From The Chicago Sun-Times…
Gangsta rap tops heroes on Wal-Mart black history shelf
Documentary on military left off prominent promotion
By Cheryl V. Jackson, Staff Reporter
Vietnam veteran Ronald Price considers himself snubbed by Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. rejected for inclusion in its Black History Month displays “For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots,” a four-hour documentary in which a Who’s Who of Hollywood is enlisted to document the history of blacks in the military.
What did make it to the prominent displays at the world’s largest retailer? “Thug Angel—Tupac Shakur,” a documentary of the slain rapper; the strip club-set flick “The Players Club,” and Dave Chappelle’s sketch comedy series “Chappelle’s Show—Season 2 Uncensored” were among 50 titles approved for the special promotion in entertainment sections.
“I think it was a slap in our face, as far as being war veterans,” said Price, an African-American South Holland resident. “I would never buy anything out of Wal-Mart anymore.”
That Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart, found filmmaker Frank Martin’s project less worthy of the promotion than several of the special orders baffled Martin, who spent 10 years on the project (ForLoveOfLiberty.org). He got Halle Berry to host, Avery Brooks to narrate, and the likes of Ossie Davis, John Travolta, Danny Glover, Walter Cronkite and Angela Bassett to provide dramatic readings.
“To not include that but to include the gangster rap things just seems crazy to me,” he said. “It just defies logic.
“At a time when we need to influence young people with positive things, why would they not carry this amazing story?”
The retailer decides what titles make the promotion based on release dates, price and popularity, said chain spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien.
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