#130: The Negro and the American Promise
A must-watch for every American, especially you!!!
CULTURE THING:
The Negro and The American Promise (1963, PBS)
In this program, which mixes interviews and documentary footage, three activists -- Martin Luther King, Jr.; Malcolm X; and James Baldwin -- offer differing perspectives on the civil-rights movement. Host Dr. Kenneth Clark, a psychology professor, begins by describing what he calls "the racial confrontation in America." Clark goes on to introduce King, whom the host describes as "a fearless activist, a contemplative religious scholar, and a social philosopher." A reel featuring speeches by King is played, and other film footage of civil-rights activists is shown. In conversation with Clark, King describes his philosophies of "nonviolent direct action" and "the love ethic." He responds to Malcolm X's criticisms of these ideas. King talks about his work with civil rights groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Congress of Racial Equality, and he argues that President John F. Kennedy has not given civil rights the proper attention. Next, Clark addresses the Black Muslim movement. Malcolm X states that his movement is not "the mirror image of white bigotry," as some people claim. He outlines his belief in the religion of Islam as preached by Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X rejects the allegation that his movement is violent and describes some of his points of difference with King's philosophies. He also states his goals, which include "to be on God's side" and to separate black Americans from the white man. Finally, author James Baldwin speaks with Clark about his earliest childhood memories of Harlem. He states with dismay that Americans have become "moral monsters." He suggests that the presidential administration needs to take action and argues that many African-American children feel that they have no place in this country. He outlines his opinions on the teachings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and concludes by discussing the future of black Americans.
Everyone should watch this whole thing as soon as possible if you haven’t seen it before. It’s kind of infuriating this isn’t more widely known or shown.
MUSIC THINGS:
P-Lo “Boomerang”
Long Live The HBK Gang. Lowkey worried I’m never going to be able to travel to the Bay.
It, Tokyo, D.C. Seattle, Lagos, Paris, Portland and Houston are the cities making me ask “Why didn’t I go there before this pandemic?”.
Then, I remember the answer is “You didn’t have any money.”
Anyhoo, good luck getting this beat out of your head!
Here are my answers, in no particular order:
When Pimp C shows up on Intl Players Anthem
Drake's Know Yourself
That 1st "Wait Till I Get My Money Right" in Can't Tell Me Nothin'
The first 3 seconds of Hypnotize
Lil' Kim's "NIGGAS" on Get Money
Princess's verse on Knuck If You Buck
What did I miss? Leave yours in the comments! Wait, do y’all know you can leave comments? You can! Scroll to the bottom!
MARKETING THING:
Which side are you? I’m on the right. I understand and have respect for (and regularly use tactics from) for the growth hacking wave but to me, all that shit is Minute Rice.
My philosophy on marketing is the same as my philosophy on cheeseburgers:
Fast. Cheap. Good. Pick two.
HOW TO HELP BLACK LIVES IN 30 MINS OR LESS:
When it comes to taking the steps needed to create a racially equal America, I’ve heard from many well-intentioned non-Black people over the last two months that one of the most daunting things for them is trying to figure out what they can personally do make things better.
Some folks see these massive issues as a significant problem that cannot be defeated, so they struggle to figure out what one person can do, which leads to them not doing much other than posting to IG. Some of that is not wanting to seem like you’re doing too much, some of that is fear your intentions will be misunderstood.
What if I told you that for only 30 minutes a week, you can help black lives no matter where you are or how much money you make? Here’s how:
Carve out 30 minutes in your calendar this week. Call it “Being A Better Person Time” or “Set a Good Example for my Kid” Time, whatever works.
Click a link and make a call or donate or sign a petition. Just do one thing in that 30 min window.
This weekend, share the above link with your three closest friends and say, “Hey, I’m (calling/donating/signing a petition). I’m worried about how things will be for future generations, so I’m doing something about it. If you’re interested, here’s the link!” If you have a group chat, drop it into your group chat!
Repeat the following week for as long as you can. Do it while you online shop, do it while you’re on an annoying call, hell, you can do it while you poop, I genuinely don’t care! Whatever it takes! It is the absolute least that you can do, but you’ll get a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that you at least did SOMETHING to help. You have a vision of who you want to be, right? That ideal version of yourself that does the right thing when given a chance and leads by example? This is that chance. You can do it!
BONUS: You won’t have to lie to your kids or grandkids about being on the right side of history! You can be all like, “Children/Grandchildren, we don’t tolerate that racist shit in this house. If anyone says otherwise, send them to me.” and you’ll sound all tough and cool, and your kids or grandkids will respect and love you and not want to be racists…guess what? That means less racist people in the future!!!
Look at that. It turns out you had a bigger impact than you thought the whole time!
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