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While this is the first time I had addressed this issue on my blog
but after reading Big Ced's latest Ceditorial:
It Needs To Be CED: Once again, THAT N Word! Thanks, Kramer!
Ced speaks on the Krammer racial rant (which I will address on a later date) but what got me goin was the lack of black leadership
Ced writes: "Now my question is where are the Black performers, comedians, writers and executives who should be voicing their displeasure with the kind of behavior that Michael Richards displayed Friday evening? When Mel Gibson 'performed' his Anti-Jewish rants, the Jewish Entertainment community was up in arms and front and center to call for Mel Gibson's head, yet, as of this writing, I've heard nothing from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Russell Simmons, Robert Johnson, Bill Cosby or any other prominent Black. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is their responsibility, but we need our 'leaders' to lead when others are exhibiting this behavior without any thoughts of being vilified. Perfect example: the whole OJ Simpson debacle that was recently in the news. You see how Geraldo Rivera and Bill O' Reilly and many others took a stand and used their voices. It created the atmosphere that they weren't going to stand by idly and allow Mr. Simpson and anyone associated with the planned project any slack if they went ahead with their now aborted plan. Will we continue to let the Michael Richards' of the world get away with feeling like there is no penalty for such an act if we don't follow suit and speak when necessary?"
I posted his comments and a link to his site so u can check that as well but also because its what got me goin again on this topic!!!!
WHERE ARE TODAY'S LEADERS????
Where is our representation on this issue. So this is nothing new, nor does it surprise me but where are our leaders. Where are the black power brokers who will defend us, those trying to position themselves as our future activists, our leaders or today and tomorrow. Now Bill Cosby where are you now. I know who you feel about hip-hop and education or lack of education these days, and an assortment of other black issue effecting today's youth. But where are you now when we need you to stand up for us and check those and let them know this is not acceptable.
Are you on vacation, maybe sitting at home pickin your battles or planning you attack. Well whatever it is and where ever you are we need you now.
Oprah where are you. U champion many causes, you address many issues on a daily bases, we know how you feel about hip-hop and a lot of issues that effect us, but why haven't we heard from you. Where do you stand of Kramers comments, we know you dont like beef (pun intended) but we need you to use your power and forum to speak up for now!
Hey Russell, and Ben Chavis what is the Hip Hop Summit Action Network for, why haven't we heard from you. Ok Mr Simmons I got the email you have a big announcement to make Tuesday, Dec 5th at 2pm about what your Jewelry company (Simmons Jewelry Company) will speak about your 9 day fact finding mission in Africa, I applaud you for what you are attempting to do but we need you to step up and speak up for us
Where is Al Sharpton, he never ran from a fight and always has defended us in the past, Rev Al are you goin soft on us, it is not like you to be quiet in an issue like this- we need you. We need your flair that only you can give this issue and the attention that comes with your presence.
REV AL help please!
Jesse Jackson instead on appearances on The Source Awards saying stuff like for shizzle my nizzle and dumbing down for us, we need your leadership. where are you my brother, we need you to represent us. U march with MLK what would he do if he was alive today. I'm sure he wouldn't go of half cocked he would have a plan but he would have acted by now and let it be know we as a people are not going to stand for us.
Robert Johnson, your name rings bells you started the TV powerhouse we know as BET and own a professional basketball team, when you speak - others listen. Where are those big black journalist usually have so much to say, I mean come on, what do they have to say to get you all to react and step up and say we aint gonna take it no more: THIS HERE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!!!!!
I will email this to all of your offices to all of your publicist, anyone who is reading this if you have an email address of any other black leaders, please send this to your radio show personalities, Where is Tom Joyner and Tavis Smiley!!!! Where is the National Association of Black Journalist, The NAACP and every other black organization that claims to represent us when its convenient
I here alot of you complain about things alot less offensive- this should have you all up and arms
and I will not sit still until some of you do something. My name doesn't ring the bells yours does. So I will make sure I make it my business and use my limited forum to reach you. If I didn't not name you in this emotional rant you are not off the hook.
Everyone reading this
email this to your black leaders, radio show host, anyone who you would expect to do something. We or should I say all of you I have named and many I didn't call out by name you are always encouraging our people to boycott and not support those who don't have our best interest at hand.
Well I say we are coming to you to represent us, use you power, your name, your celebrity to let Kramer and all those who feel like he does WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS
they said if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problems
well my question to all our leaders, and black entertainers, and journalist
WHICH ARE YOU!!!!
we have to stop celebrating the achievments of civil rights era and start fighting for this era and making some acheivements of our own or we will continue to move backwards!!!!!
To our leaders, our big black performers, entertainers and journalists
if you don't step up maybe we need to urge our people
if you don't step up maybe we need to urge our people
to boycott and not support you!!!!
I want to hear from everyone, email this to friends and family and leave your feedback good bad or ugly in the comment section...
10 comments:
This is indeed the question that Ossie Davis himself pondered before his death. I recall at his funeral- his daughter asked the same question to the people in the audience, that her father had asked them so many times. Who will stand up? It is now up to us - the hip hop nation, the artists, the teachers, the feminists, the activists who love black and brown people to stand up and speak truth. It is time that we take our vows in front of God - to spread the truth as He would see it.
Love n The Struggle,
Tachelle
Femmixx.com
I was hesitant to write this at first, wondered what others would think. But then I felt if I didn't write it I wasn't doin anything to help the situation myself.
We all need to step up and we need to hold our leaders accountable to represent us!!!
thanks Tachelle for your comments
everyone else let me know what you think
check out Tachelle's site
www.femmixx.com
WOW
I recieved an email alert from Lee Bailey's EUR Web this morning
and it talks about Michael Richards hiring a publicist and appearing on the Jesse Jackson radio show 'Keep Hope Alive' in full damage control mode.
