Then, for them, there is this murky distinction between the unreal part of me which is a figment of their minds and the existence of real black Americans. They confuse us for each other – they mix and match us whenever it’s to their convenience. That I am not real sometimes escape even me and I find myself referring to the real black people as me. It’s a handy sociological tool that bridges the distinction between reality and expectancy.
This is exactly my problem: Most white people’s expectation that I would retaliate for what they have done to me, allows them to believe that I would car-jack children, shoot a powerful politician, kill a pregnant woman, or even worst. I might want to share equally in the abundance of American life. It is a fact that they anticipate a day when I will raise up to make amends that keeps my portrait at there ready in their minds. They have a collective expectation and a single image of me in their individual minds. Why else would a white women in an elevator with a rich and famous black man fear for her pocketbook? She has prefect vision, but it is not with her eyes that she observes this man. She views him through the filter of her guilt and her fear. She thinks this is an opportunity for him to even the score. The fear blinds her; she thinks he’s me – the Phantom Culprit – the one black man all white people carry around in their heads.
Now it’s only fair that I point out that when I say all white people, I don’t literally mean all white people – but only that amount which gives the statement accuracy. This means that there are some whom I’ve malign – you know how you are – I beg your pardon.
Here is how I am most often described. I have a long face with full lips, a broad nose, sinister cheek lines and menacing eyes. I am brown skinned. I am sometimes drawn wearing the knit hat that was popularized in cartoons depictions of second story men wearing black masks, carrying a long flashlight and a sack of loot. I resemble no other black man in America, yet every black man in America can be mistaken for me and many have fallen to that misfortune. It takes little effort for those who describe me to verbally transmit my facial likeness to those whose fingers reproduce my image, because I am an identical figment of their imaginations. Whether I’m tall or just a midget is not known. It isn’t known if I have all of my limbs. Menace that I am I may have four arms and thorns for fingers. And, as allusive as I’ve been, I might have wings that enable me to swiftly perform my geographical gymnastics. I find it humbling that I have not never been given a proper name, a situation that sometimes make it hard for me to grasp the reality of my existence. For the sake of this narration, lets everyone call me Leroy, no, make that Leroy the Phantom Culprit. Yes, now that has a certain ring of truth to it, Aha, you say, now you know who I am.
Article comments
1 - taurus47
On January 20, 2009 Barack H. Obama became the first African American President of the United States. Yes, there is racism in these United States and we should not forget tht, but there is also hope. Of course we need to remember the past, but we also need to look at our actions that feed into the myths, stereotypes and just plain lies about us. We could pull up our pants, tie our shoes, stop producing and buying crude music that is disrespectful to our women and our people, stop using the "N" word, stop putting poison (food and drugs) into our bodies, persue higher education and stop being so ever loving angry all the time. This is 2009!!!
2 - Horace Mungin
Yes, there are many self-afflicted wrongs in the black community and I hope to get to write about some of them in the course of things - this article,a careful read will reveal,is not about those those self-afflicted problems.
3 - roger nowosielski
Beautiful writing, Horace. Echoes Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man.
I'm really surprised you have received so few comments thus far. I suppose the political junkies don't have much appreciation or use for fine literature.
You should try to have this piece re-posted in "literature" section (but unfortunately, we don't have one); or in "culture" perhaps.
I really loved it.
4 - Horace Mungin
"Fairy tales," what fairy tales? To me a fairy tale is a fabrication - there is none of that in this peice. I didn't intent this article to be an example of racist dogma, I merely chunched a brick in the dark to see who would screem - I ain't blaming anyone for anything and I protest the removel of AlterEgo's posts - please return them - they are essential to the point my article makes.
5 - Baronius
The big tip-off is that most people, if their comments are deleted from a site, would leave in a huff and never return. H&C keeps coming back and asking why his comments are deleted. Next, typically, is his "who is this JOM person you're talking about" phase. Anyone else getting called by the "wrong" name would just assume that the commenters are jerks, and quit. He sticks with it.
I find in unfortunate that H&C cannot play well with others, because I bet that his commentary about Obama would be hilarious.
6 - Jet Gardner
That and a lack of a back URL... Who is H&C?
7 - Jet Gardner
Is it me or is everyone on Pacific time now?
Who is JOM????
8 - roger nowosielski
I think it's too reasoned for H&C. He wears his prejudices on his sleeve and no apologies of any kind. That's what kind of "charming" about him, never mind the lesser characters.
9 - Jet Gardner
Ah, then it was me, probably the title of this article threw me :)
10 - Aaron Whitehead
Horace --
Enjoyed the story. Reminds me of a lot of August Wilson's characters.
It is odd to me that, like #1, many people point to Obama as president as if to say "it's over" or "at least things are better!" But that doesn't seem to me to be what Horace is saying. For so many people -- white and black -- things haven't changed. They don't change just because there's a Republican or a Democrat in the White House and they don't change because of the color of their skin.
I think if you want to refute the essence of the piece, you have to argue that Horace's character doesn't exist, and that what he describes as reality is not, in fact, real. That is very, very difficult.
And I don't know what black-on-black crime has to do with this. A little elaboration is in order.
Speaking as a white male who is in favor of moral -- if not political -- correctness, I think we need to start talking about our big, unspoken fears and desires. And we need to stop looking for a quick fix -- a presidential election or an elaborate burial of a racial slur -- to a complex problem.
To quote Shambala Green on "Law & Order," "Putting a picture of Bobby Kennedy on your wall isn't enough anymore."
11 - Christopher Rose
Horace and whoever else may be interested:- The comments made by the person hiding behind the AlterEgo name is already banned from Blogcritics and has only managed to sneak in here because of the ongoing tech issues.
He and his comments will be gone soon so please don't waste your time or mine by engaging with him.
12 - Jet Gardner
Horace, a bit long but a good read none the less... minus the distractions of course
13 - roger nowosielski
Why, Jet. I think it was very descriptive.
Have you ever read "Invisible Man" by Ellison?
14 - Jet Gardner
Roger I wasn't talking about distractions within the article. and yes I have a copy of it here somewhere withing my hundreds of books I own, but it's been a lonnnnnnng time since I read it.
15 - roger nowosielski
I get you!
16 - Jeannie Danna
Hello Horace, I really like your style . It is crisp and to the point. You are so right about the white fools in this country running to the Republican Party for the wrong reason. My father taught me at a young age to treat all people with respect and not to clump one another together and label with tags. So I am trying hard not to do that to all these white fools running to the Republican party! I like your use of the word slippery and I wish aliens would come from outer space so we could all get together to fight THEM!
17 - roger nowosielski
Horace,
Would it be OK if I were to republish your article on my own weblog?
You can check the site by clicking on my url.
Roger
18 - Horace Mungin
Roger- publish on, my brother.
19 - roger nowosielski
Thanks. And I will provide all the references once done.
20 - William Carter
Excellent read. I remember you talking with me about that some time ago. It's as though the politicians are playing both sides against each other while they pursue their own agenda.
21 - Horace Mungin
5/26/09 �" The Phantom Culprit and accomplice accused of abducting white mother and daughter �" both later found at Disney World.