Black Women

Russell Simmons, Harriet Tubman, and the Continued Degradation of Black Women

Posted on by in Black Women, Controversy, Def Jam, Harriet Tubman, Parody, Russell Simmons.

Harriet Tubman is considered an American hero freeing hundreds of black folks from the horrors of slavery during her time. Last month a video was released that desecrated her legacy and made her appear anything but heroic.

The video was the creation of Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital company which released the parody and subsequently has had some serious questions to answer. First, a little back story on Russell Simmons. This is a man who is considered one of the original hip-hop moguls (he co-founded the record label Def Jam), a man who launched the clothing line Phat Farm and a man who used his own name to promote the ‘Rush Card.’

So Russell has been in the music/media/entertainment industry for awhile now. Online video has exploded in recent years and Russell has decided to put his hat in the ring. This was not the way to make a first impression however.

In the video we see Harriet Tubman using her sexuality as a way to trick her master into freeing more slaves. We also see a slave hiding in a closet with a crude video camera recording the encounter. The slave then jumps out of the closet in sort of a gotcha moment and pledges to use the video evidence against master as some sort of blackmail. Yup.

//www.youtube.com/get_player

Needless to say, people were pissed. And rightfully so. Simmons had to personally apologize to the family of Harriet Tubman and later issued a public apology through this video. What’s even more concerning, is the fact that Russell Simmons claimed that he didn’t know the video was offensive until his friends from the NAACP gave him a call telling him the damage he had done.

An even more disturbing fact is that this video (along with a host of other media outlets) devalues the contributions that black women have made throughout our society. Whether it’s marriage articles, or personal net worth, or out of wedlock births, it appears as if black women have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to media representation these last few years. To see this lack of sensitivity and disrespect shown to a historical icon by a fellow person of color is disheartening to say the least. What this parody video says is either Russell Simmons did not know enough about the significance of Harriet Tubman to see the pain this video would cause, or simply didn’t care enough about her legacy in the first place. Either way, Harriet Tubman deserves better than this.

Scandalously Addicting

Posted on by in Black Women, Crisis, Drama, Kerry Washington, Scandal, Shonda Rhimes.

Kerry Washington is bringing style and substance in a new ABC drama that’s redefining the faces we see on television.

In her new hit TV show “Scandal,” Washington plays lawyer/crisis management strategist Olivia Pope. Pope is inspired by the real-life career of Washington insider Judy Smith. Smith played a key role in providing feedback and guidance for the Shonda Rhimes led series.

From the first few episodes I’ve seen so far, “Scandal” comes off as sharp, slick and leaving the viewer wanting more. You really feel like your one of the “gladiators in suits,” as the show takes you through an unfolding crisis as Pope and her team work to prevent it from becoming a full blown public relations nightmare.

What is also interesting about this show is that black women are at the front and center of it. The creator is a black woman, the lead actress is a black woman, and the show’s inspiration comes from a black woman. In fact, Washington is the first black women to star in a drama on network television in more than 30 years. Considering the fact that we’ve had an African-American First Lady for the last three years, it seems about time that women of color get more leading roles on TV.