i watched a speech tonight from lee daniels,
creator of fox’s hit “empire”,
that kind of made me go:
“um…”
i wanted you all to see it.
its from the 2015 time 100 gala and he was giving a toast to his mother,
clara.
well he says his mama knew he had to get out the ghetto,
but two sentences made me go:
“wtf?”
check the entire speech below…
I stand before you a very humble man — a very nervous man. I’ve been to many award shows, but this place is on another level.
I think about my kid, my son. I have twins that I didn’t want to have the life that I had. I didn’t have a great life growing up. I had my mom, who’s here tonight. But it wasn’t a great life.
And so I wanted my kids to have the life that I didn’t have, as all parents do. I wonder now… My son says I don’t have enough time for him.
My mom had five kids. And she came home after working three jobs, and I’d rub her feet. We’d all rub her feet. We were lucky to get any time with her.
My mom knew early on that I was gay, and she knew that I had to get out of the ghetto. And so she hit up my next door neighbor, who was a butler — hence The Butler. And he was the butler for Ed Snyder, who was the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles.
I drove out every day to a world of white people. And that world opened my life into a magical place that I don’t think I would’ve known.
Most of my friends are dead. I watched friends die in my arms at 5, 6, 8. When I grew up the rest of my friends died of AIDS. That I don’t have HIV is a miracle from God.
So this evening is for my mom, because she knew I was destined for something — what that something is, I don’t know. But I love her from the bottom of my heart, and I honor her tonight, because this is really for her.
Clara — Mom — stand up.
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nothing is wrong about striving to get out the hood,
but to say being around white people was “a magical place”?
so like a utopia or “fountain of youth” of some sort?
plus to imply the hood is full of diseased people…
lee?
what?
black people can be wealthy as well.
he should have said:
“the land of the wealthy and well off”
maybe that would have been received better?
lowkey: maybe he is playing “the hollywood game”?
either way i’m confused…
Didn’t read all of the other comments, so someone may have said this already. I completely get where he is coming from. If you are a kid and grow up in the ghetto and have no exposure to the world of the well off and rich. Their world would seem magical. Just like what you say on TV. And there are many of us who lost so many to AID in the 80′ and 90′ before we knew what it was and how to prevent it. ( Still some folk have not gotten the memo) So look at his speech from his real frame of reference. Not the hollywood politically correct point of view.Let’s not pretend that the level of freedom, openness and opportunity always existed.
Lee is talking about his experience.He is almost 60.When he was a child in the sixties,there were very few Black upper class communities so to him Rich meant White.He is reflecting on his childhood fifty years ago
The last thing Lee Daniels needs is my defense or anybody else’s. But, for the benefit of the conversation, I feel compelled to point out that there are a great many places in this country where black means poor and struggling and rich means white and magical. Of course, there are Black folk with money. In the places where there are large numbers of wealthy Black people, my experience has been that poor Black folk are much more likely to be dismissed as “ratchet” or “ghetto” by rich Black folk than by rich whites. Finally, the definition of “rich” in Black communities and that in white ones is quite different. There isn’t a single company on the Black Enterprise list of the largest Black-owned firms that would make the list of the largest White owned companies in Iowa, let alone the US at large. Obviously, slavery and segregation are the reasons for that. But, to describe the trip from the slums to the home of someone rich enough to own a professional sports team as “magical” seems on the money to me.
Maybe that why his boyfriend is white cause he’s magical.
And let’s do some math. It says he was born in 1959 which means he was 5 in 1964. The AIDS epidemic started in 1969 into the 70s. Now how did his friends die in his arms as he put it when AIDS started years later?
He said he had friends who died when he was 5,6,8.
He never mentioned the causes of their deaths.
When he was older he had friends die from AIDS.He also lost his younger brother to AIDS.
He rambles when he talks so he often talks about multiple things at the same time so it makes it difficult to follow him.He is also overly dramatic and often speaks uses hyperbole.I noticed that when he talks about homophobia.He reminds me of Kanye in terms of how he exaggerates everything.
I am more bothered by Lee perpetuating the MYTH that DL men are responsible for Black women dying of HIV/AIDS than this speech.
I was done with this fool when he said he walked in an HIV clinic and saw nothing but black women with kids. He threw black women under the bus to his magical whites. SMH If Taraji wasn’t on this show, I wouldn’t support Empire.
