Sunday , November 28 , 2010  

Shadow & Act Article: Some Black Bloggers Agree With Jesse Jackson That Soldead O Brien Is Not Really Black.

Soledad O’Brien not black enough for Jesse

By Sergio, on November 11th, 2010

CNN’s anchor Soledad O’Brien, you know the one who keeps doing those Black In America let’s-explain-to-white-people-how-weird-and-totally-f—ked-up-black-people-are CNN investigative reports, claims in her upcoming new book The Next Big Story that Rev. Jesse Jackson told her that she “didn’t count” as a black anchor on the network.

O’Brien, who is bi-racial having a black mother and white father, claims that in 2007 she met with Jackson privately when he complained about the lack of black anchors on the network. According to her, Jackson told her that there were no black anchors on the networks and writes that:

Does he mean covering the campaign, I wonder to myself? The man has been a guest on my show… I interrupt to remind him I’m the anchor of American Morning. He knows that. He looks me in the eye and reaches his fingers over to tap a spot of skin on my right hand. He shakes his head. “You don’t count,” he says.

O’Brien says that she was ”confused and angry” and that Jackson “managed to make me ashamed of my skin color which even white people had never been able to do.”  She later claims that when she called Jackson about what he said he claimed that he did not know about her background. OOPS!

41 comments to Soledad O’Brien not black enough for Jesse

  • Zeus

    Soledad should be glad he didn’t offer to make her his mistress like the one he had a child with that he now wants to keep swept under the rug from the public.

  • Lol, so much for the all shades of the Rainbow Coalition.
    /easy joke

  • Blutopaz

    If this story is true Jesse should be ashamed. He’s old school from the South. He knew damn well Soledad has Black ancestry, and I am sure he worked with Black people as light or even lighter than Soledad during the civil rights movement. It’s a shame he keeps marking his legacy like this because he really has accomplished a lot.

    o/t I like Soledad and wonder if she has ever asked CNN if they are ever going to put White America under a microscope.

  • Harlepolis

    *GASPS* So?

    Just another addition of the long list of things he did/say that showed his entire behind, and it wouldn’t the last thing either,,,,,,unfortunately.

  • soma lux

    i think he meant he wanted some folks who failed the brown paper bag test on tv.

  • whispeak

    Blackness isn’t based on skin color, blackness is a state of mind. Watching Soledad anchor CNN’s newstory on The King assassination and her co-anchoring of the Obama Inauguration with Roland Martin, even some of the Black in America series, I question that “state of mind”. She can come off as an “outsider looking in.” Her response to comments about the King incident reflected those I’d expect of a white journalist, at times, somewhat insensitive to the factors of racism taking part in the investigation. There was also a visible difference to the way she responded to the inauguration crowd (often, mostly Black at their particular location) versus Roland, as she condescendingly told them to hush or be quiet when they were rallying with excitement at the inauguration. And, whenever Roland began to pontificate on the meaningfulness of Obama’s election to Black America, she’d interrupt and introduce another subject. Jesse’s “you don’t count” was, indeed, insensitive. For someone grounded in my blackness, his comment would tick me off, but never would it make me “ashamed of my skin color.” I’m just sayin’.

  • Anthony

    We should consider that the meeting and the comment from Jesse might be taken out of context. When Jesse tapped her on the hand and said that she didn’t count, I believe that he was referring to obvious visual cues of Blackness. If his goal was to point out the dearth of African-Americans on television as anchors, then I agree with him that she doesn’t count VISUALLY. If Soledad doesn’t understand that, then she should not be on the airwaves doing exposes on African-Americans; she doesn’t have the requisite cultural understanding. I believe, this time, that Jesse should not be attacked. But of course he will be and the right will make hay out of this and claim racism (as if they have ever been the defenders of the notion of an equal and just society.) Oh, the hypocrisy!!

    Oh, and by the way, the attention that this incident will attract will probably sell a lot of books that would other wise be placed on the remainder table within 2 months. I don’t mean to belittle Ms. Soledad’s feelings, but I am calling it as I see it.

    • Zeus

      He will be and should be attacked for his COLORISM hang ups. We come in all colors and some folks can’t handle that fact.

