Did the Black Community Just Get Played by Oprah?

DaRealness

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http://breakingbrown.com/2013/08/is...d-by-oprah-10-questions-you-should-be-asking/

Are the natives restless again? As Oprah beats the drum of racism, Black America’s got her back, as never before. The billionaire empress is now caricatured as the victim of a lowly Swiss sales clerk who, according to Oprah, refused to show the Queen of All Media a $38, 000 pocketbook because she’s nigra. Bad saleslady! Good billionaire!

But before you go jumping on the Oprah bandwagon, here are just a few things you should consider, both about race in general and this case in particular, before forming a final conclusion.


  • The Black Elite, who often consider themselves “special” Negroes, separate themselves from ordinary Blacks until they need us. If Oprah is concerned about race, then why isn’t she hosting a ‘stop and frisk’ panel on OWN? She seems only concerned about herself, and what she perceives as mistreatment at the hands of a white woman. Is it all about her…. and her $38,000 purse? Just as it was about her experience at an Hermes store awhile back?
  • Oprah is currently promoting the movie “The Butler.” Is it impossible for black folk to even consider and question the timing of Oprah’s accusation? Or do we just run to the defense of every black person who cries racism?
  • The saleslady at the store said that she never refused to show Oprah the purse because of race, saying she makes money from commission, and not showing Oprah the purse based on racist grounds doesn’t make any sense. Doesn’t she have a point?
  • Also, the saleslady says Oprah was treated warmly and shown several purses in the store, something which Oprah never denied. Does that sort of treatment sound like the treatment of a woman with a racial axe to grind?
  • Is it possible that Oprah, coming from one of the most racist countries in the Western World, has her own baggage, and felt slighted, even though that’s not what the saleslady intended?
  • Could the saleslady’s attitude have been more about class than race?
  • Why does Oprah Winfrey, a billionaire, still seem so desperate for white acceptance? As the saleslady pointed out, the owner of the boutique was at Tina Turner’s wedding along with Oprah, so why not take it up there, as a private matter? Why did Oprah feel the need to answer a reporter’s question by recounting this incident? Why did Oprah feel the need to bring international attention to her not being allowed to buy a $38,000 handbag?
  • Is it morally acceptable for any elite to turn an ordinary person’s life upside down over a perceived slight? Doesn’t that make Oprah a bully?
  • Why do we believe that Black Elites are any less cunning and flawed than White Elites?
  • Who gives a damn about a $38,000 pocketbook anyway when there are so many other larger issues at play?
Listen Black America, a whole nation has apologized to Ms. Winfrey over this nonsense, and you should get over it too. You shouldn’t have allowed yourselves to be used as a tool and worked into a frenzy by Ms. Winfrey’s PR campaign in the first place. Save that for a time when Ms. Winfrey can bring more to the silver screen than “The Butler”, which is nothing more than a 2013 rendering of “The Help.” Maybe when Oprah decides to use her platform to share authentic black stories, we can be there to support, but until then, let her fight her own battles.
 

HoloGraphic

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Why does Oprah Winfrey, a billionaire, still seem so desperate for white acceptance?

This plus 'The Butler'. Oprah is the original Tyler Perry. Using c00nery and stereotypes to get rich, selling the dream to nikkas in the field while subconsciously implanting subservience to the white man. House ****** shyt. The Nubian does not approve.

We been free. Just get money my nikkas, do good with your people.
 

DaPresident

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Man, can't lie, some good points raised about this...


Makes me look at the issue differently...Not saying she was right or wrong, just look at ALL the facts and make a logical conclusion. Hell, I got sucked into the vacuum of "defending" Oprah and her "slight" at the store. But this does make me look at things a bit more closely
 

King Poetic

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Man, can't lie, some good points raised about this...


Makes me look at the issue differently...Not saying she was right or wrong, just look at ALL the facts and make a logical conclusion. Hell, I got sucked into the vacuum of "defending" Oprah and her "slight" at the store. But this does make me look at things a bit more closely

c/s.. u have to see both sides and dig into all the facts before u come to the conclusion of anything especially with these rich blacks and there ploy to play both sides of the fence
 

NYC Rebel

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My issue from jump was that if what she experienced was "cism" I'd love to live with that.

I'm here having to deal with the institutional kind while our stories are dismissed because got slighted on something she could easily get over.
 

the cac mamba

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  • The saleslady at the store said that she never refused to show Oprah the purse because of race, saying she makes money from commission, and not showing Oprah the purse based on racist grounds doesn’t make any sense. Doesn’t she have a point?
  • .
you know what, tbh i never even thought of this. if your makin money off commission, your thought process is prolly gonna be somethin like ":ehh: fukk it shes not gonna buy a 38 k bag, i have a better chance of sellin her a cheaper one"
not to condone what happened but thats a pretty valid point :yeshrug:
 

AkaDemiK

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"you get a bag...and you get a bag....not you oprah....and you get a bag"
 

BezO

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It's hard for me to support the Black elite when Black issues are not one of their focal points.

I don't follow her, so pardon if she's secretly on the front lines. But until I hear about her taking a major role in building wealth for Black folks, she's just another entertainer to me.

The racism I have a problem with stunts the financial growth of Blacks. IMO, what Oprah experienced was prejudice, not racism. I give no fukks about a clerk not showing her an item because she thought she couldn't afford it. If Oprah & her ilk did more for the financial well being of their race, maybe folks wouldn't treat us like that. Maybe we'd be shopping at each other's stores.
 
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