Excuse me for one moment . . . "COLORED PRESIDENT ON TV!!! COLORED PRESIDENT ON TV!!!"

[Empowerer]

Ok.

I'm finished.

Please carry on.

(I'll be glad to explain if necessary.)

[951-Riverside]

1. Buh Bye

:popcorn:

[chimpymustgo]

16. Guys, back in the day, when a black/colored person would appear on tv, everyone in black households

was called to the tv to witness the rare occurrence. The initial witness excitedly, dutifully yelled 'colored person on tv!!!!" And everyone dropped what they were doing to gather 'round. It was quite something.

As is this.

[Kahuna]

45. You're right. And talk about it in school for days before and after..

:thumbsup:

[Stephanie]

52. Wow

Thanks for the info, that is quite amazing and I can't imagine how amazing tonight must have seemed to people who lived through those days. :hi:

[Empowerer]

75. The last page of JET Magazine has always featured

a listing of all of the television appearances by black actors and actresses scheduled in the upcoming week.

The difference is that back then, it listed ALL of the appearances and there weren't many.

[angee_is_mad]

81. Still isn't

dreadful, just dreadful!

[cyndensco]

100. "Colored person on tv..."

We would run to the television not only to see someone who looked like us but also to adjust the contrast/tint. My mother claimed it was the only way to ensure proper adjustment.

[Aloha Spirit]

115. haha

[GoneOffShore]

101. Glad you put the explanation up -

Far too many DU'ers get their knee jerk going and head off to services at Our Lady of Perpetual Outrage before attempting to completely understand a post.

Instead of the Time Warp, it's the Knee Jerk.

Let's Do the Knee Jerk Again!!!

[Soylent Brice]

129. it's just an alert to the left...

and then a T.S. to the riiiiiiigght!

but it's the uh - spare - uh - gus, that really drives you insane!

let's do the knee jerk again!!!

[1Hippiechick]

121. This explanation brought tears to my eyes. White America has always taken so much for granted, imo.

I will never outgrow the heartache just from my perspective of what life must have been like for African-American people whose history in the US began with being brought here against their will and treated worse than cattle. It becomes more heartbreaking the older I get, which surprises me. Obama's election was bittersweet - sweet because I never thought I would live to see such a glorious day, but bitter because of what the black race has had to endure to get to this point. But, oh my God! Look what they have overcome! Look at what we have overcome. Look at what we as a nation have overcome! Just a mixed bag of emotions for me, an old hippiechick from the 60s. We still have so much to do.

[crispini]

2. Oooookay.

[Sydnie]

3. IBTL

[blonndee]

4. It's necessary.

[Avalux]

5. I think it's necessary to explain. You'd better do it quick. n/t

[Lex]

6. Pizza

I hope.

[NoSheep]

68. not this time

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. IBTL

I would say, "Intelligent President on TV!" as that is what is important. Besides, we are all colored--I'm just slightly more yellow and pink than other folks.

[PunkinPi]

8. WTF??

[Deja Q]

9. You should have explained before needing people to ask.

Are you a time traveler from 1850?

[NYC_SKP]

48. 1960's easily, not that long ago. Within the memories of many.

What is a hoot is that the alarmists to this subject line are not likely black folks, or they might understand the history.

Nice to attack on others' behalf, I guess. :eyes:

Not you mind you. Just many jumpy critters.

Same thing happened with Octomom, right to bear children types all over anyone who criticized her.

Until the interview came out, or interv-eeeeew!

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EffieBlack]

60. What a vicious comment.

You should be ashamed.

[stray cat]

62. Nice job moderators - Thank You!

[NYC_SKP]

77. huh. missed it. directed toward me perhaps?

what did the little troll say before being TS'd, if you remember?

[SteveG]

72. There are some of us who remember Bill Cosby

In I Spy. The first Black to have a leading role (and in many ways the star)in a prime time TV series that wasn't a stereotype.

[bdamomma]

97. loved that show, oops showing my age now.

:blush:

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

109. Sure brings back memories - and beat the hell out of Rochester (Jack Benny show).

[stray cat]

57. Probably not nearly that long ago - how about the 50s

[QueenOfCalifornia]

118. More like the '60's and

through the '70's - the 1970's not the 1870's.

