I wanted to title this racism amongst blacks but after looking at the definition of Racism i decided bitterness was a preferable term. Ever since emancipation, black people seem to find ways (sometimes real coy and creative) to go back to what our leaders fought hard and tirelessly to end - the bitterness and evil that slavery and the vile it brought. Through elitism, African-Americans have found a way to mark distinction or better to speak, distinguish themselves from fellow blacks. The idea that I am better then you because my skin is lighter, i make certain $ more than you and live in special zipcodes has possessed the minds of several blacks down to the youngsters of this generation.
Barely is this ideal perpetuated by white folk - the supposed founding fathers of the concepts blacks seem to adapt in daily life. The notion that the college black man is a lot better than the street hustler is a fact that is hurting to many. Perhaps blacks don't prefer each other because of the tarnished image some of us have bestowed on us? Wendy Williams much? Maybe being black comes with a price tag? After a certain $$ mark i become whatever race i wish, move to 90210 and denounce black? I don't think Gucci Mane would agree with that. Is one's level of education a criterion for distinguishing? Or is being black just simply a complexity of its own? I mean after dealing with the goons i see, am i expected to 'condescend' to "yeaa mah nigguh" - after 4 years of a degree? Simply a no-go. And for the blacks who can't afford being white, perhaps there is the option of creating borderlines between each other and laying the wild ducks loose on the base floor. Most of the black folk show their otherwise 'racist' allegiance through means they deem fit - joining white organisations etc. Condolezza Rice can explain. Who wants to deal with the loudness, ignorance and stupidity of these black folk when you can just hop on the bandwagon, tie your tongue a little bit and say "wohrterr" in place of "water"?
Black yuppies flock together, educated minds fiddle about seeking to pull from each other's pool. Offenders found floating on the opposite end are seen as having lost sanity moreso a sense of realism. The bottom line still remains, you don't see a PHD holding brother stroll down Park Avenue to 'chill' with his holmes. It's seen as taboo and more often than not there is a stigma attached to crossing lines that have been established. Such is similar on the opposite end, hood nig*as, thugs, hustlers etc all pride themselves in what they are known for and rather feel disregard when they are under-represented. How do we assess guilt of divide? The uppity folk or hood nig*as? The shanaenaes or the educated black women? Is there even a divide?
For a while I would find myself condoning the ignorance from certain, however in time i have learned to face the truth and mirror it clearly. Why distort a figure that is obvious and clearly seen? Do i hurl out foul words and throw ignorant signs alongside the street urchin just because we share a familiar skin color? Am i to debase myself along with all i know and stand for because a 'brother'..pardon me...a nig*a is in need? Sometimes I think to myself maybe this divide should be rectified, maybe the college black men need to show some love, appreciation and care for the otherwise less opportune black males. But sooner or later I'm proved wrong by a young black man granted an opportunity to go to school (finance etc) but chooses the path of the street. Is gang and violence the only 'fitting' pattern for blacks? There are other races that choose the very same path. The spotlight however is on blacks.
The divide
The line of divide cuts deep even amongst smaller socio-circles. In the educated realm there is the HBCU vs non-HBCU student -who's smarter? I'm receiving a white education, are you? Ivy-leagueians vs the rest of the world, the pattern keeps going farther and further. There must be more to this than meets the eye if we black folk will not rest till we have divided to the very threshold of our families. Maybe the whole rubbish of internalization is factual. It has so called been a problem that no one has been able to solve and over which many have despaired. Some patterns of internalized racism have become so familiar that we, ourselves, accept them as part of our "black culture." We attribute them to "the way we are."
Is this elitism realistic?
Well, college is better than jail. Education is better than roaming the streets. And a college graduate is financially, socially and more likely to be mentally, emotionally and possibly physically better than a non-graduate. So where does this become elitism? The very idea that one black man transcends another is the very factor of elitism. Elitism is found in every culture however, given the trials of the black man it is expected that the current plight of the black man can be understood in the many forms it may present itself.
Requiescat in pace
Am i bourgeois for acting proper? Thinking like a sane individual and selecting the individuals I relate, socialize and mingle with? Interesting, call it what you may, but the fact remains - we have lots of growing up to do as a people and I'll cross both fingers in severe hope for my people.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Wednesday, July 18th 2012 at 4:20PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
