Harry Belafonte's Antics Got Oprah Thinking She Dodged a Bullet

Kulture Kritic has a post on Harry Belafonte's comments that Beyonce and Jay-Z are emblamatic of the modern day black celebrity who doesn't do enough to speak out for the cause of poor blacks - i.e. the people who buy their albums and bolster their success.

 

I'll just add the caveat that I respect Belafonte's long and storied career but sometimes I feel like he just says random shit out his mouth. 

It's like how I felt about Rev. Al before he got all guzzied up by MSNBC.

But on this one Belafonte's right.  I just believe his target could've been more accurate.  I like Bey and Jay.  I'm not a stan for either but they make good music.  They're a cute couple and they make a cute baby.  But they are both risk adverse celebrities.  They ain't doing shit to mess up their brand(s).  I do LOVE Solange.  She's more counter culture than her sister and has the freedom to be so.  But that's another topic.

Neither Beyonce or Jay-Z completed college and both decided to forego higher education for other aspirations.  Honestly, while Queen Bee and Jay probably know a ton about hustle, fashion and the music industry I just don't see geo-politics being a large part of their daily discussions.  It's just not their world. (I remember how I went crazy when Jay-Z said leave Iraq alone in Punjabi MC - but I aint heard a peep since then.)  This doesn't let them off the hook but it does re-direct the focus to other celebrities who should - and do- know better.

I point you to none other than the holy grail. Miss Oprah.  Yes Oprah. A college educated - former journalist who is philanthropic but says very little about socio-economic conditions and the politics behind oppression.  Home girl plays it safe.  And frankly she can't even booty shake like Beyonce.

Oprah makes her money off of talking to audiences - period.  If speaking up for the plight of the world's disenfranchised was a requirement for a famous black celebrity - she would be the first place I'd look.  And please don't tell me she endorsed Obama.  I love Barack but he's risk adverse too.  Birds--feather-- flocking together.

And while I might dream of a day when Bey speaks to the fact that multi-national corporations need to do more for the countries they strip resrouces from or for Jay-Z to speak out against pay day lending in black communities I'm not holding my breath.  And frankly I don't think it's their intellectual comfort zone.

Miss Winfrey though...  Well girlfriend can't sing, dance or freestyle.  I mean the least she could do is raise awareness.

*Note Beyonce has responded with a list of her philanthropic activities.  *Sighs* Charity is not the same as political activism and I guess that's exactly what Belafonte was saying.