'Melissa Harris-Perry Revisits Everything She Hates About The Help In Oscar Preview'

[onpatrol98]

15. So True!!!

"If HE is having a hard time telling the stories of black Americans, then it's a pretty damn safe bet that Ray Ray and Latanya down the block trying to do the same are having an even harder time."

So, true. And this is why, as black people I believe our power is better utilized funding Ray Ray and Latanya, directly.

Sometimes, I give Tyler Perry a little grief. But, again, I think this is indicative of my frustration with our limited options. Because a "Tyler Perry" is rare. We expect him to cover so much ground. He is...what he is. He's a creative man, writing about what interests him.

We need more black writers, more black directors, we need more black dollars going into productive projects. We need to be driving what takes place on the screen more.

Hollywood makes nonsense black movies for a reason. They get viewed. They make money. I think if we had more black women of means, we would see a different black America. Many, but not all, black movie stars and athletes, often get rich, foolish, and eventually broke...without making an active push to better the lives of black America by channeling funds into productive projects.

Some do...just not as many as I would like. And, it's because they have the right to get rich and live their lives as they please, just like any other group. But, if we can send money to send Obama to the White House. And, we did. It was beautiful. Then we can send money to send Ray Ray and Latanya to college, to secure publication of a novel, or to get a movie to the screen.

We have dollars that we are willing to dedicate, when we want to. Organizations like Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/) make it possible for Americans to loan money overseas. Maybe we need a way to help people here in a more targeted manner. It's a risk. But, at least it's a risk with a good purpose behind it.