Oprah - I've Got "Good White Folks"

76. Geez....rip the whole article apart here and start yelling racism. Some of you have nothing better to do. Oprah is NOT a racist.

Posted at 10:59AM on May 15th 2007 by JMM

77. Nope, I didn't back Imus. I didn't vote for Bush. I don't run around trying to dog black people, but I AM fed up with the double standards and lack of responsibility from blacks because they were handed a crutch of excuses by their ancestors. You were never enslaved, I never owned a slave or held any power over another race. These generations have no right to be claiming black/white power and all of that nonsense.

I'm tired of hearing the blacks cry when they are called out on their own actions and not held accountable for the degredation of women and their race in general, yet everyone else needs to be put on trial for it.

Whether you are black or white, you need to own-up. The issue honestly isn't that a black woman said, "good white folks," it's that a white woman would NEVER get away with saying, "good black folks."

A lot of whites lost their lives fighting for the freedom of blacks, that always seems to be forgotten. We are treated like we are personally the ones who supressed the blacks of those days, when in reality, our hearts today would have been for their freedom.

Posted at 10:27AM on May 15th 2007 by Wrong again..

78. While all of this is going on--The 'peacefull' muslems in Sudan own christian slaves--Come on Opra move there!!

Posted at 10:40AM on May 15th 2007 by sambo

79. Here's what's sad. Oprah has made sure she's so far removed and isolated from criticism and common folk she'll never have to be accountable for that racist remark. The dead last thing Oprah likes is negative confrontation which is exactly what she needs now . Too many years have gone by with that malignant racist chip on her shoulder.

Btw, what IS with her show audiences? Scary.
Someone called them 'lemmings'. lol --- exactly!

Posted at 10:40AM on May 15th 2007 by tango

80. With all seriousness, we (all PEOPLE) do have a double standard when it comes to race. African Americans don't like to be reminded of what happened in the past at the hands of caucasians, therefore, we cannot stand hearing negative comments. Some caucasians think it is unfair that African Americans can say certain things without a public outcry from the African American community. My question is this: Why would you WANT to say any of those things, unless you're a racist? I cannot stand reading the comments, "If I said this or that...." Let it go people. Oprah's family was poor and now she's on top. It is a dream for many African Americans to be on top, especially those who were underprivledged. You cannot understand the pain that African Americams went through, and for Oprah, this is her way of saying SHE got the last laugh and for some reason, caucasians have a problem with that. African Americans were suppressed and now Oprah has caucasians, African Americans, as well as others working for her. SHE WAS TALKING TO FELLOW AFRICAN AMERICANS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY. Please see it for what is was...it was inspirational for fellow African Americans....if Oprah can do it, then so can ANYONE else if they try hard enough!

By the way...the black power comment was a tasteless joke, and I apologize for anyone if offended, seriously. I am married to a caucasian and have 4 bi-racial children! :-)

Posted at 10:44AM on May 15th 2007 by I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD....BLACK POWER!!!!! (It's a joke people)

81. well said tango!!!!!

Posted at 10:43AM on May 15th 2007 by God Bless America

82. OPRAH Is a Great Example of How to USE Whites to Get Rich in America. I love It.

Make Them Feel Good About themselves and Take their Money. Its Brillant.

Shonda Rhimes is doing it. She's is Very Much a Black Woman and created White Charcters McDreamy and Meridith and Whites Can't get enough. Brillant. Shonda Wrote the Princess Diaries for Disney. Make them feel good about themselves and the money will Flow and then Like Oprah you can use the Money to help your Own People like the Schools in Formerly Apartied South Africa.

