Race Talk

REFLECTIONS ON “THE CONVERSATION”

April 14, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [16]

First, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to MSNBC for having aired Meeting David Wilson and following it with the inviting live conversation on race.  We appreciate the support of all those who made that night happen from the executives, the producers, the editors, the panel members and viewers. While it must be said that no one broadcast will be able to “get everything right” for everyone, nor should we expect to correct a centuries-old complex issue in one night of dialogue, it’s important to start somewhere.  For their commitment and efforts, I give a great deal of credit to the people of NBC News.

I find that the main reason people enjoy Meeting David Wilson is that they see themselves in the film.  Many black folks identify with myself just as a great portion of white Middle America can relate to David B. Wilson.  I think it’s very important to have the race conversation begin on a personal level.  This is why my partners and I didn’t create a film overflowing with facts and figures, nor did we include commentary from pundits and experts.  Our attempt was to make a film that did not simply appeal to the academic elite, but to the undeniable humanity that exists in the hearts of all Americans.  The conversation between David Wilson and myself doesn’t come from years of research but from our own vivid life experiences.  These experiences are those that help shape our values, our character, and ultimately, our actions.

There was a lot of talk on Friday about systemic racism, and that being the reason we can’t advance.  This is a fatiguing and obvious argument.  Systematic racism has always existed in this country, but we should draw inspiration and focus from our ancestors who fought for and made progress in the face of that racism.  They didn’t get rid of it, but it exists diminished today due to their epic efforts.  We need to continue in the face of racism, not stop because of it.

It is irresponsible of us to attribute all of our woes to “the system.”  We descended from a legacy of people who did so much with so little, and because of their efforts, we have far more than they ever did.  Somewhere along the line we lost the knowledge of our strength, we lost our identity with that strength, so now many of us are succumbing to a culture of victimhood and defeatism.  I believe that there is systematic racism in this country, but with all the resources and opportunities that we have today, we posses the knowledge and the tools to hack away at it until it lays scattered and broken at our feet. And in the great tradition of our oral history, we will tell our grandchildren the contributions our generation has made in the ongoing struggle for true equality.

All too often, the race discussion is found solely in the hands of black scholars, professors, and doctors who micro-analyze and compartmentalize the issues.  Some exist inside an academic bubble and instead of using plain language, they orate themselves to the point beyond articulation.   This often intimidate everyday people into thinking that the road to equality is unattainable.  Black Americans have learned since childhood to ponder daily the intricacies of racism and I would bet that we discuss it amongst ourselves far more than our white counterparts. So many of our ears are trained for this jargon.  However, when our efforts are to include white America into the conversation, we should begin by keeping the objectives clear and practical.

The point of our film is that we need to talk about race in plain English so that all may join the conversation.  We also attempt to give credence to the reality of race in America.  We wanted to shine a light on the bluntness of two Americans talking about race and to give an example of something that ordinary people can take part in every day.  Whenever their is progress in America, it is because of a major grassroots effort for change. What David B. Wilson and I accomplished in this film is possible for everyone.  Honest answers to honest questions need no race studies degree, no constituents, and no syndication – they need only courage to speak and even more to listen.

I hope you enjoyed the film and I encourage all of you to start your own honest and open discussions at your jobs, in your schools, the church, and within yourself.  Let the dialogue continue.

–David A. Wilson

What’s Wrong with Black People? And why we had to ask…

April 4, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments [73]

The trailer for our documentary film Meeting David Wilson shows a section (in the uncut DVD version of the film) in which we ask a variety of Americans, “What’s wrong with Black people?” When we showed the trailer to family, friends, or at the occasional investor meetings, I tried to observe people’s reaction to this portion of the clip. Most respond with a sense of relief and thank us for asking a question that they have never had the courage or proper forum to ask. Then there are those who look at us with a bit of disdain and think that we are merely seeking shock value.

I admit that the question does contain shock value, but for me it could be no less alarming than a society that continues to look the other way. Consider that nearly one in three black men in America will be imprisoned at some point or time in his life. Walk through American cities like my hometown of Newark, Brooklyn, or Detroit and you’ll find children as young as 10 years old enlisting themselves into violent gangs. Our young people are becoming more and more susceptible to a culture of materialism, and they will stop at no one or no thing in order to obtain money, clothes, cars, gaudy jewelry, or whatever is dangled in front of them on the TV screen. They believe their only way to wealth is to become a rapper, an athlete, and if all else fails, a drug dealer. For many of them getting a decent education never fits into the equation, and instead they became entrenched in a culture of anti-intellectualism.

I realize the way we phrase the question in the film is direct and I’m not suggesting that you go around 125th Street in Harlem and ask it in the same manner, (especially if you are white). The point is that we have to recognize that a segment of our society is broken and the only way it will ever fully recover is if we began to ask tough questions of ourselves and our nation. Whenever you visit a doctor, he first has to open a dialogue with you about your medical history and what’s wrong before he prescribes a treatment. This is what we are trying to accomplish with this film as it relates to Black America. Solutions can never be found until we can admit there are problems.

Historically liberalism has helped the advancement of African-Americans, however today it has overreached by placing the fear of being branded a “racist” on those who pose questions or venture into topics that are deemed “politically incorrect.” This can stifle objective thinking, paralyze progress, and silence necessary debate. To ignore the problems in the Black community for the sake of being “appropriate” is negligent and to accept current conditions as “normal” for black America is dangerously ignorant if not racist.

We recognize that everything in this film will not please everyone, but it is our hope that this film will provoke honest debate and conversation about race and black progress in America.
Brad, here is our first blog entry.