Are Black Civil Rights Elites Really Concerned About Their Young Black Women Being Degraded?
Don Imus has really caused a stir with his comments regarding the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. There is no good excuse for his “Nappy Headed Ho’s” reference used to describe the women.
Don Imus has really caused a stir with his comments regarding the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. There is no good excuse for his “Nappy Headed Ho’s” reference used to describe the women.
Al Sharpton and others have come down hard on Imus (as they should) and are calling for Imus to be fired or resign from MSNBC. I agree with Sharpton that this kind of language should not be permitted over Federally sanctioned (taxpayer supported) airwaves. I couldn’t agree more. Which helps me build up to my point….
I support my fellow bloggers (especially the African American bloggers) up to this point in the discussion. Then we come to a fork in the road. I stayed at this fork in the road for a long time, debating which way I would go. Most of my fellow bloggers have chosen to take the route to the left, which comes down hard on Imus, calls for his firing or resignation, (and maybe calls the man a few deserving names)…and asks “How dare he call black women Ho’s”.. They support protests outside of the NBC stations, support boycotts, etc until Imus is fired. The Angry Independent is o.k. with that.
But then everyone goes home and lives happily ever after…. That seems to be the road most traveled in this debate.
I support my fellow bloggers (especially the African American bloggers) up to this point in the discussion. Then we come to a fork in the road. I stayed at this fork in the road for a long time, debating which way I would go. Most of my fellow bloggers have chosen to take the route to the left, which comes down hard on Imus, calls for his firing or resignation, (and maybe calls the man a few deserving names)…and asks “How dare he call black women Ho’s”.. They support protests outside of the NBC stations, support boycotts, etc until Imus is fired. The Angry Independent is o.k. with that.
But then everyone goes home and lives happily ever after…. That seems to be the road most traveled in this debate.
Not So Fast Reverend Al, Jesse Jackson, Michael Eric Dyson!!!
Back at that fork in the road, I chose to go to the right. It was the road with no one on it…. This road leads to the Town of “Black Introspection”. The scenery along this road is clear. You see Black hypocrisy, and opportunist preachers …relics from the civil rights movement of 1 or 2 previous generations, who are desperate to keep their names and faces in the news. Every time one of these situations come up, there they are….taking the headlines.
But let’s put this thing into perspective. Here you have a White man, Don Imus, who utters the words “Nappy Headed Ho’ s” one time, and these “Black Leaders” want to send his ass to the gallows (Like Saddam). I don't know if he's a hardcore racist or not. His statements certainly could be called racist... Although he appears to have a track record of making comments that are out of order. I think the man is unbelievably ignorant for sure.
Back at that fork in the road, I chose to go to the right. It was the road with no one on it…. This road leads to the Town of “Black Introspection”. The scenery along this road is clear. You see Black hypocrisy, and opportunist preachers …relics from the civil rights movement of 1 or 2 previous generations, who are desperate to keep their names and faces in the news. Every time one of these situations come up, there they are….taking the headlines.
But let’s put this thing into perspective. Here you have a White man, Don Imus, who utters the words “Nappy Headed Ho’ s” one time, and these “Black Leaders” want to send his ass to the gallows (Like Saddam). I don't know if he's a hardcore racist or not. His statements certainly could be called racist... Although he appears to have a track record of making comments that are out of order. I think the man is unbelievably ignorant for sure.
Sharpton has put this issue in the context of our Beautiful Black women should not be degraded and called “Ho’s” over the airwaves. O.k., fair enough, but in doing so, Mr. Sharpton and others have opened up a can of worms that they can’t put the lid back onto.
What I find strange in all this (and maybe I’m the only one) is that the so-called Black leadership seems to have selective amnesia on this issue. They want to scalp this man for saying “Nappy Headed Ho’s”? They want to do all of this organizing and protesting against this man??? When at the same time, within the so-called “Black Community” this kind of language, often from Black rappers, is par for the course. The use of the terms B*** and Ho’s, has become the standard for describing Black women. Not only that, but the rappers go even further and describe in graphic terms what they want these women to do (or what these women have done). And yes, this kind of sickness goes out over the airwaves via urban radio stations in Black Communities from Coast to Coast EVERYDAY!!!! EVERYDAY!!!! EVERYDAY!!!!
