Two Black Teenage Boys Shot To Death In Toronto, Yet I Don’t Care.

On August 23rd 2013, two teenage boys O’She Doyles-Whyte 16, and Kwame Duodu, 15 where gunned down and brutally murdered in Jane and Finch. For people who don’t know Jane and Finch is a notorious crime infested neighbourhood in Toronto. Jane and Finch has a history of violence. Whyte and Duodu are black, and I must admit, when I first heard of their deaths I was ambivalent about it. I feel bad for saying this, but I just kind of shrugged my shoulders.

I guess I feel apathetic, if you live in Toronto you will know what I mean. There have been too many times over the years of sad news stories about young black males being shot to death in Jane and Finch. It is like a broken record. I am so exhausted hearing about these tragedies that I just tune out.

Of course, it is very sad that two teenage boys are dead but I feel conflicted about the violence in Jane and Finch. Am I supposed to care just because I am a black Canadian? I don’t live in Jane and Finch and I wouldn’t want anyone I love or care about to live there either. Should I feel sad, that there are too many tragic news stories about young black males being shot to death in Toronto?

Whenever, gun violence takes place in Toronto, the white media have this propensity to insist, that black Canadian people we are all supposed to care. Do white people care, when a white person dies in Toronto? Why should I as an individual, who just happens to be black, care about young black boys dying? Why should the actions of a few represent that of an entire race? It doesn’t make sense to me?

Why? Why should I care about black parents that are irresponsible, they don’t want to improve their lives, they raise their children in violent neighbourhoods?

Why don’t black parents teach their teenage sons to stay away from gang bangers and drug dealers? These two boys probably knew people who were involved in a gang. Why don’t black parents do more? One of the things my parents taught me when I was young is to NOT ASSOCIATE OR BE AROUND BAD PEOPLE! My mother always says, if you weren’t with the crows who have been found you would be ALL SAFE AND SOUND! If you don’t associate, talk to, hang around, gang bangers or drug dealers then you have a better chance of staying SAFE and ALIVE.

Now, people are saying the two teens were not a part of a gang. However, perhaps this is true both boys were not in a gang, but maybe they were associated with one or knew people in it? I just find it bizarre in the city of Toronto, that people would just randomly shoot and kill two teenage boys. Teenage boys need their fathers in their lives, because a father helps a boy to grow up to become a man.

I talked to my sister today about this tragedy, she said one of the reasons she lives in the suburbs with her son is to avoid these kinds of tragedies. My sister was blunt she said she would never raise her son around poor blacks.

Now, some might argue my sister is a hater, or a racist, or an elitist, but I see her cogent argument. In Jane and Finch, there is a cycle of violence, that seems to have no ending. My sister said she worries about her ten year old son, she doesn’t want him growing up in a dangerous environment. A violent place such as Jane and Finch has an aura of poverty and unhappiness.
I have to admit, if I had a child I wouldn’t want him growing up around poor blacks either.

My sister and I next we questioned, why would a black mother raise her son in Jane and Finch? Why? Everyone knows Jane and Finch is a dangerous neighbourhood filled with despair and violence.
I saw the family and friends on the news the other day crying about the two dead boys. Of course, these people are black and poor. Now I understand, due to circumstances, things happen in life. However, I wonder, where were the black fathers in this situation? Where are the fathers of these teenage boys?

The mainstream Canadian media, will report these tragedies of young black boys dying in the streets of Toronto. However, it is time for the black community to have some real talk. Why are black Canadians so afraid in Toronto to have a serious discussion about gun violence? I am serious. Why, are young black boys dying?

I am apathetic, to the deaths of these two teenage boys, I just feel like black parents need to be more accountable. Yes, violence can occur anywhere in Toronto. However, I just feel some black parents are not doing enough to raise their sons. Why would any black mother raise her children in Jane and Finch? It just seems shocking to me I am perplexed about it.

Lee Daniel’s New Film The Butler Is Boring Black Films Are Unoriginal Only Focuses In Race.

Lee Daniel’s new film The Butler is the number one film for two weeks in a row. The box office for The Butler is also solid earning over $52 million dollars. However, I am not interested in seeing The Butler because it is basically a black male version of The Help. These race movies are big box office for Hollywood, the Help was a huge box office hit two years ago.
Hollywood has an extremely myopic perspective about the black life experience and it is all about money.

The narrative is, the black life experience is ONLY ABOUT RACE. The commercials tell me I am supposed to see The Butler, because I am black. However, I am not African American, I am a black Canadian, and I’ve seen my fair share of black films that revolve around racism. It is tired, boring, and I am sick of it!

Another film, I won’t be seeing in the fall is Idris Elba’s biopic about Nelson Mandela. There have been several movies already made about Nelson Mandela the famous South African civil rights leader. However, I am fatigued, and I am exhausted watching another boring movie about race. How many films can Hollywood possibly release about Nelson Mandela?

Why hasn’t anyone made a movie about the struggle of black gays and lesbians in South Africa? Why are all the films released about African people always about the black heterosexuals? Why can’t a black dramatic film be made about black people that does not REVOLVE AROUND THE ISSUE OF RACE? It is so derivative, and so tired.

According to the ideology of Hollywood filmmakers, black dramatic films must revolve around race and be about two points in history slavery and the civil rights movement! If there is a movie set in the present about a black person it involves race such as the film Fruitvale Station.

This is BORING! Yes, I said it IS BORING! Yes, I know racism is a serious problem in society, and black people still struggle. However, I am also cognizant as a black man, that I don’t just think about being black every single minute of my life. Isn’t there more to the black life experience than just RACE? Seriously, can’t a screenwriter or filmmaker make a movie about black people that doesn’t revolve around the past? What about life right NOW IN THE PRESENT?

For instance, one area of black film that is ignored is the issue of homosexuality in the black community. Only indie films such as Brother To Brother which was released almost a decade ago dealt with gay black men.

In black cinema, there are numerous films that could be made revolving around black gays and lesbians from the past. However, black films have a tendency to downplay the homosexuality of black queer icons. For example, Lorraine Hansberry the playwright who became famous for her 1959 play A Raisin In The Sun, is a lesbian. It is well known, that Hansberry wrote for the lesbian publication The Ladder in the 1950s. However, how many people know Hansberry was gay? I hear there is an indie biopic being made about Hansberry life, but will this biopic explore the fact she was a black lesbian?

There is a paucity of films being created about black gays and lesbians. I heard there was supposed to be a film made about E Lynn Harris first novel Invisible Life. Tracy Edmonds was supposed to produce the film yet according to the black film blog Shadow & Act Tracy Edmonds is no longer producing the film. E Lynn Harris mother sued Proteus Spann a man who has the rights to all of Harris books. A LA judge sided with Spann and he states he is going to make a film adaptation of Harris novel Not A Day Goes By. However, a film still has not been released yet about black gay men.

Rodney Evans a gay African American filmmaker does have an indie film out called The Happy Sad. However, how many black people are actually going to watch this film? There are no high profile black actors in the film.

Two years ago Dee Rees film Pariah was released, but the film’s box office was luke warm it didn’t even earn $1 million dollars. I believe more black films should be made around issues such as homosexuality because they move beyond JUST RACE. Pariah was a very interesting film, because it dealt with the struggle of a young black teen lesbian coming out of the closet.

There is a film adaptation of the erotic writer Zane’s best selling book Addicted, and I am interested in seeing the movie. However, I am also concerned, because there haven’t been many black films that explore the issue of sexuality well.

Hollywood needs to understand, the film audience, at least I hope people are thirsty for something new, something different.