Kudos to Will Smith

I just wanted to praise rapper/actor Will Smith for taking a stand on the influence tough “gangster” rappers have on Black youth, and the call for rappers to understand their power as role models and the need for more positive messages in rap songs. Smith has taken a hit by certain Black radio stations that won’t play his latest songs, perhaps because, as he states in some lyrics, he is not “black enough” if he doesn’t talk about violence or other thuggish themes. It is encouraging to see high-profile and well respected African-Americans such as Smith and Bill Cosby (who was just featured on Nightline) trying to bring attention to several problems in inner city America. Perhaps it is a naïve mission on their part, but if it helps perpetuate progress in individual homes and communities, and if a few lives are saved (in both the literal and figurative sense), the more power to them.