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As we all know, there's an upcoming "Black In America II" coming in July. As I sit here, I'm trying to wrap my brain around why there hasn't been a "Brown In America" -- or even more interesting, "Red In America" ... I could see that one intermingled w/"burning red", too, from the Native Americans' perspective. Are we that much of an anamoly that folks just have to study? "We just can't figure them n*ggers out, Pauly!" I'd much prefer that someone does a "Blacks in the Eyes of the World" -- THAT would be far more revealing about our collective profile rather than to just America alone. I hear Koreans teach their kids that we are lower than low and dirty. Many Africans are ashamed by the examples we set as Blacks and our mangling of English. I'd be more curious to hear from people like them -- I've got a pretty good idea about us here in America.
Posted By: Craig Amos
Sunday, June 7th 2009 at 3:44PM
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(((Lol)))
Sunday, June 7th 2009 at 8:20PM
Jen Fad
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I had a discussion about this a while back, titled "DOES CNN REALLY SHOW BLACK IN AMERICA"? The answer is no. CNN did not show Black men in America, they showed the tragedies and success stories of black men, without giving any light to the middle ground.
The Vietnam War, which disproportionately recruited black men, did a lot to damage to the black man and subsequently the black family and community.
The Vietnam War brought a lot of stress and trauma to the black men who were forced to serve, many of whom did not believe in the war. Many black men also had good access to heroine in Vietnam, which they brought back home causing the 1st devastating drug epidemic in the black community. The stress and trauma of the war led to many soldiers falling into permanent drug addiction.
CNN also went into depth on the incarceration rate among black males. It seems that a tactic CNN likes to do is take a negative thing and then give statistics about it in which black people are double or worse than white people. One statistic they didn’t give is that black people and white people use drugs at the exact same rate as black people. Why is it then that black people are arrested for drugs at 5 times the rate than white people?
After the white-collar criminal, the least risky criminal profession has to be the white drug dealer. Without having to be worried about stopped and frisked, pulled over or followed, white drug dealers are free to get through customs, move enormous weight and freely sell cocaine, ecstasy, crack, meth without facing any of the risks of incarceration that a black drug dealer would. Its not like all the white people are going to the black community to get drugs so there must be a large amount of white drug dealers seeing as there are a lot of white drug addicts. If white people’s sons or daughters were being arrested at the same rate as black people, I’m sure a public outcry at the injustice and unnecessary incarceration would lead to a change in the drug laws.
The drug war is really a war on young black men. These men serve as a scapegoat for the drug and crime problem in America. I won’t say that selling drugs is a victimless crime, but the drug addicts are victims of their addiction and the drugs, not the drug dealers. Unfortunately drugs have become intertwined with American life. If America is going to deal effectively with drugs they are going to have to deal with how drugs actually come in and how to treat addiction. Black people are not bringing in cocaine or heroin to the country and mostly serve as low-level retail distributors. If the US were to invest the money they did in the war on drugs, into drug education, addiction treatment and providing other opportunities to the young men who sell drugs, police would be able to put people in prison who really deserve to be there.
The USA has not only the highest percentage of incarcerated people in the world and has more people in jail than any country in the world including China which has 3 billion people and is often attacked for their human rights violations. In the US, jail does not rehabilitate its prisoners; it just serves as a place for criminals to train and network with other criminals. USA brings in the drugs(CIA), creates the demand for drugs, and gives little opportunities other than drugs to the black community and then locks them up for selling them, creating a new cycle of poor fatherless children who face the same lack opportunities.
While the USA chases down black people to fill their jails, they are ignoring the growing meth and prescription drug problems that are plaguing their own white communities. Jails are owned by corporations who lobby politicians for longer sentences and harsher drug laws so they can fill up their jails. Corporations like Pfizer are also lobbying for stricter drug laws so they can knock out the competition for their own prescription drugs. The drug war is like the war in Iraq, it is an occupation, with the black community being held hostage in the crossfire.
Overall this show presented two different parts of black America, the tragedy who felt the pains of drugs, crime and poverty and the success who has to assimilate into white society. They left out the working class black man, the successful black man who lives among other black people or works with other black people. They focused on lot of problems in the black community but did not look at any of the causes or solutions.
Monday, June 8th 2009 at 9:35AM
Siebra Muhammad
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So, Siebra, you've given this more than a moment's thought I take it? Maybe the second time around they'll be more balanced. And maybe that just answered my question: just maybe they received so much flack from the initial showing that they felt compelled to be more balanced by showing BIA2. But still, this country isn't just about Black & White anymore. So, why the fascination and focus on one group?
And Mozell, try re-reading the post, brother. You're thinking way too much on this one.
Monday, June 8th 2009 at 10:05AM
Craig Amos
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Hello Mr. Greg Amos,
Well, let me begin by saying that you, Mr. Fleming, and Ms. Siebra are all thinking below the radar screen.
I believe why Blacks are the interest of attention of CNN is that our circumstances and predicament are unique and cannot be compared to Brown in America or Red in America. In other words, there is more mileage commercially speaking for CNN to deal with Blacks in America than any other group.
For Blacks in America, slavery were their beginning, while the others did not begin in slavery, so Blacks in America is more profitable to CNN.
Now, slavery is not a positive thing, and the affects of slavery has left Blacks in America blind, deaf and dumb. The process and experience of slavery has taken the very breath of life from Blacks that God first breathed into us, which made Blacks in America a living soul.
You all cannot connect the dots to this tragedy since the breath of life is also gone from you all, and that is why you ask the question why not a documentary on Brown in America or Red in America.
The only permanent solution of resolving our problems is for us to desire to become a sovereign people, or have complete independence on a portion of this continent that we can call our very own country with borders. Until this happens for us, we will always be an artificial people and the livestock property of White America. Blacks in America situation is so severe that White America cannot reverse it or breathe life back into Blacks. It will take an act of God to bring life back into us.
Consequentially, the next generation of us will be asking the same questions until somebody as me will be taking seriously.
What say you?
Monday, June 8th 2009 at 11:26AM
Harry Watley
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I won't be watching it and that's for sure.
Monday, June 8th 2009 at 10:15PM
Jen Fad
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