The term "selling out" is frequently used in this country to describe someone who has compromised some core values or beliefs either for money, fame, or some other kind of personal gain. Let's discuss the issue of "selling out" as it relates to African America. Who is a sell out and why?

Next on AfricanAmerica.org radio

Ooooo, my goodness! MBM trying to start a riot.

Well, unless I can say (very) bad words when the names Connerly and Thomas come up ... I don't know if I should participate!

MBM, this will be a very touchy subject. This might be a 2-parter episode.

I may want to say more on the show than on this message board.

I've been called one my whole life

"... why is you going to georgetown and not howard?..."

"...why come you sound like a white person?"

"...where's your soul N-???"

COLIN POWELL

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:



I've been called one my whole life

"... why is you going to georgetown and not howard?..."

"...why come you sound like a white person?"

"...where's your soul N-???"

Please standby for Breaking Trivia of the Day!

I was born at Georgetown University Hospital.

Alright, carry on.

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:



I've been called one my whole life

"... why is you going to georgetown and not howard?..."

"...why come you sound like a white person?"

"...where's your soul N-???"

Too many use the term selling out when they refuse to understand that black people aren't monolithic in thinking, especially in creativity.

Run-DMC with Aerosmith doing a remix of "Walk This Way" WASN'T selling out. That was a historical moment in hip-hop. RUN-DMC have used heavy metal/rock music before with "King of Rock" and "Rock Box", but why it's a problem then? Aren't we supposed to praise those who become successful? On the contrary, we the black youth at the time sold Run-DMC (and Whodini) out by rejecting them for more hardcore rap artists like NWA and the 2-Live Crew, because cussing on records showed a sign of rebellion and youth always rebel from older folks.

When you're selling more records than your last album, which is what you're supposed to do in the music business, that's not selling out. Queen Latifah getting a voiceover endorsement for Pizza Hut and Cover Girl, that's smart, not selling out. Now MC Hammer dancing for some popcorn chicken in a KFC commercial? Sellout City!!

quote:

Originally posted by ATPWordPro:

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:



I've been called one my whole life

"... why is you going to georgetown and not howard?..."

"...why come you sound like a white person?"

"...where's your soul N-???"

Please standby for Breaking Trivia of the Day!

I was born at Georgetown University Hospital.

Dag - you sold out from the jump!

MBM, allow me to elaborate from the radio show about the cast of "Barbershop" minus Ice Cube on Oprah: My friends asked why Oprah didn't invite Ice Cube because of his misogynistic/violent rap lyrics, despite playing a barber (different than his rap persona), yet invite Cedric the Entertainer on the show, whose character was chauvinist, and made fun of both MLK and Rosa Parks? In this particular incident, I do agree with Joe.

quote:

Originally posted by Huey:
MBM, allow me to elaborate from the radio show about the cast of "Barbershop" minus Ice Cube on Oprah: My friends asked why Oprah didn't invite Ice Cube because of his misogynistic/violent rap lyrics, despite playing a barber (different than his rap persona), yet invite Cedric the Entertainer on the show, whose character was chauvinist, and made fun of both MLK and Rosa Parks? In this particular incident, I do agree with Joe.

she had Luda on her show. He was a part of the cast of 'Crash' she asked him about his lyrics [which had nothing to do with the movie.

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:

quote:

Originally posted by Huey:
MBM, allow me to elaborate from the radio show about the cast of "Barbershop" minus Ice Cube on Oprah: My friends asked why Oprah didn't invite Ice Cube because of his misogynistic/violent rap lyrics, despite playing a barber (different than his rap persona), yet invite Cedric the Entertainer on the show, whose character was chauvinist, and made fun of both MLK and Rosa Parks? In this particular incident, I do agree with Joe.

she had Luda on her show. He was a part of the cast of 'Crash' she asked him about his lyrics [which had nothing to do with the movie.

Yeah, that's another incident that's questionable. Why is she going to bring up something from the past that's irrelevant. When Maria Shriver was on her show, Oprah didn't talk about how the Kennedy clan were bootleggers before they became wealthy from it and later became politicians.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Huey,

"There are two things that are infinite, human stupidity and the universe...and I'm not too sure about the universe."
--Albert Einstein

Selling out?

I'm not sure.

That's an accusation I'd be hesitant to level at anyone. Because most of the time the charge is a knee-jerk reaction to difference.

There are tons of people who I believe don't identify with blackness as I think they should or act in the interest of the group as I think they should. Money or fame as incentives? How about just going along to get along? By that measure, a LOT of people sell out. Besides, that's a much more common behavior with much more serious and far-reaching consequences.

But who am I to judge?

There was I time when I would not have passed my own present criteria. So the "Sell Out" label does not leave room for the possibility and inevitability of individual growth and development. Both in others I might be tempted to judge ... and in myself and my ability to make that judgement.

So there are people with whom I would not choose to closely associate for the reasons I mention. But I would not easily call the person a "Sell Out" though I might characterize certain of their actions (or lack thereof) as "selling out" (i.e., love the sinner but hate the sin).

But then there are individuals who have probably done all the developing they're ever likely to do ... and in the end, based on their deeds and what they stand for on the whole, you can't think anything but "Sell Out":

Clarence Thomas? Condi Rice?

Yeah. Why not?

These people have clearly sold their souls.

I'm still hopeful for Colin Powell. At least he had the decency to quit. That shows promise.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: HonestBrother,

I'M AN ELITIST TOO.

