The way that black cultural output is reviewed has been as problematic as black representation in mainstream media. However, there are numerous benefits to black people’s visibility when we express our opinion on media that has black experiences in mind. Not only is there an effective way to do this, but with the pendulum swinging back towards the Black Renaissance of the late 80s and early 90s, it’s more important than ever that we establish our perspectives as an authority to be consulted when it comes to our experiences.
An environment of scarcity and precarious creative conditions for black media producers can make us feel compelled to either positively review, or decline to comment on black cultural content. We don’t want to be “the hater” critiquing the efforts or success of content featuring black experiences.