...media sources line their own pockets while placing a film of despair over a beautiful city, over my beautiful city. I stumbled upon the video above on a friend's Facebook page. While it was released about three months ago I just couldn't shake the conversation between the radio hosts of the Breakfast Club and G-Herbo. I am a diehard for the city of Chicago. I love the diversity of this land. I love the harsh reality of it too. If it weren't for the unique climate of these city limits, some of the nuances that I adore about the people from this land wouldn't exist. So, when the opportunity arises to tap into a Chicagoan shedding light to non-natives I always tune in.
I have my opinions but I before I start with my thought I want to say how much I appreciate Herbo making the hosts realize the harshness of adapting to survive in our community. For too many, the choice of gangs and guns is seen as a voluntary decision instead as a choice of belonging and survival. I am glad that the rapper was articulate enough to discuss the heavy topic that is Chicago in a way that didn't immediately come off negative. While I'm glad that Herbo took the opportunity and that the conversation was had, hearing him talk has reiterated to ME the lack of understanding that WE have about our situation. I started ATS because I truly felt that the media never portrayed my city correctly. There was this dark cloud that news outlets like to cast, when all I saw was a city of brilliance. The work we did to highlight positivity in the city was a fulfillment of my hopes of shining the spotlight in the right direction. Mainstream media has latched on to the Chicago narrative for YEARS. The scary thing about the way the media has portrayed my city is that WE have taken it to be our reality. The violence in Chicago is real. It is as pulsing as any inner city story. But, it is also pimped out my the media without end. It is used by President Trump to belittle the African American reality. It is exasperated by the news when other stories can't be created. Chicagoans have taken the idea that we live in a war zone and allowed it to box us in. When we except the views of outsiders who benefit off our story, we start to think that our city is this horror zone; We start to see ourselves as vigilantes and refugees. And THAT causes us to lose hope, to lose the sparkle in our eye and the focus on the reality. Instead of opening our eyes to FEDERAL LEGISLATION that makes it easy for some of the local problems that persist here, Chicagoans think that our problems are our own. Instead of demanding news outlets cover the literal THOUSANDS of organization, we benefit companies with our ratings as they cover the murder count every weekend. Herbo mentioned the difference in community and youth engagement in his story, noting a decrease in options to go elsewhere. I resent his statements that the youth have no where to go because I know too many people dedicating their lives to this fight. I have watched too many organizations claw for government dollars to benefit the land. I have heard too many stories of people who, like Herbo said, were given choices to survive and they chose the OPPOSITE of what the media portrays. I have also watched many of those people pack up and not return. Do you know how many people who work in the media in New York are from Chicago? The Breakfast Club could have spoken to any of those natives. I found the questioning strange. If they truly were interested I'm sure they could have gotten a consensus without taking up Herbo's press time. No shade to the Breakfast Club, but they spoke to Herbo because perpetuating the idea of nonstop violence in Chicago sells. Sitting in a circle having a "genuine" conversation about violence in Chicago is enticing both to audiences and to ratings, but how does that benefit my city? i wish I could pass out pamphlets and buttons, post signs and posters, with one statement for all media outlets to see. That sign would simply say, "If you aren't benefiting us, don't talk about us." I can only imagine the change that would happen if every radio conversation, every article, every news segment that spoke on Chicago violence benefited the city. It could be done either through discussing an org that works to combat our issues or highlighting ways alternatives are presented everyday. Instead, media sources line their own pockets while placing a film of despair over a beautiful city, over my beautiful city.
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