I’ve always wondered what the phrase “Do the Right Thing” means to African Americans. This came up after seeing Spike Lee’s movie and also seeing Johnny Cochran use the phrase.
It sounds as if it means “Do the correct moral thing that you know in your heart is true” however I wondered if it is a phrase that among African Americans means “Do what is necessary to protect another member of your race even if it is morally wrong because we have to protect one another.”
When I saw Johnny Cochran tell the jury “Do the Right Thing” I always wondered if he was sending the message “Even if he is guilty he is another one of us and we need to protect him.”
Your thoughts?