What about the black community itself (ourselves)? We're guilty of selling out ourselves. We clown on Oprah for having a huge white female audience, but yet we supported Ricki Lake (b/c she had a huge black female following) for having stupid topics like "Getting a better Weave?" We say that we want to see more positive shows of us, but the number one show this year in black households was "Flavor of Love."

How can we complain about not having enough positive shows like "Lincoln Heights" on ABC Family Channel, but yet more of us watch "Flavor of Love," reruns of "The Parkers," and "Flavor of Love: Charm School?"

Some people never have the opportunity to sell out because they were never "in" to begin with.... meaning the intentions behind their actions are never performed with thoughts of the best interest of their community.... and by default they sell out to those that DO have an agenda for them.... white folk... These people float through life with no agenda and no sense of history... all they know is the present world and they are trying to survive in it by its rules... any other thoughts to the contrary rock them to the core and that's just too much work to overcome.... they are sellouts... but in truth, its sad because they really don't know it....


And then there are those who look like they are selling out, but onlookers are immature in their assessment of their actions... if onlookers look closely they will see the workings of a double agent mind... one who goes along to get along so that they can obtain the resources in human capital and money to aid their own communities....


Next their are people who sell out their people, because they feel there is no where else to go... black people are not too bright and sometimes crush the spirit of the very people they need to advance their development.... when this is done they create sellouts out of spite.... these are bitter individuals who carry the pain of past grievances with their own people and justify actions that go against the development of their people because of how they have been treated... their position may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that their actions work against the community...


Subsequently, there are straddling sell outs... those that really want to aid their people but straddle between "the spook that sat beside the door" risk of aiding their people behind closed doors and out and out sell out imagery... sometimes they just selfishly take advantage of opportunities damning the rest of their people and other times they go beyond the call of duty and sacrifice to aid their people erm.. they can't make up their minds... and the public can't always discern adequately their agenda.... so they are just labeled sell out...


Lastly there are people who maliciously sell out their people because they just plain evil and nasty and need to be executed....

A sell out to me is when black folks stand by for the last 3 decades and let their children KILL each other over a piece of block on a street they DON'T even own. A color they don't like. And get this....for a pair of tennis shoes. A sell out to me...is black folks turning the other cheek and pretend they don't see the blood running down the sides of their neighborhoods [cuz they drive in their fancy cars/wearing chic clothes...many of course are not even homeowners!] We walked for civil rights. "WHY COME" we don't walk for the children we were trying to SAVE in the first place? For me....the SELL OUT began with US...believing "massa's hype!" The sell out of wanting to be "like massa" [the biggest criminal in the world]. As I said before the sell out is US....we sold out for the material things massa said would make us HAPPY. Now look at us...we sold out so much we can't even look our own children in the face...hell we're too scared-they might shoot us. Yep! We f**$#ed up. We sold out our children.....our future....very sad.

cuba gooding jr.

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:
cuba gooding jr.

I have to disagree. If Cuba's a sellout, it's for selling out other Oscar-winning actors, not black folks. The brother was in both "Men of Honor" and "The Tuskegee Airmen."

I could add black actors far worse than Cuba Gooding Jr.


Martin Lawrence
Jimmie Walker
Eddie Murphy

maybe Tyler Perry for the character Madea, but give him props for having the number one show in black households...House of Payne, which is much more preferable than Flavor of Love.

quote:

Originally posted by Kocolicious:
A sell out to me is when black folks stand by for the last 3 decades and let their children KILL each other over a piece of block on a street they DON'T even own. A color they don't like. And get this....for a pair of tennis shoes. A sell out to me...is black folks turning the other cheek and pretend they don't see the blood running down the sides of their neighborhoods [cuz they drive in their fancy cars/wearing chic clothes...many of course are not even homeowners!] We walked for civil rights. "WHY COME" we don't walk for the children we were trying to SAVE in the first place? For me....the SELL OUT began with US...believing "massa's hype!" The sell out of wanting to be "like massa" [the biggest criminal in the world]. As I said before the sell out is US....we sold out for the material things massa said would make us HAPPY. Now look at us...we sold out so much we can't even look our own children in the face...hell we're too scared-they might shoot us. Yep! We f**$#ed up. We sold out our children.....our future....very sad.

I agree 700%

Nubians are quick to throw salt on each other publicly but when it comes to working together, we have all the excuses in the world. Our people sell out because we have no internal support group for each other. WE have no black academy/grammy awards, we have no black communities that are set up to the highest of African standards. Everything we do is in imitation of Western society or the Euro mentality. Until we truly do for self, we really can't point fingers. We are all we have and we are all we have to blame now. Our children are suffering and we are losing generation after generation. Will we see when we are the last of our kind?

quote:

Originally posted by Huey:

quote:

Originally posted by RadioRaheem:
cuba gooding jr.

I have to disagree. If Cuba's a sellout, it's for selling out other Oscar-winning actors, not black folks. The brother was in both "Men of Honor" and "The Tuskegee Airmen."

I could add black actors far worse than Cuba Gooding Jr.


Martin Lawrence
Jimmie Walker
Eddie Murphy

maybe Tyler Perry for the character Madea, but give him props for having the number one show in black households...House of Payne, which is much more preferable than Flavor of Love.

please enjoy this trailer for Daddy Day Camp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88BlGGYFdhs