Articles Tagged: Anthony Kaufman

Another Teachable Moment: Anthony Kaufman Apology Rejected

July 14th, 2011 | By Sonnie

If you haven’t been following the drama, here’s where we are.  Anthony Kaufman wrote a hit peice on Stephen Bannon, Sarah Palin, and the movie “The Undefeated”.  In the last paragraph of the blog, he inserted his foot in his mouth when he mentioned my name.   I responded in kind, Let me Introduce the Hip Hop Palinista, and got back to my work. 

An hour or so later I was contacted by Anthony Kaufman, via email, with what I think is supposed to be an apology.  I won’t post his apology because he did not feel it was worthy of public knowledge, so I will respect his decision and pretend it was never offered.  As a Christian, I should accept his words at face value but the little ghetto girl inside me is screaming, “you know better”.

This is why I asked Kaufman for an interview not an apology.  The words that drip from the fangs of the left have very little influence on me.  Especially when the crux of the argument is, ‘you misunderstood my intentions”.  Hello, I know that’s the buzz word for let me explain why you are wrong.  Let this Elitist put you in your place and show you the folly of your ways.  Kaufman, you missed the whole point of my response.

Let’s turn this into one of those teachable moments

While I have learned alot about your type of Liberal Reporting, evidently you haven’t spent much time researching the surge of New Black Conservatives.  A little peice of advice, Don’t speak what you don’t know.   I live by a very basic platform WHWD, what He/Hood/Hip Hop/History would do.   If any issue, policy, or apology doesn’t fit into all four pillars then, Houston, we have a problem.  So let me justify my rejection.

What He Would Do

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus lays out how to deal with personal conflicts.  To paraphrase; if you have a problem with your brother, pull him aside and tell him your issue.  If he doesn’t hear you, then bring him front of a group of two or three.  If he still doesn’t listen, then you take him in front of the entire congregation.  You brought me in front of the entire Congregation and labeled my unfairly.  You lose this pillar.

What the Hood Would Do

Kaufman called me out, IN PUBLIC.  Kaufman slapped my face, IN PUBLIC.  Then he apologized, In Private.  This is the equivalent of a man cursing me, IN PUBLIC.  Slapping my face, IN PUBLIC.  Then coming home and saying, “I’ll never do it again”.   Meaningless words.  Even as a teenager I would tell the boys there are two things you will never do and get away with, Calling me out of my name in Public and Putting your Hands on Me.  The hands on part isn’t meant to be taken literally, but it left my face red none the less.  Kaufman’s brand of apology wouldn’t be acceptable in my personal group of friends and family, so another pillar is taken away.

What Hip Hop Would Do

Have you ever heard of Battle Rap or Diss Song?  I’m just going to assume your Elitist Attitude would restrict you from knowing Street Problem Solving, so let me explain.  Jay-Z puts out a song dissing Nas.  Nas returns with his rebuttal.  Jay-Z answers.  Nas answers back.  In the end, they both publicly acknowledge their minor beefs before moving on to something new.    But Nas will never squash the argument if Jay-Z is plotting to release his next diss record.  Jay-Z doesn’t back down if Nas is waiting for the opportunity to say, “I won”.  I don’t trust your intentions and your need to remain in the shadows tells me I’m a good judge of character.

P.S.  “Say my name if you’re talking to me.  You ain’t say it, so I guess you weren’t talking to me”  T.I.  Kaufman, you said my name.  So whether YOUR INTENTION was to crush “The Undefeated”, Stephen Bannon, or Sarah Palin matters not once you insert my name. It then becomes a direct conversation between you and I. 

What History Would Do

I talked to a few of my Black Conservative friends and they all told me the same thing.  That’s what reporters do.  They slime you in a piece and then offer a private apology when their words come back to bite them.  They never take down the piece, add their apology, or learn from their mistakes.  They just move on to the next hit job and the next target.  This is the only reason I’ve written a second piece on this subject.  If I allow Kaufman, and those like him, to escape unscathed, they will sharpen their weapons and have them ready to downgrade, insult, and play the race card towards the next Black Conservative who would dare raise their voice.  At some point, the Media’s Hit and Run Mentality must be stopped.  And a private apology does nothing to hasten the fall of irresponsible journalist. 

