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So Part 1 of the much over-hyped CNN series “Black In America” is complete and honestly, I can’t say that it had any purpose.  I really think that I would have more enjoyed watching Comfort escape the snares of being in the bottom again on “So You Think You Can Dance”.  To me, she’s more of a metaphor of being Black in America, she’s really good at hip hop, but she struggles to fit in, find herself and stand out in the other dance genres.  It just seemed that the CNN documentary did nothing to provide insight into what it is to be Black in America nor did it do a just job of portraying life in America through the eyes of Blacks.  Many of the points made were accompanied by statistics skewed to present a negative image of Blacks, but in actuality many of those same points were relative to all races in America.  Poverty, crime, unemployment and disparaging educational systems affect us all.  Society assigns different values to these issues based on race, but it honestly hurts us all in some way or another.  In the same manner, if afforded the same opportunities, different decisions cause differences in people and the subsequent life paths they follow.  So where’s the value in a documentary such as this?

The hoopla surrounding this series was so intense that I almost felt like I had to watch it.  This was not because I was compelled to, but because my community would look at me negatively for not watching it.  I even feel like if anyone of any race criticizes the value of this work then most black people view it as being unacceptable.  “Black in America” could have been so much better if it discussed nature of African Americans and how the thread of our culture is woven into American society.  Don’t just continue report inflated statistics that support tainted premises.  Let’s create an educational documentary that creates a dialog with all of America that works towards acceptance of all cultures, using Blacks as a starting point.  I forget, this is one of America’s founding principles, correct?

So picture this, Spike Lee producing a three part series on “Being Black in America”, narrated by Laurence Fishburn with commentary by Chris Rock (very intelligent comedian!) with features on:

•  A current drug dealer
• A gang leader
• A convicted felon
• An HBCU graduate
• A Self Employed musician
• A Single mother
• A single father
• A male and female corporate executive
• A rapper
• A producer
• A mathematician
• A professor
• A mechanic
• A community activist
• A minister
• A journalist
• Paul Mooney (dude is funny!)
• A nurse / doctor
• A family with both parents in the home
• The cashier from your local grocery store
• A small business owner

Show both the good and bad of what they do, and ask them why they are where they are.  Show how we think, show how we act, show why we do what we do.  Show what it is to be Black in America.
I know I’m rambling.  Like Jay Z said… “Just my thoughts man!”