Photo via Flickr
In 2015, race relations in America proved to be a hot button issue and continues to be so in the new year. A video that was released last year has resurfaced thanks to the Huffington Post questioning “What would the world look like without Black people?”
The video was created by the Jubilee Project, a creative collective that make short films, documentaries, and public service announcements with non-profit organizations to increase awareness concerning social justice. Filmed in Boston and Los Angeles, the video features filmmaker and co-founder of the Jubilee Project, Eric Lu as he asked residents about their ideas on what the world would look like without Black people.
Responses ranged from music to the world lacking creativity. One Asian female states in the video, “I don’t know where my soul will be without Brian McKnight” while giving a little chuckle, while an Asian male said, “Oh crap, there will be no hip hop.”
While there were a few humorous answers given in the video, it soon became serious and invoked deep thinking. A Hispanic male stated, “If people loved Black people as much as they love Black culture we would be fine, everyone loves Black culture.”
Black culture includes, but is not limited to, music, clothes, and a plethora of distinctive hairstyles. If other races were to flaunt any aspect of Black culture it would be accepted without a second look, but if a Black person was to sport anything related to the culture then it would not be viewed as acceptable.
Photo via Flickr
The video exposed the disappointing reality of how Blacks live in a society where the law is not always on their side, assumptions lead to confrontations, and how being a person of color means having to be aware of your surroundings at all times. During a particular touching moment, a black couple discussed how they have a 14 year old son of whom they worry about because of the almost daily violence and police harassment that Black males face.
Black people are often associated with being involved with gangs, coming from single parent households, and lacking social and intellectual skills. However, these associations do not define every Black person. Black people are placed inside boxes filled with negative stereotypes, making it harder to prove society wrong.
Blacks have introduced a variety of music styles including jazz, hip hop, and rap. We have invented everyday household items items such as the filament inside a light bulb and the fire extinguisher. It cannot be forgotten that Blacks have also had a hand in the sciences and that advanced medical technologies, like the pacemaker for the heart, were made possible by contributions from Black physicians.
A world without Blacks would be a world that looks a great deal different from the world that we enjoy today.