My friends often get annoyed about how passionate I get while discussing issues that plague minorities in America. Often times I am labeled as “the annoying friend” or “that angry black woman.” Little do they know, I do not walk around angry at the world or at white people. However, I am conscious about the world I am living in and willing to tell it like it is. Over the past week there have been many key events dealing with race relations from The Million Man March to The Democratic Debate. Here are my pros and cons of the Million Man March and Democratic Debate.
As a Black woman, the march was an electrifying experience since I truly did not know what I was walking into. There was a variety of activists, all there for a common goal. Seeing people that looked both similar and different than me but demanding the same thing as me was incredible. It was encouraging to hear Trayvon Martin’s mother inspire us to hold our heads up and not be ashamed of ourselves because we aren’t the ones committing the crimes. Police and racist should feel ashamed of themselves and be the ones holding their heads low. The march refilled my activism tank through encouraging words and great dialogue with students.
It was not until I got back to my dorm room that I realized none of the main news outlets covered the march. It is disheartening to have such a great event not be recognized by mainstream media. If you want to show the true picture of a movement one must show the good aspects also. Media failed by not thoroughly displaying the march on television. This just proves that certain news outlets do not feel the need to show minorities trying to find a cure for the plague that has hit our communities.
The Democratic Debate was another highlight of my week, as it focused on many direct issues pertaining to the majority of Americans. The contenders discussed climate change, international relations, racial issues, and affordable education. They were able to take a stance on their platforms while also supporting their opponents when they felt an anchor was out of place for asking a question. My favorite question presented during the debate was, do Black lives matter or all lives? Most of the candidates answered that Black lives matter, indicating that we as Americans need to remove barriers that are preventing Blacks and other minorities from being their best self.
Sorry to be the one to break the news to you, CNN failed once again when they turned to Don Lemon to tackle the issues of race relations. Don Lemon is one of the only black reporters for CNN, and it is rare that we see him talk about race relations on a daily basis. The fact that CNN made sure that a black male reporter was covering the issues of race seemed just a little bit extra. Why can’t the main anchors cover race and feel comfortable with tackling the issues themselves?
My intentions in this article is not to be a Debbie Downer, but to encourage you to “stay woke.” These are daily tactics that the media uses to discredit the work of many minorities who are trying to better the lives of many Americans. Ultimately, the media isn’t valuing all lives by not showing the full story of movements or giving a black anchor his “shine” when there is a topic pertaining to race. I challenge you as an audience to start noticing these tactics and “telling it like it is” to show media that they have a conscious audience.