Mamwe masikati muNew York City muchirimo cha1964, ndakafora pamberi pokuratidzira kuduku kwekodzero dzevanhu, mumwe wevachena vashoma vaiva muboka racho. Ndakanga ndakatakura mavise. Yaive jee yaDick Gregory.
Kutaura zvishoma, havasi vese vakafarira joke irori, asi ini ndaifunga kuti rainakidza, jab rakaitwa naiye anopisa kwazvo munyika pane imwe yemitambo. stereotypes yekare yemarudzi. Vamwe vevaratidziri vatema vaive muparadhi diki iyoyo vakafunga kuti vhezheni yaGregory yenhandare yehugandanga (yandakanga ndiri mutambi zvishoma) yaideredza kuipa kwechiitiko ichi - uye vakadaro. Vamwe vevachena vaivepo vaive neimwe pfungwa zvachose. Nemashoko airatidza kuti akanga asina kunyatsojeka, vaiti ndaiva mutengesi werudzi rwangu.
Anopfuura hafu yezana ramakore gare gare, semajee aGregory uye zvaakaita kudzokororwa, chimedu chiya chemuvise chichiri kuita sechinyomba kwandiri. Zvakadaro zvakare chinyakare, chinenge chakaitika pamberi pemvura zhinji, chinomiririra pfungwa yaimbonakidza yekufambira mberi. Hondo iripo yekurwisa rusaruraganda yakatarisana nekurwisa kwakarongwa led kubva iyo White House. Vasaruraganda vari munzira yezana ramakore remakumi maviri nerimwe vakashinga, vawana mutungamiriri ane hutsinye asingakwanisi kusetsa. Vamwe vazhinji vakatoona kunonoka kuti Donald Trump aive asiri jee mushure mezvose. Uye zvino vari kukakavadzana pakati pavo pamusoro penyaya dzakakosha asi dzinowanzotsausa se kugadziriswa kwetsika, chena murume ropafadzo, uye kuravira kwakashata kwekare - pachinzvimbo chekubatana kurwisa muvengi ane ngozi zvechokwadi wekuenzana uye democracy.
nigga, musoro webhuku rinonzi Greg (sokudanwa kwaaiitwa nevakawanda vedu panguva iyoyo) uye ini takanyora pamwe chete mugore iroro raiva kure (uye nhoroondo youpenyu hwake), unotonyanya kukakavara kupfuura zvazvaiva panguva iyoyo uye ndizvo zvakaitawo rudzi rwangu. Vanhu vanopokana nekukodzera - kunyangwe kodzero - yemuchena kunyora nezvake, pamwe chete nemunhu mutema. Iri bhuku, rakabudiswa muna 1964, harina kumbobvira radhindwa uye gore rino, kekutanga, bepa rekutengesa rakapihwa pamwe chete neodhiyo vhezheni. A vhidhiyo, firimu rinoratidza, uye nhoroondo yehupenyu huri munzira, yakawanda yacho nekuda kwesimba rakagadzirwa nemwanakomana waGreg Christian, Washington, DC, chiropractor.
Greg, uyo vakafa muna 2017 aine makore 84, iye zvino ari kuwana kuzivikanwa kuzere kwaaive akakodzera kwenguva yakareba sepiyona wezvematongerwo enyika mutema akapira basa repamusoro-soro panzira dzekurwira kodzero dzevanhu kuma1960. Mumakore aya ekupedzisira, akasimuka muboka revamiriri veAmerica vane mukurumbira satirical padivi paWill Rogers naMark Twain.
Ndakasangana naGreg manheru aSeptember 16, 1963. Muparidzi wake akaronga nguva yacho. Ainge akasaina chibvumirano chegwaro rehupenyu hwemakonzo-kupfuma kuti awane mukurumbira mutsva semunyarikani achibva aramba munyori wese aitumirwa nemuparidzi. Vachisvika pazasi pedhiramu, vakauya nemumwe mukomana ane makore 25 okukura New York Times munyori wezvemitambo uyo, kutaura chokwadi, ainyanya kufarira kusangana nekunzwa uku kwakangoerekana kwaitika pane kunyora bhuku rinosanganisira iyo - kwandiri - panguva iyoyo-nyika dzekunze dzemasikirwo uye zvematongerwo enyika.
