HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING ON
BLACK ICE?
Because you can’t see black ice, you’ll first notice it when you feel your car start to slide or lose traction. If small shifts in your steering seem to generate an exaggerated response from your vehicle, it’s a sign that you may be driving on black ice.
The other morning, I watched O’Shea Jackson, better known as “Ice Cube,” stumble and slide through an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Cuomo. Jackson said he wanted to set the record straight on his “Contract With Black America” and his supposed collaboration with Donald Trump.
The discussion was what I consider to be a “tippy-toe” interview. I’ve seen White hosts do these, with Black guests, hundreds of times. They don’t want to be seen as “crossing the line” or coming off as too harsh. As a result, they’re careful not to scare them away with tough questions.
A Condescending Ploy.
I’ve heard Chris ask harder-hitting questions of most of his guests. I guess he reserves them for politically savvy adversaries. I would have loved to hear Cube’s answers to questions like;
- Did you really think that your little report would phase Trump?
- Or, how did he contact you? By phone or text?
- Not to be insulting but, why would Trump come to a rapper to help him determine public policy for Black America?
“I’m going to whoever’s in power and I’mma speak to them about our problems specifically. I’m not going in there talking about minorities. I’m not going in there talking about people of color or diversity or none of that stuff. I’m going there for Black Americans. The ones who are the descendants of slaves.”
Ice Cube
Who Doesn’t Have a Plan for Black Americans?
Overall, it seems everyone has a plan to address racial inequality in this country. By now, one would think we’d have one already, considering slaves were freed decades ago. But, apparently, Trump’s plan (dubbed the Platinum Plan) needed some “urban street” spark.
The Political Game
Number 1: Can someone please tell me when Ice Cube became the spokesperson for Black America?
Number 2: Don’t we have bills drafted by Congress members to address the needs of Black Americans?
Number 3: Haven’t those same bills been sitting on Mitch McConnel’s desk for the better part of 4 years? In fact, haven’t these issues been in Congress forever?
However, after watching Ice Cube trip and fall through his “setting the record straight” moment on MSNBC, a stream of consciousness flowed through my head.
What are we going to do with all our famous rappers when they require long-term geriatric care?
Whirling & Swirling
I use to go to different nursing homes and senior centers to either perform or teach Belly Dance Classes from time-to-time. A lot of dancers do that. It’s an opportunity to perform in front of a welcoming audience and a chance to share our love of the dance.
Step & Touch
Likewise, one afternoon, my Bellydance troupe and I performed at a neighborhood nursing home in Richmond, California. We were all dolled up, with our stylish make-up and gorgeous headpieces in full display.
Firstly, the residents, some in wheelchairs, were placed in a half-circle. And as the music blasted from the boombox, we swirled our veils, balanced our swords, and tinkled our finger cymbals. They were having fun, and so were we.
Secondly, after we danced, I remember us walking down a hallway with our jingling coin belts and beautiful belly dance outfits. We were smiling and greeting the patients, staff, nurses, and residents who couldn’t come out to watch.
The Chambers of Despair.
Further down the dimmed hallway, I peeked in a room and saw an older woman swaddled in a bedsheet on a narrow bed in a dark room. She was wildly gesturing to indicate she needed something but, only babbling sounds came out of her mouth. I got the nurse and learned all she wanted was some water.
Please don’t leave me here!
Further down that same hallway in another room with the somber glint of a blueish-green light, a man tightly wrapped in a sheet was staring straight up at the ceiling. It was sad and frightening!
So what’s the connection?
Hang in there.
Consequently, thinking back to Ice Cube’s interview, I wondered what had motivated him in the midst of a controversial presidential election to share his “magic” plan for Black America with a White Supremacist?
And, while the Trump campaign may have spoken with him, as he claimed, why did he believe Trump would keep his word if he were elected for a second term.
I’ve been used, and I’ve been abused.
And, now boy you’ve been discarded.
In the same vein, I’m surprised the Black Icer didn’t accept that he may have been used for publicity’s sake. Trump is all about intensifying the divisions already at work to discourage Black people, especially those men under 50, to vote at all.
Ice claimed that the words that the Democrats told him to wait until “after the election to talk to me” didn’t seem to justify making a deal with Trump.
And, what made him think that he had enough clout to show up like he had a nation of Black people coming to the table with him—while plans of years of substance have lain on Lizard Mitch’s desk collecting dust for the four years of the Republicans being in power.
Not A Damn Thing Wrong With A Fine Old Black Man.
But, I remembered that when some men get older, and all the adulations and fame fades away, two things happen.
Either he wants to continue to be a player, cheat on his wife of 30 years, if he has one, with a younger woman, or indicate that he truly wants to give back and make a difference.
Even more ridiculous, I watched another old rapper, Kanya West, step back into the limelight. This boy imagined he could save Black people by becoming President of the United States!
Note: West raised $6,771,472.66 on his presidential campaign, loaning $6,760,000 of his own money to his campaign and raising $11,472.66 from individual contributions.
Sadly, he spent $5,867,353 and has $8,003,103.18 in outstanding debts, with $1.2 million in outstanding debts to consultants. Now, what could an old rapper have done to help Black people?
I felt embarrassed and all of them.
Kind of the way a mother feels when one of her kids makes a damn fool of themself in public. Ice Cube was surprised that Black people attacked him. He truly believed he was doing something meaningful. But, he was late to the party. Fifty Cents, Lil’ Pimp, and Lil’ Wayne had already beat him to the Lil’ Punch.
The Final Concert of “Black Ice.”
A. The image I got of Ice Cube, Kanye, and the rest of them was as horrifying as it was hilarious. There was Mr. Ice, along with some of his other old rap buddies.
B. You know, the ones who’ve suddenly decided to become part of “mainstream” politics and spokespersons for Black people laying in neat rows of cots tightly swaddled in warm bedsheets.
C. The room was the size of a concert hall, dark with flashing lights and screaming sexy ladies. Like those abandoned old folks I saw swaddled in sheets in dark rooms at the Richmond nursing home.
“Stop being an Uncle Tom, you little sell-out/House nigga scum/Give something back to the place where you made it from.”
Ice Cube
Finally, while they lay there, I noticed them fervently gesturing with their fist raised high to the beat, unable to speak as rap music softly swirled around them in the background.
The vision just made me sad.