Black People Politics : Black West Point cadets under scrutiny for raised fists in photo

Liberty

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Aug 28, 2015
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(CNN)It's a time-honored tradition at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York -- graduating seniors in small groups don their ceremonial high-collared uniforms and pose for a photo in front of historic Nininger Hall.
Their poses are typically stern and stoic, mimicking sepia-toned editions that date back to the 1800s.


They do not typically raise a clenched fist in the air.
So when a photo of 16 female, African-American cadets making the gesture was posted online last month, it raised eyebrows at the elite training academy, which produces many of the nation's future military leaders.

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http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/08/us/west-point-cadets-photo/
 
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THE ONLINE backlash against 16 black female West Point cadets who took a raised-fist photo in uniform is a fascinating study on race and politics in America.

The picture has led to a U.S. Military Academy probe on whether the raised-fist gesture represents banned political activity. It has sparked a debate on the loyalty of the cadets. But most of all, it's forced us to consider what it means to be black.

Perhaps that's because so many Americans believe blackness is something to be ashamed of. And for those Americans, the very idea that blacks would openly embrace who we are seems ridiculous.

So when we hoist a fist to say black is beautiful, or wear natural hair in a corporate environment, or speak our truth above a whisper, such actions are viewed as a political statement against whites.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinio...le_West_Point_cadets.html#fHGrERtySZQlV86F.99
 
THE ONLINE backlash against 16 black female West Point cadets who took a raised-fist photo in uniform is a fascinating study on race and politics in America.

The picture has led to a U.S. Military Academy probe on whether the raised-fist gesture represents banned political activity. It has sparked a debate on the loyalty of the cadets. But most of all, it's forced us to consider what it means to be black.

Perhaps that's because so many Americans believe blackness is something to be ashamed of. And for those Americans, the very idea that blacks would openly embrace who we are seems ridiculous.

So when we hoist a fist to say black is beautiful, or wear natural hair in a corporate environment, or speak our truth above a whisper, such actions are viewed as a political statement against whites.
cn

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinio...le_West_Point_cadets.html#fHGrERtySZQlV86F.99


Thanks for posting, James. This is a good article. The author makes an excellent point. And, I didn't know that John Carlos and his family suffered so much backlash for the show of Black Pride at the Olympics. I never heard that part of the story at all. It's a shame.
 

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