Peace Room Blog

The PK, who sets an example, whether they think they do or not. Always got to represent, as George once said.

The PK, who learns early-on, preferably by the easier, vicarious way, that there is a highlighted significance attached to their every public move, and every word uttered. It's the feeling of being watched and having even one's body language scrutinized and measured by people who you yourself don't know, and who do not necessarily have your best interest in mind.

Oddly, it is these same people who believe the PK to have an ego problem which needs to be taken down a few notches. They spare little in doing one this favor; publicly, whenever possible.

The PK never really gets over having been a PK, because there is always someone, somewhere to remind one that one is a PK.

But with time, one learns that they are not alone in the "ego problem" business. I wondered aloud with George once: What would it be like to be a pastor down the street from Martin Luther You Know Who, Jr. Much less being a PK in 60s Birmingham. If you're thinking, "better her than me", you're part of the problem.

Nancy hit the nail on the head one day in an IM: There are really two options for a female PK - one gets to be either the slut or the goody-two-shoes. She is absolutely right. I would say that most Black female PKs are the latter. Our father's (and in my case, mother's, too) credibility as community leaders rests on our reputations: "As black women, we have been taught not to flaunt our sexuality, thus subverting and preempting the stereotype of the oversexualized black woman," as Adrienne wrote. BAPs have been doing this for generations, all the moreso for us PKs. In fact, I was so sheltered and so utterly dense that somebody had to actually tell me about that stereotype that eggs are bad for you, as most of the women on my mother's side are probably some of the most repressed individuals ever - they make Condi look like a regular ol' trollop..

One can imagine the quanties of sh1t that hit the fan when my parents figured it out about me...There was, and remains, quite a bit at stake.

And could you imagine what would happen if Condi were Pentecostal? Could you see her busting out into the Holy Dance?? LOL - in this context it means Lordy oh Lord!

Back to our topic. Nowadays, you will see a lot of mainstream Protestant congregations incorporating "charismatic" or "praise and worship" styles and elements into their services to attract back those people. There is also a corollary - some mainstreamers have taken to calling themselves "charismatic" or "evangelical", while retaining their denominational affiliation. Among prominent Black people, Condi Rice (Presbyterian) and Clarence Thomas (Episcopalian) are perfect examples.