Don Imus

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by saden1

I don't feel there has to be a national figure. I think a lot of people in local communities are doing good things and they are the ones that really matter. There are a lot of good people in the NAACP who do good work. Real ministers in church do good work.

What the black community doesn't need is a loud mouth polarizing figure but we don't get to choose who appears on TV, the media does.

I followed your last couple of posts on black leadership or lack thereof, and I couldn't agree more.

I think it's unfortunate that many think Sharpton and Jackson are the face and voice of the black community. It just so happens that the media finds a level of 'comfort' and familiarity with these two.

I don't think there is currently a clear-cut African-American voice or face, so to speak, for a few reasons. There are African-Americans in Congress and the Senate, but they represent a larger base than just blacks, so they have walk a fine line in what they say and "who they represent". So there's a political thread that runs through their motivation; Neither Sharpton nor Jackson hold a political office.

Another thing to consider is that the black community is more diverse, more educated, and in many ways more successful than, let's say, 30 years ago. So when one says "the black community", exactly what segment of the black community are they speaking to? It's not clear cut as it was during the 60s. And that's why Imus' comments and the people that have responded and called for his resignation is more complicated than just 'racist' comments.

Certainly blacks still face social ills, but they're not the same Civil Rights issues as we know them. And this is why any media attention that Sharpton and Jackson constantly get can be so damaging. They are by and large still considered and perceived to be Civil Rights activists, and whenever they speak on the behalf of blacks, it's seen as some type of injustice that's linked to and remind people of the the struggle of the 60s.

Their voices are a constant reminder of how things "used to be", where "we aren't". They really don't speak to the future or progress.