Source: WBLS
Hearing the angry hoopla with regards to the First Lady of the United States, attending the recent Black Girls Rock award show -- it left me perplexed as to why Mrs. Obama, would receive such a backlash for showing support to an uplifting cause?
The disgusting and borderline racist comments directed at the First Lady via her Instagram, made me immediately cue up my DVR to finally watch what I had missed. After partaking in the entirety of the show, I was left absolutely inspired by the words of First Lady Michelle Obama and actress/activist Cicely Tyson, uplifted by the humanitarian work of Dr. Helene Gayle and Nadia Lopez, at times left with goose bumps when listening to singers Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Faith, and Lalah Hathaway, perform their soulful and soul bearing songs, and completely in awe of Director Ava Duvernay and actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, who were also award recipients for the evening.
Moreover, it was amazing to witness our black youth being spotlighted for their innovative and extraordinary achievements to society, and even more amazing to watch other black youth within the audience pay close attention to the examples that stood before them. This organization exists, for the main purpose of being a positive example for our black youth to aspire too. Imagery is very important because a lot of times one must be able to see something in order to visualize it for themselves, especially when society teaches children of color that opportunities are limited for them and limitless for others. Furthermore, an organization such as this wouldn't exist if there weren't barriers but in place to purposely disregard people of color.
People from all races rock and no one is denying this fact, however, when little black kids are having a difficult time either finding positive representation and/or identifying themselves with the mainstream media, technology, science, entertainment and so on, then as black adults it's our duty to step up and make sure we're doing our part to show our black youth that they are strong, beautiful, smart, and their options are limitless because if we don't...who will?
Black Girls Rock founder DJ Beverly Bond, decided to address the negative backlash over the First Lady attending the awards show.
About Mrs. Obama attending:
“I thought she’s a Black girl that rocks. Why wouldn't she be there?”
About people saying the show is racist:
“There is a real blind spot when it comes to privilege in America and not understanding racism and the implications of that. It is very telling when people have no problem tuning into Black Entertainment Television but when they’re tuning in, they’re offended by Black Entertainment Television celebrating Black women. That says a lot about who’s really racist here. And the fact that there needs to be a Black Entertainment Television or a Black Girls Rock or an NAACP. These things came about because of our exclusion. That’s one of the reasons why they exist.
So I think it’s very telling about where we are with our race relations with people being comfortable enough to tune into BET, not concerned when the images were not so stellar, never voicing their opinions about things that were degrading us or harming us. And to be offended by something that uplifts and empowers something that is an affirmation for young girls, that’s very telling.
If people really felt like it was about exclusion or “White Girls Rock Too” then they would have approached it differently. We know White Girls Rock, no one’s ever denied it. But to be offended that we have taken this issue of self esteem in our own hands…the many messages that are directed towards Black women and girls that tell us that we are not good enough, that we are not beautiful enough, that we are not deserving enough. There are so many messages in media from cosmetic ads to just being the leading lady opposite men who look like us. And so this message has been going on for a very long time and for us to actually decide to say something and do something about it and people be offended, that’s like telling the slaves not to teach the kids to read. I think it’s really racist of them to be offended.
But what I did notice this year was women, of all nationalities but especially White women that jumped in and said to the other women who were offended, ‘How dare you? How dare you be offended by our sisters celebrating themselves?’ And I thought that that was amazing."
You can watch DJ Beverly Bond's full interview below.
