By Mickey White
Monday, August 29, 2016
During a preseason game, San Francisco 49er quarterback
Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem, citing “black
oppression in America.” Kaepernick is a biracial NFL quarterback worth an
estimated $22 million, yet he feels America has oppressed him. He’s sent out a
statement preemptively bracing for the “backlash” to his heroic gesture. We
should all be so oppressed.
Kaepernick is just the latest in a string of black
multi-millionaires who have decided that the same America that has made them
wealthy beyond their wildest dreams is now oppressing them and other blacks.
Beyoncé Knowles, Jay Z, Russell Simmons, all those who tout the mantra of
“Black Lives Matter” when it’s economically or publicly convenient for them may
need to rethink their tactics. Their behavior has the exact opposite of its
intended effect nearly every time.
Instead of talking about the real problems in the black
community we end up talking about the celebrities’ upcoming contracts or
projects. So maybe the plan works out perfectly for that black celebrity, just
not for the blacks living below poverty level buying their music, jerseys, and
swag.
Free advice for Kaepernick and his celebrity-lecturing
friends: America has been good to you. Show some grace for the blessings you’ve
been given. Give back to your community in more than just “protests” for
personal gain. Write some checks, get involved. Start a charity. Use your
platform to enact real change for those less fortunate than you. Your
colleagues do it all the time without the cameras running.
Don’t Hate What
Made You Great
Beyoncé made headlines earlier this year with her Super
Bowl performance highlighting her upcoming “Formation” tour. The tone,
language, and costumes were an ode to the Black Panthers movement, or so some
thought. Beyoncé fueled the speculation to the tune of millions of dollars as
she moved from that free publicity to that she generated with her “Lemonade”
hour-long promotional video. “Lemonade” then consumed the news cycle long
enough to pay off the debt incurred by her husband’s flailing streaming
company.
Since “Lemonade” was released, we’ve heard more about
“Becky With The Good Hair” than we have about Black Lives Matter from the
BeyHive. Knowles has been working since she was old enough to sing. Her
dedication to performing brought her from black middle class to one of the
wealthiest women on the planet. That is a fantastic American success story. Why
isn’t it enough?
Recently, Russell Simmons spoke out about the oppression
of blacks in the entertainment industry. Billionaire media mogul Simmons was
heralded for his brave stance against oppression. Meanwhile in the real world,
Simmons is a perfect example of American exceptionalism. His role in music
history is unquestioned, as his production gave rise to what we now know as
hip-hop.
Simmons co-created one of the largest most successful
labels, Def Jam Records, which launched hundreds of careers. Def Jam became one
of the first “brands” in the black community. Simmons expanded his brand beyond
music to comedy, clothing, and lifestyle products. He even married a beautiful
teenage supermodel. He is literally living the American dream. Instead of
talking about that and encouraging other young blacks to work as hard as he
did, “Uncle Rush” wants praise for his passion for the struggle as he sips Moet
on his oceanside veranda and tweets. This makes no sense.
Stop Exploiting
Violence and Start Addressing It
Speaking of things that don’t make sense, Quentin
Tarantino. Here is a dorky white guy who loves violent, sexual comic books and
is now worth millions for bringing them to life. His films include more use of
the N-word than any other movies I’ve watched in three decades, including those
about actual gangs and the civil war. Tarantino is every nerdy white guy’s id
come to life, and he is beloved for it. He likes to use words that make people
uncomfortable. Black actors line up to be involved in his films.
It was no surprise that people applauded him for showing
up at a Black Lives Matter protest. What was shocking was that no one pointed
out the glaring hypocrisy—not even actual black people. Perhaps those in black
communities are just thrilled that someone, anyone is paying attention to them,
even if it’s this crazy white dude who uses the N-word all the time. Other than
exploiting the black community, however, what has Tarantino done for them?
Dwyane Wade, the NBA superstar currently with the Chicago
Bulls, has been vocal in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet he has
unfortunately lost a cousin to what appears to be gang violence in Chicago. Our
hearts go out the family and friends, and we hope this makes Wade speak out
about violence within the black community as well. It’s a complicated time to
be alive.
Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, have
outspokenly supported the families of the famous Black Lives Matter martyrs.
Both seem genuinely interested in helping their communities, so perhaps this
will redirect their energies to something a little closer to home. Neither
would commit the crimes or violence being perpetrated in the black communities;
they shouldn’t have to defend it, either.
Some black celebrities would obviously like to use their
fame to draw attention to black communities in crisis, yet they don’t get as
much press as those who prefer to lecture us. These lectures grow tiresome, and
eventually America will tune out. The movement will fade into oblivion as will
the spotlight. The celebrities will go on to their next project, and the black
community will continue to deteriorate. There are real problems within the
black community, and real leaders are needed, not just people seeking media
coverage.
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