Ricky L. Jones

Contributing columnist

I recently reflected on a visit to an Islamic mosque some years ago. No, I’m not a Muslim (not that there is anything wrong with that before some readers start judging). I went because the mosque’s leader extended a kind invitation. It was a remarkable experience. The venue and service were both spartan. There was no huge choir, flamboyant minister of music, hooping, shouting, speaking in tongues, fainting in the aisles or dance ministry. There was little one would expect to find at a typical gathering of black religious folk.



A small crowd of Muslims, community people and children were on hand — probably no more than 40 or 50. And then there was the minister. He was masterful! The truth and strength of his message thundered forth and cut like a blazing sword. He spoke on struggle, leadership, community, politics and divine cosmology with the ease most people recount the details of a routine weekend date. He wove tales of Moses, Saul, David (one of my favorite characters) and others into a beautiful tapestry deftly relating them to the happenings of today. I left the mosque happy. “What an educator he is,” I thought. “Why won’t more people come out to listen to this brother?”



Of course, the answer was obvious. Beyond the fact that he belongs to the “wrong” religion, this minister’s approach was one that emphasized education — not entertainment. No entertainment, no people. Sad, but true. It is truly amazing how enthused America’s citizenry is about entertainment – even in our religious ceremonies. In some respects, the celebrations are nice, understandable and needed. One cannot perpetually think about politics, marginalization and pain. It is too stressful and, eventually, overwhelming. Our problem is many people do not just take breaks, they have completely succumbed to apathy and disconnected altogether.

Disturbingly, entertainment (and the socio-political anaesthetization that comes with it) have become the order of the day. In the post-modern age, people aggressively dedicate themselves more to buying the “right” clothes, purses and shoes, going to the best parties, attending the largest churches and staging the most popular social gatherings than trying to resolve our country’s troubling issues. As Rome declined, its citizenry was also numbed by hedonism, games and shallowness. Will our empire suffer the same fate as we pleasure ourselves and glorify empty celebrities, but refuse to wrestle with economic, political and cultural problems?

The return of NBA basketball this week provides another example that highlights the entertainment vs. education conundrum. Years ago, PBS personality Tavis Smiley offered an annual “State of Black America” forum at different sites across the country. Smiley’s event brought some of the country’s foremost intellectuals and socio-political figures together to discuss America’s problems and possibilities. The timing and location of the 2003 gathering in Detroit created an interesting opportunity to conduct a small experiment.



During the same weekend, the NBA All-Star Game was played in my hometown of Atlanta. One could certainly argue that, in the big picture, Smiley’s conference was the more important of the two events. Beyond that, Louisville (my “work home”) is almost equidistant from Detroit and Atlanta. Therefore, it could also be hypothesized that, ideally, a decent number of folks would attend Smiley’s affair as well as the All-Star festivities.

More:Most black athletes are not prepared for this brawl | Ricky Jones

More:Confederate monument supporters are the ones really sanitizing history | Ricky L. Jones

Unsurprisingly, when prompted, many people excitedly inquired if I was “going home” for All-Star weekend. Many of them were making the trip themselves, though virtually none were actually attending the game (like the Kentucky Derby, most people are more concerned with the parties surrounding such gatherings than attending the sporting events). They all were traveling 400-plus miles to Atlanta ... to be entertained. I stopped counting after 30. Sadly, only one person was heading to Detroit. Given, my sample size was small, but it seems safe to say that entertainment won again. Smiley eventually ceased offering his forum in 2010 citing waning interest.



Almost a decade and a half later, I would wager the disconnection from public affairs has grown worse, not better. In 2003, no one could imagine a more incurious and incapable president than George W. Bush. Good ol’ “W” now seems like a Godsend when compared to our country’s current leadership. To be sure, everyone needs an outlet, but we must never allow the allure and escapism of entertainment to prevent us from paying attention to the real issues pressing our country against the wall. Plato was right – that type of apathy has a price and we are now paying it. To flip Claude McKay’s immortal poem “If We Must Die” on its head, we are dying ... but not fighting back.



Until next time, stay strong, have no fear, stand on truth and do justice. Most importantly, do not leave the country in the hands of fools (IF we survive the current set).



Dr. Ricky L. Jones is Chair of Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. He is the host of “The Ricky Jones Show with 12 Mr. FTC” on 93.1 The Beat FM and iHeart Radio. Visit him at www.rickyljones.com. His column appears every third Thursday in the Courier-Journal.

More:'I write about race because...We are not your slaves!' | Ricky Jones