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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks...simply put, are they off-limits to jokes, ridicule and other comments from the entertainment community?

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has asked that MGM remove the comments made about the two African-American icons from all future distributions of the film BARBERSHOP and so far MGM is saying no. This issue is quickly becoming a daily debate in our community with some understanding Rev. Jackson's view, some agreeing with the studio and others not really giving a damn. There are cornerstones of Jackson's argument and certainly there are some important issues when it comes to filmmakers ever having to censor their projects. The beauty of America is that we are a land of free speech so the filmmakers and MGM have every right to allow the character to say whatever as well as Rev. Jackson has a right to attack it. In defense of Rev. Jackson, we as a community should ALWAYS understand that we have a duty to hold back on certain things. Create what you want but every now and then, think deeply on the long term affects of what you write or what you show visually. Certainly, we don't hold back in music or in the videos that propel music into the national consciousness. The bottom line is that if African-Americans are to truly heal the wounds that have affected us and wrap our bodies in armor of valor and respect, then we must dig deeper than taking issue with a number one movie.

Certainly there are many poor people, unemployed, disenfranchised and the starving that will never ever see the film or can care less about it being number one. Their issue is our issue. How can we help one another grow as individuals, families and communities? We can criticize Rev. Jackson for some of his doings but we all know that he has always dedicated his life to helping us grow. Hey, "keep hope alive" means a lot to some people. Black or white.

Many of you have submitted comments and we will publish them next week. Please, tell us what you think about the issue. Dialogue and sharing our thoughts are major parts of the healing process that our community must begin. E-mail your thoughts to info@blackfilm.com.

Till next time,
the blackfilm.com crew

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