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Discussion: Black America: What's Going On?
Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 2,755
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Black America: What's Going On?
This is a LONG read, intended to start intellectually stimulating conversations. If you don't have the time, or the maturity to participate in this conversation, then leave, or at the very least, perch. Otherwise, grab your popcorn and enjoy.
Girls, we have a problem, and it's NOT in Houston. This issue has been going on for decades, if not HUNDREDS of years; an issue SO DEEP that it's subconscious.
Most don't know this is happening today, but for those who do, and have opened their eyes recently due to the collection of events being heavily promoted by the media, let's dive into the black pool, open our minds a little further and educate those who are wearing rainbow-colored glasses who are sitting in the nose bleed seats:
The 1980's, in my opinion, was an important time for music; almost like a mini-renaissance for African Americans. MTV was a new television station at the time and with a little hesitation, began playing music videos from African American artists. This was an exceptional promotional tool as blacks were now experiencing success on a massive scale, success that was previously experienced by white artists like Elvis and The Beatles.
Michael Jackson was one of the first African Americans to get played on MTV. His super mega successful album, Thriller, won a record-breaking 8 awards in one night and became the highest selling album in history a year after its release, a record that has yet to be broken.
Janet Jackson, contrary to popular belief, stepped out of Michael's shadow, disassociated herself from the Jackson family name, and formed a musical identity OF HER OWN. Her album Control catapulted her to superstardom and over 15 years of chart-topping albums and hits. By the time she released All For You in 2001, she was considered more influential than Madonna right before the infamous Super Bowl incident occurred, which I'm NOT going to get into, as that's another story for another time. I'll just say it was blown completely out of proportion and the media ERASED her legacy from pop culture, making her nearly nonexistent to today's generation.
Throughout the 1980's, 90's, and early 00's, the music industry was (dare I say it?) DOMINATED by African Americans. We even saw successful African American tv sitcoms like Martin, [i[Sister Sister[/i], [/i]Living Single[/i], and so much more. Then I noticed something:
Ever since Obama has been elected as president in late 2008, there was a subtle shift.
Over time, African Americans' presence on the Hot 100 and 200 VANISHED. Now we have Justin Timberlake, Iggy Azalea, and many others recording R&B/hip-hop songs, and they become nearly INSTANT hits on Itunes and the radio! Yet African Americans are not getting ANY success in music today, with the exception of a FEW.
To me, this saddens me, as this is society's way of telling us, "We LOVE your culture, but nobody wants to be black! We'll appropriate your culture and get greater success than you! You have NOTHING. The genres you've created? It's no longer yours! We'll make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE now for you guys to be successful!"
And this is not something I've noticed in music, but in the media today! Travyon Martin, Michael Brown, and countless others have NOT getting the justice they've deserved! And these cops getting indicted with these cases is giving a message to society that they can abuse their POWER and kill defenseless black people, and GET AWAY WITH IT!
And the timing of this is also glorious: Bill Cosby. Now I'm not saying he didn't do it, nor am I making excuses for him. But I think this is suspicious that all of this is coming out NOW. When Stephen Collins of 7th Heaven confessed of sexually abusing a girl, the media kind of ignores it, sweeps it under the rug. Yet Bill Cosby does the same thing and we have NON-STOP media coverage, and his legacy is being CRUSHED.
Like Am I the only one noticing the ****ery that is going on today?!
My brothers, and my sisters. Now is NOT the time to be submissive and give in. We must show EVERYBODY that we're just as strong, just as intelligent, just as VALUED as society. We DO belong in this world, we DO have our identities, and WE DO MATTER. This has gone on far enough! We will NOT be silenced! We will NOT be erased! We ARE history! We ARE MUSIC. We ARE ENTERTAINMENT. We ARE AMERICA.
So now that I'm officially stepping down from my soap box, let us have a mature discussion about this really deep issue. And as always, keep it cute. Have fun, kiddies.
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Member Since: 4/4/2011
Posts: 2,385
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I was afraid that this was going to be an Iggy apologist post but it isn't. Unfortunately there truly is nothing that can be done. From seeing that a lot of black people seem to have with themselves for being ''enlightened'' by white supremacy, it is going to be more of the same. Until there is a collective wake up call (That means Azealia as well, those tweets on Storify are real!!!), there will be no change.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,150
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I'm black and 100% own and love that. Not in the sense that other races are inferior to me but more so that regardless of the way media paint and classifies a young black male like me, or regardless of the way history has been to me I am confident in my skin and know I have the strength to overcome. I as well as my people are strong. Until the day we are fully at peace with ourselves as BLACK people, change wil never come.
