Datcher These are volatile times for Black Americans, but TV and film viewers around the world get not a hint of that. But this year, in need of an antidote, the American media machine has been pumping out images of sated, fun-loving black folk. Black people are being quietly eased into the world's living rooms as the ultimate public relations device.
Black people are now the stars in American rituals the world devours.
This year, Whoopi Goldberg hosted and Quincy Jones directed the Oscars program, among the most-watched events on earth. Ironically, the show came under intense attack from the black community because there was only one African American Oscar nominee. A hastily-planned move, led by Jesse Jackson, asked black celebrities to wear a ribbon in support of a boycott of the ceremonies. Given the size of the world-wide audience, the ribbons could have been an effective way to comment on Hollywood's racism and the destructive images of African Americans it has broadcast for decades. They knew that sending a message that all was not well during Hollywood's annual coronation could dismember their careers.