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| Author | Topic |
| Mike Oliver | Posted - 29 March 2010 1:14   I agree Brother, just remember that there are still many of us who know better. Strong brothers are in the minority, but revolutionaries are always outnumbered and outgunned. This has never bothered us. |
| nathaniel | Posted - 27 November 2008 11:55 i here what ur saying brother people need to open their mind a little and see the illution, we live and learn false images every day of r life without even realising check out the movie zeitguist 2 also th effermanation of the black male. peace |
| cladius | Posted - 21 July 2008 14:1 wow..that was a powerful revelation...I pray that God raise up Holy and Righteous men who will demonstrate what it means to be a man.. |
| Malchus | Posted - 1 April 2008 22:26 It's like you were reading my mind, sir!!! Can you even believe what our actors have to do in order to get an Oscar? Denzel was an extraordinary actor and had some(in my opinion)Oscar winning performances, but it wasn't until Training Day(where he played a crooked, murderous cop)that he got his Oscar. Just when you think Hollywood has run out of ways to exploit the black man.....they pull something out of the woodworks!! Awesome Article. Sorry i found it almost 2 years later!!! Peace |
| winston | Posted - 13 December 2006 5:38 Outstanding observations. I love the appropriate response that we line up in droves to see pimps and other negative images but we are woefully absent from town hall meetings and such. |
| Franklin Anderson | Posted - 14 September 2006 23:2 I think the article was right on. Its so ironic, because from time to time I do a google search on the net to see if there is anything out there concerning an award winning play I performed in almost 20 years ago called The Diary of Black Men. I stumbled on this article by accident. The Diary of Black Men is the longest running touring play in Black Theatre History. Yet it never got its just do in terms of media coverage or publicity for some of the same reasons the author of this article sited. White America does not want to see images of strong Black men. The images we depicted were surely that. Though it was a play about relationships that posed the question "How do you love a black woman",it dealt quite indepthly and deeply about black manhood.We broke attendance records wherever we went and that included over 70 cities in the US, Canada and England. We were before Shelly Garrett ( Beauty Shop)Michael Matthews ( Mama I'm Sorry) and yes, even Tyler Perry. In fact Tyler Perry will tell you himself he got the title for Diary of A Mad Black Woman from Diary of Black Men. We were the 1st to go to major downtown theatres and sell them out with all black audiences. Not trying to brag here but make a point that the author of the article has already made. It don't seem to matter how strong and powerfull and success your production is, if its too black and positive, the major media will ignore it. A little after I left the show in 1989, Dateline wanted to do a special on The Diary of Black Men but they wanted to sensationalize with controversy. Seeing we were an all male cast having some pretty profound things to say about black relationships, they brought in some sisters to see it and sought to video their reactions thinking they would get some type of conrontation. Instead, the sisters loved it. Results? Dateline never aired the show.What does that tell you about Hollywood and the media's idea of postive black images? I'd like for the author or other filmmakers with similar values to consider doing a documentary on the Diary of Black Men. It was a phenomenon that people need to be aware of. For those of you who saw it before 1990, I was the "intellectual/professor. I can be reached at f_anderso@hotmail.com for those intersted in the documentary or if you have any pictures, reviews or write-ups from your city we may have missed. Thank you |
| ritabug | Posted - 29 July 2006 4:35 Say That! My Brother your preaching to the choir.... |
| Lewter | Posted - 3 May 2006 20:51 Is this just one more issue to add to the sundry problems the black male image faces? The black male image, frankly, suffers too often from the black male. There I said it. As a black man that mentors young brothers and actively seeks to recruit other brothers to do the same I am appalled at the lack of interest we have in our own well being. I am beyond continuing to hold the media and any other source accountable for our massive failure to stand. I am speaking specifically of brothers that would take the time to blog a response to this article. As much as there are legitimate causes, factors, excuses to account for our underrepresentation in so many ways, there is still enough healthy, modest to well to do income earning black men to create the kind of change in our communities we desire. Stop writing these articles attacking individuals and start attacking the issues with time and money. The most outspoken are so often the ones out speaking when we need them working. People hate on Jesse Jackson and Sharpton, et al. Yet they show up. Darfur is an African mess, but African Americans are hard to find on the issue. Haiti is a mess, yet African AMericans are hard to find on the issue. THe truth is we have been beaten docility. And we have bought into the safety of image over the threat of substance. We hide behind jewelry and the appearance of wealth, we hide behind athletic prowess, and we hide behind a victim mentality. God does not create victims. Victims do. I ask, demand and request every brother to stand, stand, stand. I ask every sister to ask every brother to stand, stand, stand. |
