Maxine Waters Clowns on Allen West Over "Plantation" Comments (Video)

Coming of her "unleash" comments regarding President Obama, Rep. Maxine Waters headed to MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews where after some light chit chat about her remarks she went in on fellow member of Congress, Tea Partier, Rep. Allen West. 

West, a Republican, had made comments earlier accusing Waters and others of being "overseers" on the Democratic Party's "21st century plantation." Waters countered that she found it "odd" that when West's own unemployed brother needed help, West told him to head over to the Congressional Black Caucus' job fair and talk to those he despises.

*Clears throat* *Leans back* *Prepares self*

OH, SNAP!

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Idris Elba: "Black Men Are Never Called Sexy" (Video)

Found this one over at The Root this morning. Ridiculously handsome British-born actor Idris Elba told the folks at The Life Files that "Black men are never called sexy." I immediately wondered if this was A) a plea for more compliments or B) maybe black people in Great Britain aren't treated like the fetish objects they are treated as in America.

In the clip, Elba says he learned from fellow handsome actor Denzel Washington to never read your press. So maybe he just missed this 2009 issue of Essence with his face on it and the word "sexy" written across the front. 

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Melissa Harris Perry Hates Her Some "Help"

Prof. Melissa Harris PerryRecently academic and author Melissa Harris Perry took one for the team and watched Hollywood's latest offering in mainstream cinema about nice white people saving unfortunate black people (it's their favorite kind), aka, the new Viola Davis film "The Help."

Prof. Harris Perry was able to stave off a head-explosion of irony and focus on everything she absolutely hated about the film -- from the "feel-good" premise of black maids being given their voice by some perky young white woman to how the film took an ounce of history and turned it into a "cat fight" about the "Real Housewives of Jackson, Mississippi."

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White Man-Based Solution to Black Marriage Panic Hits Wall Street Journal

Image from film "Lakeview Terrace."Ever since black people worrying about black women getting married escaped from the Ebony-Essence plantation and hit the mainstream black ladies have been forced to endure article after navel-gazing article about what the "EFF" is wrong with us. I blame the Obamas, kind of. They're married. They seem to be happy. They happen to be black people. So other folks started wondering things like "Black people get married n' stuff? What's up with that?" Then they found that Jet Magazine from 1987 and started copying. This time it's The Wall Street Journal getting their pearl clutching on -- but they've come with solutions! And, surprise! It's a penis attached to a white man who may or may not want you!

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Tavis Smiley and Cornel West Go On An Obama Accountability "Poverty Tour"

Photo via Smiley & West. I have no clue why teen singing sensation Justin Bieber is in this picture or why he oddly looks Photoshopped into it. But, hey, the Beebs must know his audience.Author, First Officer of Accountability Tavis Smiley and Professor Cornel West are taking their Obama Doesn't Care About (Black) People Tour on the road. (FOX News adorably called them "Black Leaders," as if there was ever such a thing. I used to joke that if we have leaders, who elected these people? And can we hold them responsible in some kind of way because they're doing a really shitty job.) Smiley and West will be visiting 15-cities as apart of an "anti-poverty" tour, visiting a Native American reservation, soup kitchens, shelters, housing projects and other places where the destitute reside. I hope they'll be bringing medical services, food and some jobs with them, as the complaint regarding Obama is that he has not done enough of these things. 

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Would You Sue Over the "Paper Bag Test?"

Colorism is real. It's always been part of racism in this country (and others) where people, both white and black, demonstrate a preference for those who are lighter complexioned. So, initially, my response to a report that lighter skinned women receive lighter court sentences than darker skinned women was "Water is wet." Who's surprised there? People are always easier on people they "perceive" to be more attractive and hundreds of years of preferences and privilege have caused people to favor those with lighter skin. But was really interesting was towards the end of the article when Duke University professor William Darity suggests that dark skinned blacks may be able to use existing Civil Rights statutes to sue for discrimination.

Think about that. People suing others over organizations and businesses who still use the "Paper Bag Test" in their memberships and hiring practices. That could be interesting.

More after the jump.

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How Peoria, Ill. Got Caught In Matt Drudge's "Race War"

The Drudge Report is prone to hyperbole. It was birthed on it. Exaggeration and obfuscation with splashy headlines and duplicitous links are just part of the hype machine that has propelled the site since its early days in the 90s, keeping tabs on then President Bill Clinton's sexual habits. Despite the reputation, though, he can still shock, such as when Peoria, Ill. made the front page of Drudge last Friday due to blog reports of roving gangs of violent black youths shouting "kill all the whites." The city and its residents had no idea what kind of hype machine they were getting tossed into.

More after the jump.

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Black Men Blame Media, Themselves For Less Cliff Huxtable, More "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" Stereotype

For Father's Day this Sunday, The Root did a poll of black dads talking about the "bad rap" they get, with 64 percent of those men blaming the media for the negative perception. But, 21 percent of those polled also blamed black men themselves for the problematic reputation of being non-existent or negligent fathers. 

More after the jump.

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Model Liya Kebede Is the New Face of L'Oreal Paris

Liya Kebede

Despite the handicap of being one of those allegedly unattractive black women nobody wants, breath-takingly gorgeous Ethiopian-born fashion model and humanitarian, Liya Kebede is the new face of L'Oreal Paris. Kebede started modeling at 18 for the likes of Tom Ford and is just your regular super model stunner in print, film and on the runways. She joins J. Lo, Gwen Stefani and Freida Pinto as past faces of L'Oreal Paris. While this is exciting news for Kebede, fashion fans and all us horrible, unloved, yet incredibly hot black women out there, this is a smart move for L'Oreal who has some questionable race relation issues. In 2009, L'Oreal Paris was found guilty of racial discrimination due to the cosmetic house's pursuit of an "all-white sales staff" to promote their Garnier Fructis Style hair care products. Then, proving that being "light" and "bright" doesn't count unless, you too, are "almost white," L'Oreal was accused in 2008 of lightening the already honey-kissed Beyonce Knowles in her promotions for their hair coloring products.