B.I.B.A

Do we as Black people “segregate” ourselves and is “segregation” always bad?

I’m not sure if many of you have seen the interesting video of Stacey Dash commenting on the lack of diversity at the Oscars. If you haven’t she stated that “We have to make up our minds, either we want segregation or integration and if we don’t want segregation then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET awards”. I COMPLETELY disagree with everything she said, I believe that niche channels are needed because a specific target audience isn’t being represented on television. From children/teenager channels, Asian channels, nearly every social group of people has a channel for them.

Which leads me to ask, can we say that niche channels like BET are an example of segregation? We can’t. The only reason channels like BET are set up is because Black individuals aren’t represented in the mainstream media and if we are, we see the same stereotypical story line all the time.

But the video made me ponder on segregation and whether or not I have been segregating myself. in society. Pretty much since secondary all my friends have been Black or ethnic. I’m not sure if it’s because I felt the need to cling on to people “like” me or because I wanted to be with people who shared the same traditions and values as me, or because it happened naturally. But I think it’s a hybrid of both. Also I think somewhere inside, I just saw it as easier to stick with people, who looked like me…

The idea of sticking to your own resonated with me as I came to university. Compared to the White people at my university, I have a very different uni experience to them. I’ve never been to a so called “white club”, I don’t have that many white friends and when I was in first year I barely went to any other societies other than the African and Caribbean Society. It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy doing any other things but I believe it’s because I want to be comfortable. Coming from one of the most ethnically diverse cities (London) to a university that is only 3% Black, it was a bit of an eye opener. to see so many White faces. So I think it was natural for me to “cling to my own”. However I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. I believe that it only becomes a bad thing when you don’t try to make effort with making friends outside your race.

I remember speaking to a White boy on this issue and him saying it’s OUR fault that we’re not included in society because we segregate ourselves. I then gave him the example of him going to an all Black university, with clubs that only favoured the Black population and he said he would make the effort to speak to everyone (easier said than done lol).

But in the same way that niche channels like BET are needed, societies like ACS are very much needed as we’re rarely represented within the larger student union. Club nights that cater to a Black majority are needed as we don’t have clubs that cater to wider audiences. Personally I believe the problem that might appear with “segregation” is when you ONLY stick with your ethnicity all the time. Because then you’’ start to create some sort of ethnic bubble and when that bubble is popped, it will become extremely uncomfortable for you which is something I found realised in my first year of university.

By not making effort to speak to White individuals, we generalise them. Not all white people are ignorant or even racist.

Also, we have to be realistic, we live in England. When we graduate, most of us won’t be working with a majority of ethnic people, so we need to learn how to still be ourselves without feeling uncomfortable. Which is why I’ve taken the steps to get out of my comfort zone and start to speak to people who I probably wouldn't of spoken to before and not just in terms or race.

SO, can I then say that by me only choosing to be with Black individuals and associating myself with societies related to my culture, is segregation? No, as I stated before it’s highly needed and necessary, however let’s be open to other cultures and not keep ourself within a bubble..

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Straight Outta Compton review.

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After months of much hype, finally Straight Outta Compton was released and I made sure that I was one of the first people to watch it. The trailer was gripping enough to persuade you to see the film but it didn't give you the full scope of what the film would entail, which made it more enjoyable to watch. Considering I had little knowledge of N.W.A prior to the film, the film gave a really good depiction of the history of the group, the struggles they faced and the socioeconomic problems faced in Compton at the time. This movie is combined with history, music and comedy and is a definite must see.

The film starts off in Compton, California where group member Eazy E is seen at a crack house which is soon raided by the police. It swiftly moves on to highlight Dr Dre's love for music and how that affected the relationship with his mother. Following from this we take a look at the life of Ice cube as he's writing, rap lyrics at the back of the school bus. What was very interesting about this scene is that it showed a glimpse of the power of the blood & crips at that time. What I like about the film is that you see different perspectives of the story through the eyes of Eazy E, Dr Dre and Ice cube. I really enjoyed the musical aspect of the film too and there was one line in N.W.A's songs that stuck with me. "They have the authority to kill a minority" (F*** the police). This film highlights that hip hop isn't glamorising a lifestyle, it's merely telling it's audience about the truths of living in the ghetto which may be why N.W.A's music was so popular with non-black people. N.W.A we're seen as radical which is focused on in the film.In one scene in the film Ice cube says "our art is a reflection of our reality" a lot of working class black people we're living in radical conditions and N.W.A were the first group to give the people a voice.

The timing of the film couldn't be more relevant. With all the police brutality that has occurred in the U.S.A in the last year, it was very surreal to watch the scenes in the film of police brutality because it emphasises that this is still happening today. It briefly touched on the Rodney King case (an American taxi driver who was brutally attacked by the police). After the verdict was found not guilty it led to the 1992 riots in L.A which lasted for four days. It was really fascinating how it mirrored the Fegurson riots...

One critique I will give the film is the representation and objectification of women in the film. I observed the women in the film and the relationship the men had with the women and I found that many of the women in the film were seen and not heard. However this could be and possibly is a reflection of how the women were treated. On top of this, the film used a large amount of lightskinned women to play the "groupies". A couple weeks before the film was released a picture surfaced the internet which revealed the N.W.A casting call for females. It ranked the Women from A-D, A being the more attractive and D the unattractive. It showed that the girls in the "A" and "B"category had to have great bodies, real hair, and be lightskin, etc. Whereas in the "C" to "D" category they wanted African American girls with "poor" bodies with medium to dark skin tone. Could it be the case that the group members were attracted only to light skin women or did they only see light skin women as only capable of playing those roles?

Nevertheless the film is still a must see (even though the violence is too much for my 19 year old eyes). It evokes a lot of emotions from Anger, to happiness, to sadness and it definitely takes you back to 1980/1990 California. So, If you haven't seen the film already..what are you waiting for?