The thing is, a lot of people don't see racism unless it's blatant. I knew kids in college that see the issues in black america as just a matter of not having parents, and they saw that as the only difference between where they are and where those kids were. They had good intentions and always participated in any sort of charity work or volunteer work, but they had that Don Lemon mentality to a degree (of persona accountability, though none of them were as stupid). It really has to start with education from when people are children because if people don't recognize that the most significant forms of racism are covert and the history of America that led to the ghettos and things of that sort, then they are less likely to comprehend it as they get older. They fall into that trap of "plausible deniability" and of viewing racism as commentary instead of systemic effects. These people of clout, only speak about racism when it is in their face. I don't even know if they're qualified to speak about race on a substantive level, but they could bring on people who can. Maybe, Oprah can help shape a leader the way she made Dr. Phil and others into brands.
But people like her, Cosby and Pharrel---heck even Jay who I'm pretty sure is where Pharrel got the "new black" term from, often forget that they are the exception and not the rule and tell everyone else to pull themselves up the way they did. They forget that if their path was easily attainable and common then they wouldn't be rich and famous for doing it. Even they need to be educated on a substantive level. I just remember Jay-Z speaking on Trayvon and saying, "We knew there was still a little racism, but we didn't know it was like that."
.... But hell, I'll take it Breh
