Harlem has its say on the BBC
I happened to stumble upon a video from the highly controversial BBC radio program “World Have Your Say” broadcast from Sylvia’s restaurant in Harlem last week. After reading the comments on UF and viewing the highly charged video clip, it is clear that Harlemites are on one side or the other concerning the issue of a rapidly changing neighborhood. The program was moderated by the New York based rap artist NYOil [myspace].
Watch: BBC Have Your Say
Related: BBC Comes to Harlem
D. Bell
narmer
Justin
josephrileyland
Staff
to the original poster
your ignorance is overwhelming. There were college professors, authors, community activist, National spokespersons, two city councilmen from both Queen (Leroy Comrie) and also one from Brooklyn, Clergy and black press as well as people representing the displaced harlemites and people who have actually lost homes.
so who u would have spoken too with more credibility is a mystery to me..
but wait .. therein lies the point.. YOU wouldn’t have spoke to anyone.. cause the begining and end of your intellectualism begins and ends at posting on blogs.
Talk is cheap.. next time u say something back it up with some solutions or actions.. or with some evidence .. otherwise shut up and play your lane, we are all tired of hearing from armchair revolutionaries and politicians. If u thought u could have done better, Show and Prove
Showing is to state it .. and proving makes it valid
oh and the Fab 5 freddy refrence.. if that’s how I came off.. then it is an honor.. Freddy is a wonderful business man and a pioneer in hip hop culture and pop culture. So thank you.
NYOIL
Agreed, a screaming match, or maybe just a lot of concerned citizens trying to have their say.
Personally, I think this was a good cross section of Harlem, though the most affluent and most desperate where missing.
From my experience, most Harlemites are not all Ivy League, although some are. Similarly, most Harlemites are not all ignorant substance abusing petty criminals, although some are. One speaker introduced herself as professor, no mention of Ivy League connections, however I guess she would not be shy of saying so. Most speakers where articulate and gave their points clearly while sometimes failing to address the questions, and some had some really interesting opinions.
Remember, this is the BBC and not Jerry Springer, they are some of the worlds best journalists and definitely did not set this up to be a freak show, if anything they tried to calm things down and not encourage mayhem although they did raise some controversial subjects.
This was a good opportunity for Harlemites to have their say to the world, also a good opportunity for the world to see how Harlemites see the world around them.
I knew this would be a joke, it looks like a joke, I cut it off 1 minute into the video. The show opens with a 2007 version of Fab Five Freddy? Then immediately we get the shouting & screaming match? Click, turned it off.
The first minute of this show had all the earmarkings of a Black version of Jerry Springer and only affirms to BBC listeners a perception of Black Harlem.
If I have a dinner party it will be attended by Black Harlemites, all well educated with great careers, quite civil and able to have a constructive conversation on the pivotal issues.
The problem with that is it won’t play into the stereotype hence it’s no fun for media. When media comes to Harlem and does “man on the street” interviews and the like, they don’t want the Ivy League Black person (of which there are a ton), they want the most uneducated N—— they can find, preferably with nappy hair and a bad attitude.