I am really disappointed with Black in America. You would think with all this hype CNN was really going to bring it, but then again we are talking about mainstream media so I shouldn't be surprised. Although I will applaud CNN for putting forth the effort to try and shine a light on the Black experience in this country, I will say that it definitely fell short of my expectations. How can you say you are doing a show on black women and the majority of the speakers are black men? I mean I'm confused or maybe I am just being picky. They brought up many topics, but yet they only scratch the surface of those topics. The really didn't touch upon what it really means to be a black woman in this country. They didn't even touch upon the pain in which black women suffer in silence. The reason for this suffering is because black pain is only associated with the pain in which the black man suffers. I guess that is the reason why CNN decided to dedicate two hours to the black man, but only gave the black woman 20 minutes on tonight's show. I'm pretty sure people are going to bring up the fact of time restraints, but let's get real. I think we would have been better off if Spike Lee would have done this documentary. At least then we would have got down to the nitty gritty.
There are some real issues that could have been discussed as far as the black woman is concerned. Why are we the bastard children of our own race? The black woman is asked to bear so much. I'm sorry, but that show really pissed me the hell off because it was pretty much the same ole same ole. There are so many dynamics when it comes to being a black woman in this country. I really feel that they could have told our story better. I just hope they do more on tomorrow's show which I am pretty sure they will.
Oh, and here's another problem I have. Why is it that we as a people try to romanticize the fact that our mother's were rape during slavery? Why do we pretend as though the viscous rapes that took place between slave and slave owner was some sort of love story? I really need someone to explain this to me.
Please tell me what you think? I want to know what you think about the first night of Black In America. Did it live up to your expectations? Do you think they paid too much attention to the negative and not enough to the positive? Do you think Spike Lee should do a documentary on being Black in America like he did for Hurricane Katrina?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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2 comments:
I thought that it was great that CNN thought "Black in America" was an interesting enough topic to devote several days of coverage. I think the first segment focusing on "Women and Family" discussed key issues and concerns that exist for black women in America. However, I was left with wanting more, but I understand that we were only able to touch on the many subjects affecting black women with timing constraints. I also understand that the next segment focusing on black men will have a longer duration (2 hours). Not saying that this is not warranted but I as a black woman feel cheated. Equal time should have been given to women if not more because we are the ones who are left to pick up the pieces and clean up the mess left behind from bad relationships, raising children alone, not being able to find a healthy black relationship, to us making it on our own. I am not saying that I am not proud of CNN or Soledad for their coverage, but I was left feeling like I had only been served an appetizer. I hope that the 2 hours devoted to black men tonight is used wisely.
Katrina
I'm with you on this, but I have to admit to being left more with a feeling of depression than disappointment.
Being a single mom who has never been married (and refuses to marry her "baby's daddy"), I think I've been holding it together pretty well. This is not to say that I enjoy being solo or that it has been easy (it hasn't), but judging by this piece, unless I marry my son's father for the sake of being married, my story will not have a happy ending.
See, the thing is that my experience has been the opposite of what was reported - I actually grew up in a 2-parent household, and I've been surrounded by family members who've gotten married. I had the so-called "healthy example", but the thing is, none of these marriages were healthy - virtually all of them ended in divorce, and for horrible reasons. My grandparents didn't divorce, presumably because of the era in which they were raised, yet I recall my maternal grandmother saying many times that had she had the option, she would not have remained married so long to my grandfather (he passed away before she did). She didn't think that people should be married 40, 50 years (they were married for 42).
I look at the past marriages of my own parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, and they all had or have some detrimental level of dysfunction. I'm sorry, but while I know that my situation is not accepted by society, and hell, I admit to wishing I had a partner, I just can't see myself jumping from the frying pan into the fire on this. Yes I get stressed out, but recalling the turmoil I encountered from my son's father when we lived together, and imagining that if I'd married him just because we had a baby -I'd be in the loony bin right now. Our son would be no healthier mentally. I'd rather struggle but maintain my peace of mind than fulfill the status quo.
I think that there should be a follow-up documentary on problem-solving in Black America. For my situation, telling me to get married would not be enough. I am soon to obtain my Psychology degree. I own my home. I own my car. I have a business and I work full-time. I have achieved a level of accomplishment neither of my parents have - together. What I need to know how to connect with someone who has a healthy view of relationships so that we can enter into a realistic, fulfilling relationship, not an easy marriage but one that meets our realistic expectations. I know that it is hard work and far from a fairy tale, but if you get it right, it can be everything you could ever ask for.
At the end of last night's episode, I felt like all the promise for my life that I've worked so hard to set up was a pipe dream, because without a husband and a small pool of prospects, my life will be empty and full of strife. I hope that it wasn't what they intended, but that's what happened.
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