The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

Name withheld

“You drive up with your date in an Acura, blaring the new Black Eye Peas album. Your jeans are hanging down your butt and your girlfriend is wearing a dress with less material than a shoestring.” “Countless people roam the streets donning Tupac shirts with bandanas tied around their skulls. Everyday Jay Z gets a little bit richer from sales of his Roc-a-wear line.” “Seeing how music: it is a culture, it is your dress, it is your car, [and] it is your hairstyle (not always a good thing Mr. Jerry Curls).”

These were the words that sparked a group of black students to “corner” the writer of these words in a school hallway, threatening him bodily harm and accusing him of racism.

The student, a regular contributor to the school newspaper who happens to be an avid rock music fan and has his own rock band, had written an article entitled “Is Rock Dead?” The article expressed the origins of rock and to him it seems to be a fading art because other genres of music are taking precedent with today’s youth. He named Punk. Pop, “Emoscream” (whatever THAT is) music and their effect on the listeners. He also mentioned Rap music. However the words quoted above were not in the paragraph on Rap music, but were used when comparing the students’ parents “heyday” of a school dance (“…your parents pulled up in your grandfather’s Chevelle blasting the latest Who album. Your dad’s wearing plaid pants and a paisley shirt and your mom’s wearing a dress out of Janis Joplin’s closet.” To his version of what today’s school dance is like.

The comments about the Tupac shirts and Jay Z were written when he expressed how music is a culture which effects how people dress. And the “Black Eye Peas” is a multi race group. When the entire article was read none of these quotes were offensive. This was the problem with the group of students; they NEVER read the whole article (the main accuser later confessed that he didn’t read the article at all, but went by what his friend told him). Even the school administrator (black) that had not read the article but was approached by angry black students accused the writer of being prejudice and made the comments “He shouldn’t have mentioned Jerri Curls, some people still wear the Jerri Curl.” My response to that was “If what he said was the truth, then the truth is the truth no matter who says it”. Then this adult said “He’s Jewish, he should know better! And I never liked him anyway.”

Now, who’s being prejudice?

Prejudice (Pre-judge) hmmm, this young man and his expressions were judged before these students and adult even read entirely what he was saying. We as a people must learn to get the whole “picture” before we accuse; if we don’t, we are just as guilty as the ones we accuse (falsely or not).

The sad note is that main students that were crying racism (while threatening this young man) are students that are constantly being suspended for numerous infractions, most recently for stealing money and ipods out the gym lockers. They were prepared to harm a young white man for what they thought he was saying to make our race look bad, and yet they are causing much damage and embarrassment to the black adults and students in our school by their actions. God help us.

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My 2 cents:

Personally, I do not know of too many black folks that wear Jeri curls, so if the comment was meant to offend (which if you read the excerpt along with keeping it in the context in which this contributor is say the commentary was written, it doesn’t appear that was the intent), he is basically off about 20 years. So threatening to beat up someone about this would have been meaningless to say the least.

As for the administrator’s response to the incident, so much for an all-inclusive education.