Enjoy your Billion Dollars Oprah Made off your "Good White People's Backs"

Posted at 10:45AM on May 15th 2007 by OPRAH USED

83. I love what Oprah said. Does that make me racist? Well, I'm not. My grandfather was White. And no, he didn't simply impregnate my grandmother and leave her. My grandfather actually changed his last name and passed as a light-skinned Negro in order to marry my grandmother. I grew up spending a great deal of time with him and the fact he was White was never an issue even though we never spoke of it. I have a sister who could pass for Hispanic and a mother who has been mistaken for both Hispanic and Filipino. And I myself am Black, White and Indian. So, race is not an issue for me. I believe Oprah was simply making a point about how her grandmother wanted her to be treated well by Whites because as someone said that's the best she thought she could hope for her. To see Oprah being the boss and Whites working for her and not the other way around, is something her grandmother could never ever imagine. I'm proud of Oprah despite the fact I don't watch her show and don't consider myself a fan. Let people hate. It's not like they're ever going to get a chance to meet her or sit down at the same table with her or live next door to her. She has enough money to buy and sell her enemies several times over. And to #15, it's her money. She doesn't owe you an opportunity. That's what's wrong with too many people of color. We think someone who's made it owes it to us to help us make it. Not so. If Oprah wants to hire only Whites, that's her right. She can hire who she wants and pay them what she wants. She's paid the cost to be the boss. If you want an opportunity in this life, then I suggest you get off your butt and work for what you want. Nobody owes you a chance to get in the game. The only person who owes you anything is YOU. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Posted at 11:00AM on May 15th 2007 by Victoria C

84. 10. IF I were to say that I have "good black folk" working for me, how would it be perceived???? As Racist, right black folk???? Even though I'm not racist!!!!

Posted at 8:50AM on May 15th 2007 by Oprah is RACIST

"Good black folk " , do not work for "white trash " who live in trailer parks..

Posted at 10:56AM on May 15th 2007 by B Brown

85. I LIKE OPRAH AND I DON'T FEEL AS THOUGH SHE'S A RACIST, SHE WAS JUST SIMPLY MAKING A COMPARISON AS TO HOW OUR ANCESTORS USE TO THINK AND HOW SHE ACTUALLY TURNED OUT! WHERE'S THE HARM? NO WHITE PARENT EVER TOLD THEIR CHILD TO "GO FIND SOME GOOD WHITE FOLK TO WORK FOR'.

Posted at 2:19PM on May 15th 2007 by shay

86.
My generation in particular has issues with this because we are far enough removed from slavery and thrust past the equal rights movement into what we now understand as everyone is "equal," that there is a lot of anger and hard feelings toward blacks because they have so many more advantages than we do in this day of "equality."

That's fine that she was talking to "fellow African Americans," but today there should be no difference. African American adversary is GONE. Blacks have ample opportunity to surpass whites in 2007, and that hurts a lot of whites - especially seeing the unfairness of it.

See what I'm saying? Blacks can be for blacks all they want and turn their backs on whites now, but the same is not true for whites.

There are a lot of poor white families who have successful children, but they do not gloat about how many rich blacks they employ.

Segregation will stay alive as long as races feel that they are entitled to more than they really are.

Posted at 10:56AM on May 15th 2007 by Wrong again..

87. To Dee Ray-The fact that Oprah is rich has no bearing on the fact that her comment is racist. She had to make a point of 'good white folks" working for her, ect. If we want rid of racism this kind of crap talk needs to stop. yes, Oprah is racist . And not nearly as bright as some think she is when she makes these kind of assinine remarks.

Posted at 10:59AM on May 15th 2007 by amanda

88. Oprah mentioned on her radio show (awhile back) that she has lot's of white folks working for her, clearly a racist remark, considering she's repeating the same thing in her Spelmen Grad speech. Can you imagine the outcry if a white public figure, celeb or politican said such a thing? Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson would be tripping over themselves trying to get on their crooked pulpits demanding their jobs.

Oprah loves the fact that she has whites working for HER, a rich famous black woman , which is why she's telling it with pride. It's racism.

I say....Shame on YOU Oprah!!!! I'm no longer a fan.

Posted at 11:05AM on May 15th 2007 by sarah

89. I think Oprah is a good lady but is fixated on white and black. If we all took the words white and black out of our comments we would have a much more equal nation. Why does it matter what color the people working for her are? Why can't she just say "I have good people working for me". It was in the 1950s that her grandmother made a comment about hoping that Oprah can work for good white people. Well, it is 2007 now and we just need to take color out of our statements and comments.

Posted at 3:01PM on May 16th 2007 by me

90. Good point #10. I agree 100%

Posted at 11:05AM on May 15th 2007 by Oprah