The Rise of the Black Spokesperson
Representing and Sometimes, Fronting
2010-07-15
By VeTalle Fusilier
If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything- Malcolm X, Peter Marshall, and Alexander Hamilton
So, what does our blackness stand for in 2010? Perhaps more or less the same thing as last year, but “Black” continues to find new interpretations in our country, our imaginations. While black men have always been kinda whispered sexy, kinda “never go back” sexy, always sexy to ourselves, now we are commercially sexy. Denzel brought us to the promised land like Moses, with Tyson Beckford, Will Smith, Terence Howard keeping the flame burning. But us selling Old Spice? C’mon Son, that was more than we could have hoped for that day at the Lincoln Memorial. We’ve come a long, long way since Rastus on the Cream of Wheat box.
Ladies, should your man smell like a black guy? You tell me. Truth be known, Old Spice has re-vamped its products, with “Swagger” as one of its new body wash scents, and already had a buff black dude (Terry Crews) hawking how its body wash killed odors. But still, casting Isaiah Mustafa as the eloquent, shirtless, Ubermale sure got a lot of attention. And to quote Gym Class Heroes, ‘all press is good press, kid”. So dude has landed a deal with NBC. And our attractiveness goes on. Jennifer Hudson now walking like a model, cut like a bottle and speaking for Weight Watchers, and Queen Latifah, being beautiful, commanded respect as the face for Cover Girl cosmetics. So we can bring sexy back anytime, in any eye, to any product. And they run these ads in Southern states?
On a more serious note, we have Clair Huxtable/Phylicia Rashad advocating for research/resource support for the Diabetes Association, and lest I forget, this dude who symbolized change running the country right now. And even on the other side of the partisan fence, they’ve got their own brother, repping for his set.
Michael Steele
We’ve seen Steele the Homey and Steele the tea party apologist. Which version of black do you endorse, which do you indict?
But what happens when you are called up - being black and all - to front for some pretty slimy stuff? Now we’ve seen BP put up a YouTube channel with the sister in charge of the community counseling and assistance, and the brother from the gulf who pledges his sustained effort until things are good down there. He got a call from his boss and asked to take on that role. Many of us have been there: The Official Black. Not to indict his sincerity, I believe he cares. But the BP choice? Bulletproof. Now that’s pimpin’. I would have loved to have heard that cell phone call.
BP Claims Manager from La.
We must be always be mindful of our images, our selves. And mindful of our heritage of heartfelt standing up for what we believe in.
Being a spokesperson takes on all forms. The recently deceased Bishop Walter Hawkins - rest his soul - and the Edwin Hawkins Singers, spoke for all of us once and captured the joy of salvation, singing for our souls and inspiring every ear, Christian and non-Christian with the sheer exuberance of “Oh Happy Day”. We all went to church wherever we heard the song. The potential for forgiveness, our sins being washed away in 1969 was a beautiful thing, cause after the ruckus and riots of 1968 we all needed some funky and happy church. Standing for what we believe was, and still is, so powerfully inspirational.
Edwin Hawkins