And even worse, the images that Black rapper thugs have perpetuated of Black women in rap videos is beyond deplorable. These images are 100 times worst than anything Imus did. His one offense doesn’t even come close to the severity or the frequency of offenses that Blacks perpetuate against other Blacks on a daily basis. No one has degraded people of color (particularly Black women) more effectively than other Black folks from the Rap/R&B/Entertainment world.
This is a very serious problem within the African American community.
When this kind of language is heard on a daily basis from often white owned (but Black operated) radio stations across the country-- playing songs that call Black women B****s, whores, etc…or that play material from rappers who are known to use this language and known to degrade Black women-- I don’t see the same kind of reaction from the so-called Black community. I don’t see the Rev. Al or Rev. Jesse Jackson reacting with the same kind of determination and vigor to get anyone fired or to have programs and stations taken off the air. The airwaves used by Hot 97 FM and the rest of these Cancers on the Black community are the same Federally regulated (taxpayer supported) airwaves used by Don Imus. The hypocrisy from “Black Leaders” could not be more striking.
I am still waiting for the protests of these Black urban radio stations that do this kind of thing EVERYDAY!!! I’m still waiting for Sharpton and his cohorts to demand that DJ’s and station managers be removed from some of these urban radio stations that push this poison EVERYDAY. I’m still waiting for Rev. Al to organize protests against BET, MTV and the record companies to get them to stop degrading Black women (and men) in the videos that they create and show. I’m waiting for the good Rev. Al to organize boycotts of the companies who peddle their products on the urban radio stations and on Empty V (MTV), and BET during the time slots when these kinds of songs and videos are being played.
Instead of coming out strongly against this kind of behavior, which is for the most part perpetuated by Black entertainers, the Black elite establishment (including the Civil Rights Royalty) has embraced this kind of nonsense. For example, Nelly, the St. Louis rapper behind the Tip drill video and controversy, was honored by the King family here in St. Louis just a few years ago (this was right after the Tip Drill Controversy heated up). The NAACP gives awards to these people every year….again, supporting the images and the messages that these rappers and entertainers perpetuate. The Black elite establishment is not really concerned about the image of Black women or the vile language that is used against them, otherwise they would not look the other way or condone it like they have been doing for so many years.
Just to be clear, I am not defending Don Imus. What he did was horrible. My point is, there are elements within the so-called Black community who do much worse than this on a routine basis, yet nothing happens to them…. They are not even mentioned for the most part. This kind of hypocrisy has to stop. If Black America is really concerned about the image (and the honor) of Black women then they shouldn’t start with Don Imus. If Black America is really concerned about Black women being called degrading names, then they shouldn’t start with Don Imus. If Black folks want to clean up the image of Black America and Black Culture, then they certainly shouldn’t start with Don Imus. They should start by looking at those within their own communities who are much more vile & more damaging than Don Imus, but who get away with their nonsense time and time again, because they are Black.
The so-called Black Community, and the Rev. Als and the Jesse Jacksons, should start by cleaning up their own house before burning down someone else’s. Maybe then, Black folks will get more respect. It’s much harder for Black folks to demand respect from those of other ethnicities (especially for Black women) when Black folks are not respecting their own.
Yes, let’s deal with Don Imus. But let’s not go home afterwards to live happily ever after as if this kind of thing is no longer a problem. It’s an even bigger problem within the “Black community”. So I hope these so-called Black leaders will be just as vigorous about dealing with this within their own community as they are now, when the target is Don Imus.
What I find strange in all this (and maybe I’m the only one) is that the so-called Black leadership seems to have selective amnesia on this issue. They want to scalp this man for saying “Nappy Headed Ho’s”? They want to do all of this organizing and protesting against this man??? When at the same time, within the so-called “Black Community” this kind of language, often from Black rappers, is par for the course. The use of the terms B*** and Ho’s, has become the standard for describing Black women. Not only that, but the rappers go even further and describe in graphic terms what they want these women to do (or what these women have done). And yes, this kind of sickness goes out over the airwaves via urban radio stations in Black Communities from Coast to Coast EVERYDAY!!!! EVERYDAY!!!! EVERYDAY!!!!
