Bla, Bla, Bla, Miss California spoke her mind bla, bla, marriage should be bla, bla, other woman gets the crown bla, bla, I got robbed bla bla. First of all, how many Miss. USA or Miss America winners can most people name? When you are in the middle of drama, people will remember you; so actually you win in a certain way. i.e. Vanessa Williams.
Williams set the stage for Barrack Obama when see won Miss. America and said, “I am not Miss. Black America but Miss. America who happens to be Black.” Spike Lee and my friends at Black college were like “say what, slim.” The pictures came out and we put our loving Black arms around her because that’s how we do it in the community. But, I always thought giving up the crown to Miss. Suzette Charles was wrong because real people in the country make mistakes, get themselves up, dust themselves off and start right over again.
Williams mistake was not breaking the story immediately after the pageant before it broke on her. (I am not going to get into how her boyfriend, who doesn’t look like us, put her in the wind and said she embarrassed his family.)
But if she came to me (a budding spin doctor in the dorm) I would have hooked up a classic press conference statement for her:
“I am so honored to be Miss. America because America is about hope, opportunity and resolve. I exemplify these values because my life is not a perfect one. While young and gullible, I took pictures which were against my better judgment. Of course, my first inclination was to limit my dreams and aspirations—my history being tarnished. But then it occurred to me that if we let a few youthful mistakes end our lives, we permanently banish most Americans to limited dreams. I stand before you as the epitome of America; a Miss. America who got this crown over self-flicked obstacles and serve as an example for the world.”
Like Williams, Obama knew he had to run to be president of all of America—not just Black America or the part of America that would vote for him. He also knew that he should air the dirty laundry before the gotcha crew did it first. Obama did that so pretty that he won support for being a real dude with a past rather than a pampered prince of entitlement like certain other members of the Black elite—you know who you are.
Of course, Prejean’s dilemma includes the contradictory aspects of being strong in her faith but taking those pictures. Hey, pot, kettle, black—I had better leave that alone because I liked Vanesssa Williams before her fall but really liked her after she rose from the ashes. I watch Ugly Betty every Thursday and if I had her fortitude, I would be a congressman and taking Vanessa to Black Tie affair with Obama last weekend—the three of us chilling on top… scars and all.
We should not worry about Prejean because Fox News, TBN or Ugly Betty will make her crazy rich.
Project Logic Ga 
And what about the woman from London. She was judged by her looks on the outside, but when she opened her mouth to sing, she turned into a beautiful swan. She knew people were laughing and she took it in stride. My kind of woman.
Nicely said.
HBA: you are so right; as usual. We are so shallow in our culture. I was over at the First African Baptist Church one day (our pastor at the AME was sick), and the pastor said when he was in the world, he knew he was in the world…no sugarcoating..no fooling himself. I appreciated that and that’s what I am going to say when I get out of the “world.” lol
Era: thanks for the kind words. I just added a video of my man Henley from the Eagles. We love dirty laundry. Can you believe Dennis Miller was so cool back then; time and consideration of your bank account will make you get in where you fit in.
Let it go…just let it go. Henley rocking this inaugural ball was a night of mixed emotions for me. We were getting a great president in Clinton but like they say: when you make an omelet, you got to break some eggs. That was also the night that many moderate Democrats across the south officially saw the end of the congressional careers from retirement or losing in newly draw districts. I was reluctantly partying.
Districts designed from the Voting Rights Act to increase minority representation inadvertently laid the foundation for the rise of the southern GOP when folks moving parties in big numbers. Oh yeah, and I lost my congressional staffer job (for a few weeks) to this progress.
Progress not unlike the Jackie Robinson (from Cairo, Georgia) and the Dodgers inadvertently ending the Negro Leagues and those lovely afternoons of Black fellowship. Hey, that is the price of progress. Whose’s next?
Don’t sleep on Henley’s Greatest Hits to go with your Eagles collection. Is it me or are the Eagles basically a country band from Cali. “Heart of the Matter” from Don is the “drinking and thinking” at midnight cut for you heart-broken cats–romantically or politically.
I just read Era’s blog and is so very good. What a nice person with a good outlook on life. See, if I kept my mind on the books in school, I would write like that…So, goes life.
http://erasundar.wordpress.com/