Friday, April 6, 2007

Friday Dead Racist Blogging: Black is the Color Edition

To men of acute and well-balanced perceptive faculties, no fact in nature can be more obvious than that Black is a thing of universal ill-omen and detestation. Everywhere, also, is it plainly observable, that the displeasing and repulsive characteristics of blackness are affixed to faulty and effete things in general, and to the negroes in particular. These black persons and things (all of them, without any manner of exception) have been irrevocably foredoomed to utter destruction. Why is this? For the same reason that anything is as it is—simply because God himself, in his infinite wisdom and power and justice, has so decreed it.

Black, indeed, is a most hatable thing; and it is quite as natural and right, for white people at least, to hate black, as it is for the angels in heaven to abhor hideous Satan, or for bachelors on the earth to love pretty maids.

He who is the Creator and the Ruler, the Upholder and the Disposer, of the heavens and th eearth and the seas, and of all the things that therein are—of every thing in the universe, both great and small—will be exact in requiring of us perfect fulfillment of all the conditions of our being. In no manner, in no degree, may we, with impunity, shirk the obligations, whether altogether as we would wish them or otherwise, which he hath imposed upon us. What he hath made for us to love, that we must love; and what he hath made for us to hate, that we must hate.

If, in a spirit of rebellion against the laws of nature, we love the negroes and other black things, we shall thereby only gain the low distinction of gratifying the devil; but if, on the other hand, assuming attitudes of antagonism toward the imps of Africa, toward the prince of darkness, and toward all the other monstrous representatives of blackness and abomination, "we hate them with perfect hatred," as they deserve to be hated, and as we are required and expected to hate them, we shall thereby render highly acceptable and pleasing service to the Deity; and, continuing to please him, will secure for ourselves unlimited and everlasting felicity in heaven.

--Hinton Rowan Helper, Nojoque, pp. 81-82, 1867.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn. Stupidity is such an ugly thing.(pssst, don't tell anyone, but everyone's ancestors were dark skinned) My ancestors gradually settled out of the Afarensis Triangle (the cradle of humanity) and ended up in what is now Northern Europe eons ago. Not much need for melanin when it's dark and snowy. I live in the Southern US and can't tan worth a hoot. I do turn a lovely shade of boiled lobster from an almost bluish white pre-sun state. Do you suppose darker skin has an advantage over light skin in the Sun Belt?

Skemono said...

Stupidity is such an ugly thing.
Agreed.

(pssst, don't tell anyone, but everyone's ancestors were dark skinned)
My lips are sealed.

Do you suppose darker skin has an advantage over light skin in the Sun Belt?
Societally? I kinda doubt it.