Check out this article from the L.A.. Times

It's time to recognize!

ENTERTAINMENT

NAACP gives a stern warning to TV

By Greg Braxton
December 19, 2008

On the heels of issuing a critical report about Hollywood's minority hiring, the president of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People threatened the entertainment industry Thursday with unspecified political actions if it did not increase diversity.

"At a time when the country is excited about the election of the first African American president in U.S. history," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, who was appointed in May to head the civil rights organization, "it is unthinkable that minorities would be so grossly underrepresented on broadcast television."

The statement came shortly after the organization's Hollywood bureau released a 40-page report called "Out of Focus, Out of Sync -- Take 4" that found blacks and other minorities continue to be underrepresented in "nearly every aspect of the television and film businesses."

Though he declined to be specific, Jealous said the organization "could bring the hammer down," including "shaming the industry," if it does not improve diversity.

The report marks some of the most pointed criticism of the industry by the civil rights organization and signals a return to the issue for the group, which has been inconsistent in recent years in keeping tabs on networks' efforts to embrace multiculturalism. Then-NAACP President Kweisi Mfume first lashed out at the networks in 1999, pointing out that none of the 26 new comedies and pilots that season featured a minority lead.

Today, only three network series -- CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "The Unit" and ABC's "Ugly Betty" -- have minorities in leading roles.

greg.braxton@latimes.com

Ryan Seacrest's Mama's Boys--Is Mrs.B Really Racist?

Last week, I tuned in to NBC to check out Ryan Seacrest's new show, "Momma's Boys," and I was pleasantly surprised to see them jump RIGHT into the fray with the opinionated Mrs. Bojanowski.

You may be shocked to hear me say this, but I was THRILLED they chose Mrs. B to be apart of the show. Let's face it--as backwards & ignorant as Mrs. B is--there are SOOOOOO many mother's out there (white & black) who feel the same way. But most people are not dumb enough to spew their racist thoughts on National TV and not expect a backlash.

As a multi-racial woman, I've been friends with many Caucasian people who've said, "My parents would KILL me if I dated a black person." So obviously, many conversations have taken place within these white households passing on such ideals. And perhaps this is the reason why, when these white kids are away from their parents' watchful eyes & off at college, the FIRST person they are macking on is black. We've all seen the girls waiting outside of the football & basketball player's locker rooms after games. The majority of those athletes are black. And the majority of the groupies are white. Coincidence? I think not. Do I blame them. Of course not! These black men are not only beautiful, chiseled specimens, but also talented and focused individuals. What women (black, white, or yellow) WOULDN'T be attracted to that?

I also remember being a kid and having my white friends "forget" that I am part black and say some pretty racist comments, that they no doubt heard at home. But rather than exploding like Momma's Boys contestant, Vita Alexander, I calmly explained to my friends how their statements could be taken as ignorant & bigotted. I opened up the dialogue so that they could see things from a different perspective--from someone who's grown up in both the white and the black cultures.

Back to "Momma's Boys"--I don't blame Mrs. B for her opinions. We all have our preferences of who & what we are attracted to. But she just needs to realize her preferences may not be shared by her son. And REALLY-how could she possibly say minority women (Asian, Jewish, etc.) are not right for her son, when she herself is a minority!

My advice for anyone who's going through a similar situation comes from my own personal experience. For years, I had to put up with ignorant comments my ex-boyfriend's mother used to say about me. It is never fun to have someone try to make you feel like you are beneath them because of the color of your skin. But knowing that you truly ARE a beautiful, intelligent person worthy of love will allow you to treat that individual with sympathy rather than anger. When it all boils down to it, THEY are the one with the issue, not you!