Blacks and POWER

miss priss · #1 07-29-2002, 03:12 PM

What's up with blacks in power? We don't have enough of them but yet there are a select few who just plain run out! Is it beause they feel threatened with the proverbial phrase "hook a brother up" for fear of losing their position, fitting in with the White-dominated world of execs,or could it be that they are just little busy-bodies who want to be the chief and not the indian? What'sup?
Although you don't see very many women black or white in power either...just a thought

markmywords · #2 08-05-2002, 04:34 PM

i think part of the problem is that Black folks have to be allup in front of the camera and aren't willing to do the work behind the scenes where the real money is made.

look at the music industry. everyone wants to be a rapper w/ the bling bling, but the real honchos are the caucasian record execs who are only paying the artist a small percentage of what they bring in. that's why even though their music may be questionable i'm glad that master p and puffy at least own the companies that they're flossing for.

AKA2D '91 · #3 08-05-2002, 04:56 PM

I feel what you are saying, MMW I think you are correct.

But, I do not think Puffy TOTALLY owns Bad Boy. Isn't it a subsidiary of Arista? Now, his clothing line maybe a different story. He probably gets the majority of the profits from that.

Maybe Hidden Beach is a better example?

markmywords · #4 08-06-2002, 12:07 AM

on the puffy tip, he may not own all of bad boy but he does on the rights to most of the music in perpetuity. that is why prince and madonna formed their own labels. instead of just receiving royalty checks they have publishing rights so anytime their songs are rerecorded or used in television or film they are paid instead of the record company.

hidden beach's american subsidiary is located in california but they are actually owned by an english company which i don't believe is black owned.

RedefinedDiva · #5 08-06-2002, 12:37 AM

In my PERSONAL OPINION, I feel that Backs that get power get a bad rep because they don't know how to act with their new positions. I'll use Cash Money as examples. Just the other night, I was watching the Source All-Access and they were on. Baby was talking about how he never leaves home without $1 million worth of jewelry on everyday. WTF?

There are STARVING children in the world (or at least New Orleans) and here you are with $1 million in your mouth, on your wrist, around your neck, on your shoes, etc. They also talk about all the cars and things that they have.

I can't say that I blame the "nuevo riche" because when you've never had anything and finally get something, you don't know what to do. For example, (I am not tyring to offend) it's sort of like neos, when you FINALLY get into your org. of choice, you are going to show it off head-to-toe, front-to-back. You may also forget what it was like before you became a member and forget "where you came from." It just takes time to get off of that high and get a reality check to realize that you are not really that person (or shoudln't be that kind of person.) Unfortunately, some people never come back. Sometmes, we don't want them back.

I try so hard to figure out why Blacks in power act the way that they do. I like Oprah, but I notice a lack of "our" people on her show. I would have appreciated the appointments of Condaleeza Rice and Colin Powell had it been under another administration. Clarence Thomas... Ok, anyway.

I just wish that our race can start being more self sufficient. Also, when they give shout outs to the hood and the places that they grew up, they need to make sure that they are giving back to those places.

straightBOS · #6 08-06-2002, 10:34 AM

The problem here, I think, is that most of the posters are equating fame or notoriety with power. This continues to hinder us as a people when we chose to ignore-- or rather forget to mention those Blacks who are truly in power BEHIND the scenes. We are actually MORE successful OUTSIDE of the public eye. And we need to stop assuming that we need to follow or even mention someone with a semblance of power when there are more successful Blacks whose name most people do not know.

Puffy, Cash Money, Master P are NOT independent companies.
In fact, we own almost nothing in the music industry.

Instead, I think we each need to create our own PERSONAL power. We have the ability, we have the resources, and we have done it before.

AKA2D '91 · #7 08-06-2002, 12:50 PM

Thanks for the Info.

Is Magic's record label COMPLETELY independent?

markmywords · #8 08-06-2002, 02:53 PM

@@straightBOS:

I fully understand that there are very powerful Black people that are not in the public eye. The reason that I mentioned Puffy and Master P is b/c I work in a form of the entertainment industry and they are examples of people in entertainment doing things behind the scenes. Another that comes to mind is Russell Simmons. They were just quick examples of people who are making deals that affect their lives instead of just signing a contract and accepting wages.

