It was a weekend of BET ‘assault’ on GhanaCelebrities.Com, we published about 4 strong articles this weekend—looking at the unending contempt BET annually subjects our African artistes and Africans as a whole to. And it seems someone on the BET high table has taken note of the ‘fierce’ conversation, so we have a reply, though not encouraging…
BET does not get it—and perhaps, folks like Lilian Blankson have not taken time to even consider the important blog posts, where many of us have in detail written on the problem we have with BET’s annual disrespects of African artistes.
In a series of tweet, Lilian Blankson who has been with BET since 2001 and currently holds the position-Director of Programming and Production at BET International, seems to sing the usual song; Africans should be proud that BET is doing us a favour by even making as part of the awards.
She tweeted; “Finally, let’s be a little humble. No one owes us anything. Like everything else, we have to work our way to the top so we can stay there.”
Let’s be humble and not ask for a good bargain when BET is doing business with us? She also tweeted that, BET wouldn’t suffer a thing if they take us out so we should just appreciate this and the needed change will gradually come.
This is like someone treating you with full contempt at work and saying, work hard and I will begin to respect you because if you leave, I don’t really care…
Of course, a person must work hard to earn a reputation, but there is always a floor of reputation where the conversation starts—-a decent default. Here, Africans are not even getting the minimum respect, something we could endure and hope for a change.
And when will this change she talks about come? Perhaps, in 100 years because, African-Americans are not all of a sudden going to start jumping around in great numbers to our music and their big radio stations won’t start playing our songs in noticeable numbers.
I will recommend Lilian Blankson to RE-read all the articles below, perhaps, she will make out our concerns this time—and I thought we’ve established that, in this conversation, the usage of ‘backstage’ by Fuse ODG and the others refer to off the main stage, even if pre-recorded or post-recorded.
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Anyway, read all Lilian Blankson to say below…
“BET will always signify Black Star Power… Africa, if we want to be featured prominently, we need to know the facts and be very practical.
First of all, tell the truth and stop tweeting lies and mistruths. There has never been a backstage presentation of any award. Pre recorded.
We need to work hard and get our music on the radio here in the US. How do ppl respect ur brand when u r not on the radio?
Make ur music more internationally appealing… Think of ways 2 get all audiences invested. Oliver Twist is a great example. Universal story.
Folks worked so so hard to provide a platform for Africa on the network. We won’t get there overnight. And misinformation won’t help.
BET domestic does not and has never aired African music so to have a category is a major deal. Let’s prove and show them our worth not anger.
The artists who have been honored – why haven’t you cleared the air and told the truth abt what happened! Why the silence???
Out of 19 categories, only 4 or 5 make air. This is standard in Award Shows. If the US artists are not outraged and complaining, why are we?
Performances sell Awards shows & make ratings, not the categories. Lets step up our game & get our music so big they can no longer ignore it.
If you choose to fly down and watch the show and not do press who exactly do you think is affected or missing out? Think about it.
Let’s try and keep our category and know the facts. It does nothing to the network to tale it away – but it sends us back several steps.
Finally, let’s be a little humble. No one owes us anything. Like everything else, we have to work our way to the top so we can stay there.
Nothing has ever come easy to us Africans. But anything worth having will not be a cake walk. Started from the bottom, but we here.”
“Nothing has ever come easy to us Africans. But anything worth having will not be a cake walk. Started from the bottom, but we here.”
At the end of it all, Lilian is saying, BET is not for Africans and also, BET does not really care about us—so we need to look at the treatment we get which is not about to change, and advise ourselves.
Should our super stars fly out there each for the same cake?
As I stated yesterday, “Let us not kid ourselves, BET is not a charity—it’s a business entity and the fact that they come to us annually with this African Act category means, they are either making profit from us today or have a well put together plans to make profit from us in the long run.
So it is up to us to bargain well and not allow ourselves to be subjected to this unending contempt. This is business for them, and it should mean the same or even more to us.
Let’s learn to speak out—and as our people say, if you don’t speak out about your own hair cut, you end up badly shaved.”
The dialogue is not sinking in, it’s time to be radical; BOYCOTT—because that is an acceptable democratic tool.
i always say give a black man money and power n he will kill his own brother… these black folks in america always crying for equal rights n justice but look at how they treating their fellow black people… i still dnt knw why our SLAVE brothers keep disrespecting us