Blog Debut! ‘Black In America’ Is Way Too Gray
I really wanted to like CNN’s “Black in America,” a two-part, four-hour documentary series that chronicles the ups and downs of what it’s like being black in America.
I listened intently to the passion in Soledad O’Brien’s voice as she recalled the year she spent interviewing black folks from D.L. Hughley and Michael Eric Dyson to homegirl and homeboy up the block.
I was hoping that I’d feel some connection to them through their stories, but sadly, that didn’t really happen.
If CNN were trying to enlighten viewers tuning into this series, they’ve failed miserably. “Black in America,” isn’t at all revolutionary. In fact, the series, which focuses on black women and family on the first night and men on the second, really makes no point.
Regardless of whether there’s a black man in the Oval Office come January, black folks from Oprah to a homeless dude on Skid Row know it’s kind of tough being black in America.
Hmmm. Maybe that was the point…
The series suffers stylistically as well. There’s very little fluidity to it as the segments go from A to Z back up to Q and up the hill and around the corner to C. And, as is often the case with documentaries of this ilk, the producers spend so much time exposing and exploiting the lives of the downtrodden that they fail to capture the resolve of the people.
Even though there are a few inspiring stories of people overcoming the odds amid the smattering tales of woe in this series, the one thing I do know about black folks is that we are a very resilient race. That’s how we’ve been able to survive being black in America.
Apparently, CNN didn’t uncover that nugget of information in their research.
Also, it seems highly improbable that any documentary examining the black experience in America would be complete without at least one church segment. The black church along with hip hop, are two of the biggest influences in the black community. If you want to know why black folks sometimes holla, you need to tap into both of these arenas.
That truth will not only set you free but will result in better understanding of who and what we are. If CNN had done that then maybe some random white person watching this series might understand where Jeremiah Wright is coming from or why Spike Lee had to encourage people to “Do the Right Thing.”
Perhaps the biggest mistake CNN made was how it marketed this series. The network spin machine has mistakenly targeted the choir—black Americans. Perhaps it didn’t occur to the men and women in the glass offices that black folks wouldn’t be all that interested in giving up four hours to watch a show depicting what it’s like to them or someone they know.
If “Black in America” had been done well it would have been a nice primer for those people who should have been the target demographic—white people. Since whites don’t have to assimilate to black culture, few of them understand who we are. Sadly, as it is, this program is probably going to reinforce a lot of the stereotypes the unenlightened already have about black folks.
For me, being black in America isn’t a CNN documentary about limited opportunities due to overt discrimination and racism. It isn’t just about buying a big house in the suburbs, driving expensive German cars, overcoming drug addiction and poverty or being chastised by your peers because you’re not black enough.
It’s about the journey.
That’s what people need to understand.
Maybe CNN will get it next time.
Miki Turner is a poor little colored girl from the suburbs who has the courage of her convictions. Her writings have been featured in Essence, Ebony, Upscale and MSNBC.com. She can be reached at devodiva1@aol com. Her periodic dispatches from the world of entertainment, politics and society can be read here at www.urbanthoughtcollective.com.
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