Dzidzo
Pandakasvika pahotera yake kekutanga, Lillian, mudzimai wake, naJim Sanders, munyori wake wegag, akandiudza kuti akanga asiri kuona munhu. Asi ndiri mudiki uye ndizere nezvangu, ndakangopinda mumba make. Akanga ari pamubhedha wake, akazvipeta ari mudumbu, akapfeka zvipfeko zvake zvemukati chete, achichema. Ndakagara pasi ndokumubvunza kuti chii chainetsa.
Akaumburuka zvishoma nezvishoma ndokundidzvokora. โHauverengi mapepa here?โ
โChokwadi,โ ndakadaro. "Ndinoshandira imwe."
โHamuna kuverenga here nezvevasikana vana vaivapo kuurayiwa nezuro muchechi yeBirmingham?โ
"Zvaityisa," ndakadaro. โZvino nezvebhuku iriโฆโ
Asi akanga adzokera shure, kunyange sezvaaipfuurira kutaura, panguva ino kumadziro: โKo murungu angava akaipa sei zvokuuraya vasikana vaduku vakanga vasingatomboratidziri kodzero dzavo dzevagari vemo? Imi vanhu ndimi gomarara remarudzi riri kuparadza America. Munovhiringidza upenyu hwevana, munoparadza mhuri, mune simba rokukuvadza vasina mhosva nokungoti โmasvikiro.โโ
Sezvo ndaiva mutori wenhau, ndakatanga kunyora manotsi, asi kazhinji ndaiteerera, ndichinakidzwa. Ndakanga ndiri pamberi pemweya wehasha nemarwadzo, kwete muhipster anotonhorera ane makore makumi matatu ekuberekwa uyo akanga ava mutema wekutanga munyarikani kuita mumakirabhu makuru evachena eusiku. Vake-liners - "'Mwedzi minomwe ndakagara muresitorendi, vakabva vabatanidza uye vasina kana zvandaida" - zvaive zvatove kudzokororwa sekutaura kwevanhu, tisingatauri nezvechokwadi chisingafadzi munyika iyoyo pamberi pemagariro. media. (โHatisi kuzoenda kuhondo muCongo nemhaka yokuti tinotya kuti masoja edu achaunza varoorani vehondo.โ) Pamadhora zviuru zvishanu pavhiki, akanga achirumbidzwa saJackie Robinson wezvinosetsa.
Husiku ihwohwo, ndakazomuka kuti ndiende uye, zvakandishamisa, akandikumbira kudzoka zuva raitevera kuti titange kunyora bhuku racho.
Zvakaipa kubva pakutanga. Dzimwe nguva ainonoka awa kana kupfuura pachikamu chebvunzurudzo uye pandainyunyuta, aiti, "Ndinogona kukuudza wanga wakamirira, mwana, unonzwika seruvara." Aigara achinditi โmwanaโ. Akaita seaisarangarira zita rangu. Diatribes yake yaipesana nevachena America yaive yakavakirwa panharo dzakasimba uye chokwadi chakasimba, asi dzaisava zvinhu zvevanhu zvehupenyu hwehupenyu. Ndakanakidzwa. Kwandiri, yakanga iri dzidzo, asi nokukurumidza ndakaona kuti kwakanga kusina zvibereko kupfuurira.
Saka pashure pemavhiki anenge maviri epurogiramu dzeapo neapo, pazuva raakanonoka kuuya nemaawa matatu, ndakamurova nemanyorero akagadzirira. Ndakamuudza kuti ndaisafanira kushivirira benzi risingafungidziri, rine udyire richiedza kundisungirira nerusaruro. Ndakataura ndichishamisira, chinhu chimwe chete chandakanga ndisinei naye iruvara rweganda rake. Ndakabuda ndichienda kuelevator. Akanditevera ndokupinda mukati. Pakuburuka akati, โZita rako ndiBob Lipsyte, handiti?
โToo late,โ ndakapindura kudaro.
Akati aizotora sandwich kuchitoro chekofi chehotera. Ndaizobatana naye here? Ndakafunga kuti ndingangowana chimwe chinhu pane zvese izvi.
Tichidya akaramba achingodzokorora zita rangu. Tapedza akabva ati, โNgatidzokerei. Ndinofunga tagadzirira kunyora bhuku. Ibhuku chairo, ravasiri kutarisira.โ
Uye zvakanga zvakanaka. Kwemwedzi mishomanana yaitevera, kazhinji mangwanani-ngwanani, mushure memutambo wekirabhu, muimba yehotera yakavharwa mambakwedza, aizorara pamubhedha ndokundipinza mugomba rehuduku hwake hweSt. Takachema nokuseka nezvenyaya iyi yakaonda yeutano yainzi Richard Claxton Gregory, akaberekwa paColumbus Day, 1932, uyo akafungidzira kuti chikoro ichocho chakavharwa achiremekedza zuva rake rokuzvarwa. Panzara yainge yakwana akandiudza kuti akadya tsvina. Akatanga kutaura majee kuti nhubu idzi dzibve. Akataura nezve "chikara" chake, chaaireva mubatanidzwa wehumbimbindoga uye chishuvo izvo zvakamuita kuti ave shasha yechikoro chepamusoro uye yekoreji uyezve mutambi wepamusoro pahonky-tonk "chittlin' circuit" yemakirabhu eblack night.
