It's Hard playing a Broken Record....Especially when it's the same ol' Tune

I have a hard time accepting the fact that I have been beating the same drum (or playing the same record) as it relates to the dearth of Black multi-faceted imagery in the public landscape for what seems like a lifetime. I have to give many thanks to Mr. Starks (my co-host for the upcoming Afronerd Radio project) for bringing to my attention a recent NY Times piece that showcases the new blipster subculture that is allegedly all the rage. If you haven't guessed, a blipster is a portmanteau of "black" and "hipster"-how ironic. A blipster is that rare person of color that debunks the commonly held b-boy stereotype by dressing in close fitting attire and listening to rock music. What's next, discovering an articulate Black person that reads comic books? In some ways the article is insulting but it does present a dilemma-how does one highlight cultural genres without defining them? Or at the very least labeling the genre in question. I guess my main concern is how can this revelation translate into the public consciousness. I have written to Sirius radio imploring them to consider a Black alternative rock channel (conventional terrestrial radio is a joke) to no avail. We just can not escape the box that hip hop and ghetto culture has been positioned to put Black culture (in its entirety) in. And you just thought that the "black box" was for airplanes. Don't worry though.....I will not be deterred, as I will continue to fight for an expansive view for people of color-so speaks Afronerd. Check out the above interview of James Spooner, director for Afropunk (also mentioned in the Times article) a documentary about Blacks and punk culture. Also click on the links below for more on blipster culture.

NY Times-Truly Indie Fans


This Just In: NYT Discovers Black People Like Music Other Than Hip Hop