Yo! The Series Finale of The Boondocks was #SNAPPIN

Okay, so Season 4 of The Boondocks was overall weak; I was upset when I heard Aaron McGruder had sold the rights to it and I was just about ready to #SNAP over it.  But I was a trooper--- I stuck with the show up to the final episode, entitled “The New Black”.

…I don’t know if I’m doing Aaron McGruder a favor or a greeeeaaat disservice by bringing this episode up.
But the lack of backlash/uproarious laughter lets me know the world wasn’t paying attention that fateful night which it aired.  Some levels of comic genius are truly too good for America’s viewing audience.  I won’t spoil it for ya, but I will give you the gist--- what do you do when the struggle for Black liberation and racial equality becomes yesterday’s news and the LGBT movement decides to exploit the Hip Hop generation to create a media circus? 

Simple:  you mobilize a movement for kids with special needs.

[insert angry, deeply offended crickets here]

…I know, right!  You can’t believe I just said it, I can’t believe I just said it.  But most importantly… I can’t believe that was the actual gist of the last episode of The Boondocks.  And I didn’t even spoil it!

Unlike you, however, while I was taken aback, I was also THOROUGHLY amused by this masterstroke of an episode.  Here’s the thing--- here’s why this beyond-offensive episode is so freaking brilliant.  Because, in schools across America, young Black kids have for decades been disproportionately and often falsely labeled as “special needs” at an early age.  For showing the same behavioral problems as some of their White counterparts, rather than being subjected to the proper disciplinary routes, they get put in “that class down the hall” so that they can be set aside from the rest of students and begin the paper-trail process that will keep them in environments that fall far below their education potentials for the rest of their school careers.  And Lord knows what that sets them up for post grade school...

So here’s the question:  where are THEIR advocates?  In this time where we can afford to march in the name of who we choose to lie down with (which, as Glory Johnson has demonstrated, isn’t necessarily a permanent state of being) , somehow we haven’t found the time to have marches to ensure that our special needs children have accurate diagnosis and adequate provision.  Emphasis on ‘accurate diagnosis’ because… well, you’ll just hafta watch the episode.

Now, I’m an educator myself, so I must say--- as an educator, the episode goes too far.  Tooooooo far.  I can’t even… I don’t even wanna TELL you how far yet; let’s just say, it went as far as a series finale of The Boondocks is supposed to go.  But at the same time, as a sociology study… I was absolutely enamored by the premise.  At the end of the day, I see why Aaron McGruder abandoned ship before the episode was shown--- there was no coming back after this one.  None.  And even as I say that ominously, I’m finding it nearly impossible not to laugh.  If you haven’t seen it already… ya probably better pray first.  It’s gonna be one of those soul-jeopardizing moments.

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