Who is a better black male role model?

[SpaceBrotha]

Hi Everyone,

Who do you think is the best black role model from star trek? Here is a list of what I could think of. Feel free to add to it if I missed anyone.

Benjamin Sisko
Geordi La Forge
Worf
Tuvok
Uhura

 

[A beaker full of death]

Hi Everyone,

Who do you think is the best black role model from star trek? Here is a list of what I could think of. Feel free to add to it if I missed anyone.

Benjamin Sisko
Geordi La Forge
Worf
Tuvok
Uhura

Wow. And here I really hoped we'd left racist things like this in the sad past. Way to pigeon-hole there.

 

[Kegg]

Benjamin Sisko is basically the only black male who deals with black identity at all - his interest in African art, the whole Benny Russell thing - so I'd say him.

Geordi, though, he could be black, white, Asian - his most important identity is that he's a nerd who can't get dates but is good with technology. So maybe a better nerd model, though I suppose it then follows he's a role model for black nerds. Or something.

Tuvok and Worf, however, are just aliens who are played by black actors, their race is largely immaterial to their characters. And Uhura's a woman, so I'm not sure why she'd be on this list.

 

[SpaceBrotha]

Hi Everyone,

Who do you think is the best black role model from star trek? Here is a list of what I could think of. Feel free to add to it if I missed anyone.

Benjamin Sisko
Geordi La Forge
Worf
Tuvok
Uhura

Wow. And here I really hoped we'd left racist things like this in the sad past. Way to pigeon-hole there.

I don't understand what is racist about this.

 

[Joshua Howard]

***Threadwide Intercom***

Perpare for emergency saucer separation... I'm sensing an imminent warp core breach. lol...

We started off by singling out black people, and now - at only post #3 - we dove off the sexist plank by suggesting that Ohura cannot be a role model because she is a woman. This is going to be interesting.

Moving on...

I'm going to assume that we are talking about black actors because of their ability to positively infuence the young African-American audience in a unique way. Personally, I am going to go with Warf, because he has a very strong personality and demonstrates both the need to preserve one's heritage, and the need to embrace a more refined edge. Nevertheless, as has been mentioned, Warf is not a character of African origin, which kind of messes up the dynamic.

 

[Mysterion]

Lando Calrissian.

 

[SpaceBrotha]

Thank you Joshua for putting it in those words. You are much more eloquent than I am.

I was leaning towards Worf as well. I like how he teaches his son to take the good part of his Klingon heritage as well as the good parts of the federation.

 

[Kegg]

at only post #3 - we dove off the sexist plank by suggesting that Ohura cannot be a role model because she is a woman. This is going to be interesting.

No, I'm just not sure why she would be considered a candidate for a black male role model. She is not a black male. Am I missing something here?

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Worf is a 'black' male....? Last I checked, I didn't have a lobster/football for a head, and I didn't smell like....um...'lilac'....nor have a taste for bloodwine...etc...etc..

Now, what if an Asian male wanted to look up to Sisko?

What if a white woman wanted to look up to Uhura?

What if a black male wanted to look up to Shran? Spock? The sexy Romulan Commander from TOS 'Enterprise Incident'...?

Why the hell are only 'black' characters singled out? Especially when this is geared towards a franchise that is supposed to break down barriers on sex, race, etc...etc...etc...?

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I'm kind of confused as to why people are questioning the validity of the OP's question. Nichelle Nichols was told by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. NOT to leave TOS because she was an excellent role model for young African American youths.

Why is it wrong to pose the question? All children need good role models, whether they are African American, Caucasian, Latino etc. Of course we would hope their parents would be good role models, but what is wrong with having good role models on television or in the movies?

I'm confused as to why anyone should question the OP's post.....

 

[T'Girl]

Benjamin Sisko is basically the only black male who deals with black identity at all - his interest in African art, the whole Benny Russell thing - so I'd say him.

Compare Sisko's relationship with his son vs Worf's. As a charactor, I like Worf better. As a role model for any male, Sisko the better choice.

This got me think that there's no strong latin or latina role models in any of the series, B'Elanna Torres/Roxann Dawson is a latina actress playing a non latina charactor. But there was the officer who spilled hot chocolate on Picard.

 

[Kegg]

I thought B'Elanna's human half was Latina? If that counts. Probably not, since most of her stories whenever they dealt with culture dwelt on the Klingon thing (really, to a cetain extent I think she's half-human just so they can have a Klingon female who isn't ugly lookin'.)

 

[Misfit Toy]

Hi Everyone,

Who do you think is the best black role model from star trek? Here is a list of what I could think of. Feel free to add to it if I missed anyone.

Benjamin Sisko
Geordi La Forge
Worf
Tuvok
Uhura

Wow. And here I really hoped we'd left racist things like this in the sad past. Way to pigeon-hole there.

Leave the "racist" speculation out of this. It's a question - that's all. Don't derail the thread.

 

[Joshua Howard]

No, I'm just not sure why she would be considered a candidate for a black male role model. She is not a black male. Am I missing something here?

You aren't missing anything. I was, for not correctly reading the thread title. My bad.

 

[Red Ranger]

Benjamin Sisko is basically the only black male who deals with black identity at all - his interest in African art, the whole Benny Russell thing - so I'd say him.

Compare Sisko's relationship with his son vs Worf's. As a charactor, I like Worf better. As a role model for any male, Sisko the better choice.

This got me think that there's no strong latin or latina role models in any of the series, B'Elanna Torres/Roxann Dawson is a latina actress playing a non latina charactor. But there was the officer who spilled hot chocolate on Picard.