The OP is making reference to seeing someone other than Sammy Davis Jr. on TV representing "colored people" - My hateful Mother said other things when "One of THEM" came on our TV screen. :crazy:

[JuniperLea]

10. You got some 'splaining to do! eom

[Critters2]

11. "IF necessary". Seriously? nt

[Bryn]

12. I know what you mean but many DUers

will get the wrong idea. Better explain to them now. :hi:

DUers, don't you remember a thread while back about how black children in old days would watch all white programs on TV? Whenever a black child or person came on, they'd yell, "colored boy on TV" and they'd come running.

[treestar]

26. The kind of thing white people don't know

Which is a good education for them to know.

[NYC_SKP]

44. Interesting how quick folks are to jump on a post and learn more about it later.

Ah well.

[EffieBlack]

61. I can understand why some people didn't get it at first

But I don't understand why they took such great personal offense to the OP.

Interesting.

[Stephanie]

63. They were worried it was racist.

They didn't expect to see the word "colored"

[Barack_America]

110. "colored" + low post count = guaranteed DU shit storm. nt

[Terran]

98. Agreed. I hope some of you learned something from this thread.

It's this kind of thing that white people mostly remain blissfully unaware of.

[tbyg52]

112. It is good to know! Thanks to all for the information and the wonderful mental pictures! nt

[tledford]

116. White people of a certain age understand, without a doubt.

I'm 52 years old, and in the late '60s, while in junior high, I used to wonder "Why am I going to school with black kids but there aren't many black people on television?" This was something fairly new in North Carolina at the time, however, as "busing" meant court-order-forced-desegregation, THANK GOD!!!! Because it gave me the opportunity to see that black folk, generally speaking, were no different that white folk. (At least poor white folk.)

And to this day, living in the same city where I went to junior high school almost forty years ago (Greensboro, NC), things have gotten so much better in terms of race relations, but there is STILL SO FAR TO GO!!!! Until we ENSURE that ALL kids get a good education, have a shot at a decent job, etc., we still aren't there yet.

Ah, I've gotten depressed now, because it has, at least in the upper South, become more of a class thing now than a race thing. Poor people, regardless of color, just plain get the shaft. All the manufacturing jobs (textiles, tobacco, furniture) that have gone overseas due to ill-conceived trade agreements, without a shot at a better job due to educations systems mired in administrative nightmares, poor folk, white and black alike, just plain get screwed. Say what you will about John Edwards and his horrendous mistakes in judgement, I wish there were someone else as aggressively and compellingly telling his tale of "the two Americas."

Sorry, shouldn't have had that third glass of wine with dinner.

[ItNerd4life]

126. Thanks you for explaining it

I can understand why blacks would have reacted that way.

[spinbaby]

13. You just got color TV?

Congratulations.

[firedupdem]

14. what color would that be? n/t

[Earth Bound Misfit]

15. IBTL!!!!elevens!!!

:popcorn: N pizza N :beer: Oh My!

[Minimus]

17. You probably will not have a chance to "explain" - Bye Bye!

[Uzybone]

18. self delete

Duh on me.

[Alenne]

19. That's what black people used to say

when they saw a colored person on tv. Everybody would come to the room to see the colored person because we weren't used to seeing ourselves on tv.

[Bryn]

23. Yes, that's what OP meant

You're exactly right, but most DUers don't get it.

[chimpymustgo]

24. Funny how most white people don't know about that - or even get it now. It was a BIG DEAL for a

black person to appear on tv.

[Kahuna]

47. We loved seeing that pretty Leslie Uggams. I didn't care for her singing..

but she sure was pretty. :)

[Stephanie]

53. I really didn't know

And thanks to everyone for telling the story. And I hope someone will write about this for publication so everyone knows the story. :hi:

[BumRushDaShow]

20. IBTL

[Manifestor_of_Light]

22. Like that graphic of Mr. Air Filter.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. It's for a big furnace!

:rofl:

[yodermon]

64. your graphic is unintentionally hilarious n/t

[Stephanie]

65. Hah!

[AlCzervik]

21. 1950 called, they said come back.

