Colorful Beauties

In the mid 1990s C. Delores Tucker was lambasted and harassed for her voice against Gangsta Rap music.  Beneficiaries and fans of the insidious music genre attacked her in song and called her “narrow-minded,” an old thinker, as she stood alone in her campaign against lyrics that degraded the Black community and its people.

Today, we are living the outcome of what Ms. Tucker used her voice to speak out about and fight fiercely against.

C. Delores Tucker sounded the alarm on the impact of Gangsta Rap on the Black community.

At the height of her campaign against Gangsta Rap, C. Delores Tucker was in her sixties. She was an unapologetic, fearless elder of our community with a lifetime of experience in her view.  She stood tall, literally and figuratively, and dared to say what no one else would when it was unpopular and uncomfortable to do so.

But Ms. Tucker knew something grotesque and ominous was forming right before us.  She knew that nothing good and everything bad would happen as a result of the constant messaging of degradation delivered through Gangsta Rap lyrics to a community, its people and the greater world of listeners.

It is time to remember C. Delores Tucker and revisit her battle for the Black community and against those who were not friends and who effectively contributed to the conditions we are in today.

Ms. Tucker died in October 2005 at the age of 78.

A brief history of C. Delores Tucker’s Campaign against Gangsta Rap:

As Tucker explained to Chicago Tribune writer Monica Fountain, “these images of black young kids acting like gangstas go all around the world.” She objected to such lyrics being sold to minors and asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry. Both the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus lent support to Tucker’s cause. Congressional hearings were held on the subject in 1994, and soon afterward Tucker set her sights on an even larger target, the Time Warner media empire. The company distributed Interscope, whose rap subsidiary, Death Row Records, put out the recordings of some of the most popular gangsta artists. Tucker purchased stock in Time Warner, which allowed her the privilege of attending shareholders’ meetings and speaking out. At a May 1995 shareholders’ meeting, she stood and asked the executives to read aloud the very lyrics through which their company reaped such profits. They refused. “How long will Time Warner continue to put profit before principle?” she asked at the meeting, according to Fountain’s Chicago Tribune article. “How long will it continue to turn its back on the thousands of young people who are dying spiritually and physically due to the violence perpetuated in these recordings?”

Tucker also focused her ire at Time Warner chair Gerald Levin.

Gerald M. Levin, then head of Time Warner

“I told him about the black males-25 percent are either in jail or under some judicial regulation, ” she declared in another Chicago Tribune profile by Sonya Ross. “I said, ‘Mr. Levin, how are we going to raise a race of people with no men?“‘ Tucker has also noted that she has served as surrogate parent to many nieces and nephews, not all of whom went down the right path, and over the years came to realize that cultural forces and images play a large role in shaping self-esteem.

Not long after the incident, Time Warner sold its interest in Interscope.

Tucker considered it a victory, but Death Row head Marion “Suge” Knight hired investigators and then filed suit against Tucker on behalf of his roster of artists. She was accused of conspiracy and extortion as a result of a meeting with Knight at which two recording artists (who were also National Political Caucus of Black Women members), Melba Moore and Dionne Warwick, were also present. Supposedly the women offered Knight a deal to leave Interscope and sign with a black-owned record company they planned, but Tucker retorted that they had simply asked him to try for more positive messages in his artists’ music. He said he would need “distribution” to engineer such a situation, and Moore and Knight agreed then to look into financing for such a possible black-owned enterprise.

Source: This information was pulled from various news organization by answers.com

50 Cent, Jimmy Lovine of Interscope Records

Gangsta Rap artists joined in the campaign to ridicule and humiliate C. Delores Tucker.

In his hit song,  “How Do You Want It,” Tupac Shakur pounced on Ms. Tucker.  He blasted her with these lyrics, “Delores Tucker, youse a mother*****.”  Then in the Eminem, 50 Cent hit “D-12,” the White rapper took his turn assaulting her when he belted out, “Tell that C. Delores Tucker sl** to suck a d*** Mother**** ducked, what the f***?”

