The takeaways from the 2016 Presidential Election
I would like to thank a friend and avid supporter, Josclynne Grier, for her insightful cartoon.
Like a lot of United States Citizenry, I’ve been trying to put into perspective the enormous support for the Donald Trump presidency. But when one thinks about family, I think, it should not be too difficult to understand what’s happening. Some my thoughts:
- For many years, the media, run by white males, publicizes how much “white male privilege” is under attack from all the minorities. Is there anyone who thinks “white male privilege” doesn’t realize the consequences of the threats? So, no matter what white male privilege does, he is still a member of the larger white family. There exists rules: “Members of families can be criticized for their perceived shortcomings, however they are still, none the less, family to be supported.”
- If one looks into the inner-workings of the African American community one sees a similar mindset: Violence in the community: we criticize those who commit the crimes, but we still tolerate them. One of the biggest crimes in modern times is the popularity of Gangsta Rap. Many adults, in the African American community, still have no idea of its negative impact in and outside of the community. The most lauded contribution rap/hip hop has made is its international impact on the music industry. What welfare has it brought to the community? What has it brought to the table to prepare African American youth for their future economic and social challenges? Or should we care about that? Let’s look at the “Get out the Vote for Hillary Clinton campaign” How many rap/hip hop artists were there invited to spread the implores of Hillary Clinton ? From my vantage point, Jay Z and Beyoncé were the reps.
- Has anyone noticed how the media has made it a point to compare the African American community’s tepid support of Hillary Clinton to that of the vibrant support bin Hispanic community? Do you think Hillary Clinton hasn’t?
- What is his point you’re probably asking? Well, we’ve had an African American president for almost 8 years now and the consequential impact on the welfare of the community has been negligible. Now, many of us see the potential adverse consequences of the 2016 Presidential Election.
So, should or does the African American community have a Plan B, regardless of the outcome? A couple of months ago, I wrote, “What can you do to change The New York Times article’s “Pillars of Black Media, Once Vibrant, Now Fighting for Survival” appraisal? The response from my thousands of readers was SILENCE. But a short time later, a young writer asked me if she could write an article for ROUTES on two profit making institutions. I asked her in return, “How can ROUTES benefit by publishing the articles?” I also asked her if she had read the above article. Her response was “I haven’t, but I will.” Below is her response:
Hey Ron,
I hope all is well. So I checked out your article as you mentioned. Let me say this, I understand your plight. I’ve been in the Black news industry for at least a decade and understand the struggles we have. But what wasn’t mentioned in the NYT article or acknowledged in yours is the surge or online Black publications that are flourishing. There is a myriad of young Black publishers, platforms and more flourishing and standing out as the Black voice.
I shared your post with others to discuss and get reactions. Most were immediately turned off and had no desire to read more.
Your post was hard to digest because it didn’t give me (as a reader) or others in the industry a reason to support your publication. As you know the industry is a hard one and shaming people into reading your publication isn’t it. Instead, I would suggest to make your publication more relevant and attractive to consumers of information and culture.
Further, I understand that you want me as a writer to get new business for you. I am not a sales person. I write, tell stories and ask questions. I understand your need to increase buzz revenue etc. But all I can promise is that I share stories with my followers on social media and recommend pieces that are relevant. I am no sales person or promoter.
Let me know what you think. I would be happy to write a response piece to your rant about Black media.—Brittany Walker
This response was from one of our future … . I could only just thank her for the frank response.