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Jamie Foxx Calls Out Rapper Jay Z to Stand Up for Something Bigger Than Himself.

August 30, 2013 by  
Filed under Ent., Music, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) I’ve always respected Jamie Foxx.  Not only is he extremely talented in a multitude of arenas, he also understands the depth of personal power that celebrities have at their fingertips.  From what I’ve heard both in public and behind the scenes, I can confirm that Jamie has left me impressed.

This week, Jamie Foxx took the opportunity to speak to the importance of celebrities stepping up to the plate and doing something other than filling their bank accounts.   Speaking at the 50th anniversary March on Washington, Foxx said, “What we need to do now, the young folks pick it up now so that when we’re 87 years old talking to the other young folks we can say it was me, Will Smith, Jay Z, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington … the list goes on. Don’t make me start preaching up here,” he said.

Everybody my age and all of the entertainers, it’s time for us to stand up now and renew this dream.”

Jamie Foxx also mentioned, as he’s done in the past, that Harry Belafonte was one his primary inspirations.JamieFoxxJayZ

I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed that Jay Z was mentioned in Foxx’s remarks.  We also know about the unfortunate dual that took place between Jay-Z and 86-year old Harry Belafonte, who condemned Rapper Jay Z for not doing more for his community.  So, by giving “props” to Belafonte, Jamie Foxx is indirectly calling out Jay-Z and asking him to do more for his generation and the next.

Jamie Foxx was one of the first celebrities to sign the open letter to President Obama written by myself and Russell Simmons a few months ago.  It was after building a coalition of celebrities, scholars, activists and public figures that we were able to convince the White House to keep their commitment to ending the War on Drugs.  This false, expensive, failed and destructive war has served to destroy both economic and family stability in the black community over the last 40 years.

But this is just the beginning. Dr. King taught us that power without courage is like having a loaded gun with no trigger.  Being free is not simply a matter of fighting for freedom and winning.  It’s also a matter of learning not to think like a slave.   When a man has half a billion dollars in the bank and is afraid of saying or doing anything controversial, the truth is that his spirit remains in prison.

So, I had to take a moment to applaud Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock, John Legend and some of the other celebrities who are realizing that their power wasn’t given to them so they can simply buy fancy cars and big houses.  Your power is a gift from God meant to be shared with those you care about.  By giving yourself to lift others, you are effectively elevating your own soul.

No one taught us this lesson better than “the great one,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   As a celebrity himself, he could have easily built himself a mansion, got a few women on the side, and spent all his time at Martha’s Vineyard.  Instead, he upset powerful friends by speaking the truth about poverty, lost White House access by opposing the Vietnam War, and died on a balcony because he never left black people behind.

One of Rapper Jay-Z’s album was called “Watch the Throne,” but I’d like to release an album for Jay Z called “Watch the King.”   By studying the lives of great men like Dr. King and Harry Belafonte, we can truly live the dream we deserve.

Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition.  For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.

 


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5 Responses to “Jamie Foxx Calls Out Rapper Jay Z to Stand Up for Something Bigger Than Himself.”
  1. An Open Letter To Jamie Foxx!
    From Lamar Coaston Jr.

    Brother Jamie! After seeing you parading yourself as this “Upstanding Citizen” “Celebrity” or whatever you want to call it standing up for the rights of Trayvon Martin I’ve just about had enough! I want to let the world know who the real Eric Marlon Bishop AKA “Jamie Foxx” is. I am putting this out here because I was not afforded the opportunity nor had I the funds to defend myself financially against your “Legal Team” and so I was forced to just “Read It and Weep! For my own sake I will not go into detail about your represtatives for fear of being attacked for Slander even though everyone in question knows who I am. The record and evidence I possess will show that you! Yes you Jamie stole the “Skank Robbers” Idea from me without giving me one ounce of credit! You did this and used an outlet so Sacred and Respected that was to pay homage to one of the greatest Artists in the world Michael Jackson! Here’s what you had to say about it

    http://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2013/06/26/jamie-foxx-talks-michael-jackson-tribute.html

    Bear with me Jamie and I whom you treated like nobody in your eyes will school you bro!

    Imagine this: June 2009 Sitting in your living room with your wife watching the BET awards enjoying a lovely tribute to the “King Of Pop” and after a commercial break, seeing something unfold that you shopped to not only Mr. Perry, Edmonds Entertainment and others but most importantly, your agents and you for two years prior to this. “Boom” what do we see? A parody starring you and Martin Lawrence and most of all Jamie you didn’t delve far from the manuscript I sent your agent in Cali and finally you on BP!

