As soon as one of us takes two steps forward, all it takes is a jackass to bring us four steps back. The recent controversy surrounding rapper T-Pain’s new cartoon, Freaknik: The Musical, has sparked all new outrage.  It features young black male youth inspired to obtain a “lifetime supply of money, clothes, and hoes” by entering a rap contest at the revival of Freaknik, an Atlanta-based “festival” that was started in the ‘80’s, but was thankfully shut down by city officials in the ‘90’s.  What began as an annual college spring break gathering, eventually fostered an environment for black stereotypes to break through -  black men don’t respect black women (groping and “taking turns” with women) and black women are promiscuous (sitting naked in cars with windows down and stripping on top of cars).  The cartoon depicts black women as mere objects, showcasing big butts and half exposed breasts sliding down stripper poles, all the while referring to them as “b•••••• and hoes.”  One of the young black males on the show aspires to live with his mother for the rest of his life, while another has to get high on marijuana before he even begins to start a day’s work.  Sure, it’s a cartoon, but the activities that go on in this show aren’t simply for laughs.

The cartoon belittles those whom efforts have contributed greatly to our society- Oprah, Bill Cosby, Al Sharpton, and yes, Jessie Jackson by using them as the opposing force against the revival of Freaknik.  It even goes as far as using President Obama as a puppet in this clown show by having him renounce his presidency and pass it on for the revival of Freaknik.

I’m taking this one personally.  Why are we the only race of people that consistently and constantly degrade our women and men?  So many black men continue to disrespect black women- no other race blatantly does this.  In rap videos, in lyrics, in nightclubs- it has become part of the culture to treat women any way a man so chooses.  Even if you think a woman places herself in a position to be disrespected, it doesn’t mean that she deserves to be disrespected by you or anyone else for that matter.  We disrespect our black men by not aspiring to seek higher education. We disrespect our black youth because so many of them think that the only way to make it out of a life of poverty is through rapping or athletics.  We disrespect ourselves by constantly calling each other “nigga.”  Why do we continue to do this to ourselves?  Many of us have gotten the clue, but many of us have not.

We cannot afford to pick on ourselves any longer.  We’ve already had to endure enough battles, enough pain, and enough embarrassment for us to continue to act this way.  We are doing this to ourselves.  I think this speaks to a larger point that as a whole, we’ve given up on the dream.  With these actions, you T-Pain, your writers, and the many others like you are spitting in the faces of Dr. King, the many who preceded him, and the many who have succeeded him.  These actions are making those efforts in vain.  The countless, nameless people before us did not endure endless beatings, attacks by dogs and firehoses, threats on their lives, and fear for their children’s safety for you to spit in their faces with your embarrassing cartoon.

I would even be willing to go as far as to take this cartoon as overt satire, only if T-Pain himself didn’t already fulfill the stereotype:  a mouth full of gold teeth, walking around with a pimp cup, overvaluing material possessions, bragging about the size of his rims, and demeaning women.  The sad thing is, T-Pain is probably a good father who takes care of his family, however, that’s not the image he portrays.

With the spotlight that God has given T-Pain and the many like him, please portray the positive image that I’m sure your children see in you.  Let us see it.  Will the real black man in you please stand up.