And even worse, the images that Black rapper thugs have perpetuated of Black women in rap videos is beyond deplorable. These images are 100 times worst than anything Imus did. His one offense doesn’t even come close to the severity or the frequency of offenses that Blacks perpetuate against other Blacks on a daily basis. No one has degraded people of color (particularly Black women) more effectively than other Black folks from the Rap/R&B/Entertainment world.
This is a very serious problem within the African American community.
When this kind of language is heard on a daily basis from often white owned (but Black operated) radio stations across the country-- playing songs that call Black women B****s, whores, etc…or that play material from rappers who are known to use this language and known to degrade Black women-- I don’t see the same kind of reaction from the so-called Black community. I don’t see the Rev. Al or Rev. Jesse Jackson reacting with the same kind of determination and vigor to get anyone fired or to have programs and stations taken off the air. The airwaves used by Hot 97 FM and the rest of these Cancers on the Black community are the same Federally regulated (taxpayer supported) airwaves used by Don Imus. The hypocrisy from “Black Leaders” could not be more striking.
I am still waiting for the protests of these Black urban radio stations that do this kind of thing EVERYDAY!!! I’m still waiting for Sharpton and his cohorts to demand that DJ’s and station managers be removed from some of these urban radio stations that push this poison EVERYDAY. I’m still waiting for Rev. Al to organize protests against BET, MTV and the record companies to get them to stop degrading Black women (and men) in the videos that they create and show. I’m waiting for the good Rev. Al to organize boycotts of the companies who peddle their products on the urban radio stations and on Empty V (MTV), and BET during the time slots when these kinds of songs and videos are being played.
Instead of coming out strongly against this kind of behavior, which is for the most part perpetuated by Black entertainers, the Black elite establishment (including the Civil Rights Royalty) has embraced this kind of nonsense. For example, Nelly, the St. Louis rapper behind the Tip drill video and controversy, was honored by the King family here in St. Louis just a few years ago (this was right after the Tip Drill Controversy heated up). The NAACP gives awards to these people every year….again, supporting the images and the messages that these rappers and entertainers perpetuate. The Black elite establishment is not really concerned about the image of Black women or the vile language that is used against them, otherwise they would not look the other way or condone it like they have been doing for so many years.
Just to be clear, I am not defending Don Imus. What he did was horrible. My point is, there are elements within the so-called Black community who do much worse than this on a routine basis, yet nothing happens to them…. They are not even mentioned for the most part. This kind of hypocrisy has to stop. If Black America is really concerned about the image (and the honor) of Black women then they shouldn’t start with Don Imus. If Black America is really concerned about Black women being called degrading names, then they shouldn’t start with Don Imus. If Black folks want to clean up the image of Black America and Black Culture, then they certainly shouldn’t start with Don Imus. They should start by looking at those within their own communities who are much more vile & more damaging than Don Imus, but who get away with their nonsense time and time again, because they are Black.
The so-called Black Community, and the Rev. Als and the Jesse Jacksons, should start by cleaning up their own house before burning down someone else’s. Maybe then, Black folks will get more respect. It’s much harder for Black folks to demand respect from those of other ethnicities (especially for Black women) when Black folks are not respecting their own.
Yes, let’s deal with Don Imus. But let’s not go home afterwards to live happily ever after as if this kind of thing is no longer a problem. It’s an even bigger problem within the “Black community”. So I hope these so-called Black leaders will be just as vigorous about dealing with this within their own community as they are now, when the target is Don Imus.
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RELATED ARTICLES
Watch/Listen to Hip Hop Critic Davey D as he talks about the "Clear Channeling of America" during a major conference on media reform, which was held in St. Louis back in 2005.
View the PBS Documentary Entitled "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (Scroll to bottom of page).
The Return of the Minstrels. Scroll to the Bottom and hear an interview with writer Lonnae O'Neal Parker. Also read her column regarding the problem of degenerate Rap music.
The Return of the Minstrels Part II
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Story also reported at Rachels Tavern
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