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Book Reviews B OOK R EVIEWS by Kam Williams ‘Blacklash — How Obama and the Left Are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation’ “There is this strange notion that because I am black I should agree with all black people… I don’t like Obama because he’s doing a horrible job…President Barack Obama’s adminis- tration has advanced poli- cies that are taking the country backward and his spending habits are out of control… I also don’t like the way some of the old-school black leaders have created and perpetuated a message of victimization among their black constituents… almost everything I was exposed to growing up was wrong... ” — Excerpted from the Introduction ‘Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving Together’ J amillah and David Lamb’s love story is a rarity, a real-life fairy- tale. They’ve pretty much remained inseparable since falling in love at first sight, and God has recent- ly blessed their union with a delightful daughter, Kaira. And to think that heir paths could just as easily never crossed. After all, he was born and raised in New York City and she in Chicago, and they attended college in different cities. But fate came into play after gradua- tion, when they both were hired by the same investment firm, even though Jamillah was stationed on the West Coast, while David was on the East Coast. One day, his head was turned by the picture of an attractive col- league in a staff photo on the office wall, and he said to himself, “I’m going to marry that girl.” So, he made it his business to meet Jamillah, and when the two were final- D eneen Borelli is an African-American conservative whose message of limited government has made her very popular with the Tea Party movement. Lately, she’s been a frequent guest on such Fox News Network shows as Fox & Friends, Geraldo Rivera, Sean Hannity and Neil Cavuto, to name a few. Ms. Borelli apparently has a number of bones to pick with the black community, starting with taking President Obama to task for “turning America into a welfare nation.” A big hint that she might have an anti-Obama agenda is the fact that she placed a blurb from TV host Glenn Beck on the front cover of her new book, “Blacklash.” Yes, that’s the same Glenn Beck who once unapologeti- cally referred to the president as a “racist… with a deep- seated hatred for white people.” Deliberate polarization appears to be an approach which resonates with Ms. Borel- li, who begins by quoting some of the hateful tweets and emails which have been directed her way. While the vile comments she picked to reprint certainly were uncalled for, I am sure she’s also received plenty of other letters criticizing her political point-of-view without ever resorting to cursing or slurs. Even I have occasionally been the butt of snarky remarks which went way over the line, but I prefer to dismiss such attacks as the rants of the lunatic fringe rather than give them any credibility. By contrast, for some reason, Ms. Borelli sees a need to inform her readers on page 1 that she’s been called a “Tea- bagging [N-word]” and a “white [B-word]” and worse. I guess that’s supposed to generate sympathy. However, it struck me as a transparent attempt to play the victim, which is ironic because she is particularly fond of excoriating black folks for having a victim mentality that keeps them stuck on the “government plantation.” With incendiary chapter headings like “How Black Leaders Fail Us” and “The NAACP as Liberal Front Group,” “Black- lash” is otherwise basically a boring rehash of right-wing Republican talking points. Besides Obama and blacks in general, Ms. Borelli takes potshots at many advocates of African-American causes: Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, even the First Lady. The only thing that makes the book unique is the fact that jaw-dropping assertions like “Welfare is an incentive for women to keep pumping out babies” in this case happen to be coming from the lips of an African-American female. All I ask of my readers is that you keep any feedback you have for the author of “Blacklash” civil, however misguid- ed the self-hating sister might be. Page 12 The Portland and Seattle Skanner April 11, 2012 ly introduced at the company’s Cali- fornia headquarters, they instantly fell head-over-heels for each other. The couple’s feelings only intensified dur- ing their whirlwind courtship and con- tinued to be nourished by their marriage, partnering as entrepreneurs, and starting a family. Given how Jamillah and David had flourished seeming so effortlessly, it was only natural that, over the years, friends would frequently urge them to share the secrets of their success with the world. The upshot of that sugges- tion is Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving Together, a book that is as much an introspective memoir as it is an instructional how-to tome. As producers of the hit Off-Broad- way play ‘Platanos Y Collard Greens’ it makes sense that they chose to pub- lish their sage insights in recipe form. Thus, each chapter ends with a sum- mary of “Key Ingredients,” under headings like “Lighten up!” and “It’s about balance,” followed by sensible tips for “Cooking with Love,” such as “Plan a surprise date for your partner” and “Write a love letter to each other describing your first date.” The precious pearls of wisdom are served up gourmet chef-style. Consid- er this cute recipe for finding balance in a relationship which calls for: “2 Heaping Cups of Appreciation, 1 Cup of Self-Knowledge, 1 Cup of Modesty and 1 Cup of Trust.” An ongoing, Off-Broadway tale of black-on-black love and devotion overdue for the limelight! Originally Published on AALBC.com (The African American Literature Book Club) Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com