Chikara chakange chagadzirira muna Ndira 13, 1961, husiku iyo Chicago Playboy Club yakamudana semutsivi weminiti yekupedzisira. Uye chaive chikara chimwechete chakaramba kudzoserwa kumba apo maneja wekirabhu akavhunduka nguva Greg asati aenda pachikuva mushure mekuona kuti nzvimbo iyi yaive yakazara nevachena vekumaodzanyemba. Greg akatenda murwi wekutanga nekumudaidza kuti โTriggerโ โ akati aigara achiyemura bhiza raRoy Rogers โ uye akakumbira wechipiri kuti arambe achishandisa izwi iri nekuti kondirakiti yake yaiwedzera madhora makumi mashanu pese paitaurwa. Akauraya vateereri ivavo. Muridzi wePlayboy Hugh Hefner akadanwa kubva pamubhedha kuratidziro yechipiri ndokumupa chibvumirano chenguva refu.
Chikara Chaida Zvakawanda
Asi kubudirira pachikuva kwakanga kusina kukwana kune chikara. Between mazuva eclub uye kuonekwa paTV kwakakwirira-kwepamusoro The Manheru Show, kwaakabudirira kuda kuti ave wekutanga komiki mutema kugara pamubhedha padivi, uye kutaura chaizvo, mugadziri wehusiku-kupedzisira Jack Paar, akagumisa rusarura mujeri reMaryland nekuramba kuita kunze kwekunge vasungwa vatema nevachena vaive mumwechete. vateereri. Akabatsirawo kusunungura murume mutema aipomerwa zvenhema kubva kujeri rekumaodzanyemba uye aigara aine chokwadi chekuti mumakirabhu aaitambira maive nevamiriri vatema.
Sezvo mukurumbira wake uchikura, chero kuratidzira kwekodzero dzevanhu kwaakarongerwa kuratidzira kwaigona kuvimba nevezvenhau dzeterevhizheni vachimutevera, izvo zvaiwanzo deredza kusawirirana kwehutsinye hwemapurisa kune varatidziri. Saka akatanga kudavira kuti kwaiva kusungirwa kwake kuuya. Saka akatanga kushaya mazuva eclub ndokubva atanga kurasikirwa nawo apo vanobooker vakaona kuti nhandare yenightclub yakanga isiri yake yekutanga.
Panguva ino, takanga tava kunyora bhuku racho, iro raiva zita rekushanda Callus paMweya Wangu. Ndakafunga kuti zvainzwikawo sevhangeri-y, zvisinei, kune imwe nyaya inosetsa, ine hutsinye, inobuda pachena. Zvisinei, panguva iyoyo hapana mumwe wedu aigona kufunga nezvechimwe chinhu.
Kazhinji, mushure memutambo wekirabhu uye tisati tagadzikana muzvikamu zvedu zvekutepa zvehusiku hwese, taiva nekudya kwemanheru pakati pehusiku, kazhinji neshamwari dzevaraidzi vake kana vamwe. Greg, munwi uye anoputa akanga akafuta, aihodha zvitsama zvikuru zvezvokudya nokuda kwomunhu ari wose ndokuravira chinhu chiri chose. Hudiki hwaionekwa nenzara hwakanga hwamusiya ave neshungu nechikafu, aingogara achitaura nezvazvo.
Humwe husiku muChicago, mushure mekutamba pakirabhu yehusiku Mister Kelly's, akatanga kuita nharo nezvekuvhura yake yekudyira. Yaizova diki uye yeumbozha, imwe chete yakagara patafura pahusiku humwe, vashumiri vashanu, uye orchestra. Vadyi vaizofanirwa nezvose izvi, nokuti zita reresitorendi - mu neon pamusuwo - raizova nigga.
