If you haven’t heard the recent news and outrage, I will keep it very brief. After George Zimmerman’s acquittal, many in the black and brown communities begin to push for national conversations about race, racism, racial profiling and conditions in minority communities. The large vocal right wing conservatives rebuffed and said, “Please don’t talk to us about race and injustice. Look at what you Negroes do to each other”.
Black pundits and white liberals shot back. “Gang violence in Chicago has nothing to do with institutionalized racism and a two tiered justice system. These issues need to be addressed. We need to have the conversation”. Than one of the demigods of the right wing conservative tribe, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, boomed from his soapbox the commandments to solidify the conservative right wing’s position.
Paraphrasing his simplistic point of view on the topic; “Hey black community, you want to be treated better? Black males start by pulling your pants up. Hey black women stop having all these babies out of wedlock. Hey Negros stop shooting and killing each other. Stop listening to rap music. This is why whites and the police profile you. You are your own problems so stop blaming white people. White people don’t have anything to do with any of your problems”. He conveniently ignores the horrible past violence and institutionalized injustices that have crippled that blacks since emancipation by white society.
Days later, Don Lemon chimed in to give his black back up two cents. Paraphrasing; “Billy is right. Pull your pants up. Stop using the N-word, and stop popping babies out like a pez dispensers.” Both O’Reilly and Lemon were met with back lash from both black and white liberal. Many felt that by agreeing with Bill, it enabled many in the white conservative and liberal groups to continue to do nothing and not speak out about inequalities in the legal system and disparities between whites and people of color in this country.
To be fair, these comments are nothing new and black society has been making these statements for years. It doesn’t add any substance to the national conversation that supposedly was attempting to be made in the national race baiting media. This is all a distraction from the incident that caused the discussion in the first place; Trayvon Martin’s death.
Trayvon Martin wasn’t shooting anyone in Chicago. He was not born out of wedlock. Wearing a hoodie with sagging pants should not be a death sentence in a supposedly democratic and free country. Being a black male shouldn’t equate “criminal” in the minds of our society. All nationalities and racial groups commit violent crimes in our country. A black male walking down the street shouldn’t look like you are “always getting away” with a crime as George Zimmerman said to the 9 1 1 operator the night he killed Martin.
Before and after the Zimmerman verdict you had these ridiculous PSAs in Florida begging (black) people not to riot. These PSA’s were needed because the black population doesn’t have any self control after receiving bad news (sarcasm). Media outlets, Conservative networks and websites were foaming at the mouth for violent unrest by blacks. Not understanding that expecting black and brown people to riot in and of itself was racist. Then a small group of teens acted a fool in California after the Zimmerman verdict and it received national coverage. “See I told you so” many of the Right leaning media outlets said.
Do you remember the Huntington Beach riot of 2013? Never heard of it? Check out the pics below. Sunday July 28th 2013, fights and a subsequent riot broke out following the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing championship. Yes white people were rioting after a surfing contest. It wasn’t the only time. The first time whites rioted at Huntington Beach after a surfing contest was in 1986. They were rioting not over any type of perceived injustice in our court systems but simply just because.
The 2013 riot received very little coverage or mentions in the mainstream media outlets. No breaking news coverage interrupting the normal breaking news coverage. Seven people were arrested including a white out duty fire fighter. No white, I mean right wing conservative commentary about “what the white community needs to do is…stop surfing, stop skateboarding, pull your sagging skinny jean pant legs up and stop listening to rap music”.
July 28th 2013
August 31st 1986.
At some point we have to tune out the media and prevent media hungry pundits from hijacking the real conversations that need to be had in our country. Until than we will never be able to properly heal and grow.
Neither Bill or Don addressed the structural racism that inhibits this behavior and just assume that if black people changed their cloths and speech racism would suddenly go away.
I was waiting for you guys to comment on this. I did see Don Lemon piece and I agree with what he had to say. No, pulling your pants up and speaking correct English is not going to end racism. But it is a step in the right direction on showing the world there is more to us then the stereotype. We need to look at ourselves and ask the question “what am I doing to enhance the black & brown community” “what am I doing to better the lives of our black & brown children” & “what am I doing to change the prescription of black & brown people”
“But it is a step in the right direction on showing the world there is more to us then the stereotype.”
I somewhat disagree. There are tremendous amounts of blacks doing great things in communities, in business, and every facet of life. You can view any single issue of Black Enterprise magazine and see it.
The Media chooses not to show this but show the negatives and that is the narrative that perpetuates the stereotypes about the black community. Plenty of black men never sagged their pants in the first place.
I am so tired of, of all people, Black folks who went out and got them a little ‘learnin’, always trying to make it seem like its our job to prove to white america that we arent all the epitome of what they see on tv. How about white ppl actually try having a convo w that black coworker or classmate or neighbor.
Its like, ask an average random white person if they have any black friends, but let them know that that 1 random black friend who doesnt have any black friends, doesnt count, and wait for your answer.
Call me crazy, but its up to all of my coworkers, neighbors, and ________(insert other white ppl here) to learn that the black guy who doesnt go out of his way to come across any kind of way to you, is also a functional, bill paying, fried chicken loving college grad who’s managed to avoid felonies, grills, desiring a rap career, and everything else u learned abt blk folks from tv.
Ha…NICE
Calling somebody a sellout is so overused and misused. However, everybody knows that if you threw Don Lemon, Whoopi Goldberg, and Zoe Saldana in a locked room with a white penis and a bowl of Cheerios then nobody would make it out of there alive.
