Michelle Obama has been under fire for inviting rapper Common to a poetry event at the White House scheduled for today. His reference to burning President Bush, and expressed dislike of interracial couples in interviews and lyrics has many frowning that he might not have been the best selection for the night. But little has been said of another artist invited by the First Lady – Jill Scott.
Jill Scott
I’m admittedly a big fan of Jill Scott’s music. Her album Who is Jill Scott? is one of the highest rotated albums on my iPod. But she has also made some controversial comments on interracial relationships that should also be on the First Lady’s radar. In an article Jill Scott published in an April 2010 issue of Essence Magazine, she talked about how, when she found out that a successful black man was married to a white woman, it made her “wince.”
My new friend is handsome, African-American, intelligent and seemingly wealthy. He is an athlete, loves his momma, and is happily married to a White woman. I admit when I saw his wedding ring, I privately hoped. But something in me just knew he didn’t marry a sister. Although my guess hit the mark, when my friend told me his wife was indeed Caucasian, I felt my spirit…wince. I didn’t immediately understand it. My face read happy for you. My body showed no reaction to my inner pinch, but the sting was there, quiet like a mosquito under a summer dress.
Her justification for these feeling were artful and she firmly stated that she was not raised to view people by the color of their skin. But if the same words were put in the mouth of a Caucasian, the viewpoint would wreak of bigotry.
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