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PrintableThreadBare said: Decades ago, black celebs lived with regular black people. Sure, a lot of that had to do with redlining and other pracitices that kept us out of the nicer homes.
But, it also meant that black celebs were accessible to regular black folks and more likely to get a helping hand for job opportunities. I agree with the statement Harlepolis made about people not letting the ghetto live in them. The problem with so many of our celebs these days is that -- by the overwhelming majority isolating themselves from poorer blacks, they almost ensure that poorer blacks will live in ghettos. The point of Killer Mike's song (oh my gosh. I'm about to defend Killer Mike...  ) is about community. Drop-off, check-writing charity -- though still needed and important -- doesn't necessarily build community. It speaks more to the way rich whites tend to treat situations facing marginalized blacks. It's from a distance, separated by latex gloves.
It's not: "Hey, man, let's catch lunch tomorrow and talk about that business you want to get off the ground. I have the governor's ear, and might be able to help you line up some contracts..." That's the way it used to be: familial, sincere. I understand Oprah's audience and advertising support and all that. But, what's to stop Oprah from doing a series about establishing some Harpo community centers in the nation's poorest cities -- all during Sweeps week? You see, it's not just about black celebs' successes. It's about how consistently those celebs use their platforms and spheres of influence in a direct, lasting, familial way. Thank you for such a brilliant articulation of thoughts, ThreadBare. I don't really even know much of Killer Mike's music and barely know who he is myself. I was going off content alone so my comments were directed as such. Listening to the lyrics, I couldn't help but agree with a lot of what he was saying because it was true. Take away his bias and you have truth at the heart. Before the crack invasion of the 80s, there was a movement to build communities rather than escape from them. Since the push for integrated communities, there has been an unexpected decline in the quality of life in largely black populated communities over the years and fewer and fewer black elites have been there to serve as guidance. Most seem to encourage a "get yours" mentality and it has hurt us. No amount of charity and checkwriting can change that and it has absolutely nothing to do with not being able to please everyone but rather personal responsibility that comes with the acquisition of wealth. [Edited 8/6/06 13:50pm] | |
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BlaqueKnight said: ThreadBare said: Decades ago, black celebs lived with regular black people. Sure, a lot of that had to do with redlining and other pracitices that kept us out of the nicer homes.
But, it also meant that black celebs were accessible to regular black folks and more likely to get a helping hand for job opportunities. I agree with the statement Harlepolis made about people not letting the ghetto live in them. The problem with so many of our celebs these days is that -- by the overwhelming majority isolating themselves from poorer blacks, they almost ensure that poorer blacks will live in ghettos. The point of Killer Mike's song (oh my gosh. I'm about to defend Killer Mike... ) is about community. Drop-off, check-writing charity -- though still needed and important -- doesn't necessarily build community. It speaks more to the way rich whites tend to treat situations facing marginalized blacks. It's from a distance, separated by latex gloves.
