Black in America 2

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Black in America 2 is now on in CNN. I'm watching it right now. They're going through the the trip in South Africa so they can compare the kids' from Brooklyn and the South Africans' situations. Sounds like the South Africans have it rough, perhaps rougher, life experiences than the kids. I noticed one kid is introverted, but man, can he play the drums. He's just like me when I go to different areas in towns.

Wait... wait... now they're buying food and supplies for the people in poverty (and I mean poverty; so poor they can't buy potatoes. I'm glad they're buying shoes.

Well, I glad this show so far deviates from the stereotype of black people, deviates from the fact that all black people are rappers and athletes; we, black people, are much more than that, more than what the stereotype says of black people, more than what the media shows or write us as gangsters, drug dealers, criminals. We have the potential, and it's up to the leaders of tomorrow to change the world. And that includes African-Americans as well.

Yay black people!

Well, I may not fully adhere to the black culture because of AS, but I can feel it as if I experienced it myself. If this show can change America's perspective, then the African-Americans can change the world and have a better path for future generations. I believe it.

Anybody else watching this? What you think of it so far? Anyone can answer this, not only black people. It's better this way.

They're on an episode about Leadership Programs now. I think it's always a good idea to break stereotypes whether negative or positive (i.e. the "all Asians are good at math" thing). And I'm not claiming that I am stereotype or bias free. I don't know if anyone ever truly can be.

To an extent, the "stereotype breaking" effect of these programs is (in a way) trumped now by having a black president. Can't get a much better example of black people succeeding than landing a job as leader of the free world! As an aside, he seems to be a good man and I hope he does well. And if he does a good job, does anything else really matter?

What I'm seeing more now in my thought process is more of a culturo-centric shift rather than a racist one. You can see white kid rappers speaking in Ebonics at the local shopping malls and I'm not making it up when I say just yesterday I saw a group of skater punks consisting of a black, white, and Hispanic skating at one of the parks near where I live. It makes it hard for me to continue to classify any particular race as being representative of these two groups which were previously almost entirely black and almost entirely white. So when I say I like/dislike skate punks or people who are "ghetto style", it's not aimed at any particular race. It's just that I like/dislike the social strata and behavioral patterns espoused by those groups.

Does that make sense?

-- Vip