Friday, November 28, 2008

NWSF Bullet: Are Black Youth Walking Billboards ?

Back in the day, Run from Run DMC once rapped:

"Calvin Klein's no friend of mine. Don't want nobody's name on my behind."

That was before Hip Hop sold out to the great powers of commercialism.

Now, a lot of kids are just walking billboards for multi billion dollar corporations.

Go to any mall and you will see high priced jackets advertising every thing from Mountain Dew to Home Depot.

Now, I must admit some of the clothes are kind of fly (from a Hip Hop standpoint).

But paying top dollar to wear a big Home Depot jacket ?

Maybe Tool man Tim from Home Improvement...But Tyrone from tha hood?

That is one of the problems with black culture. We come up with the freshest styles then someone else comes along, packages it and then sells it back to us at 1000 % profit. And our children become walking commercials without even knowing it.

What if black teens started designing their own clothing and selling it to their peers.

Maybe that's one way to put the drug dealers out of business.

If only more of our youth thought like that.

But some do.

Last night, I asked my college freshman nephew what he had chosen for a major.

He said without a moment of hesitation.

"Business and Entrepreneurism"

Maybe, there is hope for this generation, after all...