โMurungu ari wose kuMaodzanyemba achange achindizivisa pachena,โ akadaro, achishanda nesimba mufashoni yakewo zvayo. "Tinogona kupaza izwi iri. Yaisazove nesimba rekutikuvadza zvakare. Chero chero munhu akati, 'Nigger,' zvingave nezvechimwe chinhu chakanaka. "
Ndinofunga angave ari matorero atakaita pfungwa yezita rehupenyu hwake. Zvakawanda zve Callus paMweya wangu, iyo yaakashandisa kune imwe memoir yakazotevera.
Muparidzi, Dutton, haana kuseka, asi Greg akaramba akatsiga. Akatyisidzira kudzorera bhuku uye ivo, pakupedzisira, vakaderedzwa nekuzvipira kwake:
"Vanodiwa Amai - Kwese kwauri, kana ukazonzwa izwi rekuti 'nigger' zvakare, rangarira kuti vari kushambadza bhuku rangu. "
Mumakore iwayo apo, zvamazvirokwazvo, zvaiita sezvisingafungidzikike kuti mutungamiri wechitema, asiri mukadzi wekutanga, aizofanobata White House, aiita majee asingaperi pamusoro pezita iroro: โNdakatumira kopi yebhuku rangu kuna Mutungamiri Johnson. Panenge nguva paine munhu ari muWhite Houseโฆ Mukadzi Shiri Johnson anga achiverenga bhuku rangu husiku, saka iye zvino anorara aine shasha.
Mududziri Muchena
Muna 1964, apo bhuku racho rakapedzwa ndokuendeswa kumutsikidzi, pakupedzisira ndakamubvunza mubvunzo wakajeka: Neiko, munyika, akanga asarudza ini, murungu, kuti ndimubetsere kutaura nhau youpenyu hwake? Mhinduro yake yakakurumidza uye yakananga uye yakandishamisa. Akanga andisarudza, akadaro, zvishoma nokuti ndaiita sendakasununguka uye ndinofarira ake nyaya, kwete imwe iyoyo I ndingada kutaura, asi pamusoro pezvose nekuti ndaiva chena. Akandivimbisa kuti vanhu vatema vaizonzwisisa hupenyu hwake. Vakanga vatozviraramira. Ukuwo varungu vaida muturikiri, mumwe munhu aikwanisa kuona kuti nyaya yataurwa nenzira yaienderana nayo.
Ndakabatirira kune tsananguro iyoyo mumakore makumi mashanu nemashanu ekuzvibvunza uye, hongu, mibvunzo kubva kune vamwe. Dzimwe nguva, ndakambofunga nezve watermelon, zvakare. Ndinoshuva, kare ikako, ndakabvunza Greg chaizvo zvaaifunga kunze kwejee rerusarura randaida kutora chikamu, kunyangwe paine kakunyomba (kwangu) uye kunyadziswa mazviri. Ko varungu vaisakodzera here? Kupfuura izvozvo, kutakura mavise kwaisave nzira yekufananidzira yekugoverana mutoro unotyisa wanga uri musimboti wenyika ino kubva muuranda wekutanga mutema akatsika pamahombekombe aya mazana emakore apfuura? Handizvo here, panguva iyoyo ine tariro yakanyanya, nzira yekuyeuchidza vachena kuti isu - uye nhoroondo yakaenda nesu - tese taive mune izvi pamwe chete, sekunge verusarura vakaedza (sezvavachiri kuita neMutungamiri Trump) kupatsanura. isu?
Bhuku rakabudiswa muna 1964 kusvika wongororo dzakanaka kunyangwe basa raGreg semutambi wemakomikisi rakanga richitenderera richidzika pasi. Mari yake yeTV neyenightclub yakadzikira - akarasikirwa nemadhora zviuru zana mumabhuku muna 100,000, mari yakawanda ipapo, uye zvakapetwa kaviri muna 1964 - nekuti aigara achisiya mabhuku aya ari muguruva, achimhanya panguva yekupedzisira kuenda kunzvimbo ine ngozi imwe ne Huntley-Brinkley Report vezvenhau vari pedyo kumashure. Akapomerwa mhosva yekuzviita zvese kuti zvizivikanwe, kunyangwe mushure mekuva kurohwa zvakaipisisa muBirmingham, Alabama, uye pfuti pagumbo pakuedza nyarara chaunga panguva yemhirizhonga munharaunda yeLos Angeles yeWatts muna 1965.
