How often have I heard that I don’t sound black on the phone?

How often did I hear in the ‘80’s that I didn’t sound black on phone? People and the environment don’t change much, conversely people and their nature don’t either.

Or better yet, the killer, I’m glad you don’t sound anything like your friends…when compared to other black men and women.

Black History month is here, and in 2010, sounding white is still better, and forgetting that I’m black  is supposed to be a compliment according to Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s “Hardball”.

Many blacks like myself, whose intelligent parents endured the inflammatory remarks made daily about skin color by white people, wanted the field of opportunities to be level.  My parents reaction to sounding 
“black” was to sound educated  or speak proper English. In part, it spoke to the effort that  was expected of me.

My parents thought that “ain’t”, which I generously used, was unacceptable, and uneducated despite it’s acceptance as informal vernacular. 

My oldest son faces this same battle, and has endured as an honorable soldier, as young black men ask him why he speaks, “white”. Speak proper English is a double edged sword, and frankly, one that I abhor.

So when Mr. Matthews exposed his heart about Mr. Obama and forgetting Mr. Obama was black, I wasn’t offended. Let’s banter about this because it’s so relevant, as people from all races and ethnic backgrounds are subjected to phone interviews that are so easy to filter and purge non-white sounding candidates.

Let’s banter about race, never comfortably, but passionately. The dissidence is alive and well especially when religion and the color of God is the subject. White speaking is still the gold standard? Was God white? If God were black, would black be the gold standard for proper English?

Does it ultimately matter if God were black or white if He looked out for us 24/7? In the same way, would it matter if it were a black or white man who was zealous about getting the job done? How about whether if God sounded black or white? Ludicrous to compare the two right? Well maybe.

White media persons given the platform choke when given an opportunity to express their views, especially about color. The history of this continues to happen, and its ugly head is reared in the workplace in the 21st century by blacks and whites. I don’t think of myself as a victim of these observations, but what would you think if the events below happened to you:

• After I introduced myself as one of the new managers in my department a young black man says “Oh, you got one of those positions!”
• One of my bosses’ told me once that I don’t talk and act like one of them, so I should never be friends with them
• I was once told that I do not sound black over the phone. That came from a manager who thought it was a compliment.
• My verbs don’t always agree, but they do 97% of the time. The other 3% will keep me from being CEO of Famous Amos cookies.

No shame, no one’s better than anyone else by not sounding black, and no one conjugate any verbs please.

If you’re like me, you’ve fought all of your life to have the chance to be measured by the same criteria. According to Chris Matthews, you can be a leader by not sounding “black.  The competitive side of me, and maybe you, loves the satisfaction of winning. I wanted to experience a triumphal procession, knowing I overcame odds.

Proper English is all I know how to speak Mr. Matthews. So do most of my friends. So does Mr. Obama. Not sounding black was never the goal, nor should it be, no matter what position you interview for.