[Empowerer]

25. :-)

When I was a kid, it was so unusual to see a black person on television that on those rare occasions when one did show up, my sister and I would run around the house yelling, "Colored people on tv! Colored people on tv.". Then my parents would get on the phone to say, "Turn on Ed Sullivan (or whatever show we were watching) - colored people are on!"

Usually that first call went to my grandmother.

Watching this brilliant, young black president so sure and strong tonight made me feel like I did when I was a little kid and saw "colored people on tv."

I can't pick up the phone and call my precious grandmother anymore, but I sure can stop for a minute and shout to her in heaven, "Look, Grammy! COLORED PRESIDENT ON TV!!!"

[Catshrink]

28. Thank you for sharing that story.

[Bryn]

30. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Starry Messenger]

32. I figured it might be something like that.

Cool story, thank you.

[BumRushDaShow]

46. Whoopie Goldberg always tells a similar story

regarding Nichelle Nicols on Star Trek.

As a little one during the mid-'60s, I remember Diahann Caroll in "Julia" and I guess I didn't think much of it being a big thing, although I also remember Tom and Jerry and the "black legs" running around and "Our Gang" and Buckwheat... :banghead:

We've come a long way (but still have a ways to go).

[Kahuna]

51. With Julia, we died and went to heaven. Even though I didn't really

like the show. I watched it because she was "colored."

[jberryhill]

111. I had a crush on her

...and I was a white kid.

[chimpymustgo]

122. Diahann Carroll was SO BEAUTIFUL. Remember Barbara McNair? It was such a revelation to see

beautiful black women on tv!!! Not a "Mammy", not a "Prissy". It was like drinking nectar.

Ah the frantic race to the tv to catch that fleeting glimpse of a black person in a 30 second commercial! Folks, "colored person on tv!" was a major event.

[Withywindle]

86. I first learned about this experience from a friend of mine...

..who was named after Nichelle Nichols. She always explained, no, her parents weren't huge sci-fi geeks - but they were black TV watchers at just the right time in history.

[illuminaughty]

88. My friends and I have been watching original "Star Trek"

episodes recently (in a Mystery Science Theater kind of way). We watched "Plato's Stepchildren" last week and realized it was the first inter-racial kiss on TV.
Nichelle Nichols and William Shatner. Never knew.

[Harry Monroe]

123. And that sure pissed off racists when Nichelle and William Shatner shared the first interracial kiss

Edited to add: On TV

[blaze]

59. OMG He was amazing!!!

I'm a white, 54 yr old female, but I knew exACTly what your post was about!!!

Every "first" our President does, makes me cry.

I feel so greatful to be witnessing this history.

I am smiling for your Grammy.

Oh hell, I'm smiling for the whole damn country!!!!

[Grown2Hate]

67. Awesome post.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and enlightening our youth that much more (myself included). And welcome to DU. :)

[Flying Dream Blues]

69. Love it!

Hugs to you and your dear Grammy. What a wonderful day!
:hug:

[crispini]

74. Ahahahahha. Great story. Thanks for sharing. :)

[DRoseDARs]

83. It amazes me that some people don't realize that the words might be the same, but not everyone who

...uses them is a racist. Newsflash: Old-timers who grew up in the time before political correctness still use the words of that time AND AREN'T BEING RACIST ABOUT IT. It may be jarring to hear such words for us younger generations, but it doesn't make the older generations racist, just quaint and maybe a little annoying when they use those words.

Welcome to DU, Empowerer ... and update your vocabulary. ;)

[DangerousRhythm]

85. Aww...

That is a sweet story. I knew it was something along these lines, though I was born in the 70s and never had this experience personally. I'm sure your Grammy is just as excited. :)

[Two Americas]

87. thanks for sharing your memories

Sorry that so many here don't understand, and called for you to be banned and for the thread to be locked.

It wasn't that long ago.

[onefreespiritedchick]

94. Love it!

Thanks for sharing =)

[Earth Bound Misfit]

27. Here's what the OP means by "I'll explain later"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8175583

[BuelahWitch]

35. I was gonna go look for that post

Thank you for doing so. OP is not a troll. Please don't lock the thread mods.

