First it was “inner city.” Then it was “urban.” Now it seems that the code for young blacks is “hip hop.” Or at least that’s the way I see it. When the Granby Theater in Norfolk was shut down for a shooting there, it was blamed on the “hip hop” crowd. One of the promises made as a condition for it to reopen was that it would not book hip hop acts.
Earlier this week, the Virginian Pilot ran a story about a Virginia Beach martini bar that was allowed to have an ABC license as long as the owner agreed to not provide hip hop as entertainment, along with several other conditions. From reading through the comments, it appears that the proprietor of the establishment is black.
In both cases, the discussion was about it being a “public safety issue.”
Does this not play directly into the stereotypes? Further, does it not play into the whole culture of fear of young blacks, particularly young black males?
I’m not seeing a whole lot of difference between the racism demonstrated by such restrictions and the ban on allowing blacks to sit at lunch counters. It’s discrimination, pure and simple. And it’s wrong.
Further, I have to wonder if the restrictions placed on these venues would have been done had the proprietors been white.
Overt racism – at least for me – is much easier to deal with. But it is this subtle form that is more insidious.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
AEM – now you are starting to sound just like Jack, the one person who I have ever banned from this blog. Don’t make me go and look up the IPs.
The last time I checked, discrimination on the basis of race was illegal. Discrimination on the basis of proxies for race is also illegal. And the government, which issues ABC licenses, is bound by the First Amendment. It can’t discriminate against a particular type of speech, or music, for that matter, based on the content of that speech, or music. That’s really all there is to this, as the City Attorney correctly recognized.
Why was he banned?
OK, Vivian, since we have decided that hip-hop does not equal Black, it’s not racial discrimination anymore.
Look at the stats people. At this moment at the Juvenile Detention Home there are more white kids than black.
Anyone who has ever attended a civic league meeting has heard how scared the citizens are of those “people” who hang out on the corners at night…oddly a lot of those people are kids who do what kids have always done which is hang out on corners checking out the other kids.
I’m glad the city attorney is checking this…although it probably didn’t happen without his knowledge in the first place…just something to think about.
Vivian,
You still didn’t answer my question. Are you denying that the “hip-hop”, “innercity”, “urban” culture promotes violence, drugs, etc. By your ill-informed logic it seems that it is the rich “milk toast” that is the problem. Just because you saw some white dude with his pants down doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem with the “hiphop” crowd. So the shooting at the Granby Theatre was just a coincendence. Please, you need to stop blaming other people for this problem. I am very disappointed that you don’t think this is a problem
In the context in which you are using them, ie hip hop=inner city = urban = black, yes, I’m denying that the culture promotes violence, drugs, etc. Show me some stats that say that the culture “promotes” those things.
And, show me where I’m blaming anybody. You are the one who brought any mention of blame into this conversation.
rlewis, are you white? If so, why are you promoting serial killers? I ask simply because serial killers are, as a rule, white. Why haven’t you done anything to address this culture of sociopathic slaughter by scaling back on your classic rock consumption, your khaki pants and polo shirts? I’m tired of having to cross the street everytime I see a white man muttering into his cell phone, wondering if he’s going to watch me outside my home for a few days until he’s familiar with my daily patterns, invade my house in the middle of the night, butcher me with an axe and consume some or all of my flesh or otherwise wear my skin like a suit, returning a few weeks later after the police have left to masturbate in the bushes behind my patio near the scene of the crime.
And will you please knock it off with the pederasty? I’m not accusing you personally of sodomizing a 10 year old girl, you understand, but that’s definitely a “white problem,” more-prevalent among heterosexuals. Heterosexual white females are more likely to molest a child than homosexual males of any ethnicity. Which makes me wonder, what the hell is your deal? Cut it the hell out already with the Louis Vuitton bags and the Kenny G! Why must you persist in promoting this culture of sexual predation? I’m incredibly disappointed in you that you apparently don’t see this as a problem.
See how crazy I sound? You’re right there with me, buddy.
So maybe the point is that we need to judge people, if at all, by their own merits, and not by their skin color, or ethnicity, or music, or clothing. We can associate with whoever we want, but that’s very, very different than the government withholding or granting a benefit to its citizens based on these personal attributes, personal matters, and personal styles. And if rlewis and Mouse just don’t get that, maybe they need to find Clairese Lippincott and start their own blog, dedicated to the perpetuation of stereotypes and intolerance.
This seems to be promoting violence.
How about this one?
Just go read some lyrics of the favorites.
Granted, classic rock does promote drug use — and drugs were very common at rock concerts. (I remember The Who at the Hampton Coliseum….) If violence is particularly common when hip-hop is played, is it unreasonable for the city to restrict such performances?
The question is, does the First Amendment protect speech inciting or glorifying violence. It is a tough question, but I think hip-hop is, or should be, protected speech. It should be established, however, that if violence does break out at the club in question, it will be shut down. This may get the proprietor to hire extra security when such acts are playing.
anonymous and vivian,
its obvious you two are in denial, if you don’t believe that the hiphop culture promotes violence, drugs, etc. Have you listened to the lyrics!
Vivian, In my opinion, you are placing blame by questioning whether this would have happened if the owners were white.
Anonymous, please your example of the serial killer stinks, how many serial killers have there been? How much crime is there in the inner cities and urban areas?
So if I were to ask the two of you if you think that there is a crime, violence, drug, gun problem with black males in inner or urban areas, it sounds like you would say NO! or you might say Yes, but it is not there problem and the music they listen to has no effect or influence. Please, give me a break! Why is it hard to admit there may be a problem? I’m sorry, I will apologize know for the “milk toast” and “whitey” being the cause of black on black crime.
Please don’t expect me to defend hip hop. Not my music, at all. I agree that the themes and language are sometimes violent and offensive. But the government can’t decide what kind of music people listen to. It can’t grant or withhold a benefit like a liquor license on the basis of the content of free speech.
If you disagree with hip hop, the answer is to say so, loud and clear. When enough people agree with you, a better style of music will take its place. That won’t, and shouldn’t, happen because of government disapproval or regulation.
rlewis – you equated hip hop with black. So when you say that the black culture promotes violence and drugs, then you are wrong.
Questioning is not the same as placing blame. Try a dictionary. Or a thesaurus. The two words are not synonymous.
Vivian, without saying this or that causes violence, what would you list as POSSIBLE reasons that crime rates are different between different ethnic groups?
Culture, economic status, education level, environment (urban/suburban/rural), ….
Can you think of others?
I have been reading the responses to this post and find them somewhat disturbing. It seems to me that we are dealing with something that is contrary to the backbone of our nation, freedom. We don’t have different laws and rules for each separate group of people in this country.
When we have a problem we need to correct it, not by banging each other over the head, but by doing something positive. Like, my rights are protected if your rights are protected. Not to attack others because they are different (it doesn’t mean that they are bad people) because to them we might be different (doesn’t mean that we are bad people).
Seems to me, over many years of watching folk, that when you tell someone that they are bad long enough they will be bad.
We are really in trouble when we begin judging others by the way they wear their hair, what clothes they wear, what music they listen to, where they live, who their parents are, what church they visit, what vehicle they drive (and we might get to the point of what color it is), and etc., etc. Then us “good” become them “bad” in our society.
I personally don’t like “jacked-up SUV’s” but I’m not supporting a law to prevent them driving on our streets. Debating issues is good, attacking others isn’t. Let us all work together for a better society for everyone.