I totally disagree with many of your analyses. When one is exposed to different ideas, lifestyles, opportunities, it will give you the drive to be thrust into greatness. I don’t see him lauding white people; his link was another black man who showed him other ways, sometimes correct ways, sometimes better ways. The ghetto alone is not going to do that for Black America and if you think it is…keep betting on it. Black people, Hispanic people, and other people of color must broaden their outlook and know that there is more. I wish every child the same opportunity provided to Mr. Daniels, through whatever culture or creed can provide it.
Preach
Why does the ghetto have to be always be linked to Black America?
Believe it or not, some of us have been raised in well to do BLACK neighborhoods!
Still never thought I was better than anyone else that came from tougher background.
Do you think white people ever need to broaden their outlook and know there is more as well? I certainly do. I get tired of black people being portrayed as uncultured peasants when they’re really just survivors. History proves that.
As for this idiot. He just exaggerates his background to make his success seem more deserved and to feel a sense of self-importance.
Never watched a movie of his, nor an episode of Empire and now I never will.
“I totally disagree with many of your analyses. When one is exposed to different ideas, lifestyles, opportunities, it will give you the drive to be thrust into greatness.”
I think the problem is that he associated all of those things solely with white people.
It was pretty suggestive. As if White people are the only people who live that lifestyle, as if all white people do.
I think it was a real poor choice of words.
He literally could have said what you said in ^that quote and it would have been fine. I’m pretty sure that’s what he was implying anyway, and regardless of whether they were all white, I still think his statement came off as short-sighted or a very limited perspective.
And not all black people grow up in the hood either
There are plenty that know that “there is more”, and not every rich person earned their money.
So I finally figured out who writes this blog, and guess what I’m gonna give you some unsolicited advice, running around slandering people is gonna either get you beat to sleep, or people like Lee Daniels are never gonna give you the time of day. You the real person are not this character name you write under are committing career suicide
@KreoleKing as a publicist and marketing strategist please allow me to inform you that what Jamari Fox is doing is completely within his constitutional right. If anyone is going to harm anyone for their opinion via their personal website that they pay for and host they have a very long list of people to stop by and assault first (Perez Hilton, Bryant Boy, Bossip, Wendy Williams, The National Enquiror ect.).
Whatever motivated you to post your uneducated, and unsolicited, comment should also prompt you to post that same comment on all of the thousand other websites, blogs, tumblr pages and chat rooms that fall within the same pop-culture vein.
All the best to you, and if I were you I would refrain from posting indirect threats, because that both unfortunately and fortunately, depending on what side one is on, is cause for arrest.
Enjoy the duration of your weekend.
P.S. Jamari I check in on your site every morning, right after I check IG, keep doing what you are doing.
Much respect,
A Professional Wolf
^thank you APW!
I give zero fucks about your title or that essay you wrote to make yourself feel educated bitch I wasn’t talking to you so don’t address me I said what I said and I meant it please go bore somebody else, he knows who he is and so do I
The more this man talks, the more I dislike him. What I hate about Negroids, like him is that why they are enjoying this wonderful life in this fantasy white land, they never stop and think why are the Black neighborhoods like they are, why the crime and drugs, they never question or hold these white people in power accountable for their part in marginalizing Blacks and keeping them in a separate box. If anything, he should celebrate the people in the neighborhood he grew up in for they are strong and they are survivors in spite of someone always having a foot on their back. I am so glad he can now live his dreams in the Capital, while the rest of us poor Negroes still have to live in District 13. Isn’t it funny he is now making millions of dollars basing his hit TV show off of people from the hood.
As far as the Monique situation,he showed himself to be a very petty, mean, hateful and spiteful Queen.
MoNique showed us the receipts. Leonardo Daniels II is a phony
Monique’s email showed us that Lee asked her to screen test for the role.Fox didn’t want her.Lee already stated he wanted her for Empire and The Butler.The studios wanted to go with other actresses.
Lee Daniels called her saying, “You got the role, but you know, there’s some technical stuff — Lee Daniels never back MoNique to the media, but later had co-creator exec.producer Danny Strong tweet- Mo’Nique was never offered roles in Empire or The Butler. #SettingRecordStraight @leedanielsent
So Y Colette LEE DANIELS is lying
Well damn!! He said a mouthful. Dudes be out here selling out man. SMH
I never really knew about Lee Daniels until Empire, I mean I heard of him since Precious but I never really knew who he was. I need him to stop doing interviews and clarify his words cause Empire is my show and he better not mess that show up. I guess Monique was telling the truth then, even though I’m glad she didn’t get the role of Cookie sorry Monique.
