The U.S. and the world have made some strides in the advancement of civil rights since Martin Luther King Jr. died. Today, in the U.S., we celebrate his memory with a federal holiday that does not, alas, involve much actual commemoration, just a day off work and school for most people. That lack of respect if perhaps mirrored in the larger culture, because we still haven’t reached a point at which, say, nonwhite actors are fully represented as human beings in movies and TV.
What aspect of modern entertainment would most disappoint Martin Luther King Jr. today?
Would it be how rap artists have turned “nigger” into almost a term of endearment? Would it be how desperation to see black faces on film pushes audiences to the almost universally dreadful films of Tyler Perry? Something else?
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