I'm frustrated b/c I work w/ so many folks who want to be in front of the camera and don't realize that the people with the real dough and clout are in the offices that run the company. But no one wants to work in an office b/c there are no accolades from strangers there. There is no instant notoriety. These are college educated Black people and it seems that the main goal is to get some tv face time.

straightBOS · #9 08-06-2002, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by markmywords
@@straightBOS:
I'm frustrated b/c I work w/ so many folks who want to be in front of the camera and don't realize that the people with the real dough and clout are in the offices that run the company. But no one wants to work in an office b/c there are no accolades from strangers there. There is no instant notoriety. These are college educated Black people and it seems that the main goal is to get some tv face time.

I agree, that is why I say we should no longer look for "empowered Blacks" to represent us. Because we cannot know how they will use or misuse this power. Instead, we need to empower ourselves and go beyond the limelight.

More power to you, do your thing.

Also, Russell Simmons doesn't own it either...

miss priss · #10 08-08-2002, 03:26 PM

I agree with you Staight BOS, we must empower ourselves....I think in the Black community we equate fame with Blacks with "pull" for years this has always been the analogy...Most of us with pull usually are famous i.e. Oprah, Bill Cosby,etc. But my biggest beef is with SOME of us who play the H.P.I.C. role (head person in charge)...Ya know, I can think of a heckuva lot more people other than Blacks whom I work with that have that same mentality

starang21 · #11 08-08-2002, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by markmywords
@@straightBOS:

These are college educated Black people and it seems that the main goal is to get some tv face time.

that's why so many young people today are trying to be rappers or singers now, not engineers, not doctors or lawyers. in young peoples minds, the quick money is the real way to go, not the stable money. if people can start to understand that being powerful doesn't equate TV time, then we'd all be better off. instead of focusing on the ball players and the musicians, focus on the lawyers and doctors.

oneinamillion · #12 08-08-2002, 10:34 PM

I wonder why sometime our people aren't the ones who own islands, big time banks (I'm not talking about some little family own sumthin, sumthin) but I'm talking the real deal. And like with Oprah I haven't watched her show in 3 years I get so sick of seeing that stupid counselor on the show. I watch OhDrama but sometimes and this is just me....they act straight ghetto. Is there anyone out there who can get rich being black and represent it without submitting to our counterparts?
Cash Money I get so sick of seeing them all their videos are the same: sex, ?!@@*&! shaking, white ice, money and cars. My goodness it's like watching THE MAC over and over again.

Steeltrap · #13 08-09-2002, 11:19 AM

Owning islands and big time banks requires access to capital, which is something that a few of us (people like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Robert Johnson, et al) are just starting to get.

Remember, we've only had civil rights for the past 50 years or so (I date the beginning of the movement to Rosa Parks). Fifty years of civil rights can't really undo BS like slavery and its aftereffects that date back to the 1600s. Whole populations don't go in lockstep from poverty to affluence.

straightBOS · #14 08-09-2002, 01:11 PM

Hmm.. I think some of us need to toss out that next issue of "Black Hair" and get a subscription to "Black Enterprise".

We are not in a hopeless situation, and we have continued to advance. Bob Johnson is NOT the only Black billionaire, and we do head companies in which THEY work for US. We look to the wrong sources for information, and, when we don't hear anything, we think it has yet to be achieved.

My question is.. What is YOUR (personal) definition of Black Power in the 21st Century? Has it been achieved? Do you see yourself being able to achieve it? How?

Steeltrap · #15 08-09-2002, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by straightBOS
Hmm.. I think some of us need to toss out that next issue of "Black Hair" and get a subscription to "Black Enterprise".

We are not in a hopeless situation, and we have continued to advance. Bob Johnson is NOT the only Black billionaire, and we do head companies in which THEY work for US. We look to the wrong sources for information, and, when we don't hear anything, we think it has yet to be achieved.

My question is.. What is YOUR (personal) definition of Black Power in the 21st Century? Has it been achieved? Do you see yourself being able to achieve it? How?

Take a look at the July 22 edition of Fortune magazine. It spotlights several people who head companies in which "they" work for "us" -- Stanley O'Neal, Kenneth Chenault and Richard Parsons come to mind.

I also don't believe that we're in a hopeless situation overall. We do advance, but only if we take advantage of educational and other opportunities. I certainly don't want to imply that we're hopeless.