Black Press of America stands
with Black Caucus' 'Ben 10'
If you care about your little
princess, don't see this frog
by Charles W. Cherry II, Esq. when the patients die.
Obama still believes in Ronald Reagan's “ris-
by Dr. Jason Johnson hook her up with a white Frenchmen
named Harry, but upon getting some initial
I
n one of the most honest self-assessments in ing tide” theory that all Americans' economic
recent American political history, 10 conditions rise and fall together. (Statistics dis-
complaints, they quietly changed him to
Congressional Black Caucus members rueful- prove that.) Yet in the USA Today interview,
middle-eastern sounding Prince Naveen
ly admitted that they fell asleep at their posts as Obama considers the possibility of a “surgical”
I
am a huge fan of Disney films. Being a
child of the 1980's I grew up during
Disney's dark ages and yet I still con- during pre-production. Apparently Disney
the traditional political guardians of Black financial stimulus that would incentivize people
sider their obscure animated just can't bring itself to give
America. to buy home insulation from Home Depot and
films like The Fox and the little Black girls and Black
The “Ben (for “Benjamins”) 10”: U.S. Reps. Lowe's.
Hound and The Great Mouse boys royalty that looks like
Andre Carson, William Lacy The Ben 10's statement men-
Detective to be two of my them. So I can't bring
Clay, Emanuel Cleaver, Keith tions a few racial disparities
favorite kids films. Of course myself to spend any of my
Ellison, Al Green, Gregory regarding economics. We all know
I'm not a kid anymore, and money on taking any little
Meeks, Gwen Moore, Maxine there's a lifelong American 'Black
consequently I can't in good girls or boys in my life to
Waters, David Scott, and Melvin tax' that follows us from cradle to
consciousness just buy into their movie.
Watt - all serve on the House grave. It increases our chances of
everything that Disney is This is not a rant against
Financial Services Committee. stillbirth, infant mortality, being
doing because I see commer- interracial love, or multicul-
The committee is, in the words of disciplined in school and dropping
cials on television. Which is turalism. This is about basic
P. Diddy, “all about the out, unemployment, imprison-
why I'm not going to see The subtle racism. What Disney
Benjamins.” It oversees America's ment, small business failure,
Princess and the Frog and is saying to every Black
banking, insurance, real estate, poverty, sickness, homelessness,
neither should you. Dr. Jason Johnson parent and girl in the coun-
securities, and public/assisted and early death. As the Godfather
I realize that the movie ty is that while we will
housing sectors. of Soul, James Brown, said, “It
looks fun and exciting, and I'll admit the make a play for your money, it's still too
"Each of us served on the
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq.
ain't White or Black - it's a fact.”
animation looks as lush and colorful as much to ask us to make your dreams come
Financial Services Committee and But it's the hypocrisy and denial
anything Disney has done since Aladdin. true in the same way that we will for young
we have not been forceful enough in our efforts to of historical and institutional racism and its con-
And you will not be forever condemning white girls.
protect the most vulnerable of our population,” a tinuing impact that sandpapers Black America's
your 9-year-old kids to racial or emotional Further, it's always fascinated me that
joint statement issued from Rep. Waters' office racial 'scar tissue' daily. The fact that we know
Armageddon by dropping your $15 to take the focus on 'multi-cultural' or 'interracial
said. "Since last September, we have continuous- that the U.S. government - now purportedly led
them to a matinee. But I ask you: Would dating' is only brought up when the protag-
ly voted for bailouts and reform for the very insti- by our Black president - won't confront the dis-
you dine at a Denny's restaurant that you onist is a Black girl, never a white one.
tutions that created this devastation, without prop- parities drives Black America's collective blood
knew always served Black customers a lit- Popular Disney shows with young Black
erly protecting the AfricanAmerican community, pressure to hypertensive levels.
tle slower than anyone else? Even if there female leads like That's So Raven or The
or small business. That stops today.” We won't wait
was a great sale going on would you shop Proud Family always have a melting pot of
Thank God. In his 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr.
