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That a public conversation could take place between two black men on a national platform that supportive, particularly given popular sentiment about black male homosexuality and/or transsexuals, who are murdered with impunity, was significant. To put a public face on a compulsion or preference that many people still don’t understand and to have that face be a Black male in hip-hop can do more to create tolerance than a thousand public service announcements.

If it were you – if you had to confess your most personal, most shameful secret in public – could you do so? Or would you be like other people in public life who will deny, deflect and dodge? It took enormous courage for Cee to face his own very personal demons live on the air to a hip-hop audience of millions.

Whatever you might feel about Cee, his choices or his life, he is at last free now to live as he chooses and hopefully to continue doing the job he loves. He says he’s in therapy and will apparently resume his 12 noon Monday through Friday and Friday night 8-10 p.m. radio shows. Tweets and posts to Cee, including some from other musicians and deejays like Spinderella, Hot 97′s website and Darden were overwhelmingly positive, but obviously hip-hop still has some growing up to do.

It remains to be seen if Cee’s ratings and reputation will take any significant hits. But the events of these past day suggest that the industry has taken at least a step in the direction of compassion and tolerance. Before you rush to judgment and despite what you may personally feel about his actions, imagine yourself, alone, facing the court of public opinion with your most private secret on display. Could you handle it? Cee has. Now let’s let the music play.

Will The Truth Set Mister Cee Free?  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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