I was pleased to see comments from Al Sharpton and a video (you tube) interview with Paul Mooney on Fox.
There is also a you tube video of the two brothers who were the object of the racial rant.
Now I still stand by my comments and believe much much more needs to be done and many more need to stand up but I was pleased to see some sort of reaction. Up to this point I hadnt seen any reaction except from our leaders or the black entertainment community
Let's not let him off the hook that easy and simply write this off as a melt down, true feelings even if they are deep deep inside, tend to come out at times like this.
With that said my brothers and sisters, the less we use that word the less the Michael Rchards of the world will even think its ok or it funny to use in this situation
check out the EUR news brief copy and paste this link or click on my name above this comment:
http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur29976.cfm
liked how you and Ced put the “leaders” on blast. It takes more than press conferences to have an impact.
Jesse wanted people to boycott the new Seinfeld DVD. But not many of us were really big fans of the show.
I agree Reg
while that might make a little noise, how hard will we actually hit his pocket, most of us never would have brought them anyway. The few sales The Seinfeld DVD would lose would be a drop in the bucket, and wont be felt, plus that money goes mostly to Jerry Seinfeld not Michael Richards anyway. He wouldn't even feel that, we need to do something much bigger in my opinion. what does everyone else think?????
keep the comments coming
Peace and Blessings.
As you know, A, we have discussed the lack of real leadership on OTTR a number of times. It seems, unfortunately, to me that a lot of your concerns come down to comfort levels.
What we all responding to this blog have in common is that we are not comfortable with the direction the word is going. It is with the leadership of heads like us that things can change. The problem are those too comfortable.
Whether its that those with power are too content having power to exercise it for something that doesn't eventually involve genocide or their fans are too comfortable feeling powerless... too many are too comfortable.
To me the world is full of Record Executives who respond to heads that are heated about something, not from a place of altruism, but because they feel that a small effort will give them a LOT of good publicity without ACTUALLY hurting their wallet. Politicians who protest outside a courthouse if they KNOW that that's what the black community wants to hear are not there because they care, but because its an 'open and shut case' and calling it out will earn them some votes next cycle. Why risk your life or your career if it means you won't cake off tomorrow?
Like the 'Visionaries' and others have said, we are the one's we have been waiting for. Like i have said, the revolution is here and now, its just a matter of how you fight and who for.
First step is getting self right and believing... truly owning that the only limitations we have are self imposed. Next is linking with like minds and building (figuratively and literally). But prepare for a fight because those too comfortable being a victim wouldn't know what to do with real empowerment.
We are standing on too many elders' shoulders to fall off.
One Love,
Curry Kid
OFFtheTOPradio.com
thanx for your feedback Curry
as always I know I can count on you to let me know exactly how you feel and I know you often address these issues on your show
I totally agree it is goin to take heads like us to step up
and I know that what you are tryna do with you show
keep doin what you are doin
as always call me when u need me
to speak on a issue on your show
peace and blessings
The way I see it our black "LEADERS" are definitely picking and choosing their battles that serve their agenda to gain the most publicity for themselves in order to just hear themselves loudly.
The minute that this incident happened our so called black "LEADERS" shoud have held a press conference condemning the whole incident but then again it does not support their agenda of publicity for themselves on an issue.
Oprah is viewed by millions of viewers and even if she were to include a mention of this on her show it would have made an impact but the majority of her viewers are for the most part white and so pissing off her white viewers all for the sake of her admonishing one of their own would not have been good dollars and sense for her.
Bill Cosby prefers to admonish his own people for lack of disrespect, education, slang and the use of the word but prefers to lay in the cut and watch and see who's gonna step up and say some shit before he puts his 2 cents in cuz if oprah ain't risking her shit then he ain't risking his as well.
Rev Al is always up in everybody's bizness anyway whether you want him to or not and he has responded to it briefly but he's tackling another issue that makes sense to him at the moment and that is the shooting death of a 23 yr old unarmed black man by NYPD officers so he gets a pass on this issue for now.
Russell is off to africa to find out more about the diamond trade so that way he can't make the mistake of pissing anybody off by him selling them if they are tainted with black blood on them.
So who's left as far as black "LEADERSHIP" goes.
Has any artists made any comments about the incident thus far or maybe I missed the whole thing?
Kanye's "George Bush Hates Black People" went over real well so how come we haven't heard anything from him on this matter, oh wait maybe he's writing a rhyme about it so he can include it on his next single or album.
Eddie Murphy ain't had shit to say.
Matter of fact no black comedians famous or not have said anything about it.
Dave Chappelle
Cedric The Entertainer
Whoopi Goldberg
David Alan Grier
D.L. Hughley
Martin Lawrence
Bernie Mac
Tracy Morgan
Garrett Morris
Chris Rock
Wanda Sykes
Chris Tucker
Damon Wayans
Keenan Wayans
George Wallace
And these are the ones we know, how come they don't admonish him for it?
Of course he's gonna run to a prominent black leader cuz his reps and handlers are telling him to do so to make it look like he's making amends for his transgression of calling 2 black men "Niggas" and what does the good rev do? Says to boycott the DVD of seinfeld.
What can really and truly be a fitting punishment for this guy anyway for calling 2 black men "Niggas"?
That seems to be a topic that needs to be addressed and I bet there are gonna be quite a few responses.
thanx da dj for your feedback and being uppity negro
thanx for takin the time to visit my blog and I hope this wont be your last time.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your feedback
please everyone else keep it coming
this is the type of stuff that keeps me goin and inspires me to keep writing and sharing my thoughts on this blog
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