The NAACP, self-consciousness, and the Image Awards (op-ed)
Sprite had an ad campaign, its slogan: Image is nothing, obey your thirst, a refreshing and rehabilitating slogan for an image conscious society that once made black America self-conscious of image.
Remnants of this self-consciousness exist in the acronym NAACP. (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Its founders, in 1909, chose the term colored instead of the common term Negro, colored was more respectable.
One founder, W.E.B. Dubois, was concerned about what he termed double consciousness. He wrote the Negro, “Feels his two-ness--An American; a Negro…two warring ideals…the history of the Negro is this strife…to merge his double self into a better and truer self.” This merger was just as important to the founders as overturning separate but equal laws.
It’s no coincidence the NAACP’s first nationwide protest was against D.W. Griffith’s silent film The Birth of a Nation, a film that glamorized the Klu Klux Klan and portrayed black men as incompetent fiends after white women. Their attempt to ban the film was unsuccessful. But for the NAACP image wasn’t nothing, it was an obstacle to overcome.
Let’s fast-forward.
In 1966 pressure from the NAACP led CBS to remove the stereotypical TV series Amos & Andy, and in 1967 the NAACP created their Image Award (Since I can’t find the 1967 original statement of purpose I’ll presume it was self explanatory.) to promote images opposite Amos & Andy. And in between The Birth of a Nation and Amos & Andy the common term changed from Negro to colored to black.
Let’s skip a decade.
In 1988 Jesse Jackson held a news conference. He urged Americans to use the term African American instead of black. Jackson remarked, “Black tells you about skin color.” He said, “[African American] puts us in our proper historical context.” and, “Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some land base. African Americans have hit that level of cultural maturity.”
Cultural maturity? Was Jackson suggesting the merger of double consciousness was complete creating a community no longer self-conscious of image?
That same year The Cosby Show, the most popular show in America, won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding comedy series. The Cosby Show presented a successful African American family. But there were black critics that denounced the show as unrealistic (the family was upper middle class) and felt the show allowed whites to think racism and poverty were no longer an issue. Let’s make the criticism clear. The image The Cosby Show portrayed was too positive and would give white people the wrong impression!
Let’s leap forward again.
In 2004 singer R. Kelly was nominated for an NAACP Image Award while he faced child pornography charges. Critics of the NAACP chastised their decision. They claimed R. Kelly didn’t fit the image of the award. The NAACP’s president Kweisi Mfume defended their choice. But Mfume didn’t say R. Kelly was a previous Image Award winner, and he’s innocent until proven guilty. No. Mfume said, “It is not R. Kelly that is being nominated, it’s the album.” Mfume might as well of said, “Image is nothing; obey your taste in music.”
Later that year Bill Cosby gave “The pound cake” speech at the NAACP’s 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Cosby basically said the African American community had their own culture of poverty to blame for their plight. This time Cosby was criticized for “airing black dirty laundry” in public. Let’s make the criticism clear again. The man whose positive TV show was scrutinized for being unrealistic was now being chastised for a realistic portrayal of the African American community to whites.
That year did Jesse Jackson still believe his statement that African American’s hit that level of cultural maturity?
Now in 2015, 100 years after the NAACP protested The Birth of a Nation; the NAACP Image Award went to a show called Black-ish. The show’s premise: A successful black family in an affluent white neighborhood. The father feels his attainment of the American dream might cost his children their cultural heritage. So he must remind them. But if art reflects reality there are two questions. Will the children become culturally mature or will they become self-conscious of image? But if it’s the latter is this millennial double consciousness?
First published in the New Pittsburgh Courier 2/18/15
Remnants of this self-consciousness exist in the acronym NAACP. (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Its founders, in 1909, chose the term colored instead of the common term Negro, colored was more respectable.
One founder, W.E.B. Dubois, was concerned about what he termed double consciousness. He wrote the Negro, “Feels his two-ness--An American; a Negro…two warring ideals…the history of the Negro is this strife…to merge his double self into a better and truer self.” This merger was just as important to the founders as overturning separate but equal laws.
It’s no coincidence the NAACP’s first nationwide protest was against D.W. Griffith’s silent film The Birth of a Nation, a film that glamorized the Klu Klux Klan and portrayed black men as incompetent fiends after white women. Their attempt to ban the film was unsuccessful. But for the NAACP image wasn’t nothing, it was an obstacle to overcome.
Let’s fast-forward.
In 1966 pressure from the NAACP led CBS to remove the stereotypical TV series Amos & Andy, and in 1967 the NAACP created their Image Award (Since I can’t find the 1967 original statement of purpose I’ll presume it was self explanatory.) to promote images opposite Amos & Andy. And in between The Birth of a Nation and Amos & Andy the common term changed from Negro to colored to black.
Let’s skip a decade.
In 1988 Jesse Jackson held a news conference. He urged Americans to use the term African American instead of black. Jackson remarked, “Black tells you about skin color.” He said, “[African American] puts us in our proper historical context.” and, “Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some land base. African Americans have hit that level of cultural maturity.”
Cultural maturity? Was Jackson suggesting the merger of double consciousness was complete creating a community no longer self-conscious of image?
That same year The Cosby Show, the most popular show in America, won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding comedy series. The Cosby Show presented a successful African American family. But there were black critics that denounced the show as unrealistic (the family was upper middle class) and felt the show allowed whites to think racism and poverty were no longer an issue. Let’s make the criticism clear. The image The Cosby Show portrayed was too positive and would give white people the wrong impression!
Let’s leap forward again.
In 2004 singer R. Kelly was nominated for an NAACP Image Award while he faced child pornography charges. Critics of the NAACP chastised their decision. They claimed R. Kelly didn’t fit the image of the award. The NAACP’s president Kweisi Mfume defended their choice. But Mfume didn’t say R. Kelly was a previous Image Award winner, and he’s innocent until proven guilty. No. Mfume said, “It is not R. Kelly that is being nominated, it’s the album.” Mfume might as well of said, “Image is nothing; obey your taste in music.”
Later that year Bill Cosby gave “The pound cake” speech at the NAACP’s 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Cosby basically said the African American community had their own culture of poverty to blame for their plight. This time Cosby was criticized for “airing black dirty laundry” in public. Let’s make the criticism clear again. The man whose positive TV show was scrutinized for being unrealistic was now being chastised for a realistic portrayal of the African American community to whites.
That year did Jesse Jackson still believe his statement that African American’s hit that level of cultural maturity?
Now in 2015, 100 years after the NAACP protested The Birth of a Nation; the NAACP Image Award went to a show called Black-ish. The show’s premise: A successful black family in an affluent white neighborhood. The father feels his attainment of the American dream might cost his children their cultural heritage. So he must remind them. But if art reflects reality there are two questions. Will the children become culturally mature or will they become self-conscious of image? But if it’s the latter is this millennial double consciousness?
First published in the New Pittsburgh Courier 2/18/15
I have enjoyed reading your columns in the new Pittsburgh Courier as they are well research and intellectually stimulating. You give a fresh insight to many timely topics. One column in particular "The NAACP, self consciousness, and the Image Awards" had me wonder if you are familiar with John H.. McWhorter, a linquist who, too, has discussed the ramifications of how we identify ourselves. What is the purpose or importance of a label. Please continue giving us your great insights. I am look forward to your next topic.
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