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Member Since: 11/22/2009
Posts: 11,092
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Problem is the US brought people here as slaves then they became free and the US gave them land, but obviously they didn't know how to keep it cause they're not slave owners, etc. Now they lost everything and their free rights from stigma Either the US should pay them more for bringing them here or they should offer to return them back and pay them.
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Is there a tl;dr version please?
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Banned
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 18,001
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Not you agreeing with Azealia Banks when it comes to Bill Cosby
Beyonce, Rihanna are above JT, Iggy (the ones u mentioned).
I get what you are trying to say...but at the same time.......gurl bye
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 40,803
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Quote:
Originally posted by vamp
Problem is the US brought people here as slaves then they became free and the US gave them land, but obviously they didn't know how to keep it cause they're not slave owners, etc. Now they lost everything and their free rights from stigma Either the US should pay them more for bringing them here or they should offer to return them back and pay them.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 2,755
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Quote:
Originally posted by 2014
Not you agreeing with Azealia Banks when it comes to Bill Cosby
Beyonce, Rihanna are above JT, Iggy (the ones u mentioned).
I get what you are trying to say...but at the same time.......gurl bye
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Obviously, reading comprehension is something I need to gift you for Christmas...
I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished for it, just that it's suspicious that the media puts so much attention on THIS case specifically, and don't give the same amount of attention and promotion on other similar sexual abuse cases by white males (both recently, and in the past).
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,150
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Quote:
Originally posted by EnslavedBitch
Hmm...interesting. Though it would be a big, HOT steaming MESS now. It's not a bad idea...I think it's sad that because of slavery, most of us (at least in America) don't know where our family originated from in Africa exactly! That has also been erased.
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BINGO!!!
Im actually from Cameroon. Though I was raised in the US I still know that my lineage is from Cameroon. I know the tribe and am aware of the language and customs. During family events our native tongue is spoken most commonly. My mother seldom speaks english at home. Black Americans dont have that oppurtunity. The most they can know is their country of origin, but so many questions are left unanswered.
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Member Since: 11/22/2009
Posts: 11,092
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Quote:
Originally posted by EnslavedBitch
Hmm...interesting. Though it would be a big, HOT steaming MESS now. It's not a bad idea...I think it's sad that because of slavery, most of us (at least in America) don't know where our family originated from in Africa exactly! That has also been erased.
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I mean money would help. They should have paid for bringing people here as slaves instead of keeping the money all to themselves and ruining the economy like it is now.
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Member Since: 5/7/2012
Posts: 8,404
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Evil Old White Men still run nearly every major institution. Hollywood, which is seen as "liberal" is full of racists who refuse to have black actors in major roles, "Liberal" media has been painting black victims as thugs from Trayvon to Tamir Rice, no matter how innocent they are they still seemed to vilify them.
The entire system is against black people so it's to be expected, those born in the 80s and after will be the ones to change it once they become the Evil Old White Men that run everything. We'll probably still be money hungry but hopeful not racist.
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Member Since: 12/7/2011
Posts: 21,578
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Quote:
Originally posted by vamp
Problem is the US brought people here as slaves then they became free and the US gave them land, but obviously they didn't know how to keep it cause they're not slave owners, etc. Now they lost everything and their free rights from stigma Either the US should pay them more for bringing them here or they should offer to return them back and pay them.
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Girl what? Did I just read the alternative ending to 12 Years A Slave?
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Banned
Member Since: 4/13/2011
Posts: 18,738
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Quote:
Originally posted by vamp
Problem is the US brought people here as slaves then they became free and the US gave them land, but obviously they didn't know how to keep it cause they're not slave owners, etc. Now they lost everything and their free rights from stigma Either the US should pay them more for bringing them here or they should offer to return them back and pay them.
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This is a pretty amazing and frank realization. Some of it is still in Af Am hands and it's apparent in cities like Atlanta, where blacks flourish and experience some of the same "white privilege" as most whites do on certain levels. . Everywhere else though
The second half wouldn't work because of what Planet Mars mentioned:
Black Americans do not know where they come from.
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Member Since: 11/22/2009
Posts: 11,092
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Quote:
Originally posted by Planet Mars
BINGO!!!
