We’re told to “get a sense of humor” and ironically to “lighten up” when it comes to our reaction as people of color to racist imagery and histories being put up on magazine covers and more recently, on a tee shirt.

When a 25-year-old Manhattan graduate student who was assaulted Tuesday night got dressed that morning, she probably didn’t anticipate that her T-shirt would provoke four teens into shoving her, pulling out her earphones and spitting in her face.

Then again, with a shirt sporting the slogan, “Obama is my slave,” it may have been wise to consider the possibility.
Now she’s suing the $69 shirt’s designer, Apollo Braun, for “all he’s got,” the designer claims.
But the Israeli-born Braun — born Doron Braunshtein — says what allegedly happened to his now-disgruntled customer isn’t his fault — and that his outrageous design reflects not his views but those of “ordinary WASPs.”

Wait? Am I seriously supposed to feel sorry for either one of them? The woman who could afford a $69 shirt and felt safe and comfy in her hipster irony, safe enough to walk through NYC wearing a shirt that describes Obama as a slave? Must be nice to have that privilege.

Or am I supposed to feel bad for the designer, who apparently really dislikes Obama because he’s a “muslim” (he isn’t) and has created a whole series of offensive shirts.

This isn’t Braun’s first sartorial criticism of the Democratic presidential presumptive nominee. He has also sold shirts with slogans such as “Jews Against Obama,” “Obama = Hitler” and “Who Killed Obama?” — which he claims was so popular, he moved 1,200 pieces.
“I can’t stand Obama,” Braun says, adding that it’s not because the Illinois senator is black. “That’s the only thing I like about him. He opens the door for other minorities.”
“He reminds me of Adolf Hitler,” Braun explained, adding he does not like Obama because “he is a Muslim”

For more on hipster racism read this Racialicious post.

Image and Quotes Via / Metro