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Blame It All On Robert Johnson
imagine it's not easy being a "woke" Black person who works for a mainstream media outlet these days. You're constantly bombarded with stories that have blatantly racial slants, yet you're expected to keep your opinion to yourself while acting like controver- sial events and inappropriate comments by political fig-
ures don't affect you.
A prime example of what
happens when this balancing act fails is the predicament ESPN personality Jemele Hill discovered herself in last week. After the popular sports talk show host tweeted that "Donald Trump is a white suprema- cist who surrounds himself with other white suprema- cists," Hill found herself fighting to keep her job when the White House came out and issued a statement in- sisting that she be fired for the tweet.
Never mind the fact that Trump has tweeted far worse about individuals from every walk of life. In his mind, anyone who makes
disparaging remarks about him should lose their ability to make a living. If this is in- deed the case, and criticizing someone else's character in public is a fireable offense, then you have to wonder why he believes he shouldn't be headed toward the unem- ployment line himself?
Fortunately for Hill, ESPN decided against re- moving her from co-hosting The Sports Center seg- ment and only issued a rep- rimand. But, even though things worked out and she didn't lose her livelihood for simply telling the truth, the situation found a way to reignite my anger at Robert Johnson for selling B.E.T. to Viacom.
While it's been almost 20 years since that devastating business deal took place, these types of occurrences al- ways make me reflect on how much America's Black com- munity lost in the process. If Johnson could have found a way to further nurture his network, instead of selling out to a business conglomer- ate, by now he may have de-
veloped a news and sports division that would have al- lowed a talent like Hill to ex- press herself on and off camera, about a bigot like Trump, without jeopardiz- ing her career.
But, because nothing like that currently exists (with the exception of Roland Martin's show on TV ONE), she's forced to take her skills to a network where she's inclined to filter her thoughts so not to offend the millions of middle Ameri- cans who are totally clueless about what life is like on the other side of the tracks.
The one good thing in all of this, I guess, is that Hill's courage to speak her mind is evidence that, behind the plastic smiles and seemingly bleached speak, some of the Black faces we see on televi- sion aren't as blinded to what's going on around them as we might have thought. Which means there's a po- tential that, behind the scenes in television produc- tion rooms across the coun- try, there may be a number of individuals like Hill des- perately fighting to give a voice to those who need one the most.
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America In A Time Of Storm
ours before Hurricane Maria was due to ravage
the American Territory of Puerto Rico, its gover- nor warned his people, “Evacuate or die.”
We’ve heard those words before: Irma, Jose, Maria, 7.2 and 8.2 Mexican earthquakes, and the words of an American president when he said to North Korea in front of the entire United Nations, “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime,” threaten- ing nuclear annihilation of North Korea.
In our journalistic mind, all of these predicaments are part and parcel of the same development: mutually assured mass destruction . . . a situation where nobody wins.
But we Americans have seen this situation, before. We saw it and many of us participated in it when in 1962, we as school children cowered under our desks while American battleships and Russian freighters packed with nuclear tipped missiles had a stand-off in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
Indeed, we have tasted the salty sweat of African hurricanes that threatened mass destruction, but did not kill us all, and we’ve witnessed earthquakes that shook Mexico City to its core.
But not since World War II, have we had an Ameri- can president who gleefully threatened to let loose the dogs of nuclear war if his last nerves were plucked. Not even Hitler could be that self-centered, we suspect.
But maybe, we’re mistaken. Maybe this is a new day where the specter of mutually assured destruction no longer unnerves anybody.
What is gravely needed is patience and common sense. Or should we tell goodwill, “Evacuate or die?”
President Donald Trump’s address before the United Nations was a category 5 catastrophe brewing. For, surely World War III would be worse than
1,000 category 5 storms. And humanity would simply not be able to leave...but will surely die.
You Have The Power
“He who controls oth- ers may be powerful, but he who has mas- tered himself is mightier still.”
-Lao Tzu
mpowered Greet-
ings. Every day you wake up in the land of the liv- ing; you have a choice... you can choose to have a power- ful or powerless day. No mat- ter what, the choice is yours. I would like to encourage you to stop sleepwalking through life and make today and everyday a powerful one.
You have the ability within you to exert extenuat-
ing force that will allow you to overcome the strongest re- sistance. You are a potent in- dividual. You are mighty beyond measure. You have a very acute and keen insight about how things work. Using what you know will be paramount to creating a powerful day. Your profi- ciency coupled with tenacity and fortitude will allow you to accomplish great things in life. Not only will you have a powerful day but a powerful and successful life. The choice is yours.
However, if you choose to live a powerless life, you will be ineffective, inept and un- able to perform. You will be
defeated in your mind and defeated in life. Powerless people are destitute, inca- pable and paralyzed by life circumstances. You cannot let this be you. You must slap yourself back into reality and grab hold to the power you possess down on the inside of you.
I am speaking to you from the depths of my soul. You have the power. Recognize it. Use it. Hold on to it. The choice is yours. Now go have a powerful day.
Stay connected to Selphenia for more tips, tools and strategies for your success. Follow her on Social Media: Facebook: Selphe- nia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Insta- gram: @selphenia; Twit- ter: @queenofsuccess1
Call: (813) 603-0088 to request Selphenia to speak, MC or train at your next event.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A
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