Wait, did I miss something? What went wrong between Lee and Monique? Can someone please explain it to me? Thanks
I understand what he was attempting to say but it definitely came out wrong. I started losing respect for him after the Mo’nique debacle, the things he said on CNN with Don Lemon had me raising my eyebrow. In addition, I really hate the “get out” mentality that we tend to have as a race. People often want to get out but do nothing to better their community while they were there. And if they leave, many often don’t pour anything back into the communities they’ve left.
This man is a proven liar. How the hell did his friends die in his arms at 5, 6, and 8? Where the fuck was he? And at the time in his generation that HIV was rampant, it was killing white people. So he was that young watching his friends die in the hood but living with the magical white people???????????
I think I have to agree what Boyce Watkins said about him he is dangerous and his statement echoes the sentiment of many black americans who were raised in that time he represents a generation that held these ignorant beliefs because that was their reality and unfortunately old habits die hard so I’ma chalk it up to he just don’t know any better but then again I’m afraid that he just might do lol! And if so he’s truly poisoness to the black community and its disgusting he could be using his celebrity to liberate and uplift but he chooses to further the man’s agenda what a waste.
Hopefully he didn’t mean it to sound that way and he can give clarity on this the next time he speaks. Lee losing his friends at a young age shocked me. I also want someone to answer this question for me it might sound stupid. How did HIV and Aids originate with gay men? Like how did it become a gay disease. I know at first it was a white gay man disease but then it started to wipe out the gay community in the 80s. I know a few older queens in their 40s plus who have full blown Aids. For instance my mom cousin who is in his 40s has full blown Aids and so does his boyfriend, guy I know from work in his 50s has it and two gay black men came into my job the other day and one looked like he was about to just fall over he was so skinny. My parents who are in their 40s also told me about gay men who grew up with them died in their early 20s back in the early 90s. I just don’t understand it. Hopefully I don’t sound dumb lol but it just seems like if you were gay back then you were automatically going to get Aids and die young.
From what I know it started out in Chimpanzees, (or some sort of monkey) maybe about 200 years ago ( my dates may be way off, its been awhile lol) Mind you, it can only be transferred through blood transfusion so it was exclusive to animals for centuries until a hunter killed a chimpanzee with the disease and improperly cleaned his equipment, and served the infected meal to his family unknowingly. Allegedly thats how it began in humans. Since then, the disease maintained a relatively low and rare profile until certain trends started happening in the early 1900’s. Needles were introduced and hygiene wasn’t perfected so an infected person who received a needle could have inadvertently afflicted more people that day due to the hospitals/clinics etc poor hygiene.
Around these times sexual trends were emerging in South Africa, old men were basically raping sex workers using “dry-sex” (using powder to increase pleasure…or something idk) which increased chances for infection more, these women and men would bring the disease home to their spouses and infect them as well.
Until then the disease started to see an incline but still remain on a low profile until the 70’s. I believe it was Haiti that was the hot-spot for American (gay and straight but mostly gay/bi/ DOWN-LOW was big with this) tourists to go to sex parties where they would have orgies and unprotected sex. The tourists would come home and infect their partners unknowingly.
As you may know, it can take up to a decade for symptoms to show or for it to becaome full- blown AIDS and BAM!the 80’s comes and there’s an epidemic of gay/straight/bi people with AIDS and not knowing where it came from.
Since then we have been trying to majorly increase AWARENESS of how it is transmitted.
Back then, there was no awareness or no real way to know where it even came from.
It began with everybody having casual unprotected sex without precaution. Its not a black thing or a white thing. Many innocent people were infected because of their partners. Race may only come into factor when looking at the trends of how MUCH it is transmitted by a certain race or another, but it supposedly began from animals and was and is now a hygiene and protection issue.
This is what I learned in school, I’m not saying its right or wrong, but this was an anthropology class so I will go with that.
Hope this answers your question and helps. I paraphrased my knowledge, and i’m just citing from memory, so feel free to fill in any errors lol.
Wow! With all due respect I hope you do more research on how aids got started I believe that the information you have is totally flawed and I think we’re being lied to by those who stand to gain from this disease but that’s just me I maybe wrong but I do know this there are evil people in the world thats capable of the most unthinkable things that will truly have your head spinning lol!
