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| One of many negative characterizations of Steve Harvey after he met with Donald Trump |
Sometimes celebrity-hood
can be a fickle and cruel beast. One day a celebrity can be loved by all and the next, hated by many. Take Comedian, talk show and Family Feud host, Steve Harvey.
After meeting and participating in a photo op with President Elect, Donald
Trump, he became the target of immediate condemnation. Charges range from labeling him a “sell-out” to dismissing him as an outright mediocre “coon.”
The latter is the
ultimate insult from black folk aimed at black folk. Think Supreme Court
Justice Clarence Thomas or Trump’s confidante and soon-to-be public engagement
officer, Omarosa Manigault. Harvey,
the most recent high-profile African American banished to “Coonville”
is understandably upset.
"A lot of y'all
hurt me. I didn't expect the backlash to be so fierce," Harvey told listeners of his radio program, the “Steve Harvey Morning Show.”
"A lot of y'all hurt me. I didn't expect the backlash to be so fierce..." Harvey said on his radio program
Before
I address the “backlash,” let me say this; Steve Harvey-putting it bluntly-is a grown-ass man who
has the right to meet with whomever he chooses. Yes, he met with a politician whose
stereotypical comments about black people and black neighborhoods has repulsed
millions. But that doesn’t justify the automatic revocation of the mythical “black
card” nor does it rationalize questioning his loyalties to black people.
That
said, Harvey did sort of set himself up for wide-spread criticism. He was the
one who emerged from the meeting gushing about Trump’s character and goals:
“I walked away feeling like I had just talked with a man who genuinely
want to make a difference in this area,” Harvey wrote on
Twitter. “I feel like something really great could come of this…I would sit
with him anytime.”
Harvey underestimated the level of distrust blacks have about Trump. The comedian
stood before media cameras detailing how, before they got to the crux of the
meeting, he and Trump talked about golf and the celebrities they know. Then he
explained how Trump got Ben Carson, his new secretary
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), on the
phone to talk about housing.
Surely, Harvey knew blacks would scrutinize a telephone meeting between a comedian
and a brain surgeon who both have no experience in public or affordable housing.
Harvey is no fool. He’s media savvy enough to know that Trump has been meeting
with a bunch of high-profile Negroes to offset the perception of racial
insensitivity.
Marc Lamont Hill,
the Morehouse College professor and frequent CNN commentator spoke to
this. Trump’s “outreach” meetings with black
celebrities and athletes, like Harvey, Kanye West, Jim Brown, and Ray Lewis, Hill
said on CNN, are "condescending" and "demeaning." The professor pulled no punches in defining black
celebrities as "a bunch of mediocre negroes being dragged in front of TV
as a photo op for Trump’s exploitative
campaign against black people.”
"...a bunch of mediocre negroes being dragged in front of TV as a photo op for Trump’s exploitative campaign against black people.-Marc Lamont Hill on CNN
Harvey’s
feelings are justifiably hurt. But it’s his own fault. He struck a conciliatory
tone with Trump at a time when his fans have no interest in reconciling with him based
on the stereotypical things he’s said about blacks and their neighborhoods. Harvey
spoke highly of Trump around the same time Trump was demeaning prolific civil
rights leader, Congressman John Lewis and the fifth district of Georgia he
serves.
Trump
suggested Lewis spend more time “fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible
shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely
complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or
results.”
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| "All talk and "no action" was the way Trump defined political icon John Lewis in a recent Twitter War |
Not only is it insultingly dismissive to describe an icon of the civil rights movement since the early 1960s as a no-action politician, it’s blazingly ignorant to define his whole district as “crime-invested” simply based on its black population. As writer, Jamiles Lartey, wrote in a the Guardian, Trump’s definition of Lewis’ district falls way short of reality:
Lartey
interviewed Nikema Williams, co-chair of Georgia’s Democratic party and Atlanta
resident: “Not only is it unreasonable to say – it’s false and a flat-out lie.
Atlanta is a booming city. People are moving here from all over the country,” Williams
said, adding, “It (Trump’s rhetoric) speaks to the disconnect he continues to
have with the black community. Any time you want to ask him about the
[community], he refers to the inner city. Not all black people live in the
inner city!”
