Monday, July 5, 2010

Question de Jour: Why won't they speak up?


Black women are a very diverse group. There aren't many things I would say are absolutes about us. But one thing I know for sure is if the media and Black men started saying that there were no good Black women around we would speak up and loudly.

So I have to wonder why it is that Black men aren't speaking up. The media has been stuck on the lonely Black woman/ no good Black men thing for a very long time now. And I have yet to see an organized response to this from Black men.

Why is that?

I absolutely know that it's a myth that there are no good Black men. I happen to know quite a few good Black men. Smart, educated, healthy, never been arrested, etc. So when for instance ABC's Nightline does a show about the supposed lack of good Black men why was it that 600 Black women showed up but almost no Black men?


If 600 Black men were going to go on TV talking about the lack of good Black women you better believe there would be 600 Black woman there begging to differ.

So please help me here. Why aren't the good Black men out there standing up to these media attacks? What's going on?


10 comments:

BigmacInPittsburgh said...

The answer is complex Val,being ignorant of who you are comes to mind right away.
Brainwash,self-hating play a role.
Not being taught to respect yourself plays a role.
And alwways being told that you are not important and valued plays a part.

brohammas said...

Its always easier to deduce why someone IS doing something rather than trying to figure out why they are NOT doing something.

I could guess at a number of reasons why black men are not speaking up but maybe it would be more productive to look at what they are doing in stead.

? said...

It's not just media attacks. Guys like Kanye West, Yung Berg, Slim Thug, Ne-Yo, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, have upped the ante themselves. It's an all around sad situation.

Kit (Keep It Trill) said...

I don't think black people get much tv time, period. On the news, there are three basic doors we're allowed to go through: politics, sports, and celebrity fluff. About once a year, a large publishing house wings some interviews of our personal relationships and cultural concerns on news shows, like Bitch Is The New Black in the past six or so months, and Black In America in 2009.

That leaves shows like the old Oprah show or The View, and another show with that pretty, former black model, or black magazines on relationships which are generally written by and for black women, and lastly bloggers, and again, those posts sounding out the alarm are mostly made my women.

I couldn't view the ABC nightline link b/c now it says page unavailable. I wonder why. Anyway, you said "600 Black women showed up but almost no Black men".

I'll speculate that the answer is simple: it's not their problem.

Cold but true.

Men freely date up and down, in age, education and economics, so the bro in his 30s and 40s has a glut of choices, and better yet, plenty of time to make babies.

Val said...

@BigMac

I think brainwashing has a lot to do with it. As you say Black men are always being told they're bad.

Val said...

@brohammas

That might be true but I'm trying to figure out what they're doing. They seem to be invisible on this topic.

Val said...

@?

I know what those other idiots have said but I missed what Ne-Yo and Kanye said?

But you're right; those guys seem to be joining in. But I wouldn't consider any of them good Black men. Those are they types that professional Black women tend to avoid.

Val said...

@Kit

First, I found a working link. Sorry about that.

I agree that most media forums on this and Black issues in general are limited. Also the media paints this as a Black women's problem as opposed to a problem in some Black communities.

And I think you may have hit the nail on the head when you say it's not seen by men as their problem. That's unfortunate because they have mothers and sisters and daughters who have to confront this. You'd think that would be enough to get them to pipe up on this.

? said...

Kanye stated their would be no video girls without "mutts" i.e. biracial women. Ne-Yo stated "all the prettiest kids is light skinned."


"Men freely date up and down, in age, education and economics, so the bro in his 30s and 40s has a glut of choices, and better yet, plenty of time to make babies."


Bingo! Allot of guys benefit from this-in terms of the dating market- so it's not in their interest (so they think) to do anything about it.

Val said...

@?

Wow, how'd Kanye and Ne-Yo get away with that without their being a big dust-up?

Anyway, they're both brainwashed. And not too bright. Why risk offending your customers. Especially in Ne-Yo's case since he probably relies more on Black women to buy his music.

