CNN Blacks in America – Part 2

OK I’m a little late in writing this one, but I must get some things out. Part two was a little better than part one but overall I still had some issues with this so called enlightening series.

First let me begin with what I liked about the show:

1) Corey from Queens – this segment was a true representation of what real brothas in the hood who are trying to better themselves experience.  What I found most interesting and was glad this was portrayed is when Corey filled out an online application and the prospective employer’s web-site encouraged Corey to visit the location. When Corey visited the representative informed him that the company does not request visits; the catchall of this scenario was the representative who had a heavy Spanish accent. Given that this was New York I’m guessing Puerto Rican or Dominican. Being a black Puerto Rican I can tell you this man took one look at Corey and said to himself not that moreno. I bet you the manager is Puerto Rican and there’s this secret pow-wow of not hiring Blacks. This segment in what I wished was elaborated on was a true representation of cross-racism. In what some call the perceived myth of the Black/Brown issues showed it’s true colors in this segment.  This segment also taught America it is better to be any color other than Black.  We got whitey hating on us and now Puerto Ricans too, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

2) Kenneth Allen – the reformed addict now preacher.  I hope viewers saw the contrast how this man attended what was considered a good school in terms of academia, however, in terms of moral fiber the school was a haven for character assassination.  Imagine going to school for six to seven hours every day and be called everything that is of vile nature.  Talk about a damaging self esteem.  After finishing school he then joined the Army and need I say more.  The military has been and still is one of the most racist institutions America has ever produced.  I figured that out when I went to High School and the only people interested in poor Black and Puerto Rican kids was the Army and Marines.  Funny the boys in “white” the Navy and Air Force never came to Walton High School in the Bronx. I know this metaphor sounds funny but isn’t it ironic that this branch of military which I believe is considered more esteemed is garnered in white and not known for recruiting minorities??   Getting back to Kenneth he experienced all of this and then went on drugs, went to jail and the rest is history.  I hope white America can understand how a person can be demeaned all of their life and succumb to a numbing agent that pretends to take away all of life’s ills. I don’t condone this behavior but part of me does understand.  In conclusion I was glad to see how Kenneth not only turned his life around but has made it his mission to help others.  This is a true character of a man and Kenneth I commend you!

OK here are my issues with Part Two: 

1) Middle Class Family from Arkansas – While I’m always happy to see fellow African Americans who moved on up like George and Weezy what I can’t stand is when they act like they’ve lost themselves.  Hell George and Weezy didn’t even lose themselves.  But some of us get up there and bam flavor is gone. They might even be off beat to an R&B song, I don’t know, but somehow some of us who attain a certain class become fake, stale and just plain ole full of it.  This family just sickened me.  First of all when the father talked about the son being arrested in a drug house for shooting someone, I don’t recall him expressing concern for his son’s safety and perhaps some police brutality, nope, boyfriend was embarrassed about the Marshalls coming to his house.  I was like damm was your son OK?; weren’t you concerned about him being beat down by the cops?; about a drug dealer coming after him?; nope it was about his reputation.  The killer to this piece in which I had to scream was when his son was given only five years probation.  Think about black people from the hood?!?!?! 5 years PROBATION! for a shoot out in a drug house!  The gun alone is time and in a drug house especially if there was crack, need I say more.  Just a note, my brother was 19 years old when he committed his first offense.  He robbed a shoe store with a fake gun and only got about $500.  He was given 2-6 years. No shootout, no drugs.  What nobody said was how this guy ended up with probation?? Remember the father didn’t want to talk about it.  It was too shameful for their family   But wait what else was this guy going to get when his mother is a judge and his brother is the prosecutor!!! Talk about hook up. Now I ain’t hating, but come on let’s keep it real.  Your son got off where most black people don’t cause you had the hook up.  What this segment taught is the only way we as blacks have even the remote chance of getting away with something is if a close family member is in the system.  Funny how the brother prosecutes solely on the evidence.  I wonder if he ran the same shit when his brother appeared in court.  And that folks is the phoniness that some of us portray when we ”move on up”.

