A classic example of how deeply the NFL protests have divided our nation and morphed into this battle between rich, white conservative corporation heads trying to suppress and control social messages expressed by people of color whose talents drive the revenue for those white-owned companies, is the censorship job that ABC execs have done on an episode of Black-ish that focuses on the Colin Kaepernick protests.
Black-ish has been lauded for its fearlessness in discussing contemporary issues and hot topics involving race and society in America. It seemed as if the show was really breaking ground and giving Black folks a true, unfiltered voice in this country.
However, the Kaepernick controversy which has caused so much debate and evoked emotion in everyone from our President to the average citizen, is a topic ABC bosses refuse to tackle.
shonda rhimes on Twitter
Wow. “Black-ish Episode About Kneeling Athletes Will Never Be Aired” https://t.co/VocQoxRxDf
It seems as if white, corporate America is sticking together on blackballing even the mere mention of Colin Kaepernick’s name. Keeping him out of the NFL is obviously not enough punishment for the trouble this one black man has caused an entire oppressive corporate structure.
In February, the network announced that a new episode, scheduled for the 27th of the month, would be replaced with a rerun from earlier in the series. The original episode was never aired, and now never will be, according to a new report that says ABC and the shows creator, Kenya Barris, had creative differences about the episode that couldnt be resolved.
Given that ABC’s parent company, Disney, also owns the ESPN, and partners with the NFL, it is pretty easy to believe that the network was likely trying to curb the possibility of animosity from football fans.
Fans of the show weren’t happy.
Tananarive Due on Twitter
U.S. racial progress in a nutshell: -The U.N. says we deserve reparations but -We still can’t talk about black athletes kneeling on a network comedy Like, WUT? #blackish
Vanityfair.com says the episode, titled Please, Baby, Please, was shot in November and directed by showrunner Barris. On the night of a big thunderstorm that keeps the whole family awake, Anthony Andersons Dre cares for their infant son Devante who refuses to stop crying and go back to sleep. After reading the child a bedtime story doesnt work, Dre decides to make up one of his own that touches on multiple political and social issues as well as Dres concerns about the state of the country. One scene features Dre and his eldest son Junior (Marcus Scribner) arguing over whether or not athletes should be allowed to kneel before games, la Colin Kaepernick.These tricky subjects, it seems, proved too tricky for ABC and Barris to reconcile.
LEFT on Twitter
Blackish has covered everything from, “Trump’s election, the N-word, postpartum depression, and police brutality,” but when the show, DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, tried to tackle athletes taking a knee as a form of protest, ABC/Disney SHUT THE EPISODE DOWN. https://t.co/1WJtWHOrML
An ABC spokesman justified the companys decision to withhold the Kaepernick episode.
One of the things that has always made Black-ish so special is how it deftly examines delicate social issues in a way that simultaneously entertains and educates, an ABC spokesperson told Variety on Friday. However, on this episode there were creative differences we were unable to resolve.
Two seasons after Colin Kaepernick sparked a Conscious Player’s Movement and forced the country to focus on racial issues, social injustice and police brutality, he continues to inspire a generation of athletes of all ages to kneel in protest of everything thats wrong in this country.
The powers that be are still trying to silence his message and control the narrative in hopes that people of color will climb into a hole, close their ears and eyes and continue to exist in a country that has serious social, political and economic flaws that needs to be addressed.
