Too Black For Mainstream Media

I’ve always been a writer.  I’ve always been a person known to voice my opinion.  So it seems befitting that I eventually created a blog site where I can just let loose the words, thoughts, & ideas constantly swirling around in my brain without me having to directly seek someone out to listen to me.  It also became appropriate for me to start a podcast where I could let loose in the same manner when the words trapped in mind were flowing too fast for my fingers on the keyboard to keep up with.  This is who I am, always have been, & shall continue to be for the foreseeable future.

The Onyx Truth Is Too Black

I was recently told by a friend that the Onyx Truth may be too black in order to gain the appeal of a larger audience.  The first thing that naturally ran through my mind was “exactly what does he constitute as being TOO BLACK?”  The next question that entered my mind was “what is the standard definition of black to begin with?”  Of course the answers to these questions can spiral off into a million different directions, but the crux of the question still remains:  Exactly what is TOO BLACK?  So that is what I am here to examine.

I was recently featured on the Pennymon Doctrine podcast hosted by John Pennymon & Molly Mac in which we discussed a wide array of issues mainly pertaining to my philosophies on certain aspects of life.  One of the topics up for discussion centered around the lack of Black voices in the mainstream media.  We named off a handful of well known Black media personalities such as Roland Martin, Don Lemon, & Rev. Al Sharpton & possibly a few others.  We then proceeded to discuss why these well known Black voices in the mainstream media do not really go as hard in the paint as they could when it comes to really dissecting issues that not only pertain to America as a whole, but even more specifically, Black America.  Meaning, they have a national platform of sorts, are followed by hundreds of thousands if not millions, yet they do not really go in on some issues as thoroughly as they could….let alone SHOULD.  One of the reasons I stated as to why these Black mainstream voices do not simply just let loose is because ultimately, they are employees for another company & they can only get too black for TV before their paychecks become jeopardized.

I know some of you reading this & thinking, “well damn, didn’t you just answer your own question about being too black?”  No.

In reference to those within the mainstream media, there is a such as being too black especially when those who walk the fine line of being comfortably black & being too black are being paid by the members of the dominant society.  As far as it pertains to the Onyx Truth, well…the Onyx Truth first & foremost is a website that is Black owned & ran.  Approximately 95% of the material on the Onyx Truth directly relates to issues within the Black culture.  The Black culture is the primary target audience for whom the Onyx Truth & the Onyx Truth Podcast were created for.  So as far as my friend telling me that the Onyx Truth may be too black to gain mass appeal, well he may in fact be correct.  And that is an aspect I really have no desires for changing.

The Onyx Truth IS TOO BLACK

The Onyx Truth is TOO BLACK by premeditated design…hence the name…Onyx…Truth.  In case you need further clarity on exactly what the word Onyx means, here you go:

Onyx is a stone of inner strength.  It enhances one’s endurance and persistence, enabling one to carry even difficult and dreary tasks through to completion.  It increases one’s ability to maintain mental focus, allowing one to learn challenging new material and use well all that one has mastered.  It energetically boosts the retention of memory and encourages attention to detail.  Onyx is also a stone of physical strength.  It assists one in containing one’s energies rather than allowing them to dissipate.  It helps one to gradually build up one’s vitality.  Onyx emanates the energy of self-mastery.  It can help one to control, focus and direct the will, and this brings about a considerable increase in one’s personal power.  It assists one in learning that the most important control is self-control.  Onyx cools and condenses excessive energies.  It calms nervousness, quells anxiety, soothes hot tempers and brings reason to passion.

We live in a world where the image of Black America is tightly controlled by members of the dominant society.  So much so that a lot of the members of Black America blindly buy into the stereotypes about our culture without even thinking twice because these people have come to expect these things about themselves in order to appease the members of the dominant society.  We also live in a world where members of Black America seem to gain the most exposure & profit when it comes to participating in either creating or distributing the negative images of Black America while really not choosing to evaluate the long term impact these images have on one’s own culture.  Fortunately, we also live in a world that has been blessed with invention of the internet which when used properly can serve as a powerful medium for combatting the images, opinions, prejudices, & stereotypes presented by the dominant society & sold to every other culture in America as “truth”.

This is where the Onyx Truth comes in to play.  Yes, the Onyx Truth is TOO BLACK & shall continue to remain that way.  The Onyx Truth is TOO BLACK in the sense that this website strives to cut through the bullshit & get straight to the point in a no holds barred style of fashion.  The Onyx Truth is TOO BLACK not in the sense that this website is strictly 100% catering towards Black America, but in the sense that the writers whom contribute to the Onyx Truth are not beholden to the ill will ways of traditional mainstream media that has unfortunately prevented some of the well known media personalities from truly expressing themselves without reprisal.  So yes, the Onyx Truth is TOO BLACK and will possibly scare some people away from the real, the raw, & the uncut thought provoking intellect that needs to be read & heard in order to challenge the longstanding status quo.  And if restricting the Onyx Truth’s affinity for brutal honesty means attracting a larger audience, then as the captain of this ship, I’ll pass and stay headed down the course of being TOO BLACK FOR MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

photo credit:  Noam Galai