      • soma lux

        no one is disputing that. our various hues need to be represented not just a few of them.

      • Synthia

        What are you talking about? Jesse Jackson and all Black people know that blacks come in all hues. That’s his point. Soledad’s dumb a** is distorting that and making this about her instead of acknowledging the color prejudice Jesse was hinting at.

        Save your colorism rant and tell it to the media who for decades have overwhelmingly selected hues like Soledad’s to represent black people.

        • Zeus

          Hues like Roland Martin? Is he not on CNN? Is he too light too?

          Pure foolishness.

          • “Pure foolishness”???

            Come on Zeus, your whole argument is a failed attempt to cloud the issue. Who’s talking skin… color except you?

            Have you been reading the other comments by Anthony and whispeak? If not, I suggest you do. Then you might get a better understanding of the issue. It appears that you simply have no love for Jesse. I could be wrong but your comments are not passing the smell test.

          • Synthia

            The foolishness is that you think Roland Martin is an anchor. He isn’t. He’s an occasional commentator who should have been given his own regular show on CNN a long time ago. If his occassional sideline work is enough for you then I don’t know what to say. This is Jesse’s point.

            Go ahead and list the few black anchors on CNN: T.J Holmes and Don LEmons –whose phenotypes are so similar they can be mistaken for the same people. But even if you went through all the network and cable news lists, the black people you find still will be meager — which was Jesse’s point.

            Neither T.J., Don, nor Roland are as ambiguous looking as Soledad who looks more Italian or Latin (she has IRish and Cuban ancestry). TV is a visual medium and media has for years been strategic in what type of blackness they put on display. You make easy for them with your unnecessary outrage.

            Get caught up in the color argument that Soledad has created as a straw man to distract from the central issue that Jesse stated. It still won’t change the fact that their are too few black anchors on TV.

            • Zeus

              Doesn’t matter if he is an anchor, the point is he gets face time in front of the camera on a regular basis and as well as online.

              Again, saying she “doesn’t count” was rude and screams of colorism. Listing black news anchors or part-time commentators (or lack of)is a different issue.

              She does count. Her daddy was an AFRICAN. Just like President Obama. Rememebr all the “he ain’t black enough” garbarge we heard (and still hear) from other black folk even though his daddy was a full blooded African? What foolishness is that?

              Same here with Soledad. It was a foolish thing to say and ol Jesse has put his feet in his mouth so many times, I’m not giving him the benefit of the doubt.

              Talking out his behind is why he now has as much chance of getting into the White House to talk to the president as Osama Bin Laden.

    • Blutopaz

      Yes, but she said when she called Jackson afterwards he said he wasn’t aware of her racial makeup. If that’s the case, then why would he be making a point about her complexion? And not trying to be all team Soledad because I don’t know her, but even if Jackson knew she is part Black–tapping her hand like that and saying ‘you don’t count’ is very rude. No disputing there is shade favoritism at all, but imo he might as well called her house ni66er. He could have addressed the issue differently.

  • Synthia

    I’m not moved and I feel no sympathy for Soledad. Jesse Jackson was not trying to make her “feel ashamed” of her color. She’s weak for even suggesting she felt that way.

    I’m not sure why people are pretending to misunderstand Jesse or devalue the work he’s done for generations.

    I watched Soledad O’Brien for years and didn’t know she was black until she did those wince-worthy “Black in America” specials.

    It is very easy — too easy– for media to hire people who look like Soledad and pretend they are being diverse when what they are doing is delivering the most palatable form of diversity that won’t be too jolting for viewers and overlooking people with more distinctively ethnic phenotypes.

    God help those whose skin color and features aren’t so ambiguous.

    • You’re speaking the truth and nothing but the truth! Good job!

    • Zeus

      Doesn’t take away the fact that Jesse was being an ass when he said she didn’t count as being black.

      Like all black folk gotta look like Wesley Snipes and Grace Jones to be REALLY BLACK. :)

      Jesse should have a march against the news media then for the purpose of hiring more darker skinned black folk if that was his point, which I’m not convinced it was. Saying she “doesn’t count” made him sound like a colorist jackass and it has nothing to do with lack of different hues in news media.

