R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
“And why must I sock a fella,
Just to live large like Rockefeller
First you didn't give a fuck but you're learnin' now
If you don't respect the town then we'll burn you down”
I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto, Tupac
It’s been quite a while. We have probably seen more action in the last 45 days than we have in the last several years combined. Over the last week, COVID has actually become an afterthought. More immediate attention has been given to systemic racism largely catalyzed by the murder and death of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer.
Prior to this tragedy (like several days), attention was being giving to one of the most disheartening interviews I have ever watched. That is, the interview between Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden and host of The Breakfast Club, Charlamagne the God. Here, this was Joe Biden’s opportunity to reach a younger, millennial aged group of primarily Black listeners. I highlight my take below but let’s just say, that I was not impressed.
I’ve been quite harsh on this interview so the natural questions one might ask is (1) why be so upset over a simple interview and (2) does the interview really matter when compared to Trump’s attitude and track record around race? Well, good questions. I will first give my take on what I witnessed and then try to answer those questions.
The Interview - (Excerpt from my Facebook Post)
1 - Joe failed himself yesterday. His mission was to state his Black agenda to a younger demographic that has no loyalty and where he actually lost to other candidates in South Carolina (Breakfast Club is young and hip).
2 - His attempt to be “hip” turned into a full episode of pandering through a freshly rediscovered “blaccent” that seemed to have lost itself during his Squawx Box interview that morning.
3 - He responded and described the COVID disparity like he was reporting the score of a halftime football game, “man, they’re getting killed”.
4 - He failed to address Charlamagne by his name until the interview closed.
5 - Descriptions of his personal interactions (not legislative work) with Blacks almost completely focused on helping a downtrodden people.
6 - He responded to the Black agenda question by essentially saying, “I know you all”, look at my bio and go to my website.
7 - There was no mention of housing, HBCU’s, student loan relief, minority business policies etc. I estimate that 80% of the discussion was spent on criminal justice reform.
8 - The “you ain’t Black thing” was literally just a small embodiment at the end of a careless, complacent and lazy approach to addressing young Black potential and existing voters.
So, to my original questions. Why be upset about this? And, even if upset does it make sense to complain given the alternative?
Well, as the answers are simple. If you want - R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - you better be upset. As the country literally awakes from ashes, many of us will question why a cop can feel comfortable killing a Black man. The answer stems from marginalization and that marginalization leads to inequality.
Does it make sense to complain? Yes. If you R.E.S.P.E.C.T. yourself, you will expect not to be marginalized and to have choice. Every successful negotiation I have benefitted from has resulted from an expectation that I have alternative choices. If good choices are not readily available, I have created others but that also comes from an understanding and R.E.S.P.E.C.T for myself.