Blacks In Media – Is it your responsibility to cover all Black news? (Opinion)

I had a conversation with an acquaintance, who has a radio show, about the Black community.

The conversation that sparked the question

This person stated on his Facebook status that people have told him he wasn’t “Black enough.” And that he wasn’t in touch with the African American community after hearing his radio shows. Stemming from comments from his previous shows commenced him to ask his Facebook friends how they felt.  Was he “Black enough”? I was one of the people who said to him that although he does not have to dedicate his show to African American issues, it would be nice to sometimes acknowledge problems that reach national status per example Derrion Albert. My comment was followed by a friend of mine who elaborated more on my opinion. She said to him that as a Black person, especially in media, it was his obligation to at least acknowledge what happened.

Radio show on race

On his past Wednesday show, the topic of discussion was about him and his co-host’s upbringing, background, and what makes them who they are today. They later talked about what was discussed on the Facebook wall, and why it wasn’t his obligation to acknowledge the brutal murder of Derrion Albert. He also went on the say since violence didn’t directly affect him, he didn’t know anyone personally who has been a victim of violence, he cannot have any type of emotion toward this Black honor roll student who was innocently murdered.  Sadly but true this young man is not the only black person who feels this way.

The obligations of Black media?

So the question is, is every black person in media obligated to care about black issues? Even if it doesn’t directly affect them? Have middle-class, upper-class, and black people of a certain stature lost touch with issues that still plague our community? If you have come from the gutter up, is it alright to no longer care what used to affect you? Or if you were already bread into a well-off African American family, is it not your obligation to care since it only happens outside of your gated community?

Derrion Albert

Unfortunately, the story of youth violence is becoming a familiar one. But what rocked the nation was that Derrion was an honor roll student who was on the right path. He was fatally beaten because he was helping a friend. This was no longer a “typical” gang violence story. It was one that made you realize no one is safe out there anymore.

As Black people in media discussed what happened, I wondered why this Black host, who is deeply rooted in hip‑hop culture, didn’t acknowledge even ten seconds of it on his show.

It doesn’t affect me mentality

He made it quite clear his upbringing didn’t allow him to have any emotions toward the issue, even though he has a child five years younger than Derrion? I would think that would be his direct connection to what happened. I find what he said as an excuse for himself, and many other blacks who feel they shouldn’t have to “care”, because it doesn’t affect their lily white suburban community. As he sat there and told his story, I realized my life has been more “lily white” than his. I’ve spent most of my life in private school, never been on welfare, I came from a successful black family, and I too never experienced losing someone I know to violence. Yet, I care about what happened to Derrion Albert. Maybe the underlying difference here is lack of knowledge on your history.

I surmise living in a household with a very socially conscious family and my thorough knowledge of Black history past and present, gave me no other choice but to care about what happened to that young man. I know that I am not a political activist. And I can’t give answers on where to begin to bring about change in Chicago.

Black media responsibility

Believe me, it’s going to take more than me and a publication like Unheard Voices to stop the violence. But when you have a platform like a radio show, a simple acknowledgment on the issue shows that you care. Don’t tell me certain Black issues don’t affect you because of your background and upbringing. Let’s stop abandoning our brotha’s and sista’s who are affected by these issues. To my brotha in media who said Derrion Albert’s murder does not affect him, wake up because it does.

Photo by nappy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-and-white-crew-neck-shirt-3602934/