To the Jaime Foxxs of the world - If you are right, then explain the following:
Folks, I am still burning over those comments by actor Jaime Foxxx in regard to Tookie Williams (see the last post) and I have a question not only for that scumsucking weasel, but for others who insist that gang life (or even sports, entertainment and the like) are the only means for black males to succeeed. If that is the case explain the following:
- In recent years, the CEO's of the following companies were black men: American Express, AOL/Time Warner, Symantec, Maytag, Pizza Hut, Motown Records (forgot that one didn't you son?) and others.
- Two airlines were headed by black males here in the US: Air Atlana; while they lasted about 4 years had excelled in customer service and had in-flight ammenties that Midwest Express as well as the short-lived Trump Shuttle IMITATED and a Piedemont Express Airlines commuter/feeder run based in North Carolina; which while they ran small Beechcraft props, was owned and operated by a black male whose day job was flying 737's for Piedmont [soon to be US Airways)
-Mr Foxx's comments also do not explain why the following cities: Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Rochester-NY, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Newark, New York City and a host of others have elected black males as mayors. There was even a black male elected governor of Virginia; that being Douglas Wilder.
- Also let him explain how the men who lead the Hayden Planetarium as well as the National Chess Foundation got to where they are? Wasn't by osmossis.
- And while we are at it, explain Colin Powell, please? Mr Foxx, do you assume that he was from another planet and had assumed the guies of a black male to rise through the millitary to become head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as Secretary of State in the first term of Bush the younger?
There are a few others, but you get the idea. While Me. Foxx is right that that are still problems which persist (and will not be solved overnight as some would like), there are those who have been able to get beyond the 'crabs in a barrel' mentality that seems to persist in the black community. Then again, Tookie Williams could have been like that if he had worked at that instead of creating a gang that went out of its way to terrorize and destroy the lives of others.
- In recent years, the CEO's of the following companies were black men: American Express, AOL/Time Warner, Symantec, Maytag, Pizza Hut, Motown Records (forgot that one didn't you son?) and others.
- Two airlines were headed by black males here in the US: Air Atlana; while they lasted about 4 years had excelled in customer service and had in-flight ammenties that Midwest Express as well as the short-lived Trump Shuttle IMITATED and a Piedemont Express Airlines commuter/feeder run based in North Carolina; which while they ran small Beechcraft props, was owned and operated by a black male whose day job was flying 737's for Piedmont [soon to be US Airways)
-Mr Foxx's comments also do not explain why the following cities: Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Rochester-NY, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Newark, New York City and a host of others have elected black males as mayors. There was even a black male elected governor of Virginia; that being Douglas Wilder.
- Also let him explain how the men who lead the Hayden Planetarium as well as the National Chess Foundation got to where they are? Wasn't by osmossis.
- And while we are at it, explain Colin Powell, please? Mr Foxx, do you assume that he was from another planet and had assumed the guies of a black male to rise through the millitary to become head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as Secretary of State in the first term of Bush the younger?
There are a few others, but you get the idea. While Me. Foxx is right that that are still problems which persist (and will not be solved overnight as some would like), there are those who have been able to get beyond the 'crabs in a barrel' mentality that seems to persist in the black community. Then again, Tookie Williams could have been like that if he had worked at that instead of creating a gang that went out of its way to terrorize and destroy the lives of others.
posted by RheaPDX2 at 2:24 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks but just stating the facts.
What has amazed me is that there are those who take the word of celebrities or so-called mouthpieces as the gospel. Case in point: Air Atlanta.
If one saw the little mentions of it let's say in Ebony or Black Enterprise, those were mostly puff pieces and since the owner of Air Atlanta was not a celebrity, it does not get the same type of ink.If one were to read Forbes or Fortune or even Aviation Week, they would have gotten the nuts and bolts about the operation of the company.
They would have also found out that the management team had such loyalty from the employees, if the company were to come back from the aviation graveyard, they would want to be on board for the ride. (and some thought Herb Kelleher and Southwest had the market cornered on employee satisfaction - not knocking SWA, I like how they run their shop).
Put another way, if someone were to get on Oprah or were a big time celeb and makes these comments, there is such a cult of personality that their words will be considered the truth. So much for independent thought.
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