Harvey
failed to address or bridge the disconnect between blacks and Trump. In
detailing his meeting, Harvey spoke of what Trump told him but gave no
indication of what he told Trump (other than their mutual love for golf and celebrities,
of course). It seems Harvey allowed Trump, the ultimate flim-flam man, to pull
him out of his lane. Harvey and Trump are both entrepreneurs. Harvey knows
influential black people. He knows where they live and what they’re doing to
help people of their hue. The comedian who once lived out of his car in his
early years knows a thing or two about struggle and opportunities afforded to
those with talent but no resources.
It seems Harvey allowed Trump, the ultimate flim-flam man, to pull him out of his lane.
Much
of the criticism would have been muted if Harvey spoke to his and Trump’s mutual
strengths and talents. Things would be different if he said something like: “Look
ya’ll, we discussed your concerns. We talked about the power of pulling
ourselves up by our own bootstraps and I’m going to do my best to recruit the
talents of those I know and seek the government and private resources to get
the job done.”
Still,
I’m giving Harvey the benefit of doubt. Maybe he was caught off guard when he visited
Trump Tower. He stated that Trump is open to his mentoring efforts across the country. He added that
he, Trump and Carson have just started their dialog and they will look for
programs and housing that help “our inner cities."
Harvey knows influential black people. He knows where they live and what they’re doing to help people of their hue.
On
his radio program, Harvey reminded his fans that he’s from “the
hood” and has a long history of doing his “part for years for boys and girls.”
That’s true. The mission of his charity founded by Harvey
and his wife, the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, is to provide outreach
to fatherless children and young adults. According to “Look to the Stars” a website that
provides information on celebrity giving, the Harvey’s foundation “promotes
educational enrichment, one-on-one mentoring and global service initiatives
that will cultivate the next generation of responsible leaders.”
So let’s try to be optimistic
for a moment. Harvey could be a part of historic change in the civil rights
movement. Let’s assume Trump is really interested in more than just “talk, talk, talk” and diversionary
photo ops with high-profile black people. Let’s
believe that Harvey will be prepared to talk about what he really knows the
next time (if there is a next time) he meets with Trump. Let’s imagine Harvey showing
up with a long list of celebrities with charities aimed at uplifting youth and minority
groups. Let’s imagine he’s accompanied by folk like John Legend (Show Me Campaign), Alicia Keys (Frum Tha Ground Up), Oprah Winfrey (Harpo Productions and Leadership Academy for Girls).
Let’s try to be optimistic for a moment. Harvey could be on to historic change in the civil rights movement.
Harvey could flip the script
and become a pioneer of black entrepreneurism in politics if he introduces
Trump to black entrepreneurs and philanthropists with social and economic
empowerment experience and real, substantive plans. Some participants could
include Eddie C. Brown (Brown Capital
Management), Robert F. Smith (Vista Equity Partners), Richard D. Parsons (Time
Warner; Citigroup) or Charles Phillips (Phillips
Charitable Foundation).
Harvey could become a pioneer of black entrepreneurism if he introduces Trump to black entrepreneurs and philanthropists with social and economic empowerment experiences and substantive plans.
Harvey deserves a
little slack. I remember a day back in
the 1980s when two, fresh-faced St. Louis comedians-Cedric the Entertainer and
my nephew Chuck Deezy-stopped by my
house to say “farewell.” They were heading to Hollywood to hook up with Steve
Harvey. A couple years later, I saw them on TV, in movies and living the LA La
Land experience. I could be wrong, but I attribute their ascent to Harvey’s help and
guidance.
It’s too early to
toss Harvey into the trashcan of coonerism. For me, the jury’s still out and
Harvey has the chance to negate the negatives. Hopefully, he won’t let his hurt
feelings distract him from his stated goals of helping Trump help black people.
Who knows, in
time the backlash may turn to backing and wide-spread support.
The Family Feud may end and the savvy King of Comedy may reclaim his role as a
trusted and beloved ambassador for the people who cheered him on for decades.
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