Iyo comedic nzira yakatsva naGreg yaizoteverwa naBill Cosby, Richard Pryor, naChris Rock, kunyangwe bato rekodzero dzevanhu rakagara muhondo isingaperi, yekukuya. Bhuku redu rakaramba richitengeswa asi zviri pachena kuti harina kumboswedera pedyo nekuvhara izwi iro, zita redu, iro rava rudzi rwe Tourette's tic kune ma rapper uye basketball vatambi (kazhinji yakagadziridzwa se "nigga"). Ini naGreg takabvumirana kuti imwe nzira yezvematongerwo enyika, "n-izwi," yaiita seyakaoma uye neimwe nzira yakatonyanya kupokana mukureva kwayo kuti yekutanga ine simba rakawandisa kuti utaure zvinonzwika.
Imwe nguva mukupera kwema1970, iye neni takatanga kuonana zvishoma nezvishoma sezvo kunyanyoda kwake zvokudya kwaichinja zvikuru kuva kusasvuta, kusanwa miriwo, uye kutsanya nguva dzose. Aigara ari munzira. Imba yake chaiyo, mwanakomana wake Christian akambondiudza, yakanga iri chiteshi chendege. Akava mutsigiri anoshingaira wezvokudya zvakafanira, izvo, iye akaomerera kuti, zvakanga zviri hwaro pairi hondo dzokurwisana norusaruraganda dzaigona kurwirwa. Vanhu vane hutano chete, angati, vane simba rekuita shanduko huru. Ipapo kunyemwerera kwake kwekunyepedzera kwaibva kwabuda pachiso chake obvunza kuti: Sei hurumende ichipedza nguva yakawanda nemari ichironga mavhitamini isina kumborambidza fodya?
Makore maviri apfuura, muWinston-Salem, North Carolina, ndakamira pamberi pevateereri vaviri mumazuva maviri, mumwe wacho aiumbwa nevazhinji vezera repakati reAfrica-America vaida kugoverana ndangariro dzaGreg, mumwe wacho zvikuru pwere dzeAfrica-America dzaigamuchira. a 50th birthday party for Anokwikwidza, bhuku repwere revakuru rine mutambi mukuru achiri kuyaruka wechitema randakanyora kare muna 1967 uye ravainge vaverenga kuchikoro. Handina kumbobvira ndataura nezve watermelon kune vateereri vese, asi mune zvese zviri zviviri nguva iyoyo uye melon zvakandiremera mupfungwa. Ndakanga ndichiri kunzwa kushungurudzwa nechiratidzo ichocho chehero yerudzi rweAmerica uye mubvunzo usina kugadziriswa: Zvairevei zvino? Zvino zvinorevei chaizvo?
Pasina kukurudzira, I Akaudzwa boka revanhu vakuru kuti takanga tawana sei musoro webhuku iroro uye nei Greg akasarudza murungu kuti ataure nyaya yake. Paiva nekugutsurira musoro uye kugunun'una kwekubvuma muvateereri. Vakanzwisisa. Ndakanga ndisati ndambomukodzera nyaya yake. Ini ndanga ndichibatsira kutsanangura kune anowanzo-asina ruzivo rwechichena kuverenga.
Ndakashinga, zuva rakatevera ndakabvunza mubvunzo kuvana. Vakanzwa sei nezvemurungu achinyora novel nezvemwana mutema? Vairatidza kuvhiringika. Vakanga vada bhuku, vakati, rine chokuita nevatambi, chii chaive nebasa? Mumwe mukomana akati vadzidzisi vavo vakavaudza kuti vaigona kunyora pamusoro pechinhu chipi nechipi chavaida, kusanganisira vatorwa vanobva muchadenga.
Ndinofanira kubvuma kuti ndakabayiwa mwoyo nokuti ndakabva ndaziva kuti Greg angadai akachera mhinduro iyoyo. Inguva yekuisa mavise pasi, ndakafunga, ndokucheka, uye kugovera.
Robert Lipsyte, a TomDispatch nguva dzose, ndiye munyori we SportsWorld: An American Dreamland.
Chinyorwa ichi chakatanga kuoneka paTomDispatch.com, weblog yeNational Institute, iyo inopa kuyerera kwakadzikama kwemamwe masosi, nhau, uye maonero kubva kuna Tom Engelhardt, mupepeti wenguva refu mukutsikisa, co-muvambi weAmerican Empire Project, munyori we Kupera Kwekukunda Tsika, seyenoveli, Mazuva Ekupedzisira Ekudhinda. Bhuku rake razvino ndereRudzi Rusina Kugadzirwa Nehondo (Haymarket Books).
ZNetwork inopihwa mari chete kuburikidza nerupo rwevaverengi vayo.
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