Even
after being emancipated from slavery hundreds of years later, African-Americans have
been awkwardly displaced in this country as if they were a secondary
people. Still, society uses their very essence to define almost every
nuance of America. Think about it... Every major business market can credit their
success on their ability to exaggerate trends started in the African-American sector as being
the primary catalyst for their success.
Sports attire, fashion labels, car manufacturers, beverage companies, restaurant chains, music and even tobacco companies base their success on trends that commonly begin within minority communities. If you own a business in America and want it to be considered "cool", just give free items to a hip hop mogul, have a sports mogul flash your logo, or use the solid, baritone voice of an African American male to offer a rugged certainty and sense of security to your motto.
If African-Americans wear it, drive it, drink it, or give it a nickname, then America jumps on board and endorses it. Cadillac, Nike, and Mickey D's have all relied on the black dollar to keep their profit margins "in the black". However, when it is time to "pass the Courvoisier" back into our neighborhoods, none of these multi-million dollar companies offer visible support in minority sectors.
Modern television sells the impression of being "hip" to everyone as if it is "the thing to be" for everyone. However, when African-Americans portray these same attributes off screen, our own ethnicity is looked down upon and publicly ridiculed. In essence, it is "ok" for everyone else in America to have a "black man's swagger" except black people.
If you don't believe me, turn on any movie and count how few black actors might be in a movie, but still, the soundtrack is full of black music. In many instances, when a point is to be made, the actors' dialogue is freckled with urban vernacular. Most "punch lines" can be traced back to sayings that were made popular by African-Americans.
My question is this: "Who lied to my people and told us that we ALWAYS have to be the most animated part of every joke?" Am I crazy or have you seen examples of "who you are" improperly portrayed" on television screens across America? Or, are these just the rantings of a one-sided argument?
Sports attire, fashion labels, car manufacturers, beverage companies, restaurant chains, music and even tobacco companies base their success on trends that commonly begin within minority communities. If you own a business in America and want it to be considered "cool", just give free items to a hip hop mogul, have a sports mogul flash your logo, or use the solid, baritone voice of an African American male to offer a rugged certainty and sense of security to your motto.
If African-Americans wear it, drive it, drink it, or give it a nickname, then America jumps on board and endorses it. Cadillac, Nike, and Mickey D's have all relied on the black dollar to keep their profit margins "in the black". However, when it is time to "pass the Courvoisier" back into our neighborhoods, none of these multi-million dollar companies offer visible support in minority sectors.
Modern television sells the impression of being "hip" to everyone as if it is "the thing to be" for everyone. However, when African-Americans portray these same attributes off screen, our own ethnicity is looked down upon and publicly ridiculed. In essence, it is "ok" for everyone else in America to have a "black man's swagger" except black people.
If you don't believe me, turn on any movie and count how few black actors might be in a movie, but still, the soundtrack is full of black music. In many instances, when a point is to be made, the actors' dialogue is freckled with urban vernacular. Most "punch lines" can be traced back to sayings that were made popular by African-Americans.
My question is this: "Who lied to my people and told us that we ALWAYS have to be the most animated part of every joke?" Am I crazy or have you seen examples of "who you are" improperly portrayed" on television screens across America? Or, are these just the rantings of a one-sided argument?
Help me out; this is just ONE Man's Opinion...What is yours?
I completely agree.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point(s) of view.
ReplyDeletegood article
ReplyDeleteI agree and what's more important is when will America apologize (including compensation) for hundreds of years of enslaving our people and raping our daughters in the process?
ReplyDeleteI sincerely believe that the mental crippling of the American society depends on the stereotypes that they have created.
DeleteThink about it; black people do not consume any more chicken and watermelon than our Asian counterparts; yet, those foods are synonymous with our culture instead of theirs. Black men are largely unemployed and seen as lazy; yet, imprisoned black laborers built the roads and railways that stemmed the growth of our nation during the Industrial Revolution. News broadcasts across our country continually project only the negative images of the inner city; however, no one covers the graduation ceremonies of thousands who enter the workforce each year with degrees from HBCUs.
What we must realize is our truths have been compartmentalized so that others can feel justified in their mistreatment of our race. America has created stereotypes that ease the consciousness of “the powers that be” and make it easier to deny the humanity of our race. We; therefore, must become stewards of our own perceptions. I have blogged about this in some capacity before. Read http://www.seancrobinson.com/2012/05/free-your-mind-challenge-some-things.html and share your thoughts...
The root word in reparations is “repair”. Once we begin to repair the social ills perpetuated against us, then “reparations” would become a more digestible conversation… As long as we buy in to the stereotypes, we silently align ourselves with mental oppression. Think about it, Asians do not buy into the stereotypes about their culture, nor do Hispanics or Jewish communities. By removing the might of ill-perceived stereotypes, they maintain a standard. Somewhere along the line, we started believing the lies and breathed life into them. Now, we have to revive our consciousness and thrive as a people once more!
