We’re supposed to be living the United States, a nation striving for racial equality, moving towards pushing past the ills of yesterday and to (sorry about the overused phrase) make a better tomorrow.
With that, is there any reason to push the “separate but equal” theme by making a “black version” of America Online? Called “AOL Black Voices: African American & Black Culture Community”, this site (http://blackvoices.aol.com/) tailors News, Sports, Education, Work & Money, Lifestyle, and Entertainment information for black people, as well as providing the “Black Bloggers” section for us to let it all out.
First of all, knowing corporate America as I do, I’d guess the concept wasn’t created by a black person but some goody-goody, compassionate, inclusive, sniveling white liberal who thought that the internet experience would be enhanced for black people if we had our own “Black Voices.”
I’m having trouble confirming if “Black Voices” is an AOL creation or was bought by AOL. One would think AOL could just start their own black pages and not need to acquire a comparitive fledgling. To their credit, they did hire an very well qualified woman, Janet Rolle, to helm the site, but again I ask: why do we always complain about inclusion but create an entity that illustrates a division?
Now in the interest of fairness, what kind of hell would break loose if there was suddenly a “White Voices” site on AOL? Okay, some out here could reply that the whole internet is white. There are many websites out there that specifically target all demographics and maybe I’m just being hypersensitive.
Now if black people want specific information online, does AOL think we’re too stupid to find it ourselves without their help? And with all due respect to Steven Smith at ESPN, since black athletes reportedly have unease talking to white reporters and thus require a translator, are we soon going to have a BESPN, or a Bisney Channel, ABBC, and Brown Fox? Is Apple racist? I’ve had to endure the indignity of buying a three iPods (for the family) and an iBook. All are created… white.
Maybe someone should bring that up to Al Gore now that he’s contaminating space there at Apple.
With all the sacrifice many have made in the name of racial equality and inclusion, why are liberals trying so hard to drive us apart? I sincerely doubt “Black Voices” on AOL is a conservative idea.
So while liberal whites continue to write and produce unfunny sitcoms for black people, they now feel the need to tailor websites specifically for us. I’ll never forget the time I was in an edit suite in Los Angeles and heard a producer say that a certain piece of dialogue “wasn’t black enough.” Well, not only is the subject matter on “Black Voices” supposed to be representative of black people, but they even chose brownish color schemes to make us feel more comfortable there.
Ding. Youse gots mail, y’all.
