AFRICANGLOBE – When I was a child, I remember vividly how I would run home from school or run home from the playground so that I would be at the house when “The Amos and Andy Show” would come on television.
As a youth, I thought that show was so funny! But as I grew older, I began to look at the show differently.
I discovered that the characters plotted against each other, schemed on each other, tricked each other and, above all, they constantly talked about each other.
Today, just like on the “Amos and Andy Show,’’ some Black people love to talk about each other. The difference is that when Amos had something to say about Andy, he said it to his face.
Smiley and West
Tavis Smiley and Cornell West have become notorious for attacking President Barack Obama and I have said some things, not as much, about the President too.
But there is a difference. News reports indicate that Smiley and West may be critical of Obama because they were not invited to a White House reception. I do not give a damn about being invited to the White House, to your house or to the crack house.
Buckwheat Returns
Now, let’s look at another TV character, Buckwheat! We have some modern-day Buckwheats running around too. Let me explain.
Buckwheat was a Black character on “Our Gang,” a TV show about a group of kids that hung around together.
Even though Buckwheat was Black, all of the White kids in the “gang” loved Buckwheat because they could depend on Buckwheat to do what Spanky and Alphafa told him to do.
Modern-day Buckwheats are invited to everything symbolic that goes on at the White House, all of the receptions, all of the parties, all of the concerts and any other meeting where nothing serious about Black or African progress will be discussed.
False Promises
In 2013, Amos and Andy have come in contact with Buckwheat. One of the modern-day versions talks too much and the other doesn’t stand up or speak out enough. The main things the old and new have in common is that they all are actors.
The earlier versions were television actors and today’s versions are acting like they care about us when in reality they only care about themselves.
By: Lucius Gantt
Mr. Gantt’s latest book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing
