From: mjcarpen@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Michael J. Carpenter)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: Gang related Public Service Announcement
Date: 16 Aug 92 15:52:18 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <92228.220215U32431@uicvm.uic.edu> U32431@uicvm.uic.edu writes:
>Well, it has not been aired here in the Chicago market yet.  of course, it has
>received a good deal of attention in the local media because of the extent to w
>hich it is perceives as controversial.  Yes, Evanston is where this is taking p
>lace, but it is difficult for me to understand how it can only be aired in Evan
>ston - there are no tv stations in Evanston.  There might be some local access
>channel which serves only Evanston, it is not likely seen by very many people.
> After all, how many people watch cable access tv?   But, on to what's happenin
>g... There was a community meeting of sorts in Evanston where a largly African-
>American audience confronted city council types (I believe).  The nexus of the
>debate was as previously characterized; those in the community believing the PS
>A painted all African-American younge men in a negative light, and those believ
>ing that gang activity and violence is such a danger to young African-American
>brothers such that some action must be taken.  One African-American sister invo
>lved in developing the PSA indicated she had a teenage son.
>Evanston is a rather affulent near north burb of Chicago.  Northwestern Univers
>ity is located there.  It is considered rather liberal and progressive; those o
>f us in the city actually respect Evanston as far as burbs go.  It ain't Shumbu
>rg.  I know that's Chicago speak, but Shumburg is a metaphor here for all that
>is vacuous and anti-urban.  Evanston does not have a gang problem akin to the S
>outh Side or the West Side of Chicago, yet, Evanston is not immune to the probl
>em as it has been creeping up there.
>Oh, BTW, the PSA is being revised somewhat.  The nature of those revisions is
>not yet clear.

Ummm... I realize that there is a general raising of consciousness, or perhaps
a demand which calls for Black folx to speak out against the insipid trademarks
of prejudice and racism in the here and now. I also realize that some will 
suggest that the other men in the ad also depict animals, White animals to 
be precise, and the ad in and of itself sends no less the same message of
White men  than it does of Black men; but, the catch here is that the 
metaphor in the commercial is one of many that this society accepts, only
supporting a consistent stereotype which many folx will find themselves 
subconscously agreeing with, in the least. 

At the same time, I would tend to emphasize facing up to certain realities
concerning gang activity: it's devastating to Black people, it kills Black
people, it insures that youths involved in gang activity will lose these
youths in a hopeless struggle. Whether it be five persons or 10,000 persons,
the people die because no one gives a shit. Now, I have to ask whether those
liberals up in Evanston who are complaining about the PSA are hard pressed
to decide whether taking offence to the PSA takes precedence over the CONTENT
of the PSA. I am certainly hard pressed to know on absolute terms which 
should be the the more pressing issue: educating the youth and giving them
the hope they deserve (trying to find ways to get them away from the gang
activity), or worrying about the stereotype the PSA encourages. From the
sounds of the messages so far, the critics have opted for the latter.

On a final note, check out folx such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions,
Paris, Sister Souljah, etc. The rappers seem  to be more quick to call a
drug dealer/gang member/etc a disgrace to a race without skipping a heartbeat.
And, if those folx up in Evanston are flipping over that PSA, perhaps they
might want to spin some of these artists to really get their blood bioling.
What's up w/Evanston?

Mc