Fiend Movement

Stop Screaming Racism

I saw this ad a few days ago and had a good laugh at how corny it was. I didn’t think about how it could be perceived as racist or think that Mary J Blige was a sellout for appearing in a $2Million commercial; but everywhere I turned there were black people up in arms about what I thought was a delightfully terrible musical arrangement about the new menu at Burger King. 

I wouldn’t be upset with people if the commercial was an effrontery to common sense and dignity. I would be quick to speak up if Burger King had Mary wearing a burlap sack and singing about how we could finally afford to eat with our white counterparts, but they’re not. In the wake of the Trayvon Martin case, it seems like everyone wants to make a splash and get a few thousand page views by screaming racism. This, however is not racist. We as a people sit back and allow Mc Donald’s to slap us in the face with ad after ad of not so trendy/ill-conceived 30-second piles of slang-filled remedial hooked on phonics reject pieces about snack raps, sweet teas, cheeseburgers and fruit smoothies, but it’s all good. Why? Because they run commercials that say they’re 365 Black on stations/shows that cater to black audiences? I’ve never seen a 365 Black Mc Donald’s commercial while watching the US Open or CNBC, only when I decide to be like my peers and see what new shenanigans Derwin and the crew are up to on The Game. This commercial has been called “buffoonish” and people have questioned Mary’s judgement, but when a young black man decides that he’s going to rap about drugs, whores, gun violence, sexual promiscuity and all-around depravity…for a check, we wait to see how much money he makes, how many white friends he accumulates, how many clothing lines he launches and whether or not Oprah likes him. If he checks out, he is no longer to be seen in our community as an ex-drug dealer who let a few Jewish men push him out into the spotlight and sang the praises of debauchery…he’s now a role model for our young black men and to be seen as an entrepreneur? I call shenanigans.

Are we really upset about this commercial or are we just looking for anything to lash out against because the Trayvon Martin case has made us question our own humanity and status in this nation we call America? Yes, we wear t-shirts and march for peace, understanding, equality and tolerance. Yes we’ve gotten tons of news coverage and many of our black leaders have taken up the cause, but when you really look at the field, you see that nothing has changed. Zimmerman isn’t locked up, Trayvon cannot be brought back and our shirts are covered in the sweat of hard work and anguish but are far from being washed in the waters of triumph.

The difference between a revolt and a revolution is the law. The Jewish Zealots, Nat Turner, John Brown, the students in Tenement Sqaure and countless others have all led amazing revolts that garnered tons of media attention and burned a place into the permanent histories of humanity, but their tenacity did not brighten their circumstances. We can march, fight, sing, pray, cry out or sit in silent fortitude all we want, but nothing will change until the zeitgeist of this time becomes the law of the land. If you really want to change something, call your Congressman( or woman), call your Senators, call your State Representative or call your City Council members, but don’t kill Mary for trying to get a check during these hard times.