In The News: "White People's Day" Tweet

This past 4th of July from last week went swell for me! I had plenty of BBQ and yummy food and got to sleep in aaaaaallll daaaaay, but the next day I heard an interesting story, and over the past couple of days it has starting to form a little more with the onslaught of constant controversy it has sparked, and I thought to post about it here.

Basically, what happened was that the comedian Chris Rock, tweeted this joke to his followers on the 4th, going like this:

"Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks."

In my opinion the comment wasn't funny but I do agree with the statement, but I will explain why later, but for others some people found it flippin' hilarious, while others hated it and retaliated in full force to the actor.


From one article posted on the HuffingtonPost, it states:

While some quickly came to Rock's defense, including actors Don Cheadle and Zach Braff who seemed to see the humor in the joke, others took the gag as unpatriotic and fired back. Libertarian-conservative blogger Jeff Schreiber went so far as to attempt giving Rock a quick history lesson: "Slavery existed for 2000yrs before America. We eradicated[ended] it in 100yrs. We now have a black POTUS[Pres. of the US]. #GoFuckYourself." And blogger David Burge had a more humorous contradictory take: "Good one! I bet your Guatemalan house staff got a good chuckle."

However, some saw both the humor and relevance in Rock's joke. Comedian and activist Elon James White, host of the web series This Week In Blackness, tried to add some perspective to the conversation, tweeting, "I just wanna ask everyone who's mad at @ChrisRock--Is he wrong? IS. HE. WRONG?"

White later gave HuffPost his perspective on the controversy as well as why Rock's tweet actually matters:

I find this Chris Rock [bashing] absolutely ridiculous. Really? Someone tells the truth and you mad? I'm American. I never claim otherwise. I never give the "We didn't land on Plymouth rock" speech unless its in a really funny way. But part of being American, to me, is that I have to acknowledge all the bullshit that comes with it.

Basically some folks came over, stole other people's land, killed them, then started a country on the backs of my people, while killing them, and then at some point they freed the slaves but then oppressed them and killed them some more. Do I have the ability to do things here that I wouldn't in some parts of the world? Yes. But my family paid the price for that in actual blood, sweat and tears. If more people were like Rock and acknowledged the truth maybe we'd be in a better place as a Nation.

Now for my opinion, I agree with the "joke" fully, since in schools, plan as day, we learn about slavery and how slaves weren't even freed until after the Civil War during the Lincoln years, thats 89 years after the Independence Day that the fourth is even based on took place, meaning slavery in America was still happening even though it is the day were we celebrate being a free nation, though before anyone who wasn't of rich white American or British origin then you were already considered lesser-than or worthless, depending on your roots.


BUT, I didn't like the way it was said, though Chris Rock has always been a crude-humor type, it was begging to be hated due to its joking fashion. 


Annnnyyywwwaaaaaay, how did you feel about the joke?