Listening to national
commentary surrounding February’s celebration of African-American history, I
couldn’t help but think about the guest lecture in which Charles Hughes
discussed in detail his dissertation at the University of Wisconsin. Although
I’m sure most, if not all, the students present that day enjoyed the short
reflections on Bobby Rush and the rise of rock-and-roll, but regardless, after walking
to class that afternoon I can confidently say that the most memorable point of
that lecture was the discussion concerning Hughes’s primary argument of Chapter
2, that being the manipulation of black artists for white gain. As noted by
Professor Hughes, the “Memphis Sound,” a phenomenon created by blacks and
whites, was manipulated by Anglo Memphians as a sign of progress, acting as a
medium that some whites used in an attempt to dispel guilt which had been
lingering after subjugating Negros for hundreds of years. Now to be clear, I in
no way disagree with setting aside February as a national Black History Month,
but when looking at the current socio-political culture surrounding February,
it becomes evident that white guilt still exists, and in an attempt to overcome
years on inequality, white Americans have used Black History Month as a
baptismal tool in which they can wash themselves of their ancestral sin.
As a loyal supporter of
SNL, I noticed a particular musical skit which aired last month titled 28 Reasons, alluding to the 28 days of
February and subsequently the 28 reasons one should celebrate black history,
but after taking a closer look at the music video and the song’s lyrics the skit undoubtedly highlights a still
existent feeling of unease with whites communities. In the video, white
students sink awkwardly into their seats when, during a class presentation, a
black student sings, “Here are 28 reasons to hug a black guy today. Number one;
we deserve a chance. Two- twenty eight; slavery.” Through the song, lyrics like
these create an humorously uncomfortable situation in which white students
shamefully listed as their black classmates reminded them of slavery and
subjugation. And despite the fact that these lyrics were designed to be funny, not
necessarily reflective of popular American culture, this humor seems to tap
into a modern embarrassment for certain mistakes of past generations.
Now, given the significant
role African-Americans have played in the development of a modern America, it
is more than justifiable to set aside a month to honor black Americans whose
efforts made this nation what it is today. But, with that being said, much of
what white Americans have been doing nationally is extremely reflective of what
white Memphians were doing during the mid to late fifties. On almost every
major broadcasting network, audiences see volleys of 10 second ads stressing
the importance of African-American figures who have helped to form a larger
black narrative. For many reasons these ads are positive additions to what
people are watching, but they seem odd. Why would cable networks stress black
history so, despite being an organization that isn’t in any way associated with
any specific race? Why are broadcasters such supporters of black history
without having a dog in the fight? This could be due to a general since of
respect and equality within the field of television, but the more likely
explanation is that white Americans have found a way to make themselves feel
better about their troubled ancestry. Promoting black history gives whites the
opportunity to distance themselves from years of discrimination, and even through
this is an unhealthy way of dealing with Americas troubled past it seems to
have worked to this point.
To watch the video
mentioned above please go to:
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