Monday, March 10, 2008

suspect in North Carolina shooting




So above is the picture of the main suspect in the killing of the 22 yr old student body president of Univ of North Carolina. I am sure you have seen her picture: beautiful young woman, volunteered with children in latin american countries over summer, unlimited future. If this guy shot her, it unfortunately reinforces a stereotype of young black men: they are gang bangers, crack addicts who shoot young white girls for their purse, atm card suv. I just saw the disney movie, College Road Trip, with martin lawrence as an overprotective father (police chief) who wants his daughter to go to the local Northwestern univ instead of her choice Georgetown. Its a comedy, really lame. Aimed at very young ages, pre teens and their parents. I was confused about how the black family was protrayed against typecast: no african american slang, no hip hop, no baggy pants: both the daughter and her brother were intelligent very well behaved children. Then I see mr gang bang hip hop suspect in this young woman's murder - connection? I am relieved to see a movie that recognizes family values among african american families - there are plenty of black families out their who value marriage, children, careers, who have high expectations of their children, like Barack and michelle Obama, right? In Get On the Bus, Spike Lee had a line that said something about how Hollywood portrays black men in film as the 4 R's "rap, riot, rape,rob." In College Road Trip,the young men that the police chief's daughter meets are all handsome, well groomed, respectful young black men (they say "yes sir" to daddy martin lawrence). I am truly sorry that killers like the above guy are out there making it hard for black people everywhere to be taken seriously and not stereotyped - and its great Disney Inc is doing its part in showing the best of us, the Barack and Michelle Obama's of the country. College Road Trip has been criticized as a lousy movie, but on another level, it represents a better Hollywood - I am tired of Hollywood movies that show black people "rapping, rioting, raping and robbing" - I have had young black men students who I have been very proud of and what they don't need is more racist Hollywood images to challenge them.

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