CNN Blacks in America Part 1 – 2009

Here we go again. I could barely stomach this much-hyped show. It could be due to my experiences with the show last year, but honestly I did hope that they would come a little better, but nope once again true to form Soledad and CNN have no idea what the hell being Black in America is all about. Here’s my take on the latest minstrel.

1. Pre-Show – I’m tired of hearing about Skip Gates and here’s why. He’s walking around saying this could happen to any black man in America, no shit, where have you been?? The issue is it wouldn’t have happened to many of us and here’s the reason why. Most of us know when approached by poe-poe we know number 1) raise your hands to show you don’t have any weapons and number 2) speak in a non-threatening, non-hostile manner; from what I gather Skip didn’t following any of these rules. Let’s face it Skip may have been upset for a few reasons and rightly so, 1) he locked himself out, 2) his ass-hole neighbor doesn’t know who he is and 3) Police are coming into his house like he’s the criminal. I would be upset too yet I know from being Black in America (ha) that whenever I’m approached I have to respond differently, that’s just the way it is! It is unfair but guess what folks, “it is what it is.” Those are the real issues of being Black in America. I’m not afforded the same liberties as any white person. Skip is walking around and boasting as if he were beat up, like someone on my twitter said, “Skip acting like he in a Birmingham jail” (LOL). I for one never side with cops, there the biggest gang out here. Yet for some reason I could see Skip catching a bit of a tude and law enforcement just wasn’t having it. Notice how the cop refuses to apologize, he is sticking with his story. Skip is advertising like he is now damaged goods, he does go on to say “I’m Henry Louis Gates and it happened to me” My response is so fucking what, it’s happened to all of us, why are you any different, cause you pal around with Oprah and told her about her family history as well as other celebs. Yes, your contribution to our culture is astounding, but Mr. Gates, you’re still Black in America and now you really know there’s more work to be done! So stop whining and focus your research on the true heart of being Black in America!

2) Bushwick and Chris Rock’s wife – OMG – Where do I begin? First they show the broken down PJs. Is that news to any of us, white people included, I mean come on. Little sister has no enunciation, the teenage boy who is no bigger than 5′7 wants to be an NBA player, no surprise there, the other teen who can’t speak to interview for the trip to Africa. OK, I was done. Why are these kids like this? Are they lazy, just born stupid, will never know anything? The answer to all these questions are NOT!!! The answer is these kids live in a condition that constantly denies them access to anything that can uplift them. There are more drug treatment programs in Bushwick, Brooklyn than there are mentoring programs. The schools are dilapidated, the teachers could care less (maybe not all of them), the food in the area is not fresh; you can get a bag of weed quicker than you get a fresh apple. And yet these kids are suppose succeed. I have faith that despite their circumstances they will, after-all I’m a product! But that still doesn’t depict being Black in America, it may depict being a hostage to inequality, but Soledad once again you and CNN are not giving the real reason. I kid you not I swore they were going to show a slave cabin, that ’s how destitute they make us look. Yes it is our reality, but both white and Black America need to know “why” and then work on finding the solution. The solution is clearly not Chris Rock’s wife. Sending these kids to Africa to see how poor Africans live, what is that suppose to give them some newfound respect for their neighborhood?? Fact is those kids in Bushwick are OUR Africa! Help them! A trip! They need more than a trip, they need a long sustaining solution that can help them and thrive into their descendants.

3) MLT – How much is this program? I admire the brother starting this. I work in Corporate America and that glass ceiling is hard as shit to crack! Yet once again, we’re missing the “whys”. Let’s talk about discriminative practices in Corporate America. Going through a program like this is not going to guarantee you a path to CEOism. These barriers are hard to break, their traditional, there’s a lot of my daddy knows your daddy and so many other factors that deny us. Not once was the cultural clash in Corporate America mentioned. For instance, I’ve been to events where sushi is served. Maybe my palettes are not as refined but this Blacktina only eats cooked fish. Wait I’ll take it way back give me some whitings and it’s on (LOL). Funny as this may be my refusal to something as minor as sushi is a direct correlation to our differences and it plays out big time. There’s so much more; I can’t say I met so and so on the tennis court, or we attended boarding school together in Switzerland. Once again the cultural clashes in Corporate America are so vast that you’re not even getting near the glass ceiling. Folks I don’t mean to sound doom and gloom, I’m just giving reality. Without a doubt some of us will have the opportunity to succeed. However, this show is telling us we can get this if we commit to a program such as this when in reality there are so many variables that do control the management of our progression.

Part 2 is on tonight, can’t promise I’ll watch. I may try to get some tidbits in. I’m just not sure if my blood pressure can handle CNN’s portrayal, we’ll see manana.