    So all of a sudden my phone is ringing off the hook! First my Nephew, then my son followed by others whom had known over the years that I had written this and actually thought I was responsible for you doing it!
    To my dismay and disappointment, my heart sank and I couldn’t believe you took my body of work for your own. After all I had always looked up to you and Martin especially your characters, which is why I put this together because I knew the world would receive well the Idea to put Wanda & Sheneneh together in a movie!

    I took this frustration to bed with me that night after emailing your publicist about a “very Important legal matter” which she responded “Have your people call my people” and my exact words were “Okay, but this wont be good for an African American Academy Award Winner” Next day I get a direct call from your Attorney and after discussing the details and nature of my call he asked me “What did I want” I assume referring to compensation. I responded by telling him “I’m so upset right now, I don’t know what I want and if this wasn’t a problem, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

    Coincidently after speaking with my Nephew again he said he was listening to a radio show the day before in Atlanta and there was a gentleman talking about copyright infringements and that nature and so I contacted him in Atlanta and we began to discuss a plan of action. He did file a few things and after that apparently the movie that had been shot was suddenly canned!

    Before I go any further Jamie I want to let you in on a little secret! When you create something especially on the computer, it leaves a “Date and Time’ stamp on the documents! Case in point the following manuscript that I had registered with the US Copyright Office: Search Name Coaston “You So Crazy”

    http://cocatalog.loc.gov/

    Take a look at it, it’s long but just copy and paste it! It’s a matter of public record. Please pay special attention to the “Date of Creation” 2003 way before the 2009 “Skank Robbers” Joint!

    I did make several unanswered attempts to rectify the situation with you and even discussed the similarities of you and I being raised by grandmothers who would never tolerate this kind of mess. You chose to ignore me though! I even sent you a link for the trailer for the movie “The Words” thinking that you would watch it and have some kind of conscience! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjmrDDD9o_k

    It fits our situation exactly! You took something greater than money from me, and the sad fact is you didn’t even finish it! So I’m still a hopeful writer/producer/singer/songwriter/mentor “A Squirrel Trying Get A Nut”
    And you my Brother continue to flourish in your career, but do me a favor?

    If you are going to continue to stand up for righteous causes please by all means be a man of integrity and “Walk The Talk”! You owe that much to the memory of Trayvon Martin!

  2. Yolanda says:

    I agree that more can be done by celebrities to uplift, educate and inspire the people and communities that support them and have helped them get to where they are financially. Many of these entertainers, business owners, politicians say they did it themselves, no one helped them get to where they’re at and that is a lie. We all had someone or many someones that have supported us, done business with us and helped in someway to make us successful. It is important to remember we’re only here for our lifetime and then we’re gone, if we’re lucky someone will remember us but if not we will be forgotten. What we do now to give back will impact someone’s life and will help shape the world we leave for our children and the generations to come. Think about that before you say you’re too busy or you don’t owe anyone anything.

  3. toomanygrandkids says:

    Not just Jay-Z but other rappers/entertainers as well as black business owners, or at least those who can come together as a group. Being partners in any venture is less stressful and more beneficial than one person alone. Even Jay-Z couldn’t be able to operate a chain of clothing or grocery store all by himself let alone one store.

    But what Jaime Foxx is suggesting should’ve happened a long time and many years ago. It was said back then after Martin’s death but there weren’t many people who stood up to the plate. No matter how much it was stated, nothing really came out of all that talk.

    What exactly does “to convince the White House to keep their commitment to ending the War On Drugs. This false, expensive, failed, and destructive war has served to destroy both the economic and family stability in the black community over the last 40 years mean? Are you implying that the White House should end the war against black drug dealers/smugglers so they can remain on the streets and in the community? That its wrong for law enforcement to raid drug houses and haul these criminals to prison? I’m clearly not understanding.

    Anyway, superstars like Jaime, Kanye, and Jay-Z don’t live in the ghetto/hood anymore. From the time they became successful, they moved to communities for the rich and famous. Its not a surprise that they haven’t really gave back anything. At least I haven’t heard of them giving anything major or long-lasting. Most black superstars give money to white charities.

  4. DaTruth says:

    Jay-Z is too ignorant to understand recent black American history and social politics. But what would you expect from a former drug dealer.

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