| Carol Lowery | Posted - 30 April 2006 21:57 My response to the black male being sterotyped; yes you are being sterotyped, also you are statically proven to be killed by age 21, mostly addicted to drugs, and alcoholic. Why?? because you are being oppresed by yourselves and all others. It's harder on you than most because of those stats. What do you men do but continue to fall into these traps of life. Yes i agree you should stand up and be counted. Stop slurring yourself in rap music and profanity, stop trying to be something you are not. You are somebody GOD created you to be somebody. Our cultural background is happiness , which is expressed in dance and song. When you start believing in yourself and asking GOD to help then and only then will you be able to stand up for yourself. Put GOD first and yourself second and ask God to guide in this world of indifferance. You are somebody motivate yourselves in doing what our Savior said to do, honor Our God, read the scriptures, practice what you preach, be compassionate to others, treat and love your neighbor as yourself make a differance to the community or the world not a hinderance. DO NOT BE A STATIC, in anyone's eyes. If you want to be rich find something you are trully interested in and do it. Do not sale drugs, or steal from others to get what you want, work for it strive harder, and opinions be damned. |
| Big "O" | Posted - 24 April 2006 18:24 I think Tyler Perry and Martin are doing parts that they feel will entertain people. We do need to laugh once in awhile, I'm glad that he is doing a movei about a positive black man. However you are with a white women are you turning your back on sisters because they are more of a challenge. Is this a message we want to send to young black men. I like some rap music but not the one that displays us as thugs, pimps, hookers, and gay downlow brothers. However they are a part of our culture good or bad, it's personal choice. We need more young people to get into acting and producing, you left out Spike Lee who tells it like it is in his movies. We as a people have come far, but not far enough, brothers support your wife and kids stay with them don't run because you run into difficult situation, work it out. There are too many prison's that we fill, lets try to fill Universities, Congress or City Halls where we can make a difference. I'm trying to enforce that all my children go to school and become productive in society. We all need to do this, especially today because already we by census are third now hispanics are second look at the numbers. We need Leaders please everyone lets step up. |
| Gloria Stratton | Posted - 24 April 2006 13:40 I am glad someone has sopken out. We as Blacks sseem to be the first to accept this kind of degradation. To my credit, I do not, will not ever purchase any film or view any film that degrades Black men or women. We should have more respect for ourselves. Also, the author forgot Morgan Freeman. |
| barbara | Posted - 22 April 2006 10:42 The images projected by the film and music industries ,we must remember, are not completely in the hands of those who promote them. there is a certain amount of control that we as black people can assert by utilizing our economic power and not paying into it. laughing at ourselves has never been a problem. our humor, spirituality and stregnth has helped us get through to this point in history however as the essayist points out, images of thugginess and men in dress are not good for us. put aside what others think of black people; is it a refection of what we think of ourselves or are we just not thinking. The essay is right on the mark. For those black performers who refuse to allow themselves to be used by recyclying the historically negative image of black people, we own homage. they are sacrificing their livlihoods. they have limits because they have a political consciouness. for those with little polical/historical consciousness, money is the limit. there is no sense of social responsiblity. if it does not sell, they will write something that will. it is up to the cosumer to impose social responsiblity. just like those opposed to giving dollars to wal-mart, shell and other companies who sacrifice people for profit. we have to make our demands. the writer/director/producer of the DMBW genre took advantage of the fact that black people are for the most part in some way or other drawn to the church and the messages of the bible and worked a whole industry around it. it was profitably smart idea but as the essayist stated the image of a black man in a dress acting like a bafoon is in-line with the immasculation tactics that the white media in some form or other has used against us for centuries. now some of us in a position to do so, are doing to ourselves. the essay is on target. |
