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by Dr. Boyce Watkins
I am not one to presume that the New York Association of Black Journalists were off-base by giving a writing award to Beyonce Knowles. While I am sure there are other professional writers who thought they might be considered for the award, we can’t presume that the woman who has sold millions of albums, toured the world non-stop for the last decade, been featured in multiple films and made thousands of appearances doesn’t have the ability to be an award-winning journalist in her spare time.
Here are some questions I’d like to ask the NYBJ about their decision to position Beyonce for the next Pulitzer Prize:
1) Did you see Beyonce’s open letter to Michelle Obama? Do you really think that the same person wrote both of these articles? The first sentence of Beyonce’s letter says, “Michelle is the ULTIMATE example of a truly strong African American women.” Is she writing TO Michelle or writing ABOUT Michelle? I really can’t tell in the first sentence.
2) Would Beyonce have gotten this award had she been a regular citizen and not a celebrity? Only you know the answer to that question.
3) You’re really convinced that a person who wrote one article, for one magazine, one time is better than every black professional writer in the country who does this every single day for a living? Perhaps those bums need to step their games up.
4) What’s in it for you? Many organizations give false awards to celebrities just to get them to show up for their events. The appearance of the celebrity grants publicity and instant credibility to the event. In this case, the strategy appears to have backfired.
5) What’s the procedure and who voted to give Beyonce this award? Did the entire organizational body vote for Beyonce or were all voting privileges given to a select group of people in a private meeting? Yes, that does make a difference.
I’ll admit that I’m a bit skeptical about the decision to give Beyonce an award for journalism. With all the celebrities, civil rights leaders and everything else hijacking the space once occupied by real journalists, one can hope that there can be a space that remains sacred and above the influence of peer pressure. But then again, perhaps next year, the Grammys will return the favor and give an award to Ed Gordon.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, “The RAPP Sheet: Rising Above Psychological Poison.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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Pretty N Pink
May 6, 2012 at 5:45 pm
just got her G.E.D.? WHEN? It was just what last month when she was at the Alternative school or did they just “gave” her that too?
Debbie Hicks
May 6, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Not sure why they would have given her this award. She is an Entertainer not a Journalist unless she got it for writing songs. People are always doing stupid a*s things.
Joyce Brown
May 6, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Who’s funding this organization and you’ll get your answer and more…
Shereen Hart
May 6, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I saw the “Gush Letter” to Michelle Obama, too. It wasn’t written very well and it was immature and juvenile; but black folk have gotten to the point where they accept substandard quality and let it go at that. It sounded like she was having some post-partum depression or was high on something when she wrote it and was just “having a moment.”
James Gibson
May 6, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Politics man…NY wants to push Beyonce as much as they can, and yes she did just get her GED…This is crazy man.
Shereen Hart
May 6, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Same thing as “urban” fiction. That stuff is the worst example of writing ever known to mankind, but I guess it gives the kids who write it something to do and the kids who read it something to focus on besides what’s important in life. But urban fiction is only fit for is a construction paper cover with hole punches and yarn to tie the pages together, not for an actual printing press.
Shereen Hart
May 6, 2012 at 1:43 pm
What is the deal? Are they gushing so hard, they’ve got to make up a way to be attached to her? The female isn’t even a decent entertainer, let alone a writer…GOOD GRIEF.
Kim Godfrey
May 6, 2012 at 1:12 pm
And they should have been! Didn’t she just receive her GED? Great message sent to our children. I wonder what how much the other journalist are laughing at them.