(Todd A. Smith)
Black people know what discrimination, bigotry and racism feel like.
We know what it feels like to be the most qualified and most overlooked at work.
The Black community has experience dealing with bigoted comments and stereotypes while on the job.
Therefore, Black people should know not to subject other people to the same treatment when we are in a place of power.
Kay Wicker of The Grio reported, “Nas’ record label, Mass Appeal, has just settled a lawsuit brought by a former White employee who alleges she faced racial discrimination during her tenure at the company.
“On Friday, June 13, Mass Appeal settled with Melissa Cooper, the company’s former head of development, outside of court and filed a joint motion with Cooper to dismiss the case, entirely, Billboard reported.
“While the initial lawsuit did not individually name Nas, Cooper did sue the company’s CEO, Peter Bittenbender, and Mass Appeal’s former content chief, Jenya Meggs.”
Wicker added, “In 2023, Cooper sued Mass Appeal, alleging that during her tenure from April 2021 to June 2023, she was met with a ‘racist conspiracy.’ Cooper claims Meggs, who is Black, didn’t hold back in expressing her disdain for a ‘White woman working in hip-hop’ and would regularly disparage her in meetings and refuse to work with her…
“After she was fired, a former romantic partner of Meggs showed Cooper text messages between Meggs and a documentarian producer that contained further ‘racist’ insults toward Cooper, including calling her a ‘cracker’ and complaints about ‘White folks,’ the Hollywood Reporter reported at the time. When Cooper brought the messages to the attention of Bittenbender, she claims he just shrugged it off.”
Many Black people say that Black people cannot be racist because we do not have any power.
Some say Black people can only be bigoted because racism is systemic, and White people are in control of the system.
I often say that Black people have the same potential to be racist as White people because, in many cases, we do have the power.
And with power comes the opportunity to abuse power, which could lead to discrimination against non-Black people, as it did in the case of Mass Appeal.
If Black people can discriminate against non-Black people, we are just as wrong as the White racists we often complain about.
Imagine if the roles were reversed and Meggs worked in the country music scene in Nashville, Tenn.
Sure, Black people were instrumental in the creation of country and western music, even though many see it as a White genre.
However, other groups, like Puerto Ricans, played a key role in shaping hip-hop, and they are often seen as outsiders or culture vultures.
And many people still see hip-hop as a totally Black creation.
Nevertheless, picture Meggs working for RCA Nashville.
Imagine a White employee constantly criticizing Meggs for being a Black woman trying to have input on country music.
That reality shouldn’t be hard to understand because many Black women, like Linda Martell, have faced discrimination trying to join the Grand Ole Opry.
Recently, Beyoncé caught criticism from country music fans for not being genuinely country, even though she was raised in Texas.
Picture a White employee at RCA Nashville sending racist text messages to a romantic partner or friend, calling Meggs the N-word or other racial slurs.
Country music star Morgan Wallen faced vitriol from the Black community for using the N-word.
Therefore, the same fate would probably fall on an employee of a country music label for using the same hate speech.
If the shoe were on the other foot, Black Twitter would erupt in outrage, and rightfully so.
A lawsuit would ensue.
Furthermore, there would be major consequences because every Black leader in the country would demand termination.
And who could blame them?
I often say that I do not care if a White person is racist or bigoted if it does not stop the progress of Black people.
For example, I could not care less if random White people like Black people because I might not like that White person anyway.
I do not even like all Black people and couldn’t care less if all Black people like me.
Just do not stand in my way of peace and progress.
If a random Black person dislikes all White people, I think they are just as ignorant as a White person who thinks negatively of all Black people.
Just do not stand in the way of their peace and progress.
Unfortunately, Meggs’ ignorance and hate stood in the way of Cooper’s career in hip-hop because Meggs did not believe hip-hop was a space for White women.
Just like Black people, a White person’s place is wherever they want it to be.
And if they are qualified for the job and love hip-hop, they should be welcomed with open arms.
If Black rappers can make money off White consumers, then White people should have the opportunity to earn a seat at the table, especially if their love for the culture is pure.
Unfortunately, we live in a time when many White people think they are systemically oppressed when they are not.
If all positions of power are not reserved for conservative, Christian White men, then they see themselves as victims of reverse racism.
White people have never been systemically discriminated against in any country or time.
However, this does not mean that White individuals cannot face discrimination from Black or Brown people.
Black people know what discrimination feels like firsthand.
And we should not want anyone else to feel what we have felt.
