Black People : White America Doesn't Know Us

[Queenie]

Why is the fear of blacks held so tenaciously in this country? For many whites, crime wears a black face. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, black males have a 29% chance of serving time in prison at some point in their lives; white males have a 4% chance. Almost one in three young black males between the ages of 20 and 29 is under some form of correctional control compared with one in 15 young white males and one in eight young Latino males.

But these statistics don't tell our whole story. The numbers don't represent who we are. The message that black America is deteriorating and dysfunctional is transmitted every day. But what's not transmitted is the truth about black America: Every young black male walking down the street is not armed and extremely dangerous. Every dark-skinned man is not a thief, a thug, a crack head or an ex-con; all of our communities are not ghettos; every black woman pushing a stroller is not a single mom on welfare; there are black men and women who work every day and earn an honest living and black children who can read cohesively, write persuasively and analyze deductively.

The myth is that all Americans are welcomed and protected on these shores and that this country tolerates diversity. Despite the end of legal segregation, a sense of our positive identity is lacking. The "black only" and "white only" signs are down, but our skin color still creates negative attitudes, rigid fears, distorted beliefs and misconceptions.

White Americans are afraid of us because they don't know us. They don't know our capabilities, our achievements, our versatility. They don't know about our integrity, our self-determination, our entrepreneurships and quest for higher education. They don't know we have assets, inventions, investments and we do more than hip-hop, dunk, rap and commit crimes.

The author of this article (the link to the entire article is below), believes that "we must seek to dispel the negative stereotypes that create this fear and denigrate our image. Until we do this, racial harmony might not be achieved. We can push for new laws, but laws change policies, not attitudes." But my question to the reader is, is it the responsibility of African Americans to seek ways to dispel negative stereotypes or is it the responsiblity of White Americans to take it upon themselves to realize the untruth about the lies? Who creates the stereotypes and with whom does the burden rest with the responsiblity to dispel them?

Peace,
Queenie

Source: http://www.commondreams.org/views/031800-104.htm

 

[MrBlak]

I m not from the States, but the experience is similar. This is just a short answer and I will come back to this interesting discussion:

I learned while growing up and to this day, that there will always be two types of white people....those that judge a black person based on how they actually see them acting, and those who stereotype. We can go all out of our way to create ourselves as what we THINK a white person may see as a "safe" or "good" negro, but no matter what, you will ALWAYS find large groups of them that fear us. Also, we lose part of ourself in trying to change our ways to put them at ease. It is not our duty to put them at ease---it is THEIR job to not be so ignorant as to fear us all. If you as a black person are living right.....to hell with what any of them think. I used to get upset when they would cross the street.....but by the time I was a teenager, I could care less because that meant that they were ignorant and for that they deserved to sweat a little. It aint our fault if they are gonna be that way. We should concentrate on those white who know how to act and not waste time worrying what any of the other think.

MrBlak

 

[happy69]

I think that it is time for Us to give up the ghost Queen.

It is time for Us to stop chasing the pipe....dream that is.

I don't believe that White people fear Us, or don't know Our history (then again, there are African-Americans who don't know Our history so).

I think that this is a game that had played out long ago. It is a mechanism that they Use to keep Us confined in a little box, and make themselves feel better about all the heinousness that they create and cause; And keep Us on edge and always fighting the battle for their sanity.

We can no longer continue any kind of progress, if We keep playing the dupe in this little game. If they are afraid, let them be. If they don't know just how many of Us are surviving and entering every realm in this society...that is their business and still a good thing that can be used to Our Advantage.

Just as We must stop living and doing the things that serve as hinders to Our Survival-We must stop battling for theirs. This, to me, would be Us placating the mental illness of the KKK and that is destructive.

Except for very very specific instances, We should not even discuss them at all...every time We feed into them, and don't pay attention to Ourselves, We are serving White Supremacy.

Time For Us To Take Off The Hoods.

 

[kente417mojo]

I agree with Happy. I think that White America is well aware that we are capable of great things, but they do keep us right where they want us. They make it so that most of us believe that the only way to make money is rap, play ball, sing or sell drugs. That's right where they want us. That way we do not venture off into their domain and try to take over and make something for ourselves. They'll give us one chocolate chip, if they can have the whole cookie. As long as it keeps us quiet. That's what we do too. We keep ourselves trapped doing one or two things. In a way that means they do fear because they know if we ever snap out of it we'll be able to catch up and this won't be as much of a white dominated world. We feed into this and help them by not getting educated and by playing into the stereotypes.

True Blak, it is definately sad that people can be so ignorant. Anyone that listens to stereotypes regarding any race is a fool. I never try to change for white peoples sake. I mean, I'm not one to act like a thug, or wear my pants sagging, but it's not to be accepted by White America. They are the least of my concern. I mean, they're going to see you how they want to see you anyways, so be yourself. They have their minds made up most of the time that they are better than us anyways, so leave them to their ignorance.

 

[vj57]

I agree with Happy. I think that White America is well aware that we are capable of great things, but they do keep us right where they want us.

VJ's rebuttal: Oh really? No one has ever kept me from having what I want. No white person has control over me or my destiny.

They make it so that most of us believe that the only way to make money is rap, play ball, sing or sell drugs. That's right where they want us. That way we do not venture off into their domain and try to take over and make something for ourselves. They'll give us one chocolate chip, if they can have the whole cookie. As long as it keeps us quiet. That's what we do too. We keep ourselves trapped doing one or two things. In a way that means they do fear because they know if we ever snap out of it we'll be able to catch up and this won't be as much of a white dominated world. We feed into this and help them by not getting educated and by playing into the stereotypes.

VJ's rebuttal: Come on now. White people don't have no domain that they can keep me out of. I don't fear them at all. And me and mine are not uneducated. I have two kids in college. Black people chose their destinies, nobody takes them there. Many of us chose to have negative behaviors, dealing drugs, having a bunch of out of wedlock children, killing each other, etc.

True Blak, it is definately sad that people can be so ignorant. Anyone that listens to stereotypes regarding any race is a fool. I never try to change for white peoples sake. I mean, I'm not one to act like a thug, or wear my pants sagging, but it's not to be accepted by White America. They are the least of my concern. I mean, they're going to see you how they want to see you anyways, so be yourself. They have their minds made up most of the time that they are better than us anyways, so leave them to their ignorance.

VJ's rebuttal: Personally, I don't care about the thoughts of white people. They either accept me or they don't. And I'm 100% convinced that I personally am just as good as they are. I don't feed into "they are superior to me" - never have and never will. If I have to get on them, I will do so. My nights are not sleepless worrying about white people or what they think of me.