Lastly, what is up with Denise Huxtable’s husband??? Yes I know he has a name but I’m not going to give him the honor of addressing him as such.  Is the dude mad because Bill Cosby hasn’t given him any voice over work on Little Bill? Is he mad because General Hospital killed off his lawyer to the mob, illegitimate black grandson to the whitest richest man in town character? What? What are you so pissed at?  I swear if I didn’t know better I bet he hates Black people.  I’m convinced he has a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker, I wouldn’t doubt it! 

On a scale of 1 to 10 CNN Blacks in America was a 2 one for Corey and one for Kenneth.  As someone noted the only thing that came out of this series was ratings for CNN.  I hope the next time, if there is one, that Soledad, the Slam guy (whoever that was) and the producers think long and hard about portraying Black America, because this certainly wasn’t it!

 

CNN – Blacks in America

I’m pissed off at this show and not because of what everyone may think.  As black people we already know about poverty, discrimination, equality, the list can go on and on, that’s not what pissed me off last night, it pisses me off everyday, it’s our reality we know it!  What got to me was where is the substance, where were the “Whys” Why does this happened?  To showcase the same old story where poor old me can’t get ahead because I’m black was so redundant.  For instance the single dad with the two beautiful intelligent children.  If I had to guess I would think he’s in his late 30’s early 40’s.  Why is this man contemplating homelessness once again?  I think he said this is the 10th time they had to move and the 5th school his children will be attending.  Why??? No one ever asked or answered that question.  All he can say is that he takes care of his kids which is admirable but it was never once expressed as to why this man does not have any stability.  Is it the way he was raised?  What is his background?   What causes us as a people to strive for less?  Is it generational failure? If so, why??  It is not enough for me to watch a show geared at the state of my people and show me what I already know.  This man is like every other man or woman I grew up with and seen in the ghetto, but why, why does it happen to us and not to white people??

The other part that infuriated me was the Rand family and their adoration for their white grandfather.  What the Hell??? While I admired the closeness of this family and how they were able to trace a good part of their history in the same breath I was mortified at how they held the picture of white Grandpa so proud and said they believe their maternal black grandmother wasn’t a slave and they were in love. Helllloooooo!!! The year was 1840???what.  If you were black and weren’t a slave you certainly didn’t have free reign.  Best believe that freed nigga was treated just as bad.  They carried on as if their grandmother being a mistress was this great love affair.  So great that the families didn’t meet until nearly 150 years later.  Yeah that’s a great love affair, something the maternal grandmother was proud of or not!  I’m still trying to wonder what was the reason for showcasing this part.

The one part that didn’t piss me off about the Rand family was the husband and wife team who have six kids and own a construction company. Bravo! Great to hear this, but what I think America both black and white could have benefited from was to hear HOW did they get this??  It was mentioned the business was started out by her Dad, but how did he do it.  A black man in the let’s say in the 1950’s or 60’s starting his own company, How??  What did he have to do to right?  Was he given a chance? And there it goes, how do some of us succeed is it by chance?  Does someone give us one? or do we accidentally come across a good situation? Is it hard work and persistence? Are we at the right place at the right time? What is it? And God only knows I wish this show would of told us.  Is chance what differentiates us from them? Are they given more chances than us?  Honestly in my line of work I would say yes.  And this is the exact message that needed to come across.  I got more out of Michael Eric Dyson on Anderson Cooper than I did on this show.  I so wished that Soledad O’Brien and CNN would have given the American audience a more substantive true look at the African American as oppose to the same woe is me saga.  I’m tired of that. Next time show me more, give me more, we’re thirsty for it.  Tonight is part 2 of this series and I pray that the segments help us all understand how it really is to be Black in America.

