People hatin’ on Bernie Mac in death, how will his legacy be remembered?

–Anton, Gary, IN

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Sugar’s Take

People gon’ say what they wanna say, that’s with anything you do. Because entertainers are in the public eye, their every move is open to public scrutiny. It’s very easy to talk about Mr. Mac’s cussin’ and vulgarity, but very difficult to see his evolution. He went from doing comedy on the train in Chi town to having his own FAMILY television show. And you know white folks ain’t in the business of giving too many black folks their own show. Bernie Mac is no different than Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Red Foxx or Flip Wilson in that he told his story with no edits or softeners. Yeah, he got his major start with Def Comedy Jam, a show known for being raunchy at times. But what gets me… is that critics are looking to shows like Def Comedy Jam for clean, wholesome material. I believe if you listen closely to any of Mr. Mac’s routines you can hear the wisdom of the ancestors between the cussing. Plus, if folks ain’t hatin’, it just ain’t livin’. Rest in peace Mr. Mac….rest in peace.

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Ed’s Take

Peace Brother Anton,

Whenever someone passes, especially someone in the public eye, the media often has selective amnesia when it comes to the presentation of their life story. Whoever writes history controls the snapshot readers and viewers are given.  But Bernie Mac’s legacy will live on like the cool uncle droppin’ science at the family reunion clutching a velvet Crown Royal bag, old school heads schoolin’ young cats at the barbershop, and grandfather’s imparting wisdom over Sunday dinner.  Like any great blues purveyor, Brother Mac’s genius was turning everyday blues and blue collar pain into therapeutic laughter.  He will be remembered for his work ethic killin’ audiences in Chicago based clubs in the 70′s to becoming a bankable superstar beloved by supporters transcending race, class, or age. He will be remembered for his honesty, deep humanitarian efforts, and ability to make us laugh at our own absurdity.  Just as Shakespeare seasoned his tragic plays with comic relief, Brother Mac, like Moms Mabley, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin, provided a side splittin’ window to examine human flaws. The comedic rebel earned a place in our hearts being the only thing he could; himself.  {/column2}

Got a question; email us at askedandsugar@afrostoshelltoes.com.

About Sugar Between catching the uptown train to conduct “we luv the kids” writing workshops to dancing rumba on the lower eastside, Sugar Johnson flaunts his creative freedom in various mediums. The actor, vocalist, and educator have not only shared the stage with prolific artists such as The Last Poets, M-1 of Dead Prez, Jessica Care Moore, and Spike Lee, but he also labors to cultivate the forgotten souls of Rikers Island. Johnson made his film debut in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. The ASCAP member holds a B.A. in Mathematics from DePauw University and will release the poetry collection Food Clothes and Shelter on his imprint Home Grown Publishing, LLC in 2008.

About Ed Award winning writer, educator, counselor, and activist Edward M. Garnes, Jr. is the founder of From Afros to Shelltoes: Art, Action, and Conversation, a nationally acclaimed series of cultural productions confronting the social divide between elders and hip hop heads, and holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and a M.A. in Counseling from Michigan State University . His seminal essay, ” Sweet Tea Ethics: Black Luv, Healthcare, and Cultural Mistrust,” currently appears in Not In My Family: AIDS in the African American Community, a 2007 NAACP Image Award nominated collection edited by Gil Robertson. (www.afrostoshelltoes.com).

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