Rapper Eminem

This is the vile and venom C. Delores Tucker was hit with.  Not because she was doing harm to her community, but because she was doing great and loved her community enough to take the hits.  For me, this assault from skilled, talented artists and the corporations that back them was an especially low moment for the Black community and an indication of the direction we – Black people – were headed. We had arrived at a point of no return.

In a social network discussion with my friend, Eugene Holley, about actor Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent tweet, “niggaz in Paris for real,” at the JayZ and Kanye Paris concert,  he reminded me of these lyrics in the Funkadelic composition Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts,  ”You descend to the level of your lowest concept of your self,” (read the full lyrics).  Gangsta Rap rose to that lowest level of expectations in its degrading treatment of our community and an elder of our community; and, in the implicit permission it effectively has given the greater community to participate in our ruin.  Another friend, Sherry Ormond of Brooklyn who is a mother of three said about C. Delores Tucker, and that time she fought for us even when we shunned her, “Sometimes, we have to take a step back and humble ourselves to the elders when they speak about the future.”  

C. Delores Tucker, you were right. You knew what was to come.  Here we are today, bearing witness to what you predicted as recent as two decades ago.  It has come to pass.

Coretta Scott King and C. Delores Tucker

http://blackandbrownnews.com/author/sharon-toomer/

A man from the crowd asked, “How can I relate to the Cosby’s? The families in my neighborhood don’t look like that.” A wise man said unto him, “If a man only knows the darkest and most defiled corners of his city, how then will he know that there is light elsewhere lest someone shows him?” The wise man continued with a parable:

“There was a young man who came from Philadelphia. Some would believe that his neighborhood was among the most degenerate and nefarious places in the country. Amidst the immorality and marginalization, this young man decided he would not allow the darkness to consume him. The young man believed there was light beyond his surroundings. Better yet, he believed that there could be light in his circumstances.”

“The young man would soon recognize the gift of comedy that was bestowed onto him and use it as a means of satire and joy. He would soon blossom from a part-time jester to a full-blown comedian. This comedian would soon use his gift to bring light to dark situations. He would use his platform to educate, inspire and enlighten. Many were challenged and encouraged by his work, while some are still consumed by the dark recesses of disbelief.”

As the wise man concluded many were amazed that a man could use such a lowly occupation to create hope. However, others departed wearing the burden of skepticism. If only these skeptics could see past their own obstacles and evaluate the social implications of his work, then they too would realize that having a prophetic voice is not confined to their current context.

The Comedian understood that hope and perseverance were non-negotiable variables in transformation. Why should he be limited to the worldview of his surroundings? Does an engineer only repair what is broken and leave innovation and creativity at the door? Does the politician only see the world as it is and not govern for the future to come? Why should the comedian only create in the bubble of despair?

The Comedian soon became an international star. His most illustrious creation, The Cosby Show, transcended economic status, racial associations, and even language barriers. It was a breath of fresh air to all who prayed for a healthy representation of African-Americans on primetime TV. But you could still hear the rumblings, “They don’t represent families in my hood!”

The Comedian was not apathetic to his environment. On the contrary, he was very aware of his surroundings. Before there was a Cosby Show, he offered us Fat Albert. This animated series maneuvered within the social struggles of inner city Philadelphia. Fat Albert and his Friends introduced teenagers and adolescents to subjects ranging from sexually-transmitted diseases to racism. Most prime-time shows were not dealing with those subject matters let alone a cartoon.

Why does all this matter? Is the Cosby Show really that important? Is the show still relevant today? Why spend all these words on a comedian and his TV show? Allow me to give you some historical perspective.

Giving African-Americans the platform for performance has never been an issue. Ever since the inception of Hollywood, Black people have been given the space to perform. Black entertainers shared a part in the history-making film, “Birth of A Nation.” Birth of A Nation, was a propaganda film that fueled the racial tension in America and exalted the utility of the Klu Klux Klan. In this film many African-American entertainers were given opportunities to showcase their talents and craft to audiences worldwide.

So now you had Black representation in film. What is the problem? For the most part the concern has never been “are” we represented but it’s been “how” we are represented. This is especially troubling when you’re a minority and you don’t control the conversations in the boardrooms. As a result, America was now introduced us to numerous Black caricatures in Hollywood form. Here’s is a short list of the monolithic characters you can find in many historical and present day films: The Mammie, Coon, Buck, Uncle Tom, Tragic Mulatto, and Magic Negro.

