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Do you ever hear stories like the one below and secretly pray...God please don't let these folks be Black? http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/09/06/fligh... Why do we as a people feel that we can't have normal human issues? Who are we hiding from/ trying to please? Do we breathe a sigh of relief if the perpetrators of crime, stupidity, or foolishness aren’t Black? Is this an issue we need to overcome (Why/Why not)?
Posted By: Dr. Ahmad Glover
Sunday, September 7th 2008 at 9:29AM
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Clark,
Is this a burden that we must always suffer?
When do we begin to judge Black folks...based on Black norms…without concern for what the mainstream reports? Why must we seek approval from the boogey man? When are we going to get it that we must set our own criteria for normality and turn a blind eye to what others think about us.
To be great you have to act, live, and think great. We do want greatness don’t we?
We don’t (I don’t) live our individual lives based on what others think or say about us. Our livelihood is based on what we each deem to be proper and normal for us as individuals. Why hang the “we need to fit in” cross around the neck of the group: Black in America family.
We are normal too...who cares what other groups think? I dare say that French-Americans or German-Americans don’t cringe when try hear stories about their people.
How do we live down the past and start anew...can we...should we?
Sunday, September 7th 2008 at 10:57AM
Dr. Ahmad Glover
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Unfortunately, this is a stigma we must live with and must continually try to overcome. The way we are perceived DOES matter a lot to all of us -- whether we think it or not. Especially now. I was just discussing yesterday how I never knew [outward] racism growing up; and wasn't until the internet where people hide behind computers and spew their racists thoughts did I realize there was as much. But guess what? Most people -- White, Latino, Asian, African, etc. -- form their opinions about from our behavior. We have no shame in public therefore it's perceived that we lack self-control and most of all -- SELF RESPECT. WE DISPLAY OUR ACTIONS TO THE WORLD for all to see and judged by them.
So, when stupid sh*t happens hell yeah I cringe. Or get angry. And it's more than silly things like the fight on JetBlue -- it starts w/the 5:30 news when after 400 years of living in the USA, there are still thousands of individuals who can't get simple first grade English together when a mic is put in front of them. Or in public places where they sound and act like goons. It SHOULD embarass us, and we SHOULD stop ignoring it and do something about it.
I know I've gotten called out a few times on this board from calling others out on their lack of edu-ma-cation -- but know that it's not done out of hatred but tough love, instead. I've read stuff online and responded kindly to their personal e-addresses only to be attacked back in mine. Black folk don't want to be corrected. So, I correct them publicly and if they dont "get it" maybe someone reading will.
I know I've gotten off subject a tad bit, that's just my rant for the day. Much needed topic, though, Doc.
Go Serena tonight!!! #1 AGAIN!!!
Sunday, September 7th 2008 at 12:53PM
Craig Amos
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Okay,
So I think I'm reading you guys right when I say this is part of the American experience. Being a member of a diverse country comes with its issues: like having to cringe when one of your own acts the fool.
So how can we use this to our advantage?
Can we use it in our favor?
Sunday, September 7th 2008 at 1:07PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover
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I think that we all hope that terrible scenarios don't involve black people, because negative images seem to be the MAJORITY of the things that are left to represent us as a whole. White people once said that all black people look alike, they probably still say it, and I think that there is a something inside of us that makes us believe that everyone who is not black will think that we will do the same things because we all look alike 'remember'.
I think that we can use our dislike of unpleasant appearances to our favor, because those of us who want to be recognized for our positive or productive accomplishments will do everything in our power to distance ourselves from a negative image and even outperform our lighter counterparts.
Sunday, September 7th 2008 at 4:14PM
Emmanuel Brown
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I do find myself thinking that at times when a violent crime is committed I would not want the suspect(s) to be black. I remember in Tucson years ago we had a very tragic crime on the East side of town (considered then to be sort of an upscale part of town) where Pizza Hut employees were brutally murdered. For weeks they could not find the people who committed the crime. However, during this time the conversation of the community had the people who committed the crime as gang related (nicer way of saying black men). When it was found that one white and one asian male were the ones who committed the crime, the town was upset.
I do feel that alot of black men do take the fall for alot of society's excuse for deviant behavior and to me that is just the tip of it, brothers have so much to watch out for and then try to just live, life. It is too much!!!!!
Tuesday, September 9th 2008 at 1:50PM
Cheryl Hendrix
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for me when i see something and i'm wishing that it's not a black person that's because we need as a people to get our minds and homes in order we do not have time to be committing crimes we have wasted alot of time trying to find our place in this world and it's not about fitting into someone elses mold of us it's about how we really want to live and we are not happy with the way we are living now so in order to move on to the life all of us want we need to be able to get along and we need to stop the senseless acts of violence we have so much more that we need to do and i'm a girl that grew up in the hood there are alot of people in the hood that are willing to fight like we use to just in a smarter and more organized way let's get this started i am tired of talking about what we need to do we need to start acting on some of the ideas we are having and i mean really acting like the men before us we can do this we have always been great at coming up with plans to get things done we have the same strengths as the men before us so we can get it done let's get to work
Wednesday, September 10th 2008 at 12:26PM
seletha james
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So what about the other side of this...when we hear good stories do we ever think:
Please let them be Black?
Why/why not?
Wednesday, September 10th 2008 at 12:37PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover
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