Dee Savoy

Multi-published author Donna Hill writes on the topic of segregation of black books in bookstores and the integration of blacks in America. I have strong opinions on both topics, but let’s look at what Donna has to say first. The following sentiments were voiced to her by another author friend.

We have been so eager to have the “white American dream” that we have forgotten or worst, no longer care about “the Black Dream.” We are so eager to sit with them, eat with them, live next to them, shop with them that we have in effect left “us” behind.Gone are the local black owned mom and pop stores in our own communities, the banks and neighborhoods that showcased the richness of our culture. We’ve been so happy that we can shop in the same stores and ride on the front of the bus that we’ve forgotten what it took to get here.The foundation upon which our struggles were born have crumbled to make way for integration. Hmmm.

The generation of today was conceived into a life of privilege and rights built upon the backs of our ancestors–but they have no clue that’s the reason they can stand so tall. They believe they are “entitled” and struggle, unity and brotherhood are no more than antiquated euphemisms, which makes it easy to abandon our own businesses and neighborhoods to support others. Why? Because we can.

I can’t argue with anything I see here. I’m old enough to remember the black-owned candy store (which is now Arab-owned), the black-owned bookstore (the store in which I held my first book signing in the beginning of December 1999 was shut down by the end of the month due to a Barnes and Noble opening nearby) the black piano tuner and black plumber who came to our house to work. Where are these people now? About the only black-owned businesses that survive are the beauty parlors since no one else wants to deal with our hair (though they will sell us hair care products).

As for a life of privilege with our young people, I put a lot of the blame on what we call hip-hop culture. I am again old enough to remember hip-hop at its inception. Rap was a kid named Ralph from two doors down talking over a James Brown cut in my parent’s basement. In those days rap was about partying, having a good time and being happy. Breaking (NOT break dancing) became a means of gangs settling their differences rather than brawling.

But you know what happens to just about everything when it’s taken over by mainstream media–it morphs into something else. In order for it to be exploited it’s got to be either cleaned up or dirtied down. In the case of hip-hop you get all these gangstas and faux gangstas talking about hos, homeys and other denizens of ‘hood life. That would be fine if this lifestyle didn’t outstrip any other vision of the black community.

To my mind, the hip-hop world view is the MOST detrimental influence in the black community, with its emphasis on getting your bling and your freak on at the expense of getting your education or your wedding band on before you create more kids than you can support. If our kids are behaving badly we’ve let their role models into our homes and schools and consciousness and we have only ourselves to blame. I’m all for supporting black-owned businesses, authors, entertainers, but for God’s sake, can we pick something worthy?

I can only wonder if these people are ever going to wake up and realize that what they are producing is the minstrel show for the new millennia sans the need for black face. When are these women going to stop shaking their boo-tays long enough to realize they are being exploited twice–first by the mainstream companies that clamor for this stuff and then by their supposed “brothers” who call them hos, bitches and other words too vile to reproduce here–to their face. To my mind, it’s sorry shame.

How do we get out of this mess? It’s time for black folks to reclaim their legacy of dignity and honor bestowed on them by those that came before. Self-determination is not a dirty word. I am not in favor of re-segregation in terms of physical location, but in terms of collectively stepping back and taking a look at what we’ve become. Is our current state the legacy we wish to leave for posterity? If not, wise voices need to speak up loudly and clearly and shout down the other voices that lead us in the wrong direction.

What has any of this got to do with books? Tune in tomorrow to find out!