New Page Direction

Hello readers. You may notice that the name and direction of the page has changed. After careful review, I have decided to shift the focus of the page from basic entertainment news and celeb gossip, to focusing on individuals in the field of entertainment whose images and actions are detrimental to the image of black people worldwide. My hope is that by calling out their actions, we can begin to force a change in how we are portrayed and how we portray ourselves.

Black Americans for instance, do not realize how they are seen in countries like Finland, Japan, Australia, Russia, Italy, Ghana; to name a few. 99.9% of the time-- unless you are Will Smith-- the image they see in those countries is the same image that BET presents. Think about that. An entire world believes that all black Americans wear gold fronts, big chains, flaunts wealth, and disrespects women. Is that how you want to be viewed?

It is time for a change and that chance will start now.

Why the name "The Minstrel Show?"

Blackface minstrelsy was the first American theatrical form. Popular in the 1800's before the Civil War and again at the turn of the century before the Harlem Renaissance. For several decades, this form of entertainment and comedy provided the lens through which white America saw black America. Gone from the mainstream for over 5 decades, minstrel made a successful entry back in pop culture in the mid 1990's with the emergence of the shiny suit, champagne popping, platinum blinging Negro led by Puff Daddy and The Bad Boy All-Star Minstrels. This lack of cultural etiquette and penchant for cash by any means necessary led to the destruction of black American culture in the arts, entertainment, and sports. By early 2006, nearly all popular black performers were part of the minstrel act. Those who made the choice not to sacrifice their given talent and pride, found themselves performing in the underground circuit or excelling in sports without any recognition despite being the best in their crafts.

We have to take back our pride and stop supporting these musicians, athletes, actors, etc. who continue to portray the worse in black America. It is one thing to be entertaining, it is a whole other thing to be offensive. Next time you are bobbing your head to a fresh beat, listen to the lyrics too. Write them down. Do they make sense? Probably not. Next time you see a black athlete's mother in the stands, compare how she is portrayed to a white athlete's mother. Why do we have to show ignorance so often? Yes I am being hard on black America, someone needs to be.