[The empressof all]

49. Some of us are very old.....

I personally may be a little rusty on somethings but the memory's still strong...

[EffieBlack]

50. I'm not all that old but I remember "colored people on tv" very well

It was a BIG deal!

I know just how Empowerer feels - I felt the same way watching this press conference. The song, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" kept running through my mind!

To be young, gifted and black,
Oh what a lovely precious dream
To be young, gifted and black,
Open your heart to what I mean

In the whole world you know
There are billion boys and girls
Who are young, gifted and black,
And that's a fact!

Young, gifted and black
We must begin to tell our young
There's a world waiting for you
This is a quest that's just begun

. . .
Oh but my joy of today
Is that we can all be proud to say
To be young, gifted and black
Is where it's at

[Flying Dream Blues]

73. Oh, EffieBlack...

Thanks for reminding me of that song, and allow me to share your joy. It's hard to believe this day has come and words fail me.
:hug:

[NYC_SKP]

41. Thanks for that...MUST READ.

That's why I almost never hit the button.

[Clio the Leo]

29. I understand you completely......

... and ain't it awesome?

[Fire1]

31. GOT IT ON RIGHT NOW!! CALL YA WHEN IT'S OVER!

[Empowerer]

43. ROFL!!!!

[stray cat]

55. LOL!

[Raine]

33. Self-delete nt

[Starry Messenger]

36. See #25. n/t

[Raine]

39. Yeah THANKS! nt

[aaaaaa5a]

34. It's like a science fiction movie! LOL! NT

[live love laugh]

37. LMAO nt

[RadicalTexan]

40. Wait, the president's black?!?!

WHAT?!

[Orangepeel]

42. According to John Stewart, that's how we know it's the future

that was his explanation for why in science fiction movies, the president is always either black or a woman.

The future is now. :-)

[stray cat]

54. Morgan Freeman? Oh wait you mean President Obama.

:hi:

[DRoseDARs]

84. God, if only Morgan Freeman were. Deep Impact was SO much better than Armageddon.

eom

[Harry Monroe]

124. I have to disagree. Deep Impact was much more boring than Armageddon!

Though with "Armageddon" you had to suspend belief for quite a while, but it sure did have a hell of a lot more action!! "This is a kick ass ride, Houston"!! Deep Impact was kind of depressing, IMHO. While it told a good story, I was looking to be entertained!

[4lbs]

125. Huh? I liked both movies, but Deep Impact was much more accurate in terms of the science and

the social/political aspects. Plus, it had a better set of storylines.

For me, being "entertained" means telling an accurate, good story, with believable characters. I don't necessarily need whiz-bang special effects and want-to-funny snarky characters to be entertained.

[Harry Monroe]

128. Well, DUH. I think I made it clear that you had to "suspend belief" to watch "Armageddon"

But it had much more action and was way, way more entertaining in that regard. I definitely did not watch "Armageddon" for its scientific value or accuracy!! Deep Impact, while more accurate in the science and story lines was kind of a depressing movie. But to each his own. Peace

[Stephanie]

56. K&R

I love it! Thanks!

[akbacchus_BC]

66. Thanks very much for this and from the replies, I learnt a valuable

lesson on here tonight. DU is a wonderful place for much needed information.

Thanks again and welcome to DU.

[dascientist]

70. IBTL

[Flying Dream Blues]

71. Oh, and welcome to DU! No pizza in your future after all. :) nt

[DevonRex]

76. I know all about that because Oprah said she remembers doing that.

Calling all the family in when a "colored person" was on TV, and even the neighbors.

[LuckyLib]

78. My grandmother, nearly blind, would see a black person on TV and ask, "Is he colored?"

She saw some difference in skin tone, and always asked her grandkids to verify. We would roll our eyes and say, "Yes, Grandma."

[obiwan]

79. Obama is "colored? News to me.

BTW, what color is he?

(I'm colored. I'm white. Except in the summer. Then I'm more pink.)