The Mammie is an overweight a-sexual house maid who tends to the cares of White folks. The Coon is a comedic simpleton who oftentimes resembles a member of the primate family. His lips are protruding and his posture is ape-like. The Buck can be simply described as an over-sexualized male, who especially desires White women. The Tragic Mulatto is an attractive racially-mixed woman who offers nothing but doom and despair. The most popular of the monolithic characters is the Uncle Tom. This character was made infamous by the Harriet Beecher Stowe book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. The Tom can often times be synonymous with the Magic Negro. His sole purpose is to be a heralded representation of the Black Community. He’s humble, subservient and wise by Negro standards. His sole accomplishment, in many forms, is to push forward the Majority’s cultural agenda, while being the delegate for African-American society.

To give a real life example, Lincoln Perry of “Stepin fetchit” fame was said to have grossed over 1 million dollars in his day playing his signature role of a lazy coon. Perry was featured in over 50 projects. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was the first Black male to be seen on screen dancing with a white female, Shirley Temple, in The Little Colonel. Bojangles was known to have a smile on his face and a dance for every moment. Both Perry and Robinson had sustaining careers. However, this created a grand tension in African-American entertainment. Should we protest for more dynamic roles and representation or should we take the available roles no matter the stereotypes because they generate revenue?

In light of that discussion let me ask you a question: are we not having the same dialogue today? In 2013, even though there are more opportunities in music and film, do we feel like we have escaped the derogatory clutches of the Mammie, Coon, Tom, and Buck? It is safe to say that these characters have evolved some; however, you don’t have to look far to bump into one these reformed farces.

The man in the crowd stated he doesn’t relate to The Cosby Show. I will follow his statement with my own disclaimer. I don’t relate to much of the African-American representation on TV today.

I don’t relate to the lack of variety in the Black families seen on TV and in the movies. When was the last time we saw an actor in the class of Will Smith or Denzel actually have a love interest of dark complexion? When was the last time you saw Morgan Freeman not play second fiddle to a White counterpart that he helped achieve some great goal? Now we have websites that seem to be dedicated to promoting ignorant images of African-American society. (I leave these sites nameless because I don’t want to promote the sites).

Are these images really true representations of Black people? Did art create reality? Are Hip-Hop, Hollywood and these websites keeping it real? Was The Comedian not in touch with reality? Of course he was! But he also believed that Hollywood’s landscape could use more color in the garden. Why should The Comedian only paint a picture for the near-sighted? Why have we not seen much progress since The Cosby Show? Was the Comedian really that much before his time? Are we imbeciles to think that there would be more dynamic representations of Blacks on the screen? It’s much easier to promote stereotypes than to create characters with depth. Hollywood’s monolithic formula creates a factory line of consistency. That consistency produced a product that has created malnourished consumers on both sides of the tracks.

As much as Tyler Perry and Spike Lee would like to think they differ, the one thing they have in common is their interest in showing Black families in a more complete way.

I’ve experienced the work of The Comedian. As a child I sat at his feet with great expectations every Thursday night. Twenty-five years later my 8-year old daughter finds herself enjoying the work of this same Comedian. My daughter and I have regressed to old programming because contemporary entertainment doesn’t fit our family dynamic.

The man in the crowd said he couldn’t relate to the Cosby Show. Well my friend I can’t relate to you. I’ve yet to find my space in this entertainment world.

When Jesus spoke of this new Kingdom that he was bringing, he often spoke in parables. He attempted to create an illustration of truth in allegorical form. He knew that some needed the idea painted before them. This is the Parable of Cosby. The Comedian created a world beyond the typical norm to express a healthy picture of family. The Comedian simply created his Hollywood version of Dr. Charles Drew, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Vivien Thomas, or Dr. James Smith. Many will walk away distraught, for they don’t have ears to hear or faith to believe that this Comedian created the parable so that we will know that it’s possible.

I believe. Even in the dark corners of my city.