Excellent points! I would also add that African Americans are Predominantly a group of reactionaries, going back to our roots in America. Although, to your point, it is not heavily publicized but because we were not aloud (by laws of the land) to participate in the "American Dream" we were forced to create our own. We built churches (many of them were burned down), schools (many were destroyed), our on commerce, our on style (to have them stolen by the majority as though own), etc. I agree that what will continue to harm us are the lingering effects of low race esteem, i.e., the Uncle Tom and Aunt Tomosina syndrome. There are still those amoung us that don't have the courage to stand with us because they are simply affraid to "upset Masa". Thank those of us who "get it".
DeleteThe mass media does not want to show the side of African Americans that we all know exist for the majority of us. We get up everyday, often times against incredible odds, trying to do the same thing as most of the world, simply survive for ourselves and our families.
Actually, I look at the cultural irregularities and try to reason with myself as to why these things exist in our neighborhoods.
DeleteHave you ever seen a mother belittle her child when he/she is praiseworthy and wonder why?
Think about the fact that the smarter, more agile, stronger children were often taken away from their mothers for hundreds of years during the slave trade. As a natural parenting instinct, slave mothers who wanted to keep their families together would only speak poorly of their children although they wanted to praise them. If they spoke highly of them or if they were seen as smarter, faster, or stronger, the slave masters saw more work, more money, and capital gain from their “stock”. Naturally, we learned to belittle one another as a way of securing family ties; not destroying them. However, this learned behavior now has no place in modern day society but old habits are hard to break.
Have you ever wondered why we speak in slang / broken English? Slaves would sing songs that would tell each other where to meet, what time to be there, and what was happening after the master went to the “big house”. Many Negro spirituals are actually songs about running away, secretly meeting, or relying on the strength of others. Much of the colorful language we continue to use is “our own language” and it keeps others around us from knowing what we are saying – just long enough for us to accomplish a new goal. These colorful terms continue to change because (once they become mainstream) we have no use for them.
Have you ever wondered why we are so spiritual? Melanin connects us to the earth’s biorhythms and science has proven that the darker you are the more “in sync” you are with everything around you. It wasn’t until the Vietnam War that scientists discovered the fact that the pineal gland grows and continually functions in darker skinned people across the globe. In Euro-Americans, this same gland calcifies around the age of 12. The melanin produced by this gland is the key of life. It connects us to a harmony no one can feel. It makes us one with the earth and its movements. All of our senses are heightened and we have access to that mystical “third eye” that allows us to connect with the God within us. Although our ancestors were forced to denounce their religious beliefs, the umbilical cord that connects our spirituality was never severed. No matter what you call your Messiah, the message remains the same. From Egyptology to modern-day Christianity, our ability to CONNECT with the spiritual truths defy the boundaries of a singular religion. Our very essence is spiritual. Our connectivity allows us to persevere against incredible odds. When we are at our lowest, we still show our best. Sometimes, I just look around and say, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last”. It is amazing how much prophecy is in the simplest of sayings we grew up with…
So, I do not believe us to be reactionary. I believe that we are still “in the dark” about who we truly are. America has changed our identity repeatedly throughout the years as a way of keeping us from realizing that the Moors who traveled the world actually came from Africa. They taught math, science, astrology, and written language to the Greeks, Asians, Jews, and Hebrews. The Negro went to Spain and taught them painting, art, music, and more. The Blacks went north and spread education throughout Europe by establishing Universities for higher learning. The Coloreds built America’s roads and highways, railways and skyscrapers and only asked for respect in return. Now, the African-American is taught slivers of his past in the history books of America; yet, we rise to be capable of so many deeds that – by all rights – should elude us.
Reactionary? No. I say resilient. America media only shows you the negative but, every day, I have the honor of looking at my own family and seeing nothing but generations of “grace under pressure”…
Great points as usual. Is it also time to ask why we continue still believe the lie, and participate in its perpetuation?
ReplyDeleteStephen
Stephen,
DeleteAs you and I are aware, there is a level of comfort that comes with complacency. Some people have been pacified into a "group think" mentality that begins to make it plausible to accept lies as truth and inaction for action. Many others feel secure in their stance in society and; therefore, choose not to upset the "status quo" and risk their tangible achievements being taken away from them. The only way we can ever combat ignorance is with awareness.
For those of us who are enlightened, we must fully embrace the idea of “each one, teach one”. We must pose questions where there are none, we must educate the youth as to their true heritage, we must teach the history that is NOT taught in schools. Only then can we truly compete on a larger scale. If we are aware, then we begin to make conscious decisions.
I encourage you to enlighten others and think outside the box. Remember, the truth is rarely hard to find; we must, first, be willing to seek….