Absolutely on point. The outreach must happen at the community level. And it needs to be visual and at town halls and community centers. We need to lift up those campaigning for the “us” in our entire neighborhoods.
Watching an episode with Stanley Tucci over the weekend in Sicily. He was interviewing a woman in a small village that had African roots, and how many people had moved decades before to help build and grow the community. He asked about feeling welcome - she answered yes because they had achieved “a cultural maturity” of how to respect and coexist.
When we will reach that maturity in America I still do not know.
I am an old (78) white feminist---a woman who marched in Washington and Cairo, Illinois. Our response has to be more than voting. When I look at professional sports, for example, I see Black sports stars everywhere. When I look at film and TV and commercials, I see Black actors. Companies use Black actors to sell their products. (The same is true for women, of course.) They want our money, our patronage, our participation in culture but they don't want to share power. Boycott their asses. If all of the pro sports teams would simply speak up and stand with Black voters, things would change. Withhold your talent, your allegiance, your admiration, withhold your dollars---it's what they understand.
Sadly, not one black athlete at a PWI has said a word about the attack on DEI at their universities. Starting at the age of six or seven, AAU or travel ball has managed to isolate many black children participating in athletics from their communities so that their primary concern is securing the bag rather than using their platform to improve their community. To be clear, this is not an anti-sports position because, from sixth through twentieth grade, I participated greatly in sports, being a mediocre multisport athlete, emphasis on the mediocre. Yet, over time, the student-athlete has become the business-athlete with little concern for their community. However, we need more organizations meeting these young people where they are to inform them of their role in the movement. The greatest lie ever told is that James Brown wrote "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" of his own volition. The truth is that he was prodded daily by local and national activists until he crafted the song. The same must occur with black athletes and other entertainers today. Schools, professional leagues, and corporations do a great job of siloing black athletes and entertainers from their community. The activists and civil rights organizations must do a better job connecting with and informing these young people that they are not alone and that they have support in forcing these schools, leagues, and corporations to change. The SEC, a Southern-based conference, controls college football, which is a billion-dollar industry. And, you are correct that, if enough black athletes decide to boycott or withhold their talents, the schools would be forced to play a different game. The question remains: which activists and civil rights organizations will take the lead in connecting with and informing these young people of the power they have?
Thank you for this information. I fear I often fall into the trap of thinking that, say, if you're a woman, you'd just naturally be "pro-woman" but I know that isn't true. It can be hard to see the complexity of a human being. I want black athletes to identify with and work for black causes but---somehow don't think that white athletes should automatically espouse white nationalism. Clearly, I'm not thinking straight. The lure of fame and celebrity and money is difficult for anyone to combat. But the sports world COULD play a significant part in this, if they dared.
As you know, there's the general point and then the specifics of detail. As such, your general point is valid and necessary. Black athletes and other black entertainers, especially those who were nurtured by and/or earn the bulk of their profits from the black community, should feel some responsibility to reinvest in, protect, and progress the community that raised them. The only thing that must be added is that the people and organizations who know the history of oppression and understand the strategies to overcome it must aid in teaching and organizing these young people. Thus, I agree with your overall point. I just wanted to provide some clarity on how we've gotten to the issue of black athletes and other black entertainers not embracing this responsibility as in the past and how we all can aid in improving it. The owners of sports teams and entertainment companies, along with most college boards, have no desire to change the system because it's working perfectly well for them. Therefore, folks like you and me must aid in helping the activists and civil rights organizations connect to the talent/labor and teach them the power that they have, which includes informing them that they have protection from retaliation. A drowning person will reach at anything for salvation, even a sword. For many of these athletes and entertainers, their talent is all that they think they possess to keep from drowning, and these colleges and companies know this. Someone has to show them that they have more power than they think. If no one shows them this, they will continue to save themselves at the destruction of their own communities. And, this is coming from someone who would rather write poems, short stories, and Prince commentary while reading and listening to blues, rock, funk, and soul all day.
I agree with everything that you wrote. In my educated guess, I’m not at all convinced that DT won the last election. It’s not the first time we’ve been cheated out of the rightful winner (Al Gore) and the circumstances were very suspicious.
So I’m not sure that we really re-elected him. I think the majority of this country is opposed to what’s happening they just need to be activated- or Woke! I love that word.
