Sheena swings through the jungle again, this time in the Margaret B. Jones memoir, Love & Consequences. Jones’ book explores the real-life experiences of a part white, part Native American girl taken in by a South Central LA foster family, her life in the gangs, the depraved pathology of Black America, and her eventual escape to a small Oregon town – where she still keeps it real with her fellow Bloods (after all, you’re in the game for life) whenever they need a place to crash.
But like Sheena – and her boy Tarzan – this narrative of white triumph over the dangerous Black Other is all a stack of crafty lies.
Jones’ real name is Margaret Seltzer. She’s a Valley Girl. She attended private school. She’s not Native American. She was never placed in foster care. And, like Eminem’s Clarence, Margaret Seltzer seems to have very good parents.
Farai Chideya interviewed the New York Times reporter that exposed Seltzer after the author’s sister called her out. Listen to Motoko Rich’s 6 minute interview on News and Notes. Then listen to my 5 minute interview, meant to provide analysis, on the same program.
Comment(s)
This comes from journalist Audrey Edwards:
Good show, Eisa! Your comments were right on. I’m so tired of publishers buying into black pathology and thinking that whites can tell our stories better than we can. And I love Farai. She does great radio. I’m back in Paris catching up on good things like NPR.
Abientot,
Audrey