“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
― Booker T. Washington
While many in the Black community whine and complain concerning their struggles in present American society, legendary educator Booker T. Washington clearly saw the value that life’s obstacles presented for us all, regardless of color more than 100 years ago.
“I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed.” Mr. Washington offers, “and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”
Despite such statements that leveled life’s playing field for all, last week’s article makes it clear that Black privilege, not White
privilege” is alive and well in America. With this in mind, there are yet those that push the limits of having such, ‘privilege.’
Cross Examined
Television personality and political pundit Tiffany Cross has been involved in media and politics for more than 20 years. While she was a regular guest on A.M. Joy and worked behind the scenes for years at both BET and CNN, It was during her time as the host of her own show, ‘The Cross Connection’ that she sparked the ire of those in
conservative circles as well as some of her liberal counterparts at her own boss, MSNBC.
During her brief but tumultuous tenure at the network, Cross seldom- if ever missed an opportunity to dive head-first into anti-White diatribes, race-baiting and mud-slinging commentary. After being privy to similar rhetoric from “the race lady” Joy Reid and her ilk, it would appear that there were no boundaries or lines in the
sand that MSNBC would not cross. Thus, it was a surprise for all on November 4th, 2022 (prior to the mid-terms) that her “Cross Connection” production staff was informed that Cross’s show was being cancelled and her contract was not being renewed.
This from Independentsentinel.com:
“A source confirmed that there were concerns at the network that Cross’s commentary, on the show and elsewhere, did not meet the network’s editorial standards. In an appearance on Charlamagne Tha God’s Comedy Central show on Thursday, Cross said Florida “literally looks like the dick of the country.”
Tiffany called Sen. Tim Scott a “token” and a “clown.” SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly also jumped into the fray, according to Mediaite.com:
“Megyn Kelly lambasted MSNBC host Tiffany Cross — calling her a “dumbass” and “the most racist person on television” — after she described the NFL’s handling of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion as an issue of race.
Kelly’s comments, on the Tuesday edition of SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show, came in response to Cross’s Saturday comments in which she called Tagovailoa’s continued participation in the game an example of the league’s disregard for the well-being of Black players.
“To see all these Black men crashing into each other with a bunch of White owners, White coaches, and the complete disregard for Black bodies and Black life,” said Cross.
“I mean, it just represents a larger issue.”
“He’s not Black. Hello? You dumbass, Tiffany Cross,” Kelly said. “She’s the most racist person on television. It’s amazing. Maybe she just doesn’t see color. Anyway, he’s
not Black, but according to her he is. Oh, and by the way, his coach isn’t White either.”
Why the Empty Seat?
According to Forbes.com, “Ratings performance—the most common cause of death for television shows—was not a factor in MSNBC’s decision to pull the plug on The Cross Connection, which aired Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. In the first quarter of the year, the show reported a 32% increase in viewership among viewers 25-54, the key demographic group valued by advertisers.
The show was part of a concerted effort by MSNBC to bring diverse voices to its programming, and Cross contributed to several cross-platform NBC initiatives on Black history and heritage. In February, Cross reported on her work to trace her ancestry, “highlighting the importance of American history, her personal family experience, and fighting against efforts to forget or rewrite the past.”
The “final straw” for Cross may have been her comments this week about Florida. Appearing on Comedy Central’s Hell of a Week with Charlemagne, Cross was asked which state Democrats could afford to lose in the upcoming mid-term elections. “Florida literally looks like the d—k of the country, so let’s get rid of Florida,” Cross said. “Let’s
castrate Florida.”
After urging Democrats to “pick up a weapon” against Trump supporters and declaring that (in reference to black politicians) “faces of color do not always mean voices of color”, Cross’s later sagging ratings were an indicator that the benefits of race card rhetoric are waning at MSNBC.
Without a doubt, Tiffany’s youthful good looks and witty repartee were not enough to ignore her taking consistent advantage of her “Black privilege”.
Fortunately for us, racist commentary from the likes of Don Lemon, and Jemelle Hill send a strong message. Its only a matter of time for the others, like Joy Reid and Al Sharpton.
I’ll wait- but I won’t hold my breath.
-Lawrence E. Johnson, Sr.
