Irish rock star Sir Bob Geldof with 2 of his (white) headliners for the Live 8 concert: Sir Elton John (L) and Midge Ure (C)
Black political activists and entertainers in England and America are hurling allegations of racism against Bob Geldof for having a predominantly white lineup of performers for the 2 July Live 8 concerts to raise awareness about poverty in the Third World – ahead of the annual G8 summit of rich nations in the UK. However, these carpers not only lack credibility but they also reek of self-indulgence and hypocrisy.
After all, a respectable number of black entertainers are scheduled to perform. And, moreover, black activists have had almost 20 years since Live Aid to organize their own charitable concert featuring all of the conscientious hip hop, soul and reggae artists they could find.
Furthermore, let the record show that instead of sitting around for 2 decades waiting for someone else to organize another charity concert, white boys Bono and Geldof have been lobbying governments and corporations for aid to fight the ravages of poverty, starvation and disease that still afflict far too many Africans. And, they probably did not have to worry about offending anyone by not having black boys P. Diddy or Damon Dash by their side; especially since these brothers were so busy making headlines partying with Paris Hilton and Jade Jagger….
So, let’s rock ‘n’ roll and drown out the pathetic sound and fury of these indolent naysayers!
News and Politics
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