For decades those in and around the Richmond, Virginia entertainment scene have debated why it appears that no one really seems to get nationally or globally recognized for their art. Particularly in the hip-hop arena (with the exception of Mad Skillz, better known as Skillz), no hip-hop artist from here has quite made that splash that is so coveted by an entertainer. Regional successes like Chris Brown and Trey Songz aren't actually Richmond citizens, so they aren't included. And so with each passing year, the city experiences another round of coulda-woulda-shouldas who fade into a variety of professions because, as many of them would say, they don't get the home town support. Now...they could get the home town support, but they want it to come from home first....and in this town (as displayed by Skillz and D'Angelo), to be a respected musical artist you have to leave home and be shown on television before black RVA loves you. Yes...even in 2014, we can't say it's official or good unless it's on T.V.; not cable access either...real T.V.
With the city of Richmond slowly returning to the national notoriety for murder it had in the mid-1990s; you would think that the public outcry from all of these not-for-profit-stop-the-violence-while-we-throw-a-party groups would be on the front lines addressing this thing. Well...a few are...I guess, but not nearly with the urgency that's required to tackle a growing trend of homicide. That was until 18 year-old African-American Mike Brown from Ferguson, Missouri got killed by 28 year-old white Darren Wilson of the Ferguson PD. Then...about a week later...it was time to protest...'cause it was on T.V. Can't have police killing our black boys, you know. And so all of a sudden parents allegedly stopped feeling safe, all cops got racist and evil, the system wants to kill black men, all that stuff was said, heard, or felt. Please note though that this hoopla went on and is still going on while two murders on African-Americans by African-Americans happened right here. But, because it didn't make real T.V., it's not that real. So there were no protests, no outcries for justice, no passion for peace for these local men who were brutally killed. Instead, it was all about what was happening on real T.V. in a town most Richmond residents never knew existed.
So the next time you local for-the-moment-ultra-Black Power folks send me a petition or put a flyer in my hand to help #Ferguson....keep that to yourself, please. It's not that I don't believe that Ferguson and towns like it need help; but people, we're one of those towns. Your perception of outrageous violence is distorted...as a white killer of a black human is more vile than a black killer of a black person. You endorse music that promotes the senseless murders of African-American children each day by blasting it during after work radio mixes, posting the record images on social media, and reciting the lyrics (even though you're 30+). You interrupt our church services with exhortations against police brutality but won't work with the church to help stop violence in your own neighborhoods. And because of this the city and state governments don't take you or your week-late protests serious.
I feel horrible for Mike Brown's family. But I feel more horrible for Lorenzo Harris, who was murdered in Henrico County just days ago, and will not receive any national or local attention because it was just another black man killed by a black man. And while this, in many black RVA residents' minds doesn't qualify as a tragedy; the fact that it goes virtually unnoticed is. It shows a great lack of respect for life...equal to that of the lack of respect of Mike Brown's body laying in the street got. And it is a stone solid reason that until we gain perspective of what tragedy really is, no one around here should march for anything. Not implying that Mike Brown being murdered isn't a tragedy. But ask yourself, when you made that heartfelt post about Mr. Brown, were you really infuriated with his death, or were you just intrigued by its popularity?
Peace
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