Entertainers Are Here To Entertain, Not Raise Your Children [OPINION]

When was the last time I told you how annoyed I get with Black people?

Jay-Z released a musical press release titled “Open Letter” answering all haters and critics that had something to say about his trip to Cuba, the selling of his portion of the Brooklyn Nets and anyone that had something to say about his movements.

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Radio stations across the nation and Black Twitter were in their feelings about the Timbaland-Swizz Beatz produced record. Some hailed it as one of Hov’s best, others weren’t impressed. But for hip hop’s elitist, a lot of people used the song to scribe a Twitter manifesto of sorts, outlining their disappointment with Jay for not using his celebrity to teach and empower the community, give back and be a role model for children.

I thought it was the job of entertainers to entertain? Why do Black people want celebs of color to be representatives, teachers and parents for every child and Black person in America?

Before I continue, the laundry list of charities the Carters have contributed to or are a part of is longer than the annoying two or three week breaks in between “Scandal” episodes.

The power couple raised $4 million towards President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. Jay-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter, founded the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. The organization gives single mothers, former incarcerated students and students who attend alternative schools scholarships to attend colleges. These students would otherwise be passed over. He also donated $1 million to the Hurricane Katrina. relief fund.

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Beyonce gave $100,000 to the Gulf Cost Ike Relief Fund. She donated her entire salary from her role in “Cadillac Records” to the Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol treatment center. She opened the “Beyonce Cosmetology Center” to provide employment opportunities for recovering addicts and she, along with Kelly Rowland, started “The Survivor Foundation” to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“I watched my parents get involved in [community charities] there, and that taught me how important it is to ‘give ’til it hurts,’ Beyonce has been quoted as saying.

But let ya’ll tell it, these two don’t do enough.

Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna and other notable celebs are constantly being ridiculed for how much they don’t do for “the community.” Folks want entertainers to hold their child’s hand, teach them to color in the lines, look left and right before crossing the street and know the difference between right and wrong. It sounds like Black people (some, not all) want entertainers to raise their kids.

We have to stop passing the buck and start taking responsibility. It’s not the job of entertainers to educate the masses and raise our kids. That’s the parents job. And for the prominent Black celebs who do contribute more than most, it’s never enough. Oprah, anyone?

Let entertainers entertain and stop expecting every Black celeb to shoulder the responsibility of representing each and every black person in the history of Blackism! If we all individually worried about bettering ourselves, we wouldn’t be so concerned with the movements of others, especially when those movements involve celebrities on a higher echelon than ourselves. It’s time we start owning our sh*t… Seriously!

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