What Do We Value?

By: Royce Griffin

Reel Urban News Now

Do we need to ask ourselves at this moment, who do we run to for help? Who do we trust? Who can help us end this nightmare? When we take an honest look, we see that our society values celebrities who entertain over the doctors, teachers, and other community activists who serve. Everyone seems to turn to their favorite entertainer for advice, imitating every form of entertainer, even reality TV cast members. In essence, folks in need of a medical doctor call their favorite rapper for a prescription. We are allowing the media’s spotlight on entertainers to obscure the everyday heroics of doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other community servants. This phenomenon has created a generation motivated by social media “likes,” who are more concerned with appearance rather than substance.

As an educator, I see students who can tell you the entire roster of the various production houses that create much of the music they digest. They can recite line for line with enthusiasm and excitement the latest hits yet struggle to identify those that made a meaningful scientific, economic, or political change. Ask them to name a person of color who is thriving outside of entertainment, and all you will hear are crickets. Understanding those political, economic, and scientific advances took years, and a strong work ethic to achieve in this racist society is paramount. Those individuals spent years developing and refining their character, yet today anyone can become an instant sensation. All too often, a desire for recognition drives some to commit acts of infamy. 

So for likes, you see violence and abuse. Be the first to post the fight, and see how many likes you get. Post someone else’s pain and go viral. See, while likes are the goal, character and hard work have taken a back seat. Most community servants are poorly paid for the value they add. They go about their lives, making a way for those who would have no way. They sacrifice their time to solve unsolvable problems. These servants support people whose lives they improve daily. Watch as those in need celebrate the accomplishments of entertainers who add only a momentary reprieve from the day to day struggle that being black in America creates. When do they celebrate these everyday heroes?

Some ask, where have all the black leaders gone? In years past, they came from schools, churches, and other places that attracted people whose sole passion was to serve. Don’t get me wrong, there are examples of some who have done great things with Ali being the model of entertainer activist. Today, the cry that “there are no black leaders” is heard so frequently it’s almost a cliché response to the black community’s problems. How long can we turn away from those who serve daily and towards those who entertain for direction and leadership? How long will we expect those entertainers to wear the additional hat of an activist? So the question is, who and what do we value? This question looms ominously, demanding an answer in order to move forward.