Essay 1390

Sorry news in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• It’s official. Michael Richards will meet with the four Black men who were on the receiving end of the infamous tirade (three depicted above with lawyer). Two of the men held a press conference at the Laugh Factory, insisting to be “very hurt by what happened.” The lead recipient wants to tell Richards “how his words made us feel.” A retired judge will preside over the summit, ultimately deciding if Richards owes reparations for his racist rant. Is Judge Joe Brown available?


• Officials in Tempe, Arizona, are issuing apologies for a program depicting a White cop instructing two Black men to rap in order to avoid a ticket. On the show, the cop told the men they wouldn’t receive a ticket for littering “if the two of you just do a little rap about — what do you want to do a rap about? Littering? About the dangers of littering.” A community leader protested, “It’s important for police officers to realize that Black people do not speak hip hop. … We’re not all rappers and thugs and gangbangers. We speak the English language and we’re entitled to the same amount of respect.” Then again, it is Tempe, Arizona.

• Brooklyn rapper Papoose released a rap in response to the controversial police shooting of a Black man in Queens. The song, which presents names and explicit details, debuted on New York hip-hop radio station Hot 97. Titled “50 Shots” in reference to the official number of bullets fired by cops, the tune is getting serious play online. Wonder how it’s doing in Tempe.

• A Town Council member in Herndon, Virginia, proposed printing all official documents in English-only to force Hispanics to learn the language. “The language of the Commonwealth is English,” said the council member. “All of our efforts should be toward encouraging people to learn English. This is an English-speaking country.” Herndon’s population is 40 percent Hispanic. Maybe this community representative needs to rethink his position and consider learning Spanish too.

• The Supreme Court will weigh in on a free speech case involving a student suspended for displaying a banner reading, “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” Hmmm, what controlled substance would Jesus do?