Absolutely on point. The outreach must happen at the community level. And it needs to be visual and at town halls and community centers. We need to lift up those campaigning for the “us” in our entire neighborhoods.
Watching an episode with Stanley Tucci over the weekend in Sicily. He was interviewing a woman in a small village that had African roots, and how many people had moved decades before to help build and grow the community. He asked about feeling welcome - she answered yes because they had achieved “a cultural maturity” of how to respect and coexist.
When we will reach that maturity in America I still do not know.
I am an old (78) white feminist---a woman who marched in Washington and Cairo, Illinois. Our response has to be more than voting. When I look at professional sports, for example, I see Black sports stars everywhere. When I look at film and TV and commercials, I see Black actors. Companies use Black actors to sell their products. (The same is true for women, of course.) They want our money, our patronage, our participation in culture but they don't want to share power. Boycott their asses. If all of the pro sports teams would simply speak up and stand with Black voters, things would change. Withhold your talent, your allegiance, your admiration, withhold your dollars---it's what they understand.
Sadly, not one black athlete at a PWI has said a word about the attack on DEI at their universities. Starting at the age of six or seven, AAU or travel ball has managed to isolate many black children participating in athletics from their communities so that their primary concern is securing the bag rather than using their platform to improve their community. To be clear, this is not an anti-sports position because, from sixth through twentieth grade, I participated greatly in sports, being a mediocre multisport athlete, emphasis on the mediocre. Yet, over time, the student-athlete has become the business-athlete with little concern for their community. However, we need more organizations meeting these young people where they are to inform them of their role in the movement. The greatest lie ever told is that James Brown wrote "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" of his own volition. The truth is that he was prodded daily by local and national activists until he crafted the song. The same must occur with black athletes and other entertainers today. Schools, professional leagues, and corporations do a great job of siloing black athletes and entertainers from their community. The activists and civil rights organizations must do a better job connecting with and informing these young people that they are not alone and that they have support in forcing these schools, leagues, and corporations to change. The SEC, a Southern-based conference, controls college football, which is a billion-dollar industry. And, you are correct that, if enough black athletes decide to boycott or withhold their talents, the schools would be forced to play a different game. The question remains: which activists and civil rights organizations will take the lead in connecting with and informing these young people of the power they have?
Thank you for this information. I fear I often fall into the trap of thinking that, say, if you're a woman, you'd just naturally be "pro-woman" but I know that isn't true. It can be hard to see the complexity of a human being. I want black athletes to identify with and work for black causes but---somehow don't think that white athletes should automatically espouse white nationalism. Clearly, I'm not thinking straight. The lure of fame and celebrity and money is difficult for anyone to combat. But the sports world COULD play a significant part in this, if they dared.
As you know, there's the general point and then the specifics of detail. As such, your general point is valid and necessary. Black athletes and other black entertainers, especially those who were nurtured by and/or earn the bulk of their profits from the black community, should feel some responsibility to reinvest in, protect, and progress the community that raised them. The only thing that must be added is that the people and organizations who know the history of oppression and understand the strategies to overcome it must aid in teaching and organizing these young people. Thus, I agree with your overall point. I just wanted to provide some clarity on how we've gotten to the issue of black athletes and other black entertainers not embracing this responsibility as in the past and how we all can aid in improving it. The owners of sports teams and entertainment companies, along with most college boards, have no desire to change the system because it's working perfectly well for them. Therefore, folks like you and me must aid in helping the activists and civil rights organizations connect to the talent/labor and teach them the power that they have, which includes informing them that they have protection from retaliation. A drowning person will reach at anything for salvation, even a sword. For many of these athletes and entertainers, their talent is all that they think they possess to keep from drowning, and these colleges and companies know this. Someone has to show them that they have more power than they think. If no one shows them this, they will continue to save themselves at the destruction of their own communities. And, this is coming from someone who would rather write poems, short stories, and Prince commentary while reading and listening to blues, rock, funk, and soul all day.
✊🏼Onward to progressive, badly needed policies and real guardrails for us- We The People who truly want equality, liberty and justice for ALL!
I agree with everything that you wrote. In my educated guess, I’m not at all convinced that DT won the last election. It’s not the first time we’ve been cheated out of the rightful winner (Al Gore) and the circumstances were very suspicious.
So I’m not sure that we really re-elected him. I think the majority of this country is opposed to what’s happening they just need to be activated- or Woke! I love that word.