An interesting discussion about race and music this morning preceded an awesome article on racism and sports. We must continue to talk about race in an open and honest way.
First, music is just another area where some Black Americans want it both ways. They want to keep the music pure and untouched by big business. They also want to commercial success that comes from being recognized and accepted by the mainstream. Plainly, they want the Billboard numbers and the Grammy plaques and when a 'black' artist does that, they want to call that artist a sellout.
Mainstream music is simple. This is America. We are still the model for capitalism. Music is business. American businesses have the goal of selling to as many people as possible, ideally every person. The idea that a business will intentionally ignore 87% of the population (non-black Americans) is ridiculous. The minute an artist signs to a major distribution label, that artist 'sold out.' At the moment the artist signed, that artist committed to selling as many records/albums/downloads to as many people as possible, all 100% of America. In layman terms, that means 'black artists' want to sell to white music listeners. (White Americans being the current majority of the population.) Or, at least, the labels these black artists are signed to want to and those artists contracts say they agree and cooperate with that effort. Labels are preparing themselves for the next majority by signing Latin artists to sing pop songs so they can pass for now and be prepared to switch to catering to the new majority (Latinos) shift happens.
With that being said, we must be responsible in our discussion of race. That we have to discuss race is as certain as all humans needing clean air to breath. That we have to be responsible in that discussion is absolute. The race profiteers will not be tolerated nor entertained. America has no room for people who use race/racism as an excuse to be an asshole. Drug dealers are wrong. Black drug dealers cannot use the 'this is all they'll let me do' argument as an excuse to ruin communities. There are/have been/will be multimillionaire black drug dealers who continue to treat their front businesses like crap. Instead of actually helping their community by going legit; lowering the black unemployment rate to match the national average by hiring and paying above the table; growing their businesses into political powerhouses, these 'men' continually suck the life out of their communities. Drug dealing is just an analogy for black men/women who use race as an excuse for crime.
White Americans can neither determine when the race issue is over nor can they become frustrated when race is brought up. That is not a pass to use racial slurs against White Americans. Responsible discussion does not mean nor includes mud slinging. The fact is the majority of white America has suffered because of the invention of race. No where near as much as any other race but most of white America stands to gain by participating in a responsible discussion of race.
The main racial issue in America is parity. Parity is the final frontier in race. It may be the final frontier in democratic justice. Parity means much more than equality. Parity is a more complete term. Equality means social integration and cultural assimilation, as it pertains to race. Parity is a more than that. Parity means that 'white' schools become integrated but not at the expense of 'black' schools. Instead, 'white' schools AND 'black' schools get integrated and all schools share equal resources. Parity means the end of haves and have nots in the public realm. Parity means that statistics like black business ownership and black unemployment are closer to (if not equal to) the national averages. Parity doesn't require gifts or hand outs from one race to another. It simply needs and open and honest dialogue. This all means that Black America can solve many of its problems on its own. What is needed is a dialogue to erase many of the lingering resentments on all sides. What all races need to understand is that racism wasn't propagated in order to put down one race (or more) to promote another race. That is racism wasn't and isn't for the benefit of White America at the expense of Black America. Racism is about putting down ALL races, creating division and confusion so the rich (1%) can get and stay rich.
The key for America's growth is transparency. We must be able to discuss the merits of a sub-group's philosophies or actions as they apply to the country as a whole. Many militant groups, of all races, are a detriment to the country on their own. A dialogue will provide education and reveal profiteers to each group thereby fostering cooperation towards every group's common goal, the success of the nation. People who have blatant bias and prejudice should be allowed to express.themselves in hopes of gaining a better understanding of other groups. Once we are out and open with each other, we can come together as a nation to hunt out those closet racists and race manipulators who harbor secret feelings and stir up strife/division. We don't want to push racism into the closet. We want to be able to speak/talk about everything. We want to tell those 'white' frats across the country that their sophomoric jokes will not help race relations in the country. We want to hear their explanations then educate them on appropriate statements. After all, these are barely twenty somethings who have yet to experience the world. College students are often the best and brightest our country has to offer but we must always remember they are still learning the best ways to contribute their talents to the world. By making positive examples of incidents like these, we encourage stronger contributions to the racial dialogue.
In towns like Ferguson, MO it is up to all Americans to see that the problems are much bigger than police-community relations. No matter what twists and turns society takes, there will always be laws and men/women appointed to enforce those laws. Probity dictates that the American issue is the quality of our law enforcement and the protocols we are using to fight crime. The issue in Ferguson is race. In Ferguson, we see that the black community is ill prepared to govern themselves as a result of decades of race profiteering. There are some major problems when a locality is not governed in a representative way, especially in a republic. Democracy is not working and we have to ask why. We would not expect a city like Portland. (70% white) to be run almost exclusively by black people including a 99% black police force. That is not to say Ferguson should have an all black police force, city council and mayor but one would expect a more representative government.
Nearly a year later, Eric Striker is out of college and the NFL and Colin Kaepernick has taken up Eric Striker's banner of demanding a dialogue. The resistance is just what we might have expected. In 2016, White-Americans are violently resistant to the idea that they could be racist or related to a racist. At the same, more and more Americans are being exposed as racists.
But we are talking, even if, being that awkward beginning stage, a great deal of people are talking stupid. We have to realize that irrationality is response to change. We tend to be ridiculous in our resistance to change. Change is certainly coming. It will be radical. It will be difficult and it will be painful.
But we will survive. And we will be better for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment