Not long ago, I posted a photo of a poster I found at Winco. Some people commented that I read too much into that image. That it’s nothing more than a token black thrown in for good measure. But there are so many examples of corporate/government idolization of black males that it’s hard to see how it can be ignored. Even when images of babies or toddlers are shown, it usually a black boy with a white girl. Here’s something I found today, also at Winco:

It’s now an entrenched convention to show the male as black (whenever practical) and the female as white or Asian. It may be coincidence that the blonde girl appears to be bowing down to the black boy, but who’s to say?

What happens when a “person of color” is depicted the same way white men typically are – in a less-than-flattering posture? There’s a “major racial controversy.” That’s what happens. From popsugar.com:

A recent GapKids ad campaign has sparked a racially charged controversy that has people infuriated. The images shot for the GapKids x Ellen DeGeneres campaign feature a photo of four young models flaunting their fashions and acrobatic skills. However, one photo in particular has prompted remarks of racial insensitivity, as one older white model is seen propping her arm up on the head of the only young black girl, as you would on a chair.

The horror! Now who’s “reading too much into it?”

Indeed. Who IS reading too much into it? I titled this post “the tyranny of images because it seems that such images, when used consistently, can actually enslave us.

We had a few days of nice weather recently, so I decided to visit Portland’s expansive Waterfront Park. Aside from the nice weather, I was struck by the sheer number of interracial couples. I’m not one of those people who’s in favor of criminalizing miscegenation; it’s going to happen whenever two or more groups encounter each other. But I do believe that patterns of miscegenation can teach us a lot about our society and ourselves. Actions speak louder than words, and when so many white women proclaim that “race is only skin deep” or “race is a social construct” – but then go out of their way to date black men, it’s obvious that they don’t actually believe such pious proclamations. Their actions say otherwise.

I was there for about two hours, and I chose to document what I saw.

Do these white women hate white men?

Or are they fascinated by black men?

If so, what is it that fascinates them so?

Here’s what the afrolounge has to say about it:

In recent years, there has been a surplus of white women and black men relationships. Some will argue that this interracial relationship has been purposely promoted by the media. Some will also argue that this interracial relationship is often times dysfunctional (laziness, abuse, self hate and insecurity). I was sent a video that was created by a YouTuber who goes by the name, MsArchDuchess. In the video she gives 18 reason why (she feels) white women date black men. In the video, the YouTuber says she wants to give black people more to think about when it comes to the hidden motives of white women. She says you can see by the popularity of the movement (white women dating black men) that it’s not about love. She says, “The order does not matter. There is no sequence…these women are so deluded they think they’re upholding Martin Luther King’s dream. These relationships don’t last more than 8-10 years because they have nothing to do with love.” These are MsArchDuchess 18 reasons and explanations to why white women date black men: 1. Fat. She’s too large to attract a white men. She believes her body type is more accepted by black men. 2. Ugly and unattractive by European standards of beauty. 3. She wants to experiment. She’s curious about the black man’s genitalia, how big it is, how he performs sexually, if it’s better than being with a white man. 4. Jealous. She’s jealous of black women. 5. Boredom. She’s bored with white men. She is looking for excitement and a change. She wants to cause some friction. 6. Anger. White women that date black men are angry and see this as a form of rebellion. White rage. 7. Desperation. She can’t get the white guys she wants. She cannot go without a man. 8. Attention. Dating someone different than her own race is her way of getting attention. 9. She’s gullible. 10. Whorish. She’s sleeping with many different men. He’s just one of many. 11. Rejected. She’s intensely rejected by other men. 12. Meal Ticket. She see’s the black man as a meal ticket. Example; entertainers, athletes. 13. Her white men are too effeminate. She has this Godzilla fantasy and believes the black man is more masculine. White men have a reputation for their pedophilia and other strange sexual acts and there isn’t enough available white men for white women. 14. Mixed children. She wants mixed children. She feels mixed children will increase her worth in life. 15. She’s ghetto and feels she will fit in with ghetto black men. You can tell she ghetto by her speech, lack of goals, hair, tattoos, piercings. 16. She thinks it’s trendy. 17. Racism. Some white women date black men because they are racist. She pretends to be color blind. Why would you date someone that’s completely different looking without acknowledging it? There is a hidden racist motive. 18. Arrogant. She thinks she can have any man she wants. She believes the black men is suppose to like her.

MsArchDuchess is “a black woman who’s proud to be black,” so it’s not surprising that she’s not a fan of such relationships. In any event, her list has one glaring omission: Black men tend to have higher self-esteem than white men. Since self-esteem is high on the list of traits that women find attractive in men, it shouldn’t be surprising that, all else being equal, black men will have an advantage in this regard.

Whatever the underlying causes may be, there’s little doubt that most of these women are attracted to black men.

Unfortunately, humans have little to no choice when it comes to what we’re attracted to. Factors beyond our control, such as early childhood experiences, must be contributors.

I don’t believe that homosexuals have much, if any, choice in their orientation. Nor do I believe that people wake up one morning and choose to be pedophiles, necrophiliacs or zoophiles.

What would be the result if people were subject to pedophilic imagery from their earliest childhood? What if the media bombarded us with sexualized images of animals from cradle to grave?

That was a rhetorical question. We all know what would happen: There would be a marked increase in pedophiles or zoophiles in our society.

Similarly, when people are raised with imagery that consistently depicts black boys and men as more masculine, their minds will gradually comply. Naturally, the egos of these black boys and men will grow as a result of this two-pronged process: Imagery that boosts their feelings of masculinity and, coupled with this, ongoing attention from women (of all races).

A shallow person might say, “That’s great, as long as they’re happy!” But if MsArchDuchess isn’t happy, are white (and Asian) men supposed to be happy? It’s sad when white (and Asian) men internalize the message of their inferiority. When they accept that they’re subservient, and settle with the dregs of womanhood for their partners – or worse, with no partners at all.

As for the women themselves, I would argue that they are slaves. Their very desires are subject to the whims of corporations and government.

We can claim that the very notion of “liberty” is an illusion. That all of our drives and desires are subject to external forces beyond our control, whether they be our genes or microbes that live within us.

For the time being, I’m content with defining “liberty” as the ability to pursue our own destiny free of the dictates of other people. We’re all beholden to nature, but once our minds are controlled by corporations, we are no longer free, but slaves.