No one is 'openly' black. Well, maybe James Brown. Or Louis Farrakhan. Louis Farrakhan is openly black. Colin Powell is not openly black. Colin Powell is openly white. He just 'happens to be' black.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Carlin critiques how society racializes Black people, suggesting only extreme figures are seen as 'openly Black' while mainstream Black figures like Colin Powell are perceived as white.
- In plain terms
- Society only sees Black people as openly Black if they are extreme; others are seen as white.
- What can you take from it?
- Racial perception is socially constructed and selective.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who decides who is 'openly' Black?
- What makes someone seem white?
Another view
It oversimplifies Colin Powell's actual identity and choices.
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