As usual, there have been alot of complaints about the latest installment of CNN's Black In America series: Almighty Debt. I don't know what people expect CNN to accomplish. Why would you set yourself up for disappointment by thinking that a cable network could accurately assess, summarize and portray the full range of experiences of over 30 million people?
You could critique the characterization of the black church. You could argue that the stories being told were not typical of black America. But in reality, no story could be deemed representative of every black person. And I understand that some of the representations in the special were not the most positive examples, but some people won't be satisfied until CNN shows black people gathered around reading Souls of Black Folk as a family--as if that's typical. With every people group their are things that are admirable and things that need improvement. We shouldn't fault CNN for being unable to display the entire spectrum of black existence in America.
Does CNN's Black in America series change the condition of black people in this country? No. Does this series even change the perspective that people have of African-Americans? No. But who was expecting it to do those things? Not me.
1 comments:
Nothing will every tell everyone's stories.
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