Ladies, Gentlemen, and the Respectability of Manners

On January 9, 2020 Variety magazine published an article by  Angelique Jackson titled, Billy Porter, Lizzo and Regina King Nominated for Entertainer of the Year at 2020 NAACP Image Awards, announced the nominees for the 51st annual NAACP image awards, which aired on February 22, 2020.  Jackson stated that, “The nominees for Entertainer of the year are Angela Bassett, Billy Porter, Lizzo, Regina King, and Tyler Perry.”  In the past, the NAACP seemed to stand for some very important issues, making their awards ceremony synonymous with high standards and respectability. Something outwardly changed.

Take a closer look of how the book, D.W. Griffith’s the Birth of a Nation: A History of the Most Controversial Motion Picture of All Time, by Melvyn Stokes. The book told how, “Set in the United States during the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction, it supposedly told the “true” story of how the white South had been defeated in the war and , during the subsequent Reconstruction era, had been oppressed by a powerful Republican politician attempting to force black rule and full social equality on the region.” The historic significance of Birth of a Nation is the fact that the ugliness of the U.S.A. was exposed for what it really stood for during the movie’s initial screening and theater run.

The movie, Birth of a Nation was highly offensive to Negroes. Melvin Stokes made it clear that, “The  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded in 1909, and other pro-black organizations organized protests across the country against it.” Some screenings were banned, but other attempts at censoring the film failed. Since then, the film has become etched into the consciousness of a nation.  A major tool that was used to battle negative stereotypes about Negroes was etiquette.  So-called Negroes have historically been projected as animalistic, dishonest, and lazy. The list goes on, making  proper manners a necessary weapon against White Supremacy and institutional racism.

As a nation, the book, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home, by Emily Post, is where she explained that, “Thus Best Society is not a fellowship of the wealthy, nor does it seek to exclude those who are not of exalted birth; but it is an association of gentle-folk, of which good form in speech, charm of manner, knowledge of the social amenities, and instinctive consideration for the feelings of others, are the credentials by which society the world over recognizes its chosen members.”  The common assumption says that manners are for the elite class.  Emily Post make it clear that manners was the asset that we could all afford to possess.

Motown Finishing School founder Maxine Powell did an interview for a series called,  Chicago: Rock and Roll, Respect,  in September, 1995.   At the time of her interview, she stated how, “When I met the (Motown) artists, they were young and they came from humble beginnings. Not all, but some of them were rude and crude and from the street and the projects. With me, it is not where you come from; it is about where you’re going.”  Not enough is said about Maxine Powell’s importance and the way that she helped shape the image of youth at a time when Civil Rights legislation was being demanded in America. Sadly, the current imagery that is being promoted by mainstream media is not being properly addressed by established institutions in the “Black” community. Their lack of action signifies a failure in leadership.