Essay 547

The Sunday Edition of a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Russell Simmons (pictured above) launched the Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment on Saturday. LL Cool J, Nas, Alicia Keys and their financial advisors presented wisdom to over 1,000 current and wannabe rap stars. “It’s time that we do something to educate our kids [about financial responsibility],” Nas said. “We’ve got to think about our future, think about tomorrow.” Hey, rappers need to establish Wall Street cred too.

• Royal Caribbean announced its first-quarter profits sunk 37 percent versus a year ago. The company blamed the drop on high fuel costs and lower ticket revenue. Heaven forbid it should have anything to do with their corny advertising. And the cruise line is probably nervous about potential backlash from the upcoming Poseidon movie.

• Crispin Porter + Bogusky recently displayed its faith in new client Haggar Clothing Co. by buying an equity stake in the company. Ad icon David Ogilvy always bragged that he supported his Sears client by faithfully wearing their suits. Wonder if the stylish Alex Bogusky will start sporting Haggar slacks.

• An episode of UPN sitcom “All of Us” may not air in Chicago because a character uses the N-Word. Reports imply the show actually launches into a healthy discussion about the word, but Chicago station officials are taking the cautious approach by potentially censoring its broadcast (other stations nationwide have not halted its airing). Will Smith directed the show, also serving as executive producer with his wife. The episode may run in Chicago at a different time, but we’ll have to wait for officials to give the UPN-Word.

• The Chicago Tribune reported on growing divisions among Blacks over the issues of immigration. “Let me tell you what the mind-set of the African-American is when they see those [pro-immigration] marches: ‘They are here to replace us,’” one Black community activist said. “We’ve got to be careful because I don’t want to see an eruption between the Blacks and the Browns over the immigration issue.” Other groups, including Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH, back efforts like the upcoming May 1 pro-immigration march. Much of the disagreement is rooted in jobs. A recent Pew Hispanic Center survey showed 41 percent of Black respondents in Chicago lost out on a job because of illegal immigrants, while only 15 percent of White, non-Hispanics made such a claim. “What hit me was the vehemence, the anger, the passion, the hostility,” one political analyst said. “In the mainstream civil rights leadership, [legalization] is seen as an issue of fairness, of economic justice, of anti-discrimination. The average Black person doesn’t see it that way.”