Finally, BET...

Finally, BET is being responsible and taking charge of what is relative to the youth and chocolate folks living in 2009. Finally, the network is recreating platforms that mirror programs shown back in the day.

Remember Teen Summit? I recall getting up on Saturday morning, brushing my teeth and washing this brown face, and headed to the kitchen. I poured my Fruity Pebbles in the bowl, covered it with milk, and wrapped myself in a blankey to sit in front of the floor-model TV to watch Teen Summit. The show was so informative, and creative, and enlightening. There was no trace of hood rich flava or ghetto mess. The platform didn't include big butts in tight spandex, or brothers wearing baby-oiled chests with pants hanging to their knees. It actually had substance and helped to shape my growing mind at the time.

When that show ended some years ago, Cousin Jeff (with his beautiful self) came on the scene. He was the brother with the long locs, talking serious business. But, what did BET do with him? Put him on during the hours no one was at home. Like 11 p.m. on a Friday. Or at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Are you kidding me? They set the brother up for failure. He was too intelligent. Too real. Too much like right since Viacom took over.

But, now...now I am beginning to have a little bit of faith in the network again. Today I see Rocsi and Terrance dedicating the 106 & Park show putting the topic of domestic abuse on blast. Instead of showing full-length music videos, there are chocolate writers, psychiatrists, djs and vjs discussing this wide spread epidemic from A to Z. Today, I am proud of BET.

Since Chris and Rihanna's episode, I have been so incredibly angry at anyone who supports abuse. Ya'll know. I have been very upfront about it with you. People ask if I take it personally because it happened to me. But, that's not the case. No man has ever hit me or talked crazy to me. And if they did talk crazy, I got crazy back before I ended the 'ship. Yet and still I took it all personally. I am a "it takes a village" girl. I'm old soul and believe if one hurts, we all hurt. So you can imagine how outraged I became when reports surfaced that Ri linked back up with her attacker. I wondered where is her support system? Truth be told, I wanted to know why hasn't her dad or some male cousins put the fear of brimstone and fire into that boy???

Because of BET, I now see God's hand in this. It's on Extra. It's on Oprah. It's in Essence. It's on Ellen. This is opening the floor for my 9 year old inquisitive niece to ask the questions you hope you would never have to address until the teenage years. But, it's necessary. My family has been teaching her to love herself deeply and to appreciate her worth. Now the media is co-signing what we are depositing in her on the regular.

God used 2 high profile and influential young celebs to help heal a community. No longer angry or disheveled, I thank God for exposing this disease that infects 1 out of 3 teenage girls. The abusers won't have any place to run and hide. However, these shows are providing avenues for them to get help as well. The Christian in me says an abuser can be restored. I still need ya'll to pray for a sistah. I'm not all the way there yet.

But to think, I almost gave up on BET. There is hope. There is faith. There is charity.

Peace and so much love to each one of you...