Yesterday was OU’s very own Black History Trivia game. I was excited a fun way to educate about the history of my ancestors. But I was met with some harsh realizations from this game show. That that was a poor excuse for trying to educate about Black History. Know I know that I am not the most involved so to speak and pro Black on campus but even this struck a cord with me.
Now some of the questions that were being asked were okay and by that I really mean OKAY. The actual questions about history were good. Asking about Jackie Robinson being the first African American baseball player. (Which is actually wrong, it was Moses Fleetwood Walker..look it up) To which law was passed after MLK jr was assassinated. Some of these questions were challenging to even my group of friends. While some of the actual questions on movies and television were subpar. I was expecting and wanting a little bit more and my wishes weren’t met. Yeah lets all get the Sidney Poitier and who is Red Foxx questions. When the questions get remedial in the sense of name the characters played by a certain actor. And they did not go that far back from what I saw. Even that was okay the biggest problem was the music category.
Music is a big part of Black History. There is so much on this part of our history that the game show could have been on just this alone. But when the name that song portion of this game is playing the likes of Soulja boy, BEP, Kanye West, Sean Kingston and the like I was truly appalled. Is this really Black History? What have they truly done that was historic to the greater good of Black people? Its okay I have time I will wait… Nothing that really comes to mind. Now before you think that I am bashing they did play some Dionne Warwick, The Temptations, Etta James. This actually made me proud but where was Frankie Beverly and Maze, George Clinton, James Brown. Would I be asking to much for this. I want some people who changed the way music was produced, made and experienced. Where were The Fugees.
I understand it was for fun but when did learning about our history really just become a game. We need to do better.
1 comment:
How sad IS it that we have to coerce our own people into digesting a diluted cocktail of their own history....WITH GAMES?!?!? We wonder why we seem so "aimless" as a people; wandering from generation to generation with no concept of who or who's we are. Deemed one of the most MUSICALLY INCLINED groups of people in the world and we can't even use THAT as an avenue for enlightenment.
...naw...we'd rather sit starin' at a wall...in the DARK...bobbin' empty heads to EMPTY music (if you can even CALL it that).
I'm tired of listening to the world guffawing at our backs...
....and SO glad someone else is tired WITH me.
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