BET, are you listening?
By Rozena Henderson-
Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Opinion
In 1979, Robert L. Johnson saw the need for a television channel that catered to the black community in a way that no other channel at the time was willing to do. Black Entertainment Television (BET) was the result.
As BET gained momentum over the years, it transformed from a station that showcased the music other stations wouldn't into a viable forum for black thought. It featured such shows as For the Record, a show involving the Congressional Black Caucus; Teen Summit, a show discussing topics pertaining to the younger crowd; and On Stage, which aired plays written and performed by blacks.
As the years progressed, it seemed that Black Entertainment Television had nowhere to go but up with such ground-breaking programming as BET Nightly News and The Cousin Jeff Chronicles, which reported the news most relevant to blacks. Unfortunately the high did not last. In 2000 Johnson sold the network to Viacom Inc., marking the end of an era. Although now headed by a black woman, Debra L. Lee, BET still has to answer to its new "parent."
After going nowhere but up, BET seems to be settling quickly to the bottom. Slowly this network has become a heap of reruns, never-ending music videos and black stereotypes. Teen Summit quickly turned into College Hill, a terrible and degrading example of black American college life. While mentioning College Hill, I would also like to mention the horrible illustration of black educational practices it presents.
I'm sure people in America and now other countries are wondering if black students really act like that when so many in the world are struggling to get an education.
You hardly ever see them go to class. The most you ever see is them fighting or having sex with each other or getting drunk. The creators of this show had a chance to present positive examples of black college life, but instead they chose to take the Real World approach. Instead of trying to be like MTV, they should have used this broadcast to encourage black youths to go to college.
As BET gained momentum over the years, it transformed from a station that showcased the music other stations wouldn't into a viable forum for black thought. It featured such shows as For the Record, a show involving the Congressional Black Caucus; Teen Summit, a show discussing topics pertaining to the younger crowd; and On Stage, which aired plays written and performed by blacks.
As the years progressed, it seemed that Black Entertainment Television had nowhere to go but up with such ground-breaking programming as BET Nightly News and The Cousin Jeff Chronicles, which reported the news most relevant to blacks. Unfortunately the high did not last. In 2000 Johnson sold the network to Viacom Inc., marking the end of an era. Although now headed by a black woman, Debra L. Lee, BET still has to answer to its new "parent."
After going nowhere but up, BET seems to be settling quickly to the bottom. Slowly this network has become a heap of reruns, never-ending music videos and black stereotypes. Teen Summit quickly turned into College Hill, a terrible and degrading example of black American college life. While mentioning College Hill, I would also like to mention the horrible illustration of black educational practices it presents.
I'm sure people in America and now other countries are wondering if black students really act like that when so many in the world are struggling to get an education.
You hardly ever see them go to class. The most you ever see is them fighting or having sex with each other or getting drunk. The creators of this show had a chance to present positive examples of black college life, but instead they chose to take the Real World approach. Instead of trying to be like MTV, they should have used this broadcast to encourage black youths to go to college.
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