Is it racist to always root for the black people on a game show? Or to feel some type of relief when you find out that the guy who robbed a bank down the street wasn’t black? Or to hope that your daughter or son brings home a fine BROWN man or a beautiful CHOCOLATE princess?
This article is the first in a series I am calling, "That's Not Racist, Right? :The Art of Having Our Own Backs". In this series, I will cover everything from black people on game shows, having a black president, interracial dating and even OJ Simpson.
First up: Black people on Family Feud.
I always root for the black families to win on Family Feud. That's not racist, right?
Let me break it down for you:
Since the establishment of this country, the two main sources of support for black people have been God and other black people. Black people have always used their faith as means of endurance and strength whenever things got tough. Other black people have always been a reliable source of support for the black community because… they're black too and they understand the inherited struggles that come with pigmented skin. I think that the black community has mastered the art of having our own backs. I consider myself to be a “Pro-Black” cheerleader. I will support black people til the end (within reason, of course). I believe a majority, if not all, of the black community, is the same way. We always root for other black people to succeed because they are us and we are them.
I always root for the black people to win when I’m watching Family Feud or any other game show for two main reasons: One, because for so long, black people were rarely seen on game shows or any type of television for that matter, and two, I'm black. When I watch Family Feud on TV every weeknight at 7 o'clock, it takes me all of .025 seconds to look at both families and determine who I’m rooting for (I always root for the black family, assuming that there is one on that episode. If not, I root for whichever family gives the best answers, and if we’re lucky enough to get two black families, it’s automatically a win-win situation!) I cannot tell you how many times my family has crowded around the television hoping and praying that the black family comes up with the final answer to clear the board and wins the game. And when they do, the amount of celebration coming from our living room would make you think that we were the ones walking away with $20,000. Our unwavering support for the black families on Family Feud or any other game show (regardless of their performance) is not us rooting against non-black people, but us rooting for ourselves. We see ourselves in these people. We see their intelligence, their humor, and their style and we see in them our mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers and cousins. We see other black people having a chance to come out on top and we support them by yelling answers at the TV screen (even though they can't hear us) and celebrate when they bring home the victory. As far as I’m concerned, a victory for one black family is a victory for all.
That's not racist, right?
Do you guys think it's wrong to root for people to win because of their skin color?
Please comment below and let me know what you think and be sure to stay tuned for my article next week when I discuss crime and OJ Simpson!