 

The Networking Hour

Everyday when I’m in my Blacktina Carrie Bradshaw mood I go downstairs for a late lunch anytime between 2:00 and 3:00 and have myself a flavored whipped up coffee either from Starbucks or Caribou (Caribou’s is better by the way, but just more expensive). I usually see business couples who are either mentoring or being mentored, talking strategy, management, etc. As I look around and eaves drop (old habit) I usually laugh and say to myself my goodness don’t they have anything else to talk about. Who wants to talk business everyday even on a break. But today for some reason I had a different approach I overheard this gentlemen from what I gathered was some type of executive giving valuable advice to a younger man who seemed eager and privileged to be the recipient of such knowledge. For once I didn’t laugh or think good Lord how boring can they be. For once I thought to myself how come more of “us” aren’t having these types talks??

I’ll be the first to admit whenever I’m out to lunch with a colleague of the same persuasion as myself we don’t talk about work, unless it’s gossip. There isn’t any mentoring. If there’s any talk about work besides gossip it’s a bitching session. The point I’m trying to make is nothing fruitful can come out of gossip/bitching session. OK, who we’re kidding some things that come out of these topics are a trip, if you know what I mean . But getting back to reality, does this really help us? Does it help us in the workplace when we form clicks; when we congregate before and after a meeting and discuss irrelevant topics that don’t pertain to the workplace?. I know fun is important but when do we buckle down and get serious.

Some of us may feel why bother to put your “all” during and after work hours, this is understandable in some cases. But if you have the opportunity to receive what someone is willing to give then you should take it. The knowledge you receive may assist you in your current job or some where else. The bottom line is let’s stop shutting ourselves out, we have enough people who would do that to us. Let’s make sure we’re also strategizing whether it’s work related or not. The point is let’s make our contact with one another productive. We have all the time in the world to discuss the BET Awards or who’s hair needs to be done. Let’s start talking about how we can be in line to receive our own award and help others who may want to follow! Progress people, it may be small steps but if we take enough of them it will be one giant leap!

The Resurrection of the Free Lunch Program?

For those of you who grew up in the 70’s maybe early 80’s and lived in what is now called an inner-city neighborhood (i.e. ghetto), must remember the summer free lunch program.  If you were like me and my siblings, cousins, friends, etc., we toted around the neighborhood in search of free lunch. Hell we mapped out sights, carried our bags and came away with those little milk cartons, fruit, sandwiches and occasionally if we were lucky apple juice (ooh…..).  I’m not sure if you’re family was like mines but for that entire summer my mother did not have to buy milk.  She was able to rely on those little red Dellwood labeled cartons of whole milk.  Summers in the 70’s was just grand for your ghetto child. 

Now let’s remix this free lunch program to corporate America.  In corporate America free lunch is when the top executives have a catered lunch meeting and as soon as that meeting is over either an email comes out saying there’s lunch left over or the lookout person calls you and says “OK they’re finished” and you run down and grab your Chicken Franchese with penne and zucchini.  Fun, right, yes, I agree I ran plenty of times to eat food I had never heard or better yet couldn’t afford for lunch.  But as the years have gone by and reaching the tender age of 40 I don’t find the allure of this lunch program so interesting.   Honestly I find it demeaning, here we are getting the scraps of what’s been left over and picked at.  It’s almost like saying “feed the peasants” or better yet as in the time of slavery when the masters gave our ancestors their scraps.  For some reason as I look at those who run to this free food I wonder where’s their dignity, not that eating a left over from a fine restaurant compromises’ your dignity, no not that, but when you plan for these events, when you’re always the first on line or better yet when you come with your Tupperware (LOL).  Yes you know who you are!  And the reason for the Tupperware is because  you’re bringing left over, picked at, breathed on food home to your family.  I mean really, that’s a compromise of dignity. 

Usually when I write for Blacktina it’s all about the true unfairness we as a people of color receive, but in this instance I have to say peeps ease up on the free lunch.  We are not that desperate for handouts and when the receptionist starts to call you directly to come get some free food and she’s of the other persuasion best believe she thinks you’re some poo (to cheap for the “r”) boy or gal who’s in need.  Let’s rid ourselves of that stereotype ease up on running for the free lunch, remember white people don’t wash their hands in the bathroom, you have no idea what you’re touching and bringing home to your family!