Yep, Kit nailed it.

Buy Life!

Buy Life!
click on Alicia for info

Check out some of my other posts below

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Val's Library

1963 (1) 1982 (1) 1984 (1) 2011 (2) 2012 Election (3) 50 cent (1) 52nd Street (1) 60 Minutes (1) 900 Number (1) 944 Magazine (1) A Verse by Val (2) Aaliyah (3) Abbey Lincoln (1) ABC (6) Actresses I'd like to see work more (1) Adina Howard (1) Adrian Fenty (1) Africa (1) African American Family (1) African Americans (7) Al Di Meola (1) Al Green (1) Alicia Keys (21) Aliens (1) Allergic To Vanilla (2) Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham (1) Alpha Kappa Alpha (1) Amazon.com (1) Amazulu Montego Bay (1) Amber Rose (1) America's Next Top Model (1) American Slavery (1) American War in Iraq (1) Amour-propre (1) Amy Winehouse (2) Andy Garcia (1) Angela Bofill (1) Angela Davis (1) Angela Simmons (2) Anika Noni Rose (1) Apple (1) Archie panjabi (1) Archie punjabi (1) Arizona (1) Arrested Development (1) Art Deco (1) Arundhati Roy (1) Ashton Purvis (1) Atlanta (4) Awards (1) Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim (1) Barack Obama (13) BART (1) Baseball (2) BBC Radio (1) Beautifulness (1) Ben Franklin (1) Bethany Storro (1) Beverly Peele (1) Beyoncé (3) Bill Withers (1) Billie Holiday (1) Birthdays (11) Births (1) Bishop Eddie Long (1) Black Ball (1) Black Farmers (1) Black History Month (5) Black Men (4) Black Panther Party (3) Black Women (25) Blair Underwood (1) Blanka Vlašić (1) Blogger (1) Blogs (4) Blu Cantrell (1) Bobby Womack (1) Bolero (1) bombs over baghdad (1) Boo Berry (1) Books (1) Boris Kdjoe (1) Bosnia (1) Boycott (1) Boycott Target (1) BP (2) Brandy (1) Breaking News (1) Brick (1) British Petroleum (4) Brittney Griner (1) Brownstone (1) Buffalo Stance (1) Burqa (1) Bust Magazine (1) California (3) Canada (2) Cape Cod (1) Carl's Jr (1) Carmen De Lavallade (1) Carolina Chocolate Drops (1) Cassie Ventura (1) Catholicism (1) CBS (6) Cell Phones (1) Cessna Citation X (1) Chad (1) Change (2) Charlayne Hunter-Gault (1) Charles Rangel (1) Chicago (3) Chill Rob G (1) Christianity (1) Christine Beatty (4) Chubb Rock (1) Chuckii Booker (1) Cinco de Mayo (1) Civil Rights Movement (1) Coke (1) Colonel Abrams (1) Colts (1) Columbus Day (1) Comedy (1) Common Sense Val (1) Complex Magazine (1) Concert (1) Congo (1) Constance Jablonski (1) Corinne Bailey Rae (1) Corporate America (1) Countermeasures (1) Crazy but true (1) Crime (1) Crystal Waters (1) Curtis Mayfield (2) Curvy Gurl (1) Darfur (1) Daylight Savings Time (1) Dazz (1) De La Soul (1) DEA (1) Death Penalty (1) Debbi Morgan (1) Debbie Dunn (1) Democrats (1) Denise Williams (1) Deon Estus (1) Depression (1) Desertflower (1) Desirée Rogers (3) Detroit (5) Disco (1) Dolly Freed (1) Dominique Reighard (1) Don't Stop The Music (1) Donell Jones (1) Donna Summer (1) Dorothy Dandridge (1) DRC (1) Earthquake (2) Ebonics (1) Ebony (2) Ed Lover (1) Education (1) Edwidge Danticat (1) El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (2) Elaine Brown (1) Ella Thomas (1) Elle (1) Eminem (1) England (1) Erykah Badu (1) Espana (1) Esperanza Spalding (1) Essence (2) Ethel Waters (1) Facebook (4) Fame (1) Famous People (1) Fashion (4) Fatima Siad (1) Favorite Models Series (8) Favorite music videos of all-time (1) Favorite stuff (1) Film (5) Five Star (1) Flashback Friday (45) Floetry (1) Food (5) Football (1) Fox Cough News (1) Foxy - Get Off (1) France (1) Freegan (1) Frida Kahlo (1) Friday Quote (1) Friday Quotes (1) Fugees (1) Further/ Farther (1) G20 (1) Gabourey Sidibe (2) Gary Coleman (1) General Stanley A. McChrystal (1) Genocide (1) George Benson (1) George Orwell (1) Georgia O'Keeffe (1) Ghetto Boys (1) Glow of Love (3) Good Morning America (1) GOTAN PROJECT - TANGO 3.0 - Peligro (1) Gotham Magazine (1) Grammy Awards (1) Grape (1) Gregory Porter (1) Groove Theory (1) Gulf of Mexico (8) Gypsy Woman (1) Haiti (17) Halle Berry (2) Hardee's (1) Harold Dow (1) Harriet Tubman (1) Harvard (1) HBCU (1) Higginbotham (1) Hillary Clinton (1) Hinduism (1) Hip Hop (1) History (1) Holiday (5) Holidays (1) Holly Robinson Peete (1) Hoosegow (1) Howard University (1) Hurricane Katrina (1) I Can't Wait (1) Idiot Rappers (1) If You're Girl Only Knew (1) India (1) iPad (2) Iran (1) Ireland (1) Irene Cara (1) Islam (2) Islamophobia (2) Isley Brothers (1) J. Cole (1) Jade (1) James "D Train" Williams (1) James Baldwin (1) Janelle Monáe (1) Japan (1) Jasmin Guy (1) Jason (1) Jay z (1) Jazz (2) Jean-Michel Basquiat (1) Jennifer Lopez. Halle Berry. (1) Jermaine Jackson (1) Jermaine Stewart (1) Jesse Jackson junior Harold Ford junior (1) Jessica Ennis (1) Jesus Christ (1) Jet Magazine (4) Jimmy Smits (1) Jodeci (1) Jody Watley (2) Joe Public (1) John Coltrane (2) Jonathan Butler (1) Jr. (1) Juan Williams (1) Judy Marte (1) Julianna Margulies (1) July 4th (1) Jurnee Smollett (1) Just a Laugh (1) Just a thought (1) K'naan (1) Kama (1) Kamala Harris (3) Karyn White (1) Kelis (1) Kelly Rowland (1) Keri Hilson (3) Kerry Washington (1) Kindle (1) King Pleasure (1) Kool and The Gang (1) KPFA (1) Kwamé (1) Kwame Kilpatrick (1) Lady Gaga (1) Lady T (1) LAPD (1) Las Vegas (1) Latice Sutton (1) Lauryn Hill (1) Lauryne Hill (1) LaVena Johnson (1) Lee Morgan (1) Left Eye (1) Lena Horne (1) Lenny Kravitz (2) Lesbian (1) Letterman Show (1) LGBT (2) LGBT Rights (1) Liam (1) Life and Style Magazine (1) Lil' Wayne (1) Lin A Woman (1) Lindsey Lohan (1) Lisa Bonet (1) Lisa Jackson (1) Lisa Lopes (1) Lisa Stansfield (1) Liya Kebede (2) Lolo Jones (3) Los Angeles (2) Love (3) Luther Vandross (3) Magazines (13) Malcolm X (1) Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1) Malia Obama (1) Malika Saada Saar (1) Manic Monday Music (1) Manu Dibango (1) Mariah Carey (2) Marion Jones (1) Marriage (1) Marshall Mathers (1) Martha Reeves (1) Martin Luther King (1) Marva Whitney (1) Massachusetts (1) Maxine Waters (1) Maxwell (1) MC Solaar (1) McDonald's Restaurants (1) McGhee sextuplets (1) Media (20) Medicine for Melancholy (2) Mel and Kim (1) Mellow Wednesday (1) Memphis (1) Mental Illness (1) Meryl Streep (1) Mes Deux Cents (1) Meseret Defar (1) Mexico (1) Mi Corazón (1) Michael Boatman (1) Michael Jackson (1) michelle Obama (2) Middle class (1) Miguel Jontel (1) Mireille Durocher Bertin (1) misogynists (1) Miss America 2010 (1) Miss Black USA (1) Miss Haiti 2010 (1) Miss Universe (1) Miss USA (1) Missing Person (3) MIT (1) Mitrice Richardson (5) Mizrepresent (1) MLK (1) Models (3) Money (1) More Than A Woman (1) Mos Def (1) Mother's Day (1) Music (10) Music for a Tuesday (1) Music Video (5) Mya (1) Natalie Stewart (1) NBC (7) Nellie (1) Nelson Mandela (1) Neneh Cherry (1) New Jersey (1) New Orleans (2) New York City (5) New York Series (1) Newark (1) News (18) NFL (1) Nice Shoes (1) Nicki Minaj (6) Niqab (1) No Wedding No Womb (1) Noémie Lenoir (1) Noisettes (1) Nothern California (1) NPR (1) Nu Shooz (1) Numero Magazine (1) NYC (5) Obama (9) Obscure Heroes (1) Octavius Catto (1) Of Monreal (1) Off the beaten path (1) Oil Spill (2) Oil Spll (3) Olympics (2) Omar al-Bashir (1) One In A Million (1) Opinion (16) Oprah (4) Osas Ighodaro (1) Oscar Grant (1) Otis Mathis (1) OutKast (1) Ownlee Eue (1) Pacifica Radio (1) Pam Grier (1) Paris Vogue (1) PBS (4) Pebbles (1) Penny Wize (1) Petroleum (1) Photo (6) Photo de Jour (23) Phyllis Hyman (3) Pink (1) Pink Friday (1) Plutocracy (1) Police Brutality (1) Politics (32) Poor (1) Possum Living (1) Poverty (1) Prince (2) Private Jet (1) Prop. 8 (1) Prophet Muhammad (1) Public Schools (1) Punk Rap (1) Punk Rock (1) Queen Latifah (2) Question de Jour (5) R and B (1) Race (1) Radio (1) Random Sunday (1) Rant (1) Rape (1) Ravel (1) Rebbie Jacson (1) Religion (2) Republicans (5) Reverend Jesse Jackson (1) Reverend Jesse Jacson (1) Rich (1) Right On Magazine (1) Rihanna (1) Rima Fakih (1) Rosa Parks (1) Rose Cordero (1) Run DMC (1) Rwanda (1) Saddam Hussein (1) Sade (17) Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtian (1) Sam Cooke (2) Same-gender marriage (1) San Francisco Bay Area (3) San Francisco Giants (1) Sarah Palin (1) Sarodj Bertin (1) Sasha Obama (1) Saturday Flashback (2) Saturday Funk (6) Saudi Arabia (1) School Daze (1) Seattle (1) Selita Ebanks (1) Serena Williams (1) Shalamar (1) Shari Headley (3) Sharon Brown (1) Sharone Simpson (1) Sheila E (1) Sheila Escovedo (1) Shoes (1) Sidewinder (1) Sinbad (1) Singers (1) Skin (1) Snap (1) Solange (2) Somalia (1) Sophie Okonedo (1) Soul Makossa (1) SoulSonic Force (1) South Africa (1) Space (1) Spain (1) Spelman College (1) Spike Lee (1) Sports (9) Spring (1) Stacey Dash (1) Stacyann Chin (1) Stereotypes (1) Stuff (30) Sudan (1) Suleka Mathew (1) Summer music (1) Sunday Music (3) Superbowl (1) Supreme Court (1) Surface (1) T Pain (1) Tamara Taylor (1) Tammi Terrell (1) Taral Hicks (1) Tea Party (1) Technology (1) Teddy Pendergrass (1) Teena Marie (1) Tell Me (1) Teresa Gueyser (1) Tevin Campbell (2) Texas Rangers (1) Thanksgiving (1) The Academy Awards (1) The Boondocks (1) The Bronx (1) The Good Girls (1) The Good Wife (1) The Power (1) The Simple Life (1) The Stoning of Soraya M. (1) The Sunday Report (2) The Twin Towers (1) The U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships (1) The United Nations (3) Then and Now (4) This Masquerade (1) Thursday Music (2) Tiger Woods (1) Tisha Campbell (1) Tje Jimmy Fallon Show (1) Today Show (2) Toronto (1) Toshiba Electronics (1) Tracee Ellis Ross (1) Tracey Heggins (3) Track and Field (8) Trains (1) Travel (2) Travis Barker (1) Treat'em Right (1) Trial (1) Trina McGee-Davis (1) Trudie Hall (1) Try Again (1) Tuck and Patti (1) TV (12) TV Theme Songs (1) Twitter quote (1) Two4er Tuesday (8) Tyler Perry (3) Tyson Gay (1) U.K (1) U.S Oil Companies (1) UN Peace Keepers (1) Unemployment (1) United States (1) Usain Bolt (1) Vacation (1) Val Recommends (4) Val's Links (1) Val's week in review (1) Valentine's Day (1) Vanessa Williams (2) Venus Williams (1) Verses by Val (2) Video de Jour (1) Violence (1) Virginia (1) Vogue (3) Vogue Italia (1) Wakeema Hollis (1) Wanda Jean Allen (1) War (3) Waris Dirie (1) Washington DC (2) Weather (1) Weddings (2) Weekend (2) White Women (1) Whodini (1) Will Smith (1) Willow Smith (1) WNBA (1) Woman (1) Women's History Month (4) Word de Jour (1) Word Play (3) World Cup (1) World Series (1) World Trade Center (1) WTF Files (13) Yarbrough and Peoples (1) Yasmin Warsame (1) Yo MTV Raps (1) YouTube (1) Zap Mama (1) Zoë Isabella Kravitz (3)