at a department store where they asked love interests for the main characters. Back
We swell with pride when the elegant Michelle Martin Luther King, Jr., castigated White moder-
only Black customers to leave their empty in 1997 when Disney remade Cinderella
Obama hosts White House parties. We marvel at ate clergyman who believed the civil rights move-
bags behind the counter? Disney wants with a non-cracked out Whitney Houston
the sight of a Black U.S. president – then we take ment was moving too fast.
your money and your children's commer- as a fairy godmother and Brandy as
another nap. Dr. King wrote: “(W)hen you see the vast
cial loyalty, but they expect you to accept Cinderella her prince charming was
Snap out of it. The Ben 10's joint statement majority of your twenty million Negro brothers
it on their terms only - because they think Filipino. Strangely, I don't remember ever
should be the cold water to our faces. President smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the
the Black consumer is too weak or too des- seeing Hannah Montana go gaga over the
Barack Obama's reaction to the statement should midst of an affluent society…when you are har-
perate to stand up in the face of bigotry. new little Black boy at her school.
be the slap upside our heads. ried by day and haunted by night by the fact that
Where am I going with this you might be Not surprisingly, Disney has offered no
Obama was quoted in USA Today as saying, you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance,
thinking? Let's just look at the obvious public explanation for this, because they
“The most important thing I can do for the never quite knowing what to expect next, and are
facts about this upcoming film. Tiana is the don't care. They know perfectly well that
African American community is the same thing I plagued with inner fears and outer resentments;
first African American princess in the his- Black folk are so desperate that they'll buy
can do for the American community, period, and when you are forever fighting a degenerating
tory of Disney animated features and her anything that features them prominently no
that is get the economy moving again and get sense of "nobodiness" - then you will understand
character is written to accept circum- matter how insulting or how much of a
people hiring again…It's a mistake to start think- why we find it difficult to wait.”
stances that no other Disney princess is double standard it presents.
ing in terms of particular ethic segments of the We of the 200-member National Newspaper
expected to experience. Of course, you don't have to fall for this.
United States rather than to think that we are all in Publishers Association, “the Black Press of
Unlike most other Disney movies this You can stand up to this kind of program-
his together and we all going to get out of this America,” will continue to stand with the Ben 10
one features a love triangle, where Tiana ming, you can talk to your daughter about
thing together.” and everyone who intelligently advocates for the
and a white southern debutante vie for the what the images in this movie mean, or
Black-owned newspapers reported that Black Black community's permanent interests. Mr.
affections of one man. Fascinating, since even better, just don't go during opening
America was already in economic depression in President, we won't wait for your slow-acting
in every other Disney princess movie - weekend. Show your children what Black
2006, two years before the deep American reces- cough syrup to work. And we'll fight you - if nec-
Snow White, Aladdin, Beauty and Beast love really means, and show the world that
sion arrived. If the general American economy essary - to get the targeted financial help Black
etc.- it is primarily the prince's job to woo even African Americans can stand up to
has pneumonia, the economy of Black America America deserves.
the affections and love of the future the so called Magic Kingdom.
has full-blown AIDS. The Obama administration
princess. Then there's the prince himself.
has given Wall Street the financial blood transfu- Charles W. Cherry II is an NNPA national
Tiana is the ONLY princess in Disney lore Jason Johnson is an associate professor
sion it demanded, while treating Main Street and board member and is the publisher of the Florida
to have a prince that is not the same color of political science and communications
MLK, Jr. Boulevard with slow-acting cough Courier and the Daytona Times. He is a practic-
as her. (Pocahontas is not considered a at Hiram College in Ohio, where he teach-
syrup. If we wait long enough, the cough syrup ing attorney and former South Florida prosecu-
Disney princess!). es courses in campaigns and elections,
will work and the coughing will eventually stop - tor. Contact him at ccherry2@gmail.com.
Initially, Disney producers planned to pop culture and the politics of sports
12
Chicago Defender • ChicagoDefender.com • December 9-15, 2009
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