If there’s anything that the Zeta Tau Alpha victory at the Sprite Stepoff National Championships should reteach us, its that white great is only surpassed by black greatest.
And that’s not a diss to Zeta Tau, or a jab at the runner up Alpha Kappa Alpha; its a reality that has been bored into the conscience of Americans in all aspects of achievement, large and small. What white folks can afford to be good at, black folks have to be breathtaking at.
Had John Mayer casually intimated about his sexual escapades, his cross-over effect with his African-American fans and his preference for white women, he would have saved himself the trouble of taking a genuine apology and making it plain.
But like most celebrities, Mayer confused his unique level of exposure with a unique insight on complex topics like relationships and race; topics that people with far more degrees and far less dexterity on acoustic guitar have yet to master.
Okay, Superdome. You’ve convinced me. I forgive you.
No, I won’t forget the color of death by which you were painted just a few years ago. Starving children, helpless mothers and desperate fathers aren’t easily sang and trumpeted out of your mind, no matter how many touchdowns you score. I won’t forget the onlooking world wondering about you, about how you became the symbol of good old fashioned American racism.
But I forgive you. Because your neighbors have forgiven you.
Lamar Royal? Yes, he is a buffoon.
General Larry Platt? Given the social commentary about pants being on the ground, the buffoonery can be excused.
Rod Blagojevich’s hood posturing aside, the question about Barack Obama’s blackness has uniquely resonated inside and outside the gravel gates of Black America for awhile now. And I just don’t get it; I mean, how many signs does a brother have to throw your way to convince you that he is, indeed, a brother?
How many rappers have to be on his campaign trail?
How many times does he have to reach out to Muslims – in their own country?
And how many times does his wife have to come out of the house sans perm for us to get it?
Of course it’s racist. But truthfully, I’ve seen people of all kinds of races push and shove for chicken before calming down for it.
When you think of why black people are so comfortable perpetuating the myth that black people can’t do anything right, consider the nominations for the achievement awards handed out by the foremost minority activism group in the United States.
Outstanding Reality Series
- “American Idol 8″ (FOX)
- “America’s Next Top Model” (CW)
- “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
- “Extreme Makeover” (ABC)
- “Real Housewives of Atlanta” (Bravo)
Outstanding Variety – (Series or Special)
- “BET Awards 2009″ (BET)
- “Bill Cosby: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor” (PBS)
- “Michael Jackson Memorial Service” (ABC, BET, CNN, MTV, NBC)
- “Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me” (HBO)
- “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” (HBO)
As you can guess, the above highlighted are a bunch of bull. And probably will take the awards in their respective categories. There’s nothing outstanding about the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ with the exception of credit card balances and time to be paid back by drama-seeking viewers.
And a funeral and a haphazard awards show are up for best variety programming? Really? Why not throw the inauguration in there just to make it interesting. The sorrow and soul of Michael Jackson’s funeral clearly is the runaway favorite. Just hand it out now.
At a certain point, people in charge have to step back and consider, “will this really make sense when someone puts it on Twitter and Facebook? Do we really want this on CNN?”
Finally, the State of the Black Union has reached a quiet and shadowed demise. Tavis Smiley, who for so long pined and begged for political and social minds to come take part in his soapbox revival for everything wrong with Black America, designed specifically for the choirs and music ministers of the culture, says other folks are doing his work for him.
Sad part is, many people have been doing his kind of work far longer and far better than he, and his money is just now allowing it.
Tavis’ opportunistic greed and self-aggrandizing aside, it’s high time for this and all other Black America forums to end. Nothing anyone can do can fully encompass the problems and possible solutions for Black America, because Black America’s membership is too diverse to attack these problems from a series of sermons every year.
Spike Lee recently called Tyler Perry and his art ‘coonery and buffoonery.’
Tyler Perry got pissed and called his artwork ‘bait’ for lessons on morality and community.
And so the question is, which audience do we want to be? Because obviously we can’t be in both corners.
Lee and Perry are both armed with the same mission in mind. To focus Black America under a lens and allow it to see themselves true and whole; and if other folks are interested, for them to get a sense of our hearts and our cultural triumphs. Both men want black people to see more of themselves and be happy with the portrait; I can imagine that they’ve felt in some small way, that their art has changed the world. If only through one changed life.
But like most art forms practiced and mastered by black artists, the pretext of giving your art to the world is that the world will be divided into two distinct and neat audiences for it. Those who hate it, those who love it. Those who get it, those who don’t.
Seriously? The Boys Choir of Harlem is no more? How did that happen and no one know about it? You would have at least thought BET or TV One…
Never mind.
