(I say that as if its some sort of new invention or something.)
Last night after dinner I actually wanted to see if anything good was on television. I tuned in to the "Love & Hip-Hop" reunion show just long enough to realize that show had nothing to do with love or hip-hop(Thank you VH1 for the ongoing effort to taint the black generation). Then I tuned in to catch the last hour of "Freedom Riders" on PBS.
Maybe I'm at that age where PBS>VH1, and if that's the case, by all means I accept it. Its all about balance to me though. I care about Jim Jones' being with a woman his mother can't stand and her just wanting to be accepted. On the contrary, I equally, if not more, care about the struggle the youth of the 60's endured during their non-violent protest in the south. What bothers me the most is that this balance isn't relevant in society. Its too much VH1, not enough PBS.
As I watched the "Hate & Rap" reunion, I realized that for the most part, we watch "reality shows" to validate the fact that people we think are higher in stature deal with the same or worst problems than us average folk. What was even a more remarkable discovery was as I watched "Freedom Riders", a documentary based on life changing events in this country, was more a reality show than any other one broadcasted since the emergence of "The Real World".
Things just aren't how they used to be, but the struggle hasn't ended. The enemy is using different tactics. Its still something wrong in this country. President Obama is a black man, but this nation isn't concerned about the black youth, or the future of black people. The freedom riders sacrificed their limbs and life just to have "whites only" and "colored only" signs taken down from bus stops. I wonder will the "whites only" and "colored only" signs be taken down from our perception.
It maybe could've got that far had they not cut off the head, prisoned the body, and chopped the legs of the revolution. Flooded our communities with heroin and crack, and instead of giving us the justice we asked for, they threw us a few bones as to say,"take it or leave it."
I wouldn't be surprised if a people rose up against the tyranny of the media and other facets in this country that are a direct reflection of prejudice and segregation. Its happening in other parts of the world, and its only a matter of time before it hits home. Maybe VH1 will jump on that bandwagon.