@ Thank you Dignified you broke it down brother. I was taught, read, and heard a lot of things you wrote but I didn’t know about the Haiti sex parties and some other things you mentioned. I knew alot of it but not so much in depth so thanks again. The medicine these days have people who are HIV positive and have AIDs look like their not sick and keep them living which is mostly good but bad in a way. Safe sex is so important because you just don’t know who has it. It’s like when down low men get caught with another dude you always here people say he could of gave his wife AIDS which is true in a way but I’m like straight men who cheat on their wives with other women can pass AIDS.
@ Kelly, Yeah, see, all that was in the reading strictly from that course. I maybe should have done some more research to see if it all adds up.
My opinion is, idk. I just remember the big take home point was any disease is rampant in certain conditions: poverty, lack of hygiene, misinformation etc.
Not sure I believe ALL of those stories about orgies and shit lol, idk maybe it was trend? I dunno and they went into much more detail than my crappy paragraph into how things transpired but I just deduced that it MAY or may not be a trans-genial disease and it spreads through unprotected sex. It spikes in different socio/political/economic trends again, poverty, corrupt government in developing countries resulting in suffering health-care. Casual sex I believe was the main culprit, regardless of how it transpired. Those are factors but not necessarily the cause.
I think if all this were true, it can add another dimension to how disease is spread and can be prevented.
Who gains from this disease? White people? The governments? Corporations/media even? You may be on to something, but I’d have to here your answer first lol.
Hey! How ya doing? And thanks for replying I really enjoy our exchanges in the comments section OK now for the meat and potatoes lol! I do think and as a matter of fact I believe that this disease is a man-made disease that was specifically created by an elite group of scientists who have an agenda now what that agenda entails exactly idk but I belive based on my research that this disease is a bio weapon that specifically targets certain groups that are deemed undesirable and I think that risky sexual behavior was just that Trojan horse that they need to justify the disease.
And to answer your question about who stands to gain well thats a complex question but in IMO I believe evil people who subscribe to an ideology of the survival of the fitest who they deem worthy of preserving and in particular white people and people who are deem fit to live in their utopia tailored to fit their ideal world.
Hey Kelly, I’m good, and you?
I really do enjoy discussions and debate! Its engaging and fun, and sometimes, we all get to learn something!
Hm, I wouldn’t put it past the government, ( If I’m going to believe this argument, I would definitely pin this on the government hiring said scientists) doing something dubious like this, but what point would it serve them? They wouldn;t want to kill off a whole race of people because that effects the economy, the laws, etc. A faction eliminating an entire race would have massive negative repurcussions on the world as a whole, and for what? To fulfill some sort of pseudo-Darwinist/God complex perspective?
I’m not sure… they would get so little out of that in exchange for so much global issues.
and the nature of the disease itself. It can spread to anyone. If they wanted to target say: “Black people” wouldnt it be easier to like force black people to take some sort of “vaccine” to cure some sort of made up issue, and this “vaccine” would actually be a toxin that would just kill that one person?
They could monitor their results better doing something like that
Or do they consider the non-black casualties as a “risk free -of- discovery” eliminator so they dont get caught?
Or are you saying we are lead to believe it spreads and maybe they are doing what I suggested anyway under the guise of a disease and propaganda?
I feel like this would be near impossible to prove.
I don’t doubt that there are forces at work out there that would want that sort of thing, or even try to make it happen. I just don’t think it applies to AIDS though. I just don;t think it adds up.
If something like this were true though, they would be complete idiots because it would only work against them in the long run lol.
Something like this will eventually be noticed and tracked. I can’t see a subtle way of masking a genocide.
Mo’nique was right about him. Everyone was defending him because of Empire and look at him. The more he talks, the more he reveals what a enormous coon he is.
Seriously? Wtf? I thought he was smarter than that. Maybe not.
A fucking world of white people.LOL! It just sounds dumb, and a little “sell-out-y” , “kiss-ass-y” and pathetic. Do you know many ratchet ass ghetto white people ive run into in my life? Nothing to be jealous of, TRUST ME! lol! Not even the majority are that well off, and this is coming from Canada so no doubt in the U.S there are some areas of all kinds that unite under the banner of “trailer trash” lol
He was alluding to a different lifestyle than what he was accustomed to. He should have just said that.
A world of fucking white people. I just cant get over that! LOL! I’m starting to like this guy less and less! Stay quiet and let the characters speak for you, they do it better!
^these people are ruining empire with all this behind the scenes antics.
his line of thinking is very dangerous…