Entertainment and politicsEntertainment and politics
By Brandon Astor Jones
"Black Entertainment Television owes a good deal more than it is giving to the African-American community." — Irving Elmer Bell.
BAJ: What is your name and number?
BLD: Bobby Lee Daniels, EF-15519.
BAJ: Okay, Bobby: Black Entertainment Television [BET] — what is it that you like most about America's one and only black television network?
BLD: BET presents the entertainment world from a black perspective, and the African-American community is able to review those issues and concerns that surround the black community and that are seldom presented in white mainstream media.
BET airs a lot of film entertainment created for and by black people that would otherwise take the back seat in traditional media outlets, which are basically white-owned and operated. Those outlets do not often incorporate black experiences or the endless stream of contributions our people have made to this nation.
BAJ: How do BET's entertainment endeavours strike you politically?
BLD: BET does not strike me as the appropriate vehicle that black people in America should utilise to become politically informed. It tends to concentrate basically on African-American politics and thus fails to encompass the global political struggle of oppressed people as a whole, which more often than not shapes the structure of African-American politics.
BAJ: Are you saying that BET should take a greater responsibility in informing African-Americans about political struggles of oppressed people everywhere?
BLD: Exactly. In my opinion, oppressed people, in particular people of colour, suffer from a common enemy: racism. We African-Americans need to understand that our present political circumstances are tied to a much larger political struggle.
BAJ: I agree with you. What do you suggest we do to correct this problem?
BLD: We as a people have to let BET know that although we are proud of their accomplishments in some areas of black entertainment and news, the network still leaves much to be desired in the area of political enlightenment.
BAJ: Many African-Americans believe that most of those brilliant social commentaries depicting progressive social and economic development are compromised, because throughout the day BET presents the black experience through so-called "gangsta rap" music, which is believed by many African-Americans to be one of the major causes of moral and social decay among a large number of our black youths. Is that what you are getting at?
BLD: Sure. In the past 15 years, rap music has taken the music industry by storm. Gangsta rap is the medium by which our young people chose to express their discontent with the present establishment.
We did that in the '60s and '70s by using certain styles of dress and political doctrines to make our point. These kids are following suit — only now they have to be infiltrated by big city gangs which promote violence, drugs and the complete control of their turf.
Gangsta rap is very attractive to young people, and it can sell almost anything. BET, to become competitive with the more powerful white media, has adopted gangsta rap and its forum as the means by which to become competitive — at the expense of our young people.
[The writer is a prisoner in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns. He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, Georgia State Prison, HCO1, Reidsville, GA 30453, USA. For the first time in 17 years, Brandon has the real hope of his sentence of death being mitigated. If you can help by contributing to his defence fund or in other ways, please contact Australians Against Executions, PO Box 640, Milson's Point NSW 2061. Phone (02) 9955 1731, fax 9427 9489. Cheques can be made payable to "Brandon Astor Jones Defence Fund".]