Soldier Of Love

I've lost the use of my heart
But I'm still alive
Still looking for the life
The endless pool on the other side
It's a wild wild west
I'm doing my best

I'm at the borderline of my faith,
I'm at the hinterland of my devotion
In the frontline of this battle of mine
But I'm still alive

I'm a soldier of love.
Every day and night
I'm soldier of love
All the days of my life

I've been torn up inside (oh!)
I've been left behind (oh!)
So I ride
I have the will to survive

In the wild wild west,
Trying my hardest
Doing my best
To stay alive

I am love's soldier!

I wait for the sound
(oooh oohhh)

I know that love will come (that love will come)
Turn it all around

I'm a soldier of love (soldier of love)
Every day and night
I'm a soldier of love
All the days of my life

I am lost
But I don't doubt (oh!)
So I ride
I have the will to survive

In the wild wild west,
Trying my hardest
Doing my best
To stay alive

I am love's soldier!

I wait for the sound

I know that love will come
I know that love will come
Turn it all around

I'm a soldier of love
I'm a soldier

Still waiting for love to come
Turn it all around
(4x)

I'm a soldier of love
I'm a soldier

Still waiting for love to come
Turn it all around
(3x)

Still waiting for love to come

Miss Keri Baby!

Tracee!

Solange!

Solange!
The only interesting Knowles

un·for·get·ta·ble: Earning a permanent place in the memory; memorable: an unforgettable experience.

Alicia says...

Rest in Peace Mitrice

Rest in Peace Mitrice
Mitrice Richardson