A writer writes!
The past years image of Black Expo was stained by a few people seeking attention by causing disruptions among youthful crowds. The local media took advantage of the negative events by attempting to put anything bad that happened under the broad umbrella of Black Expo. One local station had even labeled one disruptive offender the "Black Expo shooter".
During this year's Expo there were no violent events that could be tied to Black Expo. Crowds were orderly, polite and best behavior was the norm. It was a good respite from violence that has periodically dotted the city this year. One of those recent events was the killing of a policeman several weeks ago. But this past weekend, everyone seemed to cooperate to give the city a well deserved break from the violence.
I hope the media wasn't too disappointed that they were not able to display on the nightly news, scary scenes of African Americans running wild in the streets as the media attempted several years ago. Instead the media had to go to plan 2 and show police continuing to attempt to keep beer drinking crowds under control in another part of town where no Black Expo activities existed.
One thing I noticed is that the streets were relatively empty of people on Saturday morning and evening. It seemed as if some people stayed away likely scared off by images the media displayed from past years. But, the crowds will return and Black Expo will continue to get better. Who knows one day we may have an Ethnic Expo in the city that combines all the cultural events that are now spread across the calendar year. Wouldn't it be nice to see an event that intermingles all that the various cultures have to offer and display? It could be an event held under one roof with all ethnic food vendors grouped together. Businesses selling various wares could be grouped together also. It is the logical evolution and the next step to bringing a more cohesive awareness to the various cultures of this world. Then we would have streets crowded and people learning about other cultures. Maybe one day....
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