Frankly, I wouldn't have expected to hear this from Al Sharpton, so instead of applauding him, let me give him a standing ovation.
Many potential young black leaders fall under the spell of the "gangster mentality" and are preventing themselves from making a positive impact in politics, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Thursday.…Sharpton, who is considering another run for president, faulted Hollywood and the record industry for making "gangsterism" seem cool and acceptable.
"We have got to get out of this gangster mentality, acting as if gangsterism and blackness are synonymous," he said. "I think that challenge has to be given to Hollywood and the record industry. I think we've allowed a whole generation of young people to feel that if they're focused, they're not black enough. If they speak well and act well, they're acting white, and there's nothing more racist than that."
Wow. Well said.
Posted by: Brian | August 19, 2006 at 03:01 PM