Black In America

http://ingridspeak.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/learning-curve/

I have been really excited about Soledad O’Brien’s series Black in America (shown on CNN 7/23 and 7/24 @ 9pm EST). I am curious to see how many on her panel and interviewees share my view of the state of Black America. I have also been watching some of the interviews she conducted of various media personalities on CNN on demand in anticipation of the actual airing of this series.

My focus is on her interview with rapper Lupe Fiasco. I am a fan of Lupe. I think his rhymes are not only intelligent and (as The Child puts it) “hot”, but he also has a creativity I find lacking in 95% of today’s rap artists. Lupe is the definition of real Hip Hop in my book.

What struck me about this interview was his awareness of the history and the community that formed us as a people. At one point in the interview he explained (and I am paraphrasing) that people regardless of their race have an innate ability to think, nurture and care for themselves. There is an innate drive and ambition that causes human beings to strive for a better existence and not just float around haphazardly waiting for permission to do well. He goes on to explain that African Americans were systematically stripped of this innate ability. Whether it was through the actual act of slavery (which he states didn’t really end until the 40’s or the 50’s and I agree) or through the systematic refusal of equal rights up and through the 60’s and 70’s. He said then, once that shadow was lifted we were supposed to forget those centuries of conditioning. Lupe went even further to say that because of all those years of conditioning African American people are playing catch up and one cannot expect a level playing field after only 40 or 50 years of true freedom. He took pains to explain that the black experience is unique from other races who suffered degradation at the hands of America...

VISIT LINK TO READ MORE...