African American

JustAnotherGen

(38,064 posts) Fri Sep 25, 2015, 11:08 AM Sep 2015

Spike Lee - "Black People Can't Be Racist - Discuss [View all]

Quote from an interview in Playboy in 1991 - discuss.

Black people can't be racist. Racism is an institution. Black people don't have the power to keep hundreds of people from getting jobs or the vote. Black people didn't bring nobody over in boats. They had to add shit to the Constitution so we could get the vote. Affirmative action is about finished in this country now. It's through. And black people had nothing to do with that, those kinds of decisions. So how can black people be racist when that's the standard? Now, black people can be prejudiced. Shit, everybody's prejudiced about something.
SPIKE LEE, interview, Playboy, 1991

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/l/lee_spike.html#hpivJs0RrMhTLMwc.99

He's never backed down from that statement since he inspired me to pursue a degree in Mass Communications.

85 replies

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Spike Lee - "Black People Can't Be Racist - Discuss [View all] JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 OP

How about "racially prejudiced"? flamingdem Sep 2015 #1

Disagree JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #4

Times have changed HassleCat Sep 2015 #2

Which black American in power JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #5

Individual cases should be considered prejudice HassleCat Sep 2015 #7

I've never heard of someone being disliked JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #8

I have not, either HassleCat Sep 2015 #10

Actually, he just proved they can be TlalocW Sep 2015 #3

How? JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #6

NO, Black people in America, at this point in time, cant be racist. They can be and some are randys1 Sep 2015 #11

I think I may have this figured out Randy. leftofcool Sep 2015 #72

DING DING DING randys1 Sep 2015 #73

Surely NONE of your posts in this thread were alerted on or flagged? randys1 Sep 2015 #12

Why would someone alert JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #13

Seriously, that was alerted on? FUCK! but no hidden posts today, ?? but why are you randys1 Sep 2015 #14

He's a Sanders supporter, isn't he? gollygee Sep 2015 #43

His statemnet is pure BS demosincebirth Sep 2015 #62

They can hold racist views, sure. NuclearDem Sep 2015 #9

I'd Agree lib87 Sep 2015 #15

It's true. Starry Messenger Sep 2015 #16

In many cases, white people confuse being called out for *their* racism YoungDemCA Sep 2015 #75

People who disagree with this are using the other sense of racism Gormy Cuss Sep 2015 #17

When black folks hold the power gwheezie Sep 2015 #18

Duh! Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #19

I do not understand libodem Sep 2015 #20

Can you say this in English as opposed to Judith Butler-ese please? Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #21

That's the best I can express it libodem Sep 2015 #22

In other words, you agree with Jean Genet Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #24

Because we were asked to discuss this libodem Sep 2015 #25

OK Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #27

I think that is why some libodem Sep 2015 #30

uh, YEAH! Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #37

I found our talk very productive libodem Sep 2015 #41

And the sad thing is, qwlauren35 Sep 2015 #77

According to the dictionary definition of racism, I believe Spike is referring to the second version Uncle Joe Sep 2015 #23

Your welco and thank you JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #33

Peace to you, JustAnotherGen. Uncle Joe Sep 2015 #35

Definitions matter: guillaumeb Sep 2015 #26

Some white people need to be able to call Black people racist. randys1 Sep 2015 #29

Also very true. guillaumeb Sep 2015 #46

Dictionaries are not written in a vacuum tishaLA Sep 2015 #40

This message was self-deleted by its author guillaumeb Sep 2015 #47

Knowing the OED like I do Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #49

I actually looked it up online tishaLA Sep 2015 #50

Interesting to me that the word/concept only appeared in 1903. guillaumeb Sep 2015 #52

Magnus Hirschfeld, the Germon sexologist Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #56

He is correct Truprogressive85 Sep 2015 #28

Because - this is the African American group JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #31

??? onpatrol98 Sep 2015 #76

That is a propaganda technique known as the "Big Lie" Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #32

I've never heard of this Big Lie JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #34

Spike Lee, apparently Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #36

Wrong...but i think educating you would be a waste of time randys1 Sep 2015 #38

Are you sure you don't mean black folks can't be bigoted or prejudiced? tishaLA Sep 2015 #42

Words have meaning Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #45

It's actually not so clear to me tishaLA Sep 2015 #48

If we cannot agree that words have meaning then communication is impossible Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #54

"Racism is clearly defined" tishaLA Sep 2015 #57

Merriam-Webster. I do not know the name of staff members responsible for the r's Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #60

yes, I know dictionary writers have strange ideas about some words and concepts tishaLA Sep 2015 #61

Thank you for talking with me. Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #63

wrong again... randys1 Sep 2015 #51

dont respond, you are being set up for a hide, let me take the hit randys1 Sep 2015 #39

You aren't the first person to tell me that today JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #64

You are incorrect, chervilant Sep 2015 #65

Then live in your cocoon Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #66

I am a sociologist, and I was privileged to participate in chervilant Sep 2015 #67

Yes. I'm familiar with it. Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #69

I noticed how your verbiage changed from chervilant Sep 2015 #70

I can revert to that if you like Bok_Tukalo Sep 2015 #71

The paradox of racism tishaLA Sep 2015 #44

+1 gollygee Sep 2015 #55

My students this summer were talking about racism in class tishaLA Sep 2015 #58

For example, when Ta-Nehisi Coates (after James Baldwin and many others) Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #59

Well said. For alot of folks, it's those OTHER white people that are the racists Number23 Sep 2015 #68

Great points YoungDemCA Sep 2015 #74

I think people can be prejudiced against others based on perceived race. David__77 Sep 2015 #53

1,456 Views - 77 replies JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #78

In the other Thread ... 1StrongBlackMan Sep 2015 #79

Get out! JustAnotherGen Sep 2015 #80

LOL ... 1StrongBlackMan Sep 2015 #82

racism is so much more than interpersonal racism that i tend to agree with spike lee La Lioness Priyanka Sep 2015 #81

In other words, is so-called "reverse racism" legit? No. Garrett78 Oct 2015 #83

He was exactly correct then and that's still the case to this very day nt MrScorpio Oct 2015 #84

What some call racism isn't kcroyals Oct 2015 #85