The Don Imus mess

Donna Marie here. Just had to put in my 2 cents on this Imus (or I-missed, as Coach Powell says) issue.

Commercialized gangsta hip hop was the worst thing that could have ever happened to race relations in this country. Why? Because commercialized gangsta hip hop has given racist whites a new language to express ugly, old beliefs about African American people. As we all know, words have power.

This morning I drove my teen daughter and her friend to school. With all the social chaos that Coach and I report, it's easy to forget that kids are still kids, and that they're beautiful. Wearing jeans and gym shoes, hair up in ponytails, backpacks stuffed with books and notebooks, the girls got out of the car, said bye to me, waved to friends, and went to their first class of the day.

I can also imagine the young ladies on Rutgers' basketball team in similar scenes -- rushing to class, studying for tests, hanging out with friends -- in addition to their demanding training and play schedule. You've got to be pretty disciplined to play ball and keep up with classes.

These are the 'nappy headed hos' Imus referred to. These athletes, my girls, all of our girls.

No one deserves to be called ugly names, especially the women of Rutgers. I assume these young athletes are NOT turning tricks or smoking crack. They didn't deserve to be called that. For God's sake, they're in college, getting an education, playing a sport they love. Why condemn them for that? Even when they're doing right, in America's eyes, they're wrong.

The banter between Imus and his executive producer wasn't funny. It was cruel, and it was part of a pattern of racist attacks against black people on this show.

Thank you, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Coach Powell. As a woman, I appreciate your strong, uncompromising stand against Imus and MSNBC (which has no diversity in its programming). I appreciated it so much when Rev. Jackson said, "Sure, we'll accept Imus' apology -- and his resignation." MEN need to speak out on behalf of these young women -- all of our girls.

Coach Powell told me this morning that a rapper came out in support of Imus last night. Figures. He said Imus was only making a joke. 2 fools thinking alike.

I talk to my daughter and her friends (to the point of their fatigue) about commercialized gangsta rappers and their women-hating messages. Unfortunately, our children have been so inundated and desensitized by 'bitch this' and 'ho that' in rap music, they often don't realize that they've just been verbally slapped and abused. There may be no physical scars, but time will tell about the emotional damage inflicted on our children and young people by artists who look just like them.

Indeed, Hip Hop Hypocrisy reports many studies that have uncovered the mental, social, emotional, academic, sexual, and spiritual/moral damage done to our youth, girls and boys, in large measure by the culture of commercialized gangsta hip hop.

I appreciate that popular radio host Tom Joyner at least asked the question: "Is there a difference between the degrading remarks made by radio host Don Imus and those of popular rap artists with misogynist lyrics?" Most of the respondents believe there is a difference. I guess I'm in the minority. I don't want our girls called bitches or hos by anybody -- their next door neighbor, their favorite gangsta rapper, or Don Imus.

It's easy to cry out against Imus and his ilk, but let's not stop there. Any gangsta rapper who calls women names is just as bad as Imus. Let's stop giving these guys a pass because they're black. Wrong is wrong, no matter what color.

I challenge young African American women, and all others of goodwill, to radically revolt against this hostile music that gives racists even more ammunition. You don't have to carry signs and march (although feel free if you're so moved). Don't support music that lyrically abuses you in any way. Your self-esteem is at stake.

Don't buy the lyrical abusers' CDs, don't buy their gear, don't go to these guys' concerts, don't watch their videos, don't memorize the lyrics to their songs, and don't dance to their tunes.

The Imus mess has revealed a disturbing connection between white male psychology and commercialized gangsta hip hop. Black gangstas and white men in bed. Strange bedfellows. We may have thought the tv commercials with the white guy jerking his head to a gangsta rap tune amusing, but Imus showed us that there's something sinister lurking behind that image. It's not funny at all.