As the parent of a four-year-old boy, I am constantly on the look-out for television programming that features black cartoon characters. When we watch television, our preferred channels are PBS Kids, Noggin and Disney. Yes, we have watched episodes of Little Bill and Yo Gabba Gabba, but where are those cartoons that help our black children feel good about being black?
Cartoons have the power to place our black children on a different path. In an age where an increasing number of parents are allowing television sets to raise their children (because they're trying to keep up with the Joneses), the television industry should be taking a more serious look at its impact on its customers. TV executives also need to display more responsibility when making decsions about what should and shouldn't be televised. Our black children need to see more accurate depictions of themselves, not shows that bamboozle them into embracing the Hip-Hop Culture. Hip-Hop does not define who we Blacks are as a people.
Our black children need black heroes that are on the same level as white heroes like Superman and Spiderman. Because the number of black heroes is low, we have no choice but to embrace heroes that look nothing like us. Truth be told, we are, and continue to be, conditioned to worship and adore whiteness, to hate and despise our blackness.
But it is our inactivity that astonishes me. Networks like TV-One, the Black Family Channel and Black Entertainment Television (BET) should do more to create original programming (featuring black cartoon characters) for distribution and syndication. Stop subjecting us Blacks to shows that do nothing to repair our psyches. Start producing shows that repair our damaged psyches, offer hope to those black children who have problems seeing beyond the boundaries of Never-Never Land.
So I ask you: Is it me, or is something seriously wrong with the cartoon industry?
I look forward to reading your responses.
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Friday, August 8th 2008 at 9:17AM
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