Some local black ministers, community leaders in the Fort Worth, Texas area took exception to comments made by D. L. Hughley on a recent Jay Leno late night show, referring to the Rutgers women basketball team as the ugliest nappy headed women he has ever seen. These community leaders launched a protest and rightfully so. However, Hughley response to this protest is as follows:
"I believe that freedom of speech is a zero-sum proposition. Too many times I have watched clowns like these pretend to speak for the masses. I can only speak for me. Isn't there a child you can help teach to read, a war to help stop, an unjustly accused man you can help out of jail? I will not apologize for telling a joke about the world as I see it."
Hughley’s point about freedom of speech is well taken and understood, however, the issue here is much larger than freedom of speech, one that has gone completely over D.L’s head. The rest of his comments relative to the questions he raise have merit as well, however, the irony in raising these questions demonstrates a pseudo concern on his part. The questions he raises are manifestations of why his so-called joke wasn’t funny at all.
No American minority group has been caricatured as often, in as many ways, as have blacks. These caricatures combined distorted physical descriptions and negative cultural and behavior stereotypes. The condition of the ladies hair as demonstrated on released pictures were well groomed young ladies, so is Hughley implying that the natural state of black women hair is something to joke and make fun of. It certainly appears that what’s being implied is that natural African hair is not beautiful, it's ugly.
Black psychiatrist Carl C. Bell, M.D. said “that ridicule of Black people's physical characteristics, history and culture, including ‘micro-insults’ is implicated in Blacks people's and white people's low esteem of Blacks. Why Some Black Children Are Still Choosing White Dolls Over Black Dolls The insistence that Blacks have ‘bad’ ‘nappy-headed’ hair while whites have ‘good’ hair plays a substantial role, as do other insults, in reducing Blacks people's self-esteem.” <p>
Black Americans are consciously contributing to an atmosphere and mentality that facilitates the systematic destruction of their own people both here in America and abroad. Comedians such as the likes of a Hughley have always had the green light to ridicule and insult simultaneously contributing to the systematic destruction of his own people. That green light has now changed to RED. Lets stop with all the buffoonery at the expense of the welfare and self-esteem of blacks everywhere.
It wasn’t funny when Don Imus did it and the stereotype buffoonery of D. L. Hughley as old and tired as it is, isn’t funny either. It’s been said that one should laugh at them self and not take themselves too seriously. Well lest not overlook the fact that the African American has always been ridiculed and laughed at and has never been taking seriously anyway. Nor have we taking ourselves seriously.
We have been a laughing stock long enough and need to start taking ourselves a little more seriously.
Kudos to the community of Fort Worth, Texas for taking D. L. Hughley to task. The self-esteem, pride, respect and honor of the African American should no longer be used as a doormat to ridicule and laughter.