| Tony | Posted - 19 April 2006 15:48 Deep..Very deep, It really makes you think about what people really think about our black culture.. |
| La Toya | Posted - 17 April 2006 19:18 Well said, my brother. It amazes me how Black people can come together in record numbers to support Perry and consequently make him rich. Then I think to myself: Why don't we come together in this record-breaking fashion to attend city hall meetings? Where are we when decisions about our community, children and future are being decided? |
| lew | Posted - 4 April 2006 22:52 I agree. It's very difficult for many amny people to observe a strong positive black male in any situation. |
| Peter | Posted - 4 April 2006 20:17 Lighten up my brother. It aint all that deep. If we can't laugh at ourselves then we have a problem. I don't believe Tyler Perry's aim is or was to defame or put down black men. He is playing a character in a film, it comes under the heading of 'art', it is a comedic character, period. The world in general needs more laughter, Lord knows there is enough problems in the world, in our city, in our neighborhood, and in our family, and I don't have a problem if Mr. Perry believes in his project, pitch it to financiers to bank roll it into a movie as a comedy. I'm sure his intenet was not for his charater to be taken seriously. It so happen that two films released roughly around the same time with black actors dressing like women is being chastised. Lighten up my brother, let it go. There are more important things within our community that we should be concerned with. |
| CiCi | Posted - 30 March 2006 6:57 WOW! |
| Charlene | Posted - 29 March 2006 19:55 I THINK THAT THIS IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT THAT MUCH IN DEPTH. WE'RE LOSING OUR BLACK MEN TO SORDID ACTIONS. TYLER PERRY IS INDEED FAMOUS, BUT THE BLACK MAN SHOULD STOP AND THINK THAT THEY'RE SOMEBODY. THEY DON'T HAVE TO RESORT TO GANGS, BEING A THUG, PANTS DOWN BELOW THE WAIST, AND BEING GAY. I HAVE A STRONG BLACK SON AND HE IS VERY MUCH AGAINST WHAT SOME OF THESE STARS DO.SURE, IT MAYBE FUNNY, BUT YOU THEY NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR BLACK CHILDREN.(MALES/FEMALES) IT SHOULD STOP AND MAYBE OUR YOUNG MEN WOULD FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES AND IF THEY'D SURRENDER THEIR HEARTS TO GOD, HE IS THE DIFFERENCE. |
| me | Posted - 29 March 2006 19:28 the whole tyler perry thing is dumb and stupid we take ourselves way too serious they have made million upon millions of movies with strong black men go pick them up who was stronger than shaft ? these folks get on here and just talk to hear themselves yap. |
| karla richardson | Posted - 24 March 2006 0:57 It's a shame that more and more the understatnding of being black in america has diminished. Im of the 50's generation where being a woman wasn't hard enough, but being a black woman even harder. I remember when women were beaten for sport from men in general and made to feel less than a person if you were a housewife raising your family when the man came home drunk or had a bad day at work. Now some women who have no choice but to work wish they could stay home to raise and protect their children from the likes of pimps and drugs although it was around then not just so public and acceptable. All that can be said is we ARE really in the last days, pay close attention the the book of revelations........ |
| da mira | Posted - 23 March 2006 19:2 i agree that the bafoons that are parading around like they are pimps need to check themselves at the door. the article is right, the black women are being tore down and thats just what white people want to see. That they still have that control over us. still today our black men honor and respect the white woman more so than us. they will be quick to put a white woman on their arm when they make it big. i feel black men need to come together some how and make this right. yes we are loud during slavery black women had to bare the pain of having their children taken and their men taken. now don't you think that is rather tough? carrying a child in your womb for nine months to only have them taken away right along with your only source of strenth, the man? i feel black women had to get rid of fear or at least mask it because we have to take on much responsibility. i'm not saying it is easier for black men, i'm just saying you need to step back and look at the situation. we need you!its time for you to come home to us!you are the HEAD and your suppose to be here to protect us. |
| Angela | Posted - 23 March 2006 18:55 I think that the article was exactly what a lot of us needed to be reminded of. I too, am tired of AA men & women always shown in the worst possible light. We have been victims of projected-reality for quite some time, and many of us continue to "live down" to that expectation. Many of us grew up in a "Cosby Show" family and have seen positive role models and the like. Isn't it about time that we take control of our selves and stop playing the victim/fool? I applaude you for your comments! |