[Lisa0825]

80. I only recently learned about the "colored person on TV" story.

Your story in this thread was very touching. Thank you for sharing :pals:

Personally, when I see Obama, I yell, "BRILLIANT, GORGEOUS, THOUGHTFUL, ARTICULATE PERSON ON TV!!!" :loveya:

I was OK with Clinton, but this is the first President I have fallen for in my adult life.

[RichGirl]

102. HOT, SEXY GUY ON TV!!

[tblue37]

82. No need to explain. We understand--and

we white folks get all excited too.

I love it.

[EraOfResponsibility]

89. I never knew that's what that meant

I'll have to ask my mom about that.

[Number23]

90. Yes, I think it's for black folks of a certain age.

I'm a child of the 70's (afros, anyone?? Braids with beads??) and I've never heard of folks running around saying "colored person on tv." "Colored" wasn't even used by then anyway.

But by then, we also had the ever so grand "Good Times," "Sanford and Son," and "The Jeffersons." Not to mention the Cosbys and a few others. So if we yelled "colored person on tv" every time there was one, we'd have been yelling just about every night.

[EraOfResponsibility]

91. same here I grew up in the eighties

so black people on tv wasn't new to me at all.

[DRoseDARs]

92. I was friends with the only black kid at my elementary school in the late 80's...

I didn't even know he was "black" as I had no concept of racial or ethnic difference until middle school, and even then I still didn't care. :shrug:

[EraOfResponsibility]

93. Empowerer, did you grow up in the south?

Because I just asked my mom about this, and she said that growing up, her or her family never said "colored person on the tv" but her dad however, DID call everyone in the house into the living room whenever a black person was on tv. He just never said "colored person on the tv" (My mom grew up in Pennsylvania, so that's why I'm wondering whether it was a southern thing?)

[Empowerer]

96. No, I'm not

But so many of our family, friends and neighbors were from the South -perhaps that had something to do with it.

[Brewman_Jax]

95. Quite true

Holy flashbacks, Batman! I remember the call for Eartha Kitt when she was Catwoman on Batman (/w Adam West). Also "I Spy" and "Julia" and "Room 222".

[hamsterjill]

99. That's MY President on TV!

'nuff said!

And what a breath of fresh air from the last, long eight years!!!

[ellacott]

103. This thread is hilarious

I definately remember this, especially during the Ed Sullivan Show and smiled when I read the title. It was suprisingly funny reading some of the responses from people who took offense.

[AspenRose]

104. :-)

:cry: (of joy)

[Undercurrent]

105. Thanks for posting this.

It made me smile, and think fondly of my ex husband's family (black), who I love to bits. His family still says "colored person on TV!" It's kind of family humor thing left from the day when black folks did just as you described down thread.

It wasn't that long ago (at least for us oldsters)when the term colored was one of the most often terms used when referring to black people. It's still used by people who are not racists, for example by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

[eppur_se_muova]

106. Thanks to all who posted edumacational comments.

There's so much more history than ever makes it into schoolbooks.

[RoyGBiv]

107. This thread is awesome ...

I understood the meaning from the beginning, but I have nonetheless learned SO MUCH from the commentary.

[chrisa]

108. Not just Blak, but

He's a Soshalist Muzlime! He wants to poot Koranes in every skool and send dem gun grabers to all our houses!

[jazzjunkysue]

113. As a teen, when Shatner would move in and plant one on a blonde, my sister would yell "SEX!"

It's sorta like that.

(Young people disclaimer: 1. William Shatner played the first captain in the first star trek, which was completely groundbreaking in it's time. 2. This was an era where married couples like Dick and Laura van Dyke, and Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in separate beds. 3. My sister actually had no idea what sex was at the time, it just sounded naughty to her.)

[Occam Bandage]

114. I thought, "man, buncha people not gonna get this."

I was right.

[EffieBlack]

117. But the nice thing is that most of them get it now

Learnin' is a wunnerful thang. :-)

[ItNerd4life]

127. Agree completely.

This was/is a very interesting thread, caused by how the OP started it.

[EffieBlack]

119. kicked

:kick:

[old mark]

120. And lookin'damn good, too..

He is such a real, genuine human being it will be harder for every politician that comes after him to connect with people after they are exposed to President Obama.


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