“Roots” Remake? Would Jews let the Germans tell their stories? Would whites let black people tell their stories? The only people who allow others to define their history are people who are still enslaved and trapped in a slave mindset."
/When I first heard about this remake, my first question was: WHY?
A friend of mine called the morning after it aired and asked if I watched the “new” Roots. I told him I hadn’t, and that I have no intention of watching it. I asked him why he thought white Hollywood is suddenly so interested in our “black his-tory?” Since he didn’t have an answer, I decided to play devil’s advocate by coming up with some possible reasons of my own:
Reason #1: White people love and respect black history so much, they have to make films about it.
This reason falls flat, considering how little of our history is told in american history books. In fact, the major textbook publishers in the nation are deleting slavery and refer to African slaves as “workers.”
Reason #2: Money — because there is more money in making films about slavery and segregation and butlers and domestic workers than any other black theme.
This makes no sense since I seriously doubt black people would rather see ourselves in chains and butler uniforms on the big screen than in contemporary love stories (of which there are very, very few, other than the type where black males harm black females).
Reason #3: White producers are making films about black slaves and butlers and domestic help out of a sense of “white guilt” and feel compelled to show the world how badly they treated us. This is the most illogical reason of all.
If white guilt ruled the behavior of powerful whites, black people would not be suffering from educational and employment racism, massive incarceration, police brutality, inferior quality food and lead-contaminated water, and inadequate medical care.
________
Why are Hollywood’s “black history” movies restricted to slavery and segregation themes? Why don’t they do a story about black inventors and scientists and all the thousands of great black heroes that existed then?
Because Hollywood – an extension of the white supremacy system – is determined to portray blacks as an inferior, helpless, hopelessly violent, degraded, and diminished humanity.
The real question should be:
Why are black people so eager to let the people who oppressed us continue to tell our stories? Would Jews let the Germans tell their stories? Would whites let black people tell their stories? The only people who allow others to define their history are people who are still enslaved and trapped in a slave mindset. [MORE]
