Sometimes We Hold Our Ownselves Down