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And many have proven that they have not forgotten. Mary J. Blige formed a foundation to help young women rebuild their self-esteem and regain their place in society. U2’s Bono and Bobby Shriver launched a great effort with their (Product RED) campaign which united Corporate America, the entertainment industry and every day consumers; allowing everyone to play a part in the fight against AIDS in Africa. These are just a few of many celebrities who have chosen causes to champion.
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Reflections
© THE URBAN NETWORK 18 VOLUME 19 NUMBER 8
BY MARILYN A. BATCHELOR
For the past five weeks, we’ve been glued to ourtelevision screens, watching the earthquake dis-aster in Haiti. It seems unfathomable that acountry could be destroyed to this magnitude.
When Californians think about the Northridge quake in themid-90s, we envision bridges and streets in need ofrebuilding, rattled cabinets with broken dishes or cracks inthe foundation of a home. California is a large state andthe United States is even larger. It is difficult to imaginean earthquake that would destroy us from WashingtonState to California, Rhode Island, Florida and all inbetween. How about the notion of it collapsing The WhiteHouse?
This is the life of our Haitian brothers and sisters in, andaround its capital, Port-au-Prince.
In the entertainment world, there is a different type of rum-bling and rattling, but it comes in the form of the SuperBowl and the Grammy Awards. It’s the life we live, whenworking in the entertainment industry. These experiencescreate this bipolar world – or a foot in two worlds. SinceHollywood creates a land of fantasy, does it mean that welose touch with the world’s devastations and tragedies??Does it mean we don’t see the problems surrounding us?What we were taught as children never leaves us.Sometimes it’s in a coma. Nonetheless, it’s still there. Wedon’t forget.
I remember how difficult it was to explain to my familyexactly what I did for a living. Some friends accused meof being on an extended vacation when I left for workeach day. My mother said I did marketing. But I knewshe didn’t know what that meant on a daily basis. Mygrandmother told friends I worked at a record storeinstead of a record label. With such a lack of understand-ing of what we do, our benevolent efforts are even moresurprising to the general public. The predisposed thoughtsimply we are absent from reality. However, this can onlyhappen if we forget who we are.
Sure, there are some who only care about making money,buying as many toys as possible and flossing for anyonewho’ll notice. But I’d like to believe that the comfortablelifestyles and salaries for up and coming and high-levelexecutives would not overshadow the consciousness ofpeople who have endured the worst of times (slavery).
And many have proven that they have not forgotten. MaryJ. Blige formed a foundation to help young women rebuildtheir self-esteem and regain their place in society. U2’sBono and Bobby Shriver launched a great effort with their(Product RED) campaign which united Corporate America,the entertainment industry and every day consumers;allowing everyone to play a part in the fight against AIDSin Africa. These are just a few of many celebrities whohave chosen causes to champion.
In 2008 and 2009, I had the opportunity to go to Haiti, working in anorphanage as a mission effort. They were life-changing experiences.To find children looking like six years old were actually 21 or face thefact that these children had nothing they could claim as their own,was saddening. They had no parents, no clothes (all was shared),shoes, toothbrushes, toothpaste and a washcloth. These itemswere considered special gifts. They wanted to go home with us andit was heartbreaking to leave.
Once we fed babies at Mother Theresa’s Sisters of Mercy or playedFrisbee with children on the playground who never possessed a toy,my identity returned. I wasn’t a music marketing executive/special-ist. No one cared how many Super Bowls and Grammys I hadattended. In fact, what was a Grammy, an Oscar or a Golden Globeto them? These children simply needed more hugs and the feelingthat someone cared about them.If there is ever a time when any of us think we may be slipping awayinto the world of make-believe, just remember what is really impor-tant and go back to the place that keeps us grounded – home.
Marilyn A. Batchelor is an entertainment and corporate marketingexecutive and ordained pastor in the Methodist church. She can bereached at [email protected]
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