The comments were made on the heels of a well-received and thought-provoking performance given by the rap superstar, who performed his hit song, “Alright” at the BET Awards last week. According to Rivera, who was joined by his fellow correspondents of FOX News’s The Five in their unwarranted criticisms of Lamar’s performance, stated the following:

“This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism in recent years,” he added. “This is exactly the wrong message.”

Rivera wasn’t alone in his attack. Kimberly Guilfoyle implied that Kendrick Lamar’s standing upon a police car during the performance “incited violence”, and the other guests on the panel continued to chime in, providing condescending commentary throughout the video below.

 In response to the suspected white supremacist commentary of the conservative talk show participants, Kendrick Lamar gave a response. Here it is in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPSHbBHPbSg

In his explanatory response to Rivera’s remarks, Kendrick simply illustrates how his performance at the BET Awards was actually done to shed light on the disturbing recent uptick of Melanoid victims being killed by race soldiers who act as police officers.

Although the aforementioned question seems reasonable enough, many Black people find themselves treading lightly to the point of silence when it comes to speaking out (or implementing action) for Melanoid Empowerment. Even though we have witnessed a recent uptick in the unapologetic recognition of Black issues and culture, we still see Black silence occurring on all levels of Black Society. Perhaps, this is not more evident than in the ranks of many  (not all) of our Brothers and Sisters in the entertainment industry. In his book, titled Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete, William C. Rhoden shows the gradual shift from Black athletes who used their platforms of celebrity to address–and fight–for Black causes, to their counterparts of following generations who were enticed with the perks of unprecedented riches under the condition that they remain silent and detached from addressing the same issues their predecessors openly fought for.

Our Brothers and Sisters in everyday Black Society aren’t exempt from the choke hold of silence either. The common thought process among our people is to wait for a Black Savior to speak or act for them, or they fear that they will be severely punished for spearheading endeavors in favor of Melanoid Empowerment themselves. Some even say that they will remain silent because they feel that their contributions to Black Society would be undervalued, which is another way of saying that they simply don’t care in the first place.

Black Outspokenness doesn’t necessarily equate to Black progress, as we all too often see. However, nothing speaks to the perpetual erosion of Black Society more than Black silence. As Dr. King once stated, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” There may be those of us who aren’t as vocal as others, but our actions will speak for us as they emanate louder than words anyway. How are your actions benefiting or hurting the community?

by B. Clark

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/are-black-people-allowing-themselves-to-become-victims-of-silence/feed/ 7 https://www.melanoidnation.org/is-there-a-resurgence-of-black-awareness-pride/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/is-there-a-resurgence-of-black-awareness-pride/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:50:18 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=66  

“Say it loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

These are the words from the hook of one of James Brown’s most notable songs. The song itself was released in 1968, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. With the (then) recent assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., racial tensions in the United States appeared to be at an all-time high, and such a song seemed to be the voice of many Black Americans who grew frustrated with the status quo.
Black pride in post-slavery America was exclusively and heavily promoted by Marcus Garvey. In the early 20th century, Garvey was the founder and leader of the U.N.I.A., an organization which emphasized economic and political self-reliance for Blacks on an international scale. Garvey even preached the need for Black dolls for Black girls, explaining how the effects of imagery can leave a lasting impact on these young children.
The late 1960s and early 70s saw Blacks sporting big Afros, wearing Dashikis, and chanting the phrase “Black Power”, coined by Black activist and organizer Stokely Carmichael—later known as Kwame Ture—in a 1966 speech. Perhaps the most well-known catalyst in the eyes of many during this time period were the Black Panther Party. Started in Oakland, CA in the same year as the famous Carmichael “Black Power” speech, this group of Black revolutionary figures such as Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Fred Hampton sought to invoke social, political, and basic human rights reform for oppressed Black men, women, and children. As the early 1970s dawned, Black America as a whole was affected by the new desegregation laws that were implemented across the country.
As a result of desegregation, many Black owned businesses, communities, and other institutions ceased to exist over the next four-plus decades. However, for the years that preceded desegregation, many areas of the country hosted proud Black communities that thrived economically, socially, and culturally, such as Tulsa, OK, Rosewood, FL, and Durham, NC. Such a trend became the cause of concern for many, including Civil Rights leader King himself. In a conversation King had with entertainer, activist, and friend Harry Belafonte, he stated that he felt that by fighting for integration with the intent to receive better treatment of Blacks within American society, he was “integrating them (Blacks) into a burning house (America)”.
Perhaps the next strong wave of Black pride occurred in the late 1980s and early 90s. Hip-hop groups such as Public Enemy and Brand Nubian would push a heavy pro-Black message in their songs, and television shows like The Cosby Show and A Different World would often endorse HBCUs by having their cast members wear the schools’ gear on the shows. The Spike Lee directed film Malcolm X inspired many Black youths to wear the “X” labeled ball caps and sweatshirts. African medallions and Dashikis made their return during this same period as a fashion choice of many Blacks as well. Black scholars and speakers such as Dr. Khalid Muhammad and Sister Shahrazad Ali would even make regular appearances on the mainstream daytime talk show circuit, sparking much needed dialogue in the Black community in response to the issues they would publicize.
Today, there seems to be a resurgence in Black awareness and unapologetic pride. Like 1915’s Birth of a Nation influenced White America as a movie laced heavily with racist propaganda, 2009’s Good Hair (produced by Chris Rock) and the Hidden Colors franchise are films that have been proven to be highly influential, critically acclaimed, and tackle issues in a light much different than the traditional Hollywood produced films that feature Blacks. Nationally certified psychologist and educator Dr. Umar Johnson (also of Hidden Colors) has spearheaded his campaign to open a school dedicated to the education of Black youths. Hip-hop artist Cyhi the Prynce even released a mixtape titled Black Hystori Project in early 2014.
With the Obama Administration failing to serve the sociopolitical needs of Black America in conjunction with the rampant police brutality, mass incarceration, and miseducation of Black men, women, and children, many Blacks have discovered—and accepted—that in order to gain the respect and become a viable force on the highly competitive world stage, the community has to become cohesive in their efforts to return to respectability. Will this “conscious” movement of the love of all good things pertaining to Black people persist? Only time will tell.

 by B. Clark