For 2 days, Oprah had a town hall meeting on what to do next in response to the Imus controversy. Before the end of the discussion, the Hip-Hop culture came into play as part of the discussion. I laughed as a I watch a panel containing Al Sharpton, a newspaper editorial writer, India.Arie, Russell Simmons, and even the Spellman students debate the issue at hand. Why did I laugh? Only one person even came close to the answer to the question posed.
What is it about our culture that makes it so easy to say what you want no matter how offensive it may be?
Allow me to argue with myself for a moment step in at any time.
The Myths
Because of Rap music's nature of demeaning women and upholding violence, it is ruining the mind of listeners.
Rappers should be held accountable for the message they relay.
The Spellman women were heroes for standing up to Nelly and keeping him from performing.
Wealthy Blacks are sellouts to their race.
Whites are racists and oppressors.
Poor people are lazy and undeserving.
The rich get richer.
The fast dollar is the only way.
My thoughts if you don't like them form your own.
The problem in this country is that capitalism and democracy are not built for morality. It's not an issue of race or sex but one of class. I think Huey was right in saying that the people should back the growth of their community. Be careful how you do so or you will be labeled a as a communist of some sort and taken down like The Black Panther Party.
The playing field is not level. Two children are born in the same hospital on the same day. One already has the means to achieve much just because of his/her blood; the other is born with the internal drive to become great but will have to rely on a big break to accomplish this because his/er family simply do not have the means to provide for that growth. Not making excuses.
A underprivileged family struggles to provide for the young ones. Most children dream one day to take the burden off their parents. Example, a talented young man skips college to go for the big money of professional sports. After signing that multimillion dollar contract he buys his mother a house car and sets her up so that she will never have to work in the school cafeteria again. She's not complaining about his college education. Bills are paid, and the family is eating.
Same story when a young man goes out into the community to make that quick dollar for his family be it legal or illegal because his father can't provide for him to go to school and feed the family at home. Soon he grows tired of the life and wants something more stable and he decides to pursue a music career and lives his life through music. It sells. The family eats.
I used no specifics so don't be narrow minded and insert many different variables and see how you view the same story. All this sounds crazy to the well-off businessman that never stepped foot into this environment.
So I look at the panel once again and I see a group of people who can all say that they overcame obstacles to achieve their status. Even Oprah went from very little to a billionaire. Was it because she was so smart or privileged? It was more hard work and catching that little break here and there. I've met many determined souls young and old that will never reach his/her full potential for one reason or another.
In my life, not only am I struggling to overcome myself, but I also have to combat the mind state that because I'm young and have little experience, I do not know much pertaining to my particular responsibilities. My professional growth is being stunted. The common advice is for me to get out and do something different. My reply is that is not time. My work is tainted because someone with "experience" feels that my way is not the way it has been so let's not change anything. That is the burden of the young professional.
Let's not support the lazy people of society, but how can I tell someone to get up, get a job, stop collecting government aid. How can I when I know that the same "experienced" employer will not hire certain people from a certain area because they have a history of not being reliable. What ever happened to being an equal opportunity employer? How can I encourage a young bright mind to endure the hardships for more prosperous days when I know that promotion is limited because there are those that are sitting atop the ladder that could easily retire or move on with no problem but won't because they are comfortable where they are? Don't understand? I'll explain. John the newscaster is an excellent journalist but is not happy with his compensation for his work. He could easily be the top newscaster in the company but Joe the 30 year "vet" loves his salary. Joe doesn't have to do anything but come to work and go home nothing special even though he commands a huge salary. He could walk away from his job and be set for life. Tough luck John; he's not going anywhere because the American "Dream" is to be come content and do nothing in return. I hope you find yourself in another town, kid
"He's a sellout cuz he won't do anything for the 'hood." That's not selling out. Selling out is what Master P did. He sold himself as a hardcore drug dealing rapper. Once his label fell a shambles, he cashed in on a couple lucrative acts and now is living the good life an Nickelodeon show. What a hustler. He sold himself to the highest bidder, first the music industry then mainstream America. "Snoop makes porn and now he's going to be on Sesame Street." Snoop doesn't make the rules, but he's playing the game very well. Why have morals and values when you can be come filthy rich doing what you want?
The corporate worlds does the exact same thing check this out. A textile factory is the life-blood of a small town for the sake of clarity I'll say.....Quitman. For years many families have made their living at this very factory. Somewhere in this Great country someone decides that it is more profitable for the country to pick up and move to another country because American labor is too expensive. Just like that you have a county of people that do not have the income rolling in anymore. Everyone is scrambling for a job. Even worse soon after a second factory shuts its doors for similar reasons. Everybody can't run down to Super Walmart and put in an application. There's not one. The best solution would be to move, but how many people you know can relocate a family of five while one is in college and after 20+ years of service with the same company? Somewhere on some beach there is a chairperson or whatever enjoying the sand and surf because of the great idea. The rich do get richer.
"Well go to school. Be a doctor or lawyer." Oh shut up. School is a gamble for most. Financial aid is not always available and even if it is, it's usually a loan that has to begin re-payment after graduation. Which means one has roughly 6 months to find some kind of gainful employment. Unless someone is studying in a high demand field, that may not be possible. Who wants to graduate with a B.S. in whatever and have to sell Goodyear tires (no offense) just to make the interest payments on a student loan until he/she can get enough money to take that GMAT/GRE? That is b.s. and a little extreme but it gets the point across.
"I can't stand athletes. They get a free ride and never go to class." You shut up too. So let them do what they do. For the most part they do not have the chance to work like you silly. If someone gives them any kind of money it's illegal. They have to live off that scholarship, and that's if they are getting one. If it wasn't for athletic ability some may not get near a college campus. If it wasn't for on-campus housing a lot of others wouldn't be there either. You get what you have to the best way you can.
A touchy subject here. "We need to abolish the N-Word" I'm all for it. As soon as we do, let's come up with a new term to describe the ignorance that certain African-Americans display in public. It's one thing to act a fool; it's a whole different can of worms when one's reckless acts can endanger others especially when it can ignite a riot situation for example. It hurts my heart to even pin the term African-American to people that do such, but there is no two ways about it. It seems that in our culture it has be come a glorified norm to be flashy and outlandish in an attempt to gain status. Our underlying pain is covered up by our need to have the most ridiculous of things. Loud and obnoxious is the way to go. Just don't worry about how bad you scar the rest of us with your foolishness; be selfish and keep painting that same old image of us being the animal that we are tagged. For every positive light there's those four or five negative incidents that drive us right back. I love positive progressive hungry BLACK minds; I have very little interest in the N-Words
Dress the part. I can't stress how important it is to dress the part you intend to play in the grand scape of things we call life. I observed a young lady no older than 20, with a miniskirt that was so short that the mere action of her walking exposed her undergarments. Women all over this country fight to loose the demeaning slurs that are used to describe them. The fight is aimed at the people that use the words, but let's think about who those very words fit well. I would call this young lady out of her name, but there are those of us in this world that feel that she fits that label so call her that. The body is like your house. Who would want to live in a house that more windows than actual walls. Also the windows have no shades or curtains. When the body is exposed for all to see it's like that same house sitting along the highway for all passerby's to admire the interior without once setting foot into the house. Then you have the one's that covet, who desire and will enter the dwelling, whether invited or not, for personal gain. I'll let that marinate; on to the fellas. The accepted appearance of the male has been so disturbing that it is near insulting. There is too much creativity and not enough knowledge as to what is appropriate for public exposure. Don't get me wrong, the creativity is what essentially makes one stand out; it's the willingness to follow that creativity by the masses that turns it into a joke. I'm not preaching assimilation, but be of a collective spirit and an individual soul. Maybe I am out touch with my generation. Whatever happened to using your basic color schemes and designing your wardrobe around that?
Allow me to retort my own discussion before annoyed decides to take it wrong. Your clothing is a reflection of you character. If you cannot afford to dress lavishly and yet still try, then you are not shining a positive light on that which is you. By the same token, those that constantly dress down to conform to that which is popular, the fad, and can afford or have the means to dress otherwise are needlessly demeaning themselves to appeal to someone or something that is not really important. That in itself speaks volumes. I'll insert a personal example here. As an undergrad working a low paying part-time job, I had no problem going to class or anywhere for that matter in a pair of jeans and whatever shirt I could get my hands on. My shoes were basic, black Nikes. Dressing up for me was a pair of khakis and a polo or button down (actually called a woven, sport shirt, or some combination of the two for those that want to be p.c.), tucked in, and a pair of "skippies" as my friend called them. The latter is now considered my casual or everyday style of dress now that I've moved up a lil bit in the world. T-shirts are for my off days, and times when I'm just out and about. Dressing it up consists of dress slacks, dress shoes, and dress shirt/polo. This is not for everyone just a personal example. The moral is that you have to keep progressing in life. If you were wearing fashion trends two to fives years ago, it's time for you to step up to the next level and grow up. Even if you are not growing up mentally, you can at least grow up in appearance. Remember this the next time you see a thirty-something year old man wearing an all denim outfit with his 1988 Eazy-E (RIP) hat. One day that will be you. Don't get trapped in the past.
To Be Continued...
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