybody so shock because he said something we already knew. For some reason light skin and spanish women dominate rap videos. A few rappers now and then throw in a dark model to tone down the brightness but u cant get mad at Kanye people. Rap music videos been out before he entered the industry.I see it all the time outside the industry. A dark skin guy with a lighter skin woman just to make a pretty baby. I’m dark and I have been aware of all this almost all my life. Its sad but whatever its life dont dwell on it
@ NeglectedTarBaby,you are so right about throwing in the the dark brown girl to tone down the brightness, i thought i was the only one who noticed that. i guess once we get secure with ourselves these images in the media don’t hurt just disappoint.
My father is a Black St. Lucian and my mother is a Black American. And our fmaily tree reflects England, St. Lucia, Native Americans and China. Growing up my sister and I always thought of ourselves as Black. We only questioned it when we were told by other kids that we were mixed and therefore, weren’t Black. Now, we recognize our beautiful dark skin and the cultures that intertwined to create us and we call ourselves Black. My husband is a White man and our son is a lovely mixed baby who will be raised to love and respect everything about himself and the cultures that intertwined to create him. Kanye West is a disappointment.
I’m a mixed trinidadian girl myself and many a time I’ve described myself as a mutt though not to use that word specifically..more often pothound. The connotations never seemed negative to me – just a description and i daresay a humourous one at that. Hell as far as i’m concerned mixed breed dogs (i don’t consider it equating myself to a dog either- just a point of comparison) are just as lovable as any other so i never considered it describing myself as being less than – just different. KW on the other hand – he’s an idiot; i’ve never been able to appreciate his special brand of idiocy and in his context the usage definitely comes across as pejorative. Sadly in his case because of his ignorance of the notion of artistic responsibility his large following of spongebrained fools will also perpetuate the usage and the bam – 5 steps back for us all as women and as non-whites.
Also, i read several people above talking about how sad it makes them feel when people seem to claim every other part of their racial makeup except for the black. As proud people who consider themselves racially and ethnically black i can appreciate your point of view, but i think it’s important to appreciate as well the power of ethnicity, by which i mean the influence of the particular culture in which you were raised that in many cases informs the identity.By this i mean – it’s not necessarily out of some misguided shame that they do it; they simply don’t identify with black culture and black history in such a way as to consider it part of themselves.
I for instance am so mixed that everyone calls me something different. I can walk through Port-of-Spain on any one morning and be called “Reds”, “Douglah”, “Haquai” and “Spanish”. At UWI, quite often Indian folks quicker claim me as Indian and Afro-Trinidadians are always quicker to disclaim me. And it’s definitely not because i hang out with or chat with Indian folks any more than anyone else.
My mother is mixed Indian and French, She just looks like a fair indian and her hair is slightly wavy. My dad is also mixed, but far more so than my mother. He just looks like a typical fair skinned red man with curly hair. He has quite a bit of European heritage, white from England on his dad’s side as well as Spaniards on his mum’s. He also has Indian on both sides as well as black on his dad’s, though it’s apparantly so far up that no one can seem to identify who was the particular black individual.
My parents divorced when i was 3 or so and i grew up with my mother’s family and my stepfather’s shortly thereafter.My stepdad is haquai and his family has retained some Chinese culture. My mother’s family still has many Indian values. Mixed as i am racially, i still identify ethnically with the Indian and the Chinese (and I’m not even Chinese!).
It’s not so much a matter of me trying to avoid my blackness, or separate myself from it – it’s simply not a culture that i’ve known intimately and so i don’t identify with it very much. I will not check black simply because i am not white, nor will i do it simply because of the whole one drop issue.On forms that don’t have a checkbox or other, or mixed, i make one. I don’t have a problem with the fact that some one of, or some of my ancestors were from Africa and were slaves, nor do i hide it – it’s just not something that has played a particularly significant role in making me who i am today.
My long convoluted point is basically that you don’t always need to feel sorry for mixed people who don’t consider themselves black..or consider them uninformed and conforming to societal racial pressure. Sometimes, their self concept is just different to your perception of them.
I talk too much. Sorry.
Kanye & Richards are two pieces of work. Nothing to get upset about because this is the state of America! As for what I consider myself…human! I’m of a diverse background all of which I look nothing like therefore leaving me with the obvious choice BLACK. At times if available I check black hispanic or other.I see it like this I’m aware how I’m viewed but I won’t lie about my hertiage for anyone!!!
It never ceases to amaze me how some people of African decent will claim every other race on the planet bar the one they most obviously belong to. Case in point, 99% of the replies above.
I don’t want to be called mulatto, I don’t want to be called a mutt. I don’t belong to the African American people, because, like so many people said above- Kanye doesn’t put the darker skinned girls in his video. If part of my own people cannot except me- then how could I ever see myself fitting in to the status quo group. This is why young multi-racial kids are wanting to create a space for themselves. At every turn people are insinuating that you are unclean, impure, and the product of sin because of your heritage. And FRANKLY, if any of you have listened to the Video Girls song you would not want your “racial group” to be the one called out. He is saying that video women are nothing more than people he can sleep and throw a bathing suit at and film.
Come on people we need to get it together. What the heck.
After reading your explanation of the Caribbean race/color classifications, I was reminded of something that I have wondered for years. Living in NYC I am surrounded by people from the Caribbean. At times I have found myself, a dark-skinned woman, being addressed as “Darkie”. I wonder do Caribbean people who use the term mean it in a derogative way. Ironically, while in Trinidad perhaps this term bears no negative connotation, in America “Darkie” is an insult used by white people to belittle black people. Kanye’s statement offends all black and multiracial women equally, but I think the bigger picture is that Black people, for some reason, feel compelled to group themselves into skin color categories as well as address people by these same categorical labels. This type of thinking is exactly what started the paper bag test. As far as I am concerned if your hair is that of a black person’s then you are black. For those “white” people who strangely have kinky hair, that’s just their roots showing.
Kanye West should not use the word mutt.I’m black and light(yellow)skin.I had lived in Philadelpia(7th poorest US city,blacks are the majority)for many years.In Philly many brown and dark skin black young adults prefer,date and marry only brown and dark skin blacks.I lived in cities that weren’t like this.My light(yellow)skin and brown skin cousins lived in some zipcodes in Philly that have many sex offenders and none of the black men would date my light skin cousin and many black men wanted to date my brown skin cousin.There are few light(yellow)skin and brown or darker skinned black young adult couples in Philly.
There is obviously much self-loathing here. I’m mixed race but he seems to be implying that black women are not as beautiful as more European-looking mixed race women, which saddens me. I also find the term ‘mutt’ very derogatory and he’s implying we’re all only good for one thing. It’s pathetic. I used to have a grudging respect for Mr West but I’m not sure now.
BTW, in the UK the ‘mixed race’ category on the census has been availible for almost 10 years, so I don’t understand why America doesn’t have it. It’s divided up further for white and Jamaican black, white and Asian etc.