But that was cheap.
The main problem is that this fucking blonde got on national television and cosigned with racists to bash his own people in the wake of Trayvon Martin. And it wasn’t the first time.
That five point plan routine wasn’t for us. It was for the benefit of the like minded white folks who were watching. Because let’s face it: Ditz Lemon coming out of his invisible closet didn’t turn into the career boost he hoped it would be. His buddy, Anderson Vanderbilt, is still the queen of CNN.
Donnie HAS to do something to boost his profile because he’s still basically the black guy who does the news on the weekend.
For some reason I feel bad for laughing.
Lol just went in on dude lol lol …… Cypher ave comment enters are soo entertaining Lmao!!!
@Eric
I’m a Top, but I would let you play with the booty for this comment. LMAO!
Right on brutha!
Oh,oh, Pegasus. Remember you said that. LOL!
“still basically the black guy who does the news on the weekend?”
You can’t be serious with that statement. Then again, you probably are. That’s the problem. I see being the black guy who does the news on the weekend for CNN as a huge accomplishment. Blacks love to shit on other black people’s success. Like my mom says, “CRABS IN A BUCKET!”
One of the best things about good comedy that it is timeless. One of my favorite episodes of The Golden Girls was when Sophia looked at her tv in amazement and said, without a hint of malice, “Hey, look. There’s a black guy doing the news and it’s not even the weekend.”
It was funny because it was true. It was satirical because it stung. Apparently, it still does. Even today, most national anchors air on the weekends or late at night. There are exceptions, of course. I think he was on in the afternoon for a while.
I’m obviously not a fan. And as for crabs in a bucket, my friend, I assure you I care more about your black ass than Don Lemon ever will.
@Eric Is it his Black Ass that you care MORE about or his “whole” body? sorry, LOL… I couldn’t resist that one…
BTW your comments are on point. TY
I don’t need you or Don Lemon to care about me. I’m doing just fine and even if I wasn’t I have two educated parents who are very successful to fall back on LOL You need to be more concerned with the blacks Don Lemon is talking about.
LMFAO “invisible closet” & “Anderson Vanderbilt; Queen of CNN” I don’t feel bad at all for laughing.
I mean I don’t understand all the focus on Don Lemon and Bill O’reilly. It doesn’t matter what they say. What they say changes nothing. They could have said exactly what you wanted them to say and addressed what you wanted them to address and still nothing would change.
I don’t think the current state of the black community is “fixable.”
A disproportionate amount of the black community is on some shit. Even leading by example is a fail in the black community. Don Lemon is a perfect example. A lot of blacks don’t look at him as a successful black men who has overcome many obstacles to get where he is. They look at him and say “Don Lemon is a coon” and has a white boyfriend so he’s not “one of us” basically. “He couldn’t possibly understand.” I look at Don Lemon and see an intelligent and successful black dude who worked his ass off to get where he is. You don’t have to agree with what he says, but you can’t deny his success. I don’t agree with a lot of things Obama does and says but his success as the President of The United States is undeniable.
White people are fucked up, but so are blacks and I refuse to let either get me down.
No, white people ****** up Black people. That’s the real truth. Which is exactly what President Obama (The President of the United States of America) stated in his speech – the historical disenfranchisement and discrimination and – get this – ENSLAVEMENT – of Black people is what Black people still suffer from. Need to go listen to the President’s speech attentively. The vestigial remnants of slavery are still with us. There is no way to deny this fact. Absolutely none. Don Lemon is the New House Negro. uuuugggghhhhh He just got on my shhhhh lssstttt
Well I am not going to say Don is the new house negro…I am just saying he didn’t add anything new to the conversation and echoed what has already been said. Don has done plenty of segments about the black community that no other news anchors, journalists and news stations would touch. I think he should get kudos for that.
I don’t disagree with what he said and I have said some of the same things myself…it was the timing and context that I think put him in this light. I am not a follower of his but I don’t feel like anything he did was malicious are nefarious. I think to think that is giving him too much power.
ANYTIME a Black man who has a world platform aligns himself with a racist with ANYTHING said about/against/negative towards people of his own race, or any other race for that matter, it’s a serious problem. Now think of it like this – taking it one step further. How would you feel if Don Lemon was WHITE and “agreeing” with O’Reilly? You wouldn’t feel so good about it would you? Make sure you conjure up the image of Don Lemon being white and stating those same comments and agreeing with Bill O’Reilly.
Move over Jesse and Al, Don Lemon is the new House Negro for white folks; White folks new “boy.”
I’ve always said Black folks were too passive about the things that negatively affects our community , BUT what the F*ck does that have to do with a MURDERER in Florida who didn’t get arrested until 40 days after killing a 17yr old boy!!? Hear this Miss Lemon: Black people ARE allowed to give a damn about blatant INJUSTICE and institutionalize racism. Just as YOU are allowed to agree with hate merchants on the right while dating your vanilla charms. “Black on Black” crime is a term coined by disinterested whites and azz kissing negroes to deflect from any given issue.
Have you all noticed how the term ‘Black on Black” crime is used once Black Americans gets pissed about an injustice in this country? Yet you will never hear silly terms like “Latin on Latin” crime, nor “White on White” crime. Yes, some Black people truly need to get their collective sh*t together! But don’t tell me I’m not allowed to be outraged when INJUSTICE occurs before my eyes!