We are several months removed from the “Oscar’s So White”
controversy that dominated national discussion for a time. One of the most
notable aspects that came from the controversy was the eloquence and poise
displayed by host Chris Rock as he addressed the issue. He expertly ascertained
how the country had changed in such a way that allowed the African American
population to realize the discrimination taking place in the selection process
of the Oscars. The African American community has been fighting to gain basic
rights and only now do they have the breathing room to fight discrimination in
areas that were previously deemed unimportant.
As it turns out, Chris Rock was making spot-on social
commentary long before he expertly handled hosting the Oscars. Back in a 2014
interview with New York Magazine, Chris Rock discussed the issues surrounding
the Ferguson protests. As it turns out, the most insightful part of the
interview came when Rock began to break down the idea of “black progress.”
“When we talk about race
relations in America or racial progress, it's all nonsense. There are no race
relations. White people were crazy. Now they're not as crazy. To say that black
people have made progress would be to say they deserve what happened to them
before…”
According to Rock, the
current racial climate in America is a result of white people changing. Barack
Obama was not the first African American qualified enough to be elected
president. There have been countless individuals before Obama that possessed
the skills required to be president. This issue rested on the changing views of
the white electorate. In the words of Chris Rock, this generation comprises the
“nicest white people that America has ever produced.”
The genius of Rock’s
argument is how he has flipped the formula. Previous iterations of the
discussion on race relations have often taken the form of how the African
American community as a whole has changed. Rock has changed the narrative to
reflect the reality of the situation. The demographic of the country has
changed and now there are enough white people who have “shed their racist
beliefs” and there has been noticeable change because of it. African Americans
have always had the potential to make a positive contribution to society, but
only now have white people changed their beliefs and given them a chance. The
fight for racial equality is not over though. The African American community
still battles racial discrimination on a daily basis but little changes, like
those outlined by Rock, are steps in the right direction.
http://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/12/1/7313467/chris-rock-interview
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