      Willie Lynch in effect is all it is.

      • But how was he being an ass?

        If she had to call him later about it to tell him what he apparently didn’t know during the interview, that she was part-black, then it was a genuine mistake on his part.

        I watch CNN from the UK and certainly didn’t realise at first that she was black. She looks like she could be a white person of Latin/South American/Mediterranean heritage or something, so he might have thought that she was trying to identify with him as a “person of color” in which case, not knowing she was actually part black, tapping her hand to indicate her swarthy (for a white person) but not black complexion, he wasn’t being an ass at all.

        In fact, her admission that he says he didn’t know about her background makes this a non-story and a publicity ploy on her part.

        • brandi

          That’s why you don’t make assumptions about someone just because of what they look like.

        • OK, us not knowing Soledad’s ethnic background (I didn’t know at first sight either) is one thing, but maybe Jesse Jackson, who, ass or not, has TONS of experience in the media, might want to know what he’s walking into. What he walked into, BTW, is his foot in his mouth.

          I am willing to (maybe) believe that he honestly didn’t know O’Brien’s background, but just- SHUT UP! I read the quote and story again and it seems that Soledad gave him a strong hint that she considers herself to be black, but he didn’t put 2 and 2 together.

          When you’ve been part of the media for SO LONG and you don’t realize that anyone who has the ability to speak or write might make your words public, chances are you are an ass.

  • Anthony

    Synthia,

    EXACTLY!!!

  • Anthony

    Zeus,

    It seems that you are convinced that Jesse had a malevolent intent, so there is no debating this issue with you. I do respect your opinion even if I do not agree with it.

    But why go to extremes? Why mention Wesley and Grace and use the word “all” as if we are so simplistic as to demand that their hue be the litmus test for representation. Racism is simple and easy to perpetrate. Institutional racism is subtle and pervasive in all facets of American life. Being able to see that is the first step in self-preservation.

  • Ksky

    Television is a visual media and you can’t see Soledad’s DNA on it. I had no idea she was black until someone told me. I know Gwen Ifill id black. I know Lester Holt is black; Robin Roberts and none of these folk are Wesley Snips

  • NothingButAMan

    It depends on our working definition of “black”. Soledad is a 1st generation American of Afro-Cuban and Australian (by way of Ireland) descent. She is married to and raising children with a white man. These facts alone place her “outside” of what most would consider the “authentic” African American experience.

    I wouldn’t go so far as to say that she “didn’t count” as black, but culturally, her personal narrative clearly isn’t consistent with major institutions and traditions in the community (the Church, the Political sphere, etc.)

    I don’t dislike her, but it seems that she could stand to educate herself on the historical context of black culture, or at least express a bit more humility, if she is going to continue to report on it at the level that she does.

    • Jay

      @NothingButAMan

      Great points. Playing Devil’s advocate for a minute, is it possible that her specials on being “Black in America” are an attempt to reframe her (assumed) lack of ‘historical context’? A sort of personal catharsis or self examination? I’m not familiar with her work, so I don’t know the specifics of her pov.

      From the description of the incident, it does seem brash of Jesse Jackson and somewhat dismissive to tap her hand and say “You don’t count.” We only have her side of the story — meaning the anecdote is incomplete.

      • NothingButAMan

        I don’t know if it’s fair to speculate on her intentions, but it does seem that she’s either pressuring herself, being pressed by her higher up’s, to “brand” herself as the resident “n*ggerologist” @ CNN, when it may not be her place to represent that.

  • @ NothingButaMan, my man, my man, if I ever need a team good defence lawyers, I’m coming for you, Anthony and Cythia. I might get that brother who got Blago off the hook, but with my slim money, yawl are elected. You did a fine job of laying it right on the line. What right mind could argue against your claims? You shut the door.

  • pinksghetti

    Cry me a river Soledad. Wake me up when women who look like her don’t represent the vast majority of women in music videos, commercials and the standard of AA beauty even though they are only a small percentage of the population. What Jesse Jackson did to her is just a small taste of what AA women with browner skin, curlier hair and more ethnic features have to deal with all the time and it was less harsh.

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