Don’t Effen Call Me Karen

How Black Algorithms Label Black People

Olivia Meadows
3 min readSep 28, 2021
image courtesy of Stephen Keller

Is there a reason people of color need approval from the Black Delegation of Laws and Rules of the Board to be considered Black?

It’s obvious there’s a standard people of color must follow to maintain their Black Card.

If a person is found guilty of deviating the algorithm of blackness they could find themselves at risk for being labeled Karen or Ken by their peers.

Karen is a term coined by ??? that describes a white woman who is entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal.

It also depicts white women who can’t be trusted and who use their privilege to demand their own way.

What Does “karen” Mean? | Slang by Dictionary.com

Does anyone watch Love and Marriage Huntsville? Then you know exactly where I’m going with this.

In episode 10 season 3, cast member Destiny decides Tiffany’s behavior is not Black enough and refers to her as demonstrating Karen like vibes.

What is it about Tiffany’s behavior that Destiny feels does not meet the criteria for being Black?

My guess, Tiffany thinks outside the box, is openminded and challenges each cast member to exercise their critical thinking skill.

And while Tiffany has been known to overstep boundaries, Karen is obviously not the proper term for her behavior.

image appears courtesy of OWN, Loveandmarriagehuntsville

Some may disagree with this analysis but don’t pretend Black algorithms don’t exist in our society because we know they do.

They exist in language, temperament, likes and dislikes, and even religion.

Here’s three conflicting areas the Black Delegation for Laws and Rules of the Board may see as a problem.

  • A Black person who uses proper English.
  • A person of color who listens to music outside of RNB, Rap and Soul.

Lastly, being Christian and voting Democratic, are the top three problematic areas the Board insists must be maintained to hold a Black Card.

You can lose points for listening to nontraditional Black music and you may even be allowed to use proper English once in a while but absolutely under no circumstance will the Black Delegation of Laws and Rules of the Board allow continued membership if Christianity and Democratic voting are not fashioned accordingly.

Never mind the native religion of Black America was not associated with Christianity, but of Yoruba origin practiced by the Africans before they arrived in America.

Yet, as more African Americans return to some form of their ancestor’s religion, there seems to be another divide among people of color and that new divide is the great spiritual awakening.

What’s the difference between spirituality and being religious?

There’s not a huge difference between the two terms.

The biggest difference is how society defines religion and spirituality.

Prime example, if someone expressed they are not religious, it means they identify as a person who adheres to faith — connecting primarily with the Earth, nature, and the cosmos. Spiritual individuals are likely not connected with any form of organized religion.

Black peers mistakenly assume the person without ties to organized religion is either an atheist or a devil worshipper.

It doesn’t matter if they are a good person who feeds the homeless and gives to the needy, the BDOLRB states you must be a regular member of a church no matter if the pastor is a pimp or the deacons are hoes, you must belong to a church!

Instead of worrying about race or religion, maybe we should all progress our attention to slowing global warming, saving the Ocean and spreading love.

George Bernard Shaw once said,

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Free your mind and maybe just maybe your ass might follow.

Love & Marriage: Huntsville (TV Series 2019– ) — IMDb

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