The Unaddressed Racism Of POC Excellence

In recent years the entertainment industry elite have put themselves front and center in the fight against the rise of white nationalism, racism and gender discrimination.

We can’t imagine an award ceremony anymore without compassionate and compelling speeches, desperately trying to call out to the masses through the storm that is the current administration. Countless actors, directors, models and music artists have put their livelihood on the line in their brave attempts to tackle the Trump disaster, and in doing so have put their own achievements out of the spotlight, instead giving priority to addressing the problematic nature of current day politics during their acceptance speeches. A moment to celebrate one’s own achievements instead used to reflect on larger issues. A true sign of devotion and commitment.

But amidst the carnage Hollywood is still critically looking inwards, and in doing so has set an example for all of us. Celebration turned to critical assessment. From the Weinstein accusations to the revelations that #MeToo’s co-founder Asia Argento had unfortunate relations with an underage co-star, the entertainment industry has made it clear that it intends to leave no stone unturned in the fight for a better society, for social justice, even if it hurts itself in the process. No name too large to dethrone. A sacrifice for all of us.

But what if in their attempt to enlighten the masses through their art they unintentionally fall guilty to the same forms of oppression they so desperately wish to erase?

Every time a black rapper makes a million dollars with a song talking about the deep and complex issues in black communities or a compelling narration of the African-American experience, a white man in an office makes ten million off of his art, off his story, and ultimately, of the injustices he himself never had to face.

When a mostly black sports team wins their respective pinnacle of the sport it is only black excellence that achieved this, while putting their physical health on the line, but it is mainly white leadership that laughs all the way to the bank.

When a black actor is hired to portray a stereotypical “black role”, a token friend, a side character that dies off far too easily, even when a black person is hired to play the main role in a movie, every time they say the n-word. Is it really them saying it? Or were they paid to say words that were written by the white screenwriter and orchestrated to the white directors liking? If we don’t allow white people to use those words and stereotypes that represent generations of suffering and oppression, why is it okay to allow white people to profit off of them and verbalize those words by proxy through a black voice that in comparison earns peanuts? This form of neo-slavery relies on the age-old concepts that black people are just tools for white people to wield, but who otherwise offer no utility or independence.

Slowly, we see more and more diversity in media, as we have for many years in sports. But aren’t black people still mostly relegated to the roles the stereotypes deem ‘acceptable’ for them? The roles of singers, rappers, actors, athletes. In short: Do we still see black people just as sing- and dance decoration as opposed to qualified and capable leaders themselves?

Just like the brave DNC is slowly setting aside it’s white leadership in favour of young, fresh and inspiring diversity in powerhouses like Alexandra Occasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar - so too is it time for Hollywood to set aside white directors and screenwriters to absorb the power of diversity where it truly matters: Not just on the outside, as packaging and marketing, but at it’s very core, where the unique perspectives of the next generation of Americans can reveal itself and impact the recipes of media itself, instead of being the decorative cherry on an otherwise white product.

Society could be so much better if we weren’t afraid to let non-white voices speak their mind, instead of reading off a paper. If only we weren’t so afraid of what those voices might have to say.