From the smoking gun (www.thesmokinggun.com), I got a piece about a game maker whose board game, "Ghettopoly", which was seized by federal agents for trademark infringements on Hasbro's board game (no names needed; the ripoff should be obvious), was decried by (generic) "black leaders" for perpetuating racist stereotypes through activities such as pimpin' hoes, building projects, and selling protection.
Aside from the obvious generic reference to "black leaders" (who ARE these anonymous people who pop up to protest everything? But I digress), the statement that the nature of the board game was racist got my goat. In one light, yes, indeed, it does unfavorably reflect on activities of a certain segment of the black community. And yes, those stereotypes do unfairly hurt the number of blacks who are honest, hardworking contributors to society. And yes, people SHOULD speak out.
But a close examination of the "top 40" in the hiphop genre shows black artists doing the EXACT SAME THING and being lauded by other black leaders for being "innovators" and "businessmen". Meanwhile, when a black leader (insert requisite google search reference to "Bill Cosby" here) suggests that members of the black community need to step up to the plate to disprove these stereotypes, he's shouted down by what is most often euphemistically described as "his own people" (ironic since, over my lifetime, Cosby has done more to TEAR DOWN such negative stereotypes than any of these self professed "black leaders", but I digress).
I contend that, before looking at the racism of others, the black community needs to do a little more self examination and introspection, and decry those of their own race who make a lucrative career out of advancing the same stereotypes.