Im actually from Cameroon. Though I was raised in the US I still know that my lineage is from Cameroon. I know the tribe and am aware of the language and customs. During family events our native tongue is spoken most commonly. My mother seldom speaks english at home. Black Americans dont have that oppurtunity. The most they can know is their country of origin, but so many questions are left unanswered.
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It sucks that you lost your heritage and that your ancestors were brought here to be slaves. Hopefully you could see the sliver lining and hopefully you have many other advantages here.
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Banned
Member Since: 10/28/2011
Posts: 21,283
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Quote:
Originally posted by Planet Mars
I'm black and 100% own and love that. Not in the sense that other races are inferior to me but more so that regardless of the way media paint and classifies a young black male like me, or regardless of the way history has been to me I am confident in my skin and know I have the strength to overcome. I as well as my people are strong. Until the day we are fully at peace with ourselves as BLACK people, change wil never come.
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heart.
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Member Since: 4/25/2011
Posts: 41,661
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Quote:
Originally posted by vamp
Problem is the US brought people here as slaves then they became free and the US gave them land, but obviously they didn't know how to keep it cause they're not slave owners, etc. Now they lost everything and their free rights from stigma Either the US should pay them more for bringing them here or they should offer to return them back and pay them.
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Interesting. But why am I here? I'm Asian! Ain't nobody in the world cares for me!
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Member Since: 6/19/2012
Posts: 29,579
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What you're talking about started happening a long time before Obama was elected, sis.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 2,755
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Quote:
Originally posted by Artemisia
What you're talking about started happening a long time before Obama was elected, sis.
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Sis, I realize this, which why I said in the beginning that this has been going on for "decades, if not HUDNREDS of years"!
That doesn't change the facts that tensions right now are at an all-time high.
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Member Since: 12/15/2009
Posts: 23,385
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Quote:
Stephen Collins of 7th Heaven confessed of sexually abusing a girl, the media kind of ignores it, sweeps it under the rug. Yet Bill Cosby does the same thing and we have NON-STOP media coverage, and his legacy is being CRUSHED.
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Who is Stephen Collins? i have never heard of him and he had no cultural relevance for anyone let alone for pop culture. Cosby was an icon for minorities (not just blacks) for being one of the first non-white star with his own national syndicated show. He is instatnly recoginized whereas this Stephen kid is an unknown. i honestly dont know who he is. That being said, your paranoid here.
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Over time, African Americans' presence on the Hot 100 and 200 VANISHED. Now we have Justin Timberlake, Iggy Azalea, and many others recording R&B/hip-hop songs, and they become nearly INSTANT hits on Itunes and the radio! Yet African Americans are not getting ANY success in music today, with the exception of a FEW
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So your mad at white artist why? I dont think its an intentional white-wash going on. Hispanics, Asian Americans and even Middle-easterners have almost a transparent visibility in music or in the entertainment industy as a whole.. Your making a stance against the lessened presence of African Americans but dont acknowedge your fellow minority groups.
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My brothers, and my sisters. Now is NOT the time to be submissive and give in. We must show EVERYBODY that we're just as strong, just as intelligent, just as VALUED as society.
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Your plee for such cause over the declining presence of Black-only artists seems irresponsible. (some could even argue ignorant) Maybe music tastes change. . I dont think America as a whole just suddenly decided they are tired of Black entertainers. Tastes have been drifting and the black communities stay preferring the music genres that are strongly rooted in African American Culture.
I used to like hip hop allot! It actually WAS my favorite genre of music. In fact i hated pop/dance music before. I have grown tired of the music genre as it lacks the intellectual stimulation i now yearn. This is not to say I think Hip hop is dumb-downed music but of course ill be labeled a racist for even slightly hinting this. As far as pop/r&b, Beyonce is the top entertainer for the last few years. Noone has come into the scene with exceptional talent like Janet/Mariah/Whitney in recent years.. you need to just chill.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 16,407
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Quote:
Over time, African Americans' presence on the Hot 100 and 200 VANISHED. Now we have Justin Timberlake, Iggy Azalea, and many others recording R&B/hip-hop songs, and they become nearly INSTANT hits on Itunes and the radio! Yet African Americans are not getting ANY success in music today, with the exception of a FEW.
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rihanna and beyonce have slayed iggy and justin combined though , then you haved black artist like dj mustard working behind the scene shaping some of the hip hop industry.
but to answer your post as a whole , there is usually chaos before radical change, i think black america will shift for the better - its just theyre going through a rough patch right now.
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