T'Girl:

Agreed. We also have Robert Beltran, who is Latino, playing a Native American character, which, at times, conformed to some silly stereotypes about Native folks.

It really is too bad the writers didn't "flavor" B'Elanna's character with some Latin cultural aspects, like speaking Spanish, or, like Sisko, being cognizant of the history of one Latin ethnic group, say, Mexico. A missed opportunity.

Hi Everyone,

Who do you think is the best black role model from star trek? Here is a list of what I could think of. Feel free to add to it if I missed anyone.

Benjamin Sisko
Geordi La Forge
Worf
Tuvok
Uhura

Wow. And here I really hoped we'd left racist things like this in the sad past. Way to pigeon-hole there.

Leave the "racist" speculation out of this. It's a question - that's all. Don't derail the thread.

Beaker can't help it. His default emotion on any topic that doesn't conform to his world view enrages him. Pitiful, actually!

As for the O.P., I'd say Sisko. Certainly, Avery Brooks infused his character with "black pride," in his attempt to show a positive role model -- a committed father and generally pretty moral guy. Of course, the most obvious example of that was Far Beyond the Stars.

But if Kirk can be proud of his Iowa roots, and Picard can wax nostaglic over his French ancestry and love of his family's vineyards, why can't Sisko be proud of his origins? Origins like his New Orleans roots, or the racial history of his forebears, or have a keen interest in African artifacts?

This is what someone like a Beaker will never understand. Again, not surprising, given his narrow-mindedness on many topics.

RR

 

[Thestral]

But if Kirk can be proud of his Iowa roots, and Picard can wax nostaglic over his French ancestry and love of his family's vineyards, why can't Sisko be proud of his origins? Origins like his New Orleans roots, or the racial history of his forebears, or have a keen interest in African artifacts?

Not that I disagree with you, but I can't recall any great examples of Kirk being proud of his Iowa roots? Maybe it's because it's Iowa... what's in Iowa anyway?

 

[USS Triumphant]

My vote is for Admiral Cartwright.



No, really I'd probably have to say pretty much any of the main characters from any of the iterations of Trek, excluding everyone from Voyager (except Kim and Tuvok) and Quark.

 

[Hoshi_Mayweather]

I'm kind of confused as to why people are questioning the validity of the OP's question. Nichelle Nichols was told by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. NOT to leave TOS because she was an excellent role model for young African American youths.

Why is it wrong to pose the question? All children need good role models, whether they are African American, Caucasian, Latino etc. Of course we would hope their parents would be good role models, but what is wrong with having good role models on television or in the movies?

I'm confused as to why anyone should question the OP's post.....

I think Joel posed an answer to that question:

Worf is a 'black' male....? Last I checked, I didn't have a lobster/football for a head, and I didn't smell like....um...'lilac'....nor have a taste for bloodwine...etc...etc..

Now, what if an Asian male wanted to look up to Sisko?

What if a white woman wanted to look up to Uhura?

What if a black male wanted to look up to Shran? Spock? The sexy Romulan Commander from TOS 'Enterprise Incident'...?

Why the hell are only 'black' characters singled out? Especially when this is geared towards a franchise that is supposed to break down barriers on sex, race, etc...etc...etc...?

If you don't have a ridged cranium?

Hmm...

You don't have pointed ears, or slanted eyebrows do you, Joel?

j/k, my friend...

 

[DarKush]

I don't think you can really consider Worf, or Tuvok for that matter, since they are supposed to be aliens. But there's not really much contest between Sisko, Mayweather, and Geordi. The original Uhura is in a league of her own for being a trailblazer, but unfortunately, she wasn't given much to do. Back in the day, it was sort of groundbreaking to just be on the ship, but of course if GR had really wanted to be revolutionary he could've made Uhura more of an integral character in the decision-making on the ship. As for the new Uhura, she is certainly more assertive, but I was disappointed that she didn't play a larger role in decision-making as the film went on. She didn't get a hero moment, like everyone else, and I hope she just doesn't become Spock's 'occassional chocolate fantasy'. (In Living Color' Reference). I also think Guinan was little more than a glorified bartender, and perhaps something of a magical negro.

Sisko, hands down, was the most developed black character in all of Star Trek, and perhaps in just about most of televised or filmed sci-fi. And he was a character that didn't shy away from his black identity, he embraced it. He was pretty much 3-dimensional. Whereas, Geordi always felt undeveloped. And in the later movies he became pretty much background scenery. Mayweather got really shoddy 'development', which amounted to a few bones tossed his way, but never enough to overcome the token label.

I have no problem with whites, Asians, Latinos, or whoever looking up to Sisko. I still think there are problems in that area, but speaking as a black male I loved the positive, fully realized character Avery Brooks played. It was something I hadn't seen before and far too rarely since.

 

[Misfit Toy]

[Beaker can't help it. His default emotion on any topic that doesn't conform to his world view enrages him. Pitiful, actually!

As for the O.P., I'd say Sisko. Certainly, Avery Brooks infused his character with "black pride," in his attempt to show a positive role model -- a committed father and generally pretty moral guy. Of course, the most obvious example of that was Far Beyond the Stars.

But if Kirk can be proud of his Iowa roots, and Picard can wax nostaglic over his French ancestry and love of his family's vineyards, why can't Sisko be proud of his origins? Origins like his New Orleans roots, or the racial history of his forebears, or have a keen interest in African artifacts?

This is what someone like a Beaker will never understand. Again, not surprising, given his narrow-mindedness on many topics.

RR

We're not in the Neutral Zone - don't make comments like that about other posters, please.