What "Dis-invited to the Cookout" Means In African American Culture

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the phrase "invited to the cookout" and disinvited to the cookout".

Part II of this series provides comments and excerpts about the phrase "disinvited to the cookout" (also given as disinvited to or banned from the cookout/BBQ".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-real-meaning-of-african-american.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides provides definitions, comments, and article excerpts about the African American meaning of the phrase "invited to the cookout"

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all of those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/comments-about-excerpts-of-articles.html for the closely related 2020 pancocojams post entitled "Comments About & Excerpts Of Articles About "Karen" & The "Raisins In Potato Salad" Memes".

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S EXPLANATION OF "THE  COOKOUT" /"THE BBQ" AS USED IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE
"The Cookout (or "the BBQ") in the context of African American culture is a reference for actual informal social events as well as the concept of informal spaces where Black people can relax, let down our guard, and “be [for] real” because the only people who are in those spaces are other Black people who have our well-being at heart  and possibly some non-Black people who have proven that they are our allies (i.e. They also have our well-being at heart.) 

African Americans may disagree which non-Black people have earned invitations to the Cookout (for that year).and which African Americans and/or other Black people have been dis-invited to the Cookout (for that year) and/or which African Americans and other Black people have been permanently banned from the Cookout. 

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COMMENTS AND EXCERPTS ABOUT BEING DIS-INVITED TO THE COOKOUT
(Numbers added for referencing purposes only)
Excerpt #1
From https://thesource.com/2017/12/29/10-celebrities-uninvited-cookout/ byMiss2Bees and Shurida Lundi, December 29, 2017"2017 was a year to remember. The year skipped zero and went straight to 100 right at the very beginning once Donald Trump was elected president. Despite his transparent views on minorities and immigration, he received a surprising amount of support from figures who are apart of urban communities. Many argued that their support for the POTUS was a strategy aimed to bridge the gap between him and the people. But Donald has proven that he’s more interested in building walls, instead of building bridges.

A few Trump supporters have apologized for their actions after receiving public backlash, but they were still uninvited to the cook out this year. On the other hand, other celebrities have publicly humiliated themselves, and/or displayed blatant ignorance, which led to their invitation being revoked also.

Check out The Source’s list of 10 celebs who were uninvited to the cookout in 2017
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These names are given without the article's commentary.] 

1. Chrisette Michele
2.  Tina Campbell of Mary Mary
3. Omarosa Manigault
4. Stacey Dash
5. Kodak Black
6. Steve Harvey
7. Tyrese
8. Gabby Douglas
9. Charles Barkley
10. Kanye West

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Excerpt #2:
From https://thegrio.com/2018/02/14/black-people-banned-cookout/ "8 Black folks
who are permanently banned from the cookout" Is your fav banned
from the cookout?
by Dustin Seibert, Feb 14, 2018
"An often overlooked yet enduring aspect of white supremacy is the fact
that if you’re Black and famous, you pretty much represent the entire race
and have to comport yourself as such, whether or not you ask for it.
No white celebrity will ever be concerned about how their actions
affect their whole damn ethnicity – like, I’d hate to be Black and
beloved, in fear of my every move being scrutinized and losing
my VIP pass to the cookout.

Sometimes, Black celebs slip up and have to take a little time
away from the cookout – similar to your auntie Yolanda because of
the time she brought up that whole thing about your cousin, her
“special friend” and the baby in front of everybody at the
table before anyone even had the opportunity to say grace.
Don Lemon had to take some time off for the ashiest of behaviors before he was welcomed back for leaning in on President
Donald Trump. Erykah Badu is going to have to sit this year
out for losing her entire damn mind about Cosby and of all people, Hitler.

But some famous Black folks have committed such egregious
atrocities against the sanctity of the race that they’re permanently
banned from the cookout. It takes a special kind of messiness
to get completely banned since we possess a level of forgiveness
that our pale human brethren lack.

Just the same, here are eight people who went and showed their entire ass
to the world and, as such, will forever be turned away by granny at fork-point."....

-snip-
Here's the list that was compiled by that article's writer
(presented as it was given in that article)
1. Omarosa Manigault
2. Tavis Smiley
3. Stacy Dash
4. Any Brotha associated with the Kardasians
5. "Dr" Umar Johnson
6. 'Pill Cosby'
7. Kodack Black
8. Anyone who is Black who voted
for Donald Trump

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Excerpt #3

From https://www.dashamerica.com/2019/02/20/stacey-dash-what-bbq/ What BBQ?, by Stacy Dash, Feb. 20th, 2019 

"This past week I found out that I wasn’t invited to a BBQ that
I didn’t know existed. I later found out that it was actually a
cookout, that I still wasn’t invited too. I mean honestly,
what’s the difference? Well, I found out when my good friend
Shanice Wilson and manager Milan Zoe explained to me
what the “cookout” was and to the dismay of many,
re-invited me. Apparently, anyone of stature with respect in the
black community can re-invite a disinvited individual. Confused?
Well so am I. Not because of the whole bbq vs cookout dilemma
and my invitation being revoked and then reinstated but
because after fully comprehending “The Cookout”,
I questioned the need for a cookout to begin with.

It was explained to me that the “cookout” is an analogy
for a private club of sorts that has a whole list of special
requirements the most crucial one being that you
have to be black. So why wasn’t I invited you ask?
Well, the trolling Instagrammer who told me I was
uninvited was trying to insinuate that I wasn’t black
or black enough because of my support of Joy Villa. Being a
Republican is another sure way to be disinvited.

[...]

I have been berated for making comments suggesting we
get rid of BET and questioning why we accept black history
to be highlighted and celebrated one month out of the year
(and the shortest month at that). While my comments may have
seemed like disrespect to the entities that were created to celebrate
black people it was actually quite the contrary. Much like the idea
of the cookout I ask the same question I’ve always asked. Why do
we as a people have a continuous innate need for separatism?
How do we expect equality while simultaneously creating both
physical and figurative environments where a certain hue of
melanin is the VIP ticket in? How can we ever expect inclusion
when we are taking the time to even separate the BBQ vs The Cookout?
To a color blind individual, both look like a gathering of people
enjoying good conversation while enjoying great food. But for
all that is good and Holy please do not confuse the two.
I found out the hard way that insinuating that they were essentially
the same thing was just pure disrespect In its highest form. Sigh…"...

****Excerpt #4From https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/4/1924191/--
God-don-t-like-ugly-is-what-my-grandma-used-to-say, 2020
…”We watch TV too. We see the “acceptable” black people
selected to be pundits to interpret our behavior to white folks.
We often laugh about the crap they sell you. Almost all of them spent
their time helping torpedo Kamala Harris. Duly noted,
even if we weren’t voting for her.

Van Jones does not speak for black people. Nina Turner does not
speak for black people. Joy Reid does not speak for black people.
Cornel West does not speak for black people. Shaun King got
dis-invited to the BBQ a few years ago.”…

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

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