Trying To Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!

By Professor Tracey, WAOD ContributorTonight, California Congresswoman Maxine Waters has been selected for a 2008 BET Honors Award. I will find her acceptance of the award highly contradictory and disturbing considering that preventing violence against women and girls is a part of her political platform. Additionally, she has also been highly critically of rap music and hip hop culture in the past. How can she possibly accept an award from a company like BET that promotes negative, sexist, and violent images of black women and girls?

People turn down awards all the time. For me, Congressman Waters is going against everything she stands for by accepting this award from BET. If you agree, let her know. Contact Congresswoman Waters at this link.

I am not just picking on Congresswoman Waters either, I am not particularly pleased with any of the other honorees either, particularly talk show host Tyra Banks, who claims to be so interested in improving the self-esteem and body image of women and girls, but will be cheesing tonight accepting an award from the channel that regularly challenges any positive feelings women and girls may have about themselves. And not to mention, Brother Cornell West, who earned at special blasting on my blog.

Protesting BET and going after their advertisers are extremely powerful and positive steps, but we must also challenge the people who talk out of both sides of their mouths, pretending to support women and girls, but take awards from companies like BET that do damage to women and girls and the entire black community!