This morning, I skimmed through an article on 'The Grio'
(http://www.thegrio.com/entertainment/shonda-rhimes-scandal-presents-blueprint-for-survival-of-blacks-on-network-tv.php) that questioned: "Does Scandal succeed precisely because we never have to deal with Pope's blackness?"
Scandal is a TV show on ABC that's loosely based on the life of the Washington, D.C. insider and crisis management expert Judy Smith, played by Kerry Washington. Washington's character is Olivia Pope the "fixer" when it comes to high profile crisis situations that almost always involve some kind of scandal - think Monica Lewinsky. Rhimes, the creator of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice also on ABC is the creator of Scandal. Pssst...BTW, Washington and Rhimes are black women.
But does that matter?
As inquisitive as the writer, Kia Miakka Natisse point may seem, why does a show's success have anything to do with some one's race? From Cosby to Scandal, shows succeed because they are good. I don't think we ever dealt with Bill Cosby's 'blackness'.
Natisse's question makes me wonder why she brought it up. What about Pope's blackness do we need to deal with? Should the other characters on the show suddenly turn to Pope and ask, "How are you dealing with being a black woman handling all these scandalous issues?" or "Can I add my expertise to make things less black-- ahem, I mean better ?" It's just as silly as other black leaders questioning whether President Obama was black enough (http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-215_162-20063860.html). Shall the writer's pose that question to Washington's character in season two? Or make sure that she shows her birth certificate to add to the 'drama' of the show? These kinds of articles suggest that black (and blacks for that matter) women handle things differently because we're black. I handle things as a human being who has compassion, intellect, and decency.
In fact, one of the comments to Natisse's rhetorical question came from Kayla Anderson:
You're right Kia Miakka Natisse. They should address her "blackness" whatever
that means. They should have her point out that she's not a regular human being
because she's black and then she can break out and sing "I'm Blackity Blackity
Black Y'all" and in case that doesn't work she can tell people to kiss her
"black" whatever when things go wrong. She can manufacture drama about her hair
and follow every stereotype in the book that exists about black people because
no one would assume that she's black by looking at her. She has to make sure
that she lets people know by making an announcement about it and explaining how
hard it is to be black because that's what "blackness" is right. I'll now go
back to reading "How to be black in such a way that you will make all the black
people happy that you're not somehow hiding your blackness despite the fact that
people look at you and assume you're black." Thank you for reassuring me that
racialism is a wonderful thing.
What does Natisse mean by 'blackness'?
She has the right to approach an article the way she wants to because she is the writer. But, the real question we need to answer is: Why are we doing this to ourselves, people? It's not just that article in particular or one's like it, but it's comments by black people that make black people uncomfortable and remind us in an ugly way that we're black. An example I mentioned above was the one by Cornel West, Princeton professor who question the president's 'blackness'. We should remind ourselves in a beautiful way that we're black. Everyone else does.
I'm not a psychologist, but I think it has to do with a lack of self-acceptance. We all struggle with it, but we have to find a way to treat it and learn how to love ourselves. One way of doing this might be to accept success. Shonda and Kerry certainly have.
What do you think?