There are very few subjects that are rejected by all four of my pillars.  Kaufman’s apology just happens to be one of them.  #REJECTED

So here’s my response after I’ve shared with you my thinking.  Kaufman is my brother and I love him.  Though we vehemently disagree, I would still like to restate my intial offer.  If you want to interview me, I would love it.  Let me state My Personal Case, outside of your Liberal Bias, and we can see where it goes from there.  But if you are more comfortable typing behind your keypad, next time pick your target a bit more carefully.

Anthony Kaufman: Allow Me To Introduce the Hip Hop Palinista

July 13th, 2011 | By Sonnie

First may I say Thank You for putting your foot in your mouth and inspiring me to start the conversation.  I’m a Southern Girl so I always start with good manners first.

Now let’s get to the point.  Anthony Kaufman published a little blog piece on IndieWire.  In it he takes shots at Stephen Bannon, Writer and Director of “The Undefeated”.  Bannon is a grown man and he can speak for himself.  But I will tell you what I tell everyone else that asks how I got involved in the the film; Not only is Bannon a genius, he also has good taste.  In case you didn’t check your facts, Bannon also included two blacks in “Fire from the Heartland”.  And after that interview he gave me the best advice I’ve received. “They will try to change you.  People will tell you what you could be, what you should be, or what they can make you.  Don’t let them take away that which makes you great.”

And I haven’t. 

Here’s the part in which I take issue:

For me, the most shocking moment in “The Undefeated,” however, comes with the appearance of a black person about two-thirds of the way through. I’m not sure if it’s what Bannon had in mind when he wanted to seize the audience’s attention, but the arrival of black conservative female activist Sonnie Johnson made me realize just how white everyone is, in both Alaska and the Tea Party.

I was able to meet Gov. Palin in Pella, IA for the premiere of “The Undefeated”.  One of the first things she said to me was, “are you ready for all the hate that will come your way for being associated with me”.  I told her, “I’ve got Palin in my blood”.  I wish you would’ve known that little fact before you would downgrade me to the token black in your limited view of the Tea Party.  I am no one’s token.  Nor am I a punchline of what you think is a bad joke.  If seeing me in the film was such a shock to your cerebral, then why didn’t you grow a sack and interview me yourself?  Or is Breitbart right and your lack of a set is shown in your need to hide behind a blogpost.  Are you a Eunuch?

That’s not a name calling on my part, it’s more a need to understand.  Bannon would’ve told me if you had asked for an interview.  My name in plastered all over the web and social networking, so I’m very easy to find.  Why not come and ask me your questions and alleviate your surprise?  Isn’t that the job of a journalist?  Or is this your version of how a white boys chooses when its appropriate to play the race card? 

Well let me introduce you to a new breed of Black Conservative.  We are not your Carlton Banks, Clarence Thomas, or Condi Rice.  We learned conservative values from our black churches and the frugal nature of single parent homes.  We learned capitalism from Street Corners, while also trying to escape the traps Liberals set for us.  We’ve fallen, gotten back up, and now have families that we are willing to fight for.  Our Hip Hop culture has done more to disprove the idea of mutual salvation than all other sources of Conservative Talk, Blog, or TV and we are here to be a voice for those you and your Liberal cohorts have stereo typed for years.

If you want to know how Black I am, I dare you interview me yourself.  Just tell me when and where.   I’ll come to you.  It would be my pleasure.  Until then be grateful that, temporarily, you still have Obamacare.  If my appearance was a shock to you, then just wait until our voices are really heard.  You are going to need High Blood Pressure pills to keep your heart in your chest.  We are finding each other, becoming active in our communities, and giving blacks a choice to your Elitist and Dismissive Arrogance.

  In the end, if it’s a choice between you and I, it won’t be my blackness that puts you in your place.  It will be my voice, that will wish had remained silent.  My passion, which if you aren’t careful, might pull you in.  But most of all my “The Undefeated” nature that makes me a perfect fit for the film.   Sonskystar@aol.com.