Shut Up Sherri Shepherd

Several weeks ago the country was in an uproar over Bill O'Reilly's comments about his visit to a restaurant in Harlem. Without quoting him directly, his comments did not included the "n-word," but they did convey all of the arrogance and condescension and latent hatred that the smile that usually accompanies that word in polite society cannot hide.

So, Sherri Shepherd goes on television and makes a statement that is equally as racist and loaded with latent hatred. How is this different?

Well, first we allow African American public figures to make racist statements. Western White Culture has a history of domination and hatred and on some level there's a sense that turn about is fair play. A white man calling a black woman a racist does not have the impact of a black woman calling a white man a racist. And it shouldn't.

But let's not kid ourselves. As a public figure on a national television show, Sherri Shepherd is hardly your average African American woman. Whatever her background and upbringing, the fact is she holds a position that the vast majority of America does not, and no doubt she is handsomely compensated for it. I'm sure it's safe to say that if she was typing memos someplace, or managing an IT department she would not be in the position of privilege she is today. It's a little disingenuous of her to refer to a "rich white-person's store."

Of course she's only using terms that many African Americans would have used, but its time that those terms are examined for the hatred that they contain. Is that systemic hatred justified? Yes. But hatred it is, and it warrants acknowledgement.