It's not: "Hey, man, let's catch lunch tomorrow and talk about that business you want to get off the ground. I have the governor's ear, and might be able to help you line up some contracts..." That's the way it used to be: familial, sincere. I understand Oprah's audience and advertising support and all that. But, what's to stop Oprah from doing a series about establishing some Harpo community centers in the nation's poorest cities -- all during Sweeps week? You see, it's not just about black celebs' successes. It's about how consistently those celebs use their platforms and spheres of influence in a direct, lasting, familial way. Thank you for such a brilliant articulation of thoughts, ThreadBare. I don't really even know much of Killer Mike's music and barely know who he is myself. I was going off content alone so my comments were directed as such. Listening to the lyrics, I couldn't help but agree with a lot of what he was saying because it was true. Take away his bias and you have truth at the heart. Before the crack invasion of the 80s, there was a movement to build communities rather than escape from them. Since the push for integrated communities, there has been an unexpected decline in the quality of life in largely black populated communities over the years and fewer and fewer black elites have been there to serve as guidance. Most seem to encourage a "get yours" mentality and it has hurt us. No amount of charity and checkwriting can change that and it has absolutely nothing to do with not being able to please everyone but rather personal responsibility that comes with the acquisition of wealth. [Edited 8/6/06 13:50pm] True that charity and checkwriting cant change these things, but the negative stereotypes that Oprah and Bill have talked against dont help either. The whole "how much have u got "mentality is without a doubt the focus in black culture, blame the media, blame tv and movies, or blame ourselves for buying into it. I mean everything from the "bling" in videos and movies, these are the images that tear it apart. I think when Oprah called out Ludacris and others on this it was a good point to make, and now even Luda has changed up his image recently (maybe he knew she was kinda right). Its almost like they are saying "we're gonna sell this negative image to kids, but dont call us out on it, because youre not black, youre not down". "We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F | |
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lastdecember said:[quote] BlaqueKnight said: Thank you for such a brilliant articulation of thoughts, ThreadBare. I don't really even know much of Killer Mike's music and barely know who he is myself. I was going off content alone so my comments were directed as such. Listening to the lyrics, I couldn't help but agree with a lot of what he was saying because it was true. Take away his bias and you have truth at the heart. Before the crack invasion of the 80s, there was a movement to build communities rather than escape from them. Since the push for integrated communities, there has been an unexpected decline in the quality of life in largely black populated communities over the years and fewer and fewer black elites have been there to serve as guidance. Most seem to encourage a "get yours" mentality and it has hurt us. No amount of charity and checkwriting can change that and it has absolutely nothing to do with not being able to please everyone but rather personal responsibility that comes with the acquisition of wealth. [Edited 8/6/06 13:50pm] True that charity and checkwriting cant change these things, but the negative stereotypes that Oprah and Bill have talked against dont help either. The whole "how much have u got "mentality is without a doubt the focus in black culture, blame the media, blame tv and movies, or blame ourselves for buying into it. I mean everything from the "bling" in videos and movies, these are the images that tear it apart. I think when Oprah called out Ludacris and others on this it was a good point to make, and now even Luda has changed up his image recently (maybe he knew she was kinda right). Its almost like they are saying "we're gonna sell this negative image to kids, but dont call us out on it, because youre not black, youre not down".[/quote Luda changed before Oprah not because of. | |
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Did anyone listen to the song?
Because it sounds like some of you did not. The song is not even about the big fat O. | |
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lastdecember said: ThreadBare said: Decades ago, black celebs lived with regular black people. Sure, a lot of that had to do with redlining and other pracitices that kept us out of the nicer homes.
But, it also meant that black celebs were accessible to regular black folks and more likely to get a helping hand for job opportunities. I agree with the statement Harlepolis made about people not letting the ghetto live in them. The problem with so many of our celebs these days is that -- by the overwhelming majority isolating themselves from poorer blacks, they almost ensure that poorer blacks will live in ghettos. The point of Killer Mike's song (oh my gosh. I'm about to defend Killer Mike... ) is about community. Drop-off, check-writing charity -- though still needed and important -- doesn't necessarily build community. It speaks more to the way rich whites tend to treat situations facing marginalized blacks. It's from a distance, separated by latex gloves.
