The Devil's Advocate: Imus/Rap industry

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Little32

Question #1: Who are these leaders that your refer to? The people that we see on tv every time there is a need for a soundbite from a black face, or the activists, scholars, preachers, and less well-known community leaders that have been speaking about these issues for years?

Questions #2: Are we to be held responsible for or even to take into consideration people's "disbelief"? Or are those disbelieving folk to be held responsible for not educating themselves, as to how this issue has been and continues to be addressed by leaders on multiple levels in black communities, before proclaiming that nothing has been done?

I think TonyB's comments are right on target. As, of course, this is an issue of the denigration of Black Womanhood, I too am interested to see what happens when the hype about the white man at the center of this discussion fades.

You answered your own question while asking it.
Just who gets the face and/or air time?
Who do the politicians try to get close to?
And who gets time with the politicians?

[Lady of Pearl]

Forty years ago, Imus' remarks would not have been tolerated on national tv ; given the fact that our country was in the midst of the civil rights era. Also strong censorship and something known as the FCC wold not have allowed it to happen. So, have we digressed in the name of Free Speech? I don't care who makes denigrating remarks about Black women-Imus or the rappers, or the Boys on the Block, or construction workers. Harrassment and derogatory remarks about women is wrong. We need to look closely at what drives this misogynistic spirit in our country and seriously do some reeducating to all.

[Little32]

Originally Posted by jon1856

You answered your own question while asking it.
Just who gets the face and/or air time?
Who do the politicians try to get close to?
And who gets time with the politicians?

And I guess the answer to all of these question is more people than you know about, because there are a lot of people working in our communities who do not court publicity in the same ways that others do. Does that mean that they are not working as hard or excercising as much influence? I don't think it does.

So that you might conceptualize this a bit better, think about the heavy hitters in the white community--I presume you are white. Think about the people that you would say have a good deal of clout in your--meaning where you live--community. Are those the people that you see on the news discussing issues that impact your community? Are they the people that you always see in front of the cameras? If I were to say that John Edwards were a leader of white America, because he is a white man that gets a lot of camera time, I would get a lot of objections from a lot of conservatives who would say "he doesn't represent me", and those would be legitimate objections. He represents, perhaps, a faction of white Americans and perhaps a relatively small faction at that.

Now, take that concept and apply it to black communities. These people that you see in the news all of the time are not the only people representing us. Bottom line, there are a lot more people working behind the scenes, organizing protests, and taking action that you don't know about.