It’s long been a Hollywood trope to take something White and then make a ghetto black version of it. Whenever one goes to Wikipedia and clicks on the names of the people behind it, a pattern emerges about their background. It’s part of that Every Single Time phenomenon. The latest is Disney’s new version of Cinderella from Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum. I can understand why some blacks find it exasperating.
I agree with those who contend that they’d be better served by a culture which produces more dignified representations of themselves. However, it appears they’re so far past the brink that the days of Booker T. Washington are never coming back. We’re all familiar with rap music, but it should be noted that their forays into mediums considered to be more refined aren’t going much better.
What really caught my eye is a bid to build NYC’s largest skyscraper, which would be named Affirmation Tower. The article I read would’ve made a good skit for Chappelle’s Show.
Here’s a synopsis:
- Designed by an African
- Top floor twice the size of the bottom floor
- Meant to look like a giant Afro comb
- Facade meant to resemble endless combs
- Built by black-owned companies
- 3.5 billion in financing by black-owned companies
If you think this sounds implausible:
New York state indicated it would consider “diversity practices” when selecting a site winner. Mr. Peebles has a history of using construction projects to create economic opportunities for women and minorities, which he calls “Affirmative Development.” He has trademarked the term.
It takes a special creativity to substitute “action” with “development”, one which must continue to be nurtured by trademarks, racial preferences, and free money if we ever hope to rival the architectural feats of Africa. I’m possessed of a morbid variety that pictures this thing snapped off at the base while the top lies in the Hudson River as the country smolders. I guess that’s why I’ve never received any racial preferences or subsidies.
The practical side of me suspects this isn’t going to happen because when I took a look at the other companies making bids on the site, I realized that certain people would profit much better by building their own damn skyscraper rather than allowing a steel and glass minstrel show.
I’m proud to officially announce my candidacy for the office of Dogcatcher.