It's not: "Hey, man, let's catch lunch tomorrow and talk about that business you want to get off the ground. I have the governor's ear, and might be able to help you line up some contracts..." That's the way it used to be: familial, sincere. I understand Oprah's audience and advertising support and all that. But, what's to stop Oprah from doing a series about establishing some Harpo community centers in the nation's poorest cities -- all during Sweeps week? You see, it's not just about black celebs' successes. It's about how consistently those celebs use their platforms and spheres of influence in a direct, lasting, familial way. Ok so to really make this point lets take what happend in New Orleans, 90% of that was in Black Communities, i heard alot of protesting and finger pointing, but when i looked on the ground i saw Sean Penn, Harry Conninck, Harry Anderson and Anderson Cooper digging through water and mud, not Oprah not Bill not Killer Mike, Not Pharrell, Not Barry Bonds, who im sure all "wrote checks" for relief. So the main point is that U can live in the community and still not be a part of it and vice versa. And as it was said before since when did we have to have somthing done for us, get up and make your own future. I mean it kills me when i hear that kind of talk in america and then you look around the world and see what real suffering is about [Edited 8/6/06 13:48pm]  Oprah went down to New Orleans and did a show. | |
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BlaqueKnight said: Financially she probably has. Not everything in life is about money, though. Listen to the song. There are some interesting points being made, especially where the black elite is concerned. In the past, black leaders stayed in black neighborhoods and remained accessable to their people. This is usually not the case these days and Mike addresses that. This song is interesting in that its very introspective where the black community is concerned and not many other rap artists have chosen this subject matter as a theme.
You know good well black neighborhoods don't look anything like they did in the past.  The mentality, morals, and makeup have all changed and morphed into something unrecognizable. It's very easy for Mike to sit, and say all this. He's not them and he'll probably never ever be them. | |
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Curious about the song, can't listen @ work but will hear it later...   I never met you, but I LOVE you & I will forever!! Thank you for being YOU - my little Princey, the best to EVER do it | |
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That's a cool song. I would like to see the black church get dealt with also.
The black church has been brainwashing blacks and taking their money for a long time now. It's a black church almost on every corner in the hood and yet you still have all this silly shit that still goes on. Almost all of these churches are frauds. | |
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I think what is annoying is that everyone has an opinion on how you should spend your money and how you should do charity.
Something that I've learned in managing volunteers is that you let ppl do what THEY can do and not dictate what and how they should do their volunteer work. You need all parts. You need an Oprah to write the checks but then you need someone who can take the check and put it to good use. Oprah doesn't have to do every step. So maybe it isn't that Oprah and Cos are so disconnected but we don't have the intrafactures to make sure that their monies and being put to the BEST use and in the best manner. I'm wondering what is the standard? What would satisfy the masses? I need Oprah to write me a check and I'll do the work. I'm fine with that. She has her purpose and I have mine. Now do I think there is a growing class issue in the black community, yes, I do. Have I seen those that have take a sobbish attitude towards the poor, yes, I have. There's something that's changed though. Poor didn't always mean a lack of morals, etc but now it seems that when we think of the poor or those that live in the "hood" or in the trail parks that we think of a "ghetto mentality" automatically. Classism does need to change and is becoming a very huge issue. As far as Oprah in NOLA, she was there and did a few shows from it. But as someone has stated, damned if you do and damned if you don't. | |
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jasco82 said: That's a cool song. I would like to see the black church get dealt with also.
The black church has been brainwashing blacks and taking their money for a long time now. It's a black church almost on every corner in the hood and yet you still have all this silly shit that still goes on. Almost all of these churches are frauds. i agree with some of what u said, but "corruption in the black church" is whole other thread. I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince. | |
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missfee said: jasco82 said: That's a cool song. I would like to see the black church get dealt with also.
The black church has been brainwashing blacks and taking their money for a long time now. It's a black church almost on every corner in the hood and yet you still have all this silly shit that still goes on. Almost all of these churches are frauds. i agree with some of what u said, but "corruption in the black church" is whole other thread. Definitely. A lot of times, those churches aren't led by corrupt preachers. A lot of times, you have preachers who -- often for denominational, doctrinal reasons -- refuse to, or never think to, try to collaborate with each other. Maybe that's a form of corruption in itself: the role egos play in hindering progress in the communities that need it most. | |
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BlaqueKnight said: ...in a rhyme. In his new song That's Life, Killer Mike takes shots at Oprah, Bill Cosby and many others as he drops a hard-hitting commentary about how the black elite have abandoned the black community and some of the unspokens truths of "the ghetto lifestyle".
Its an interesting song. Who's heard it? It was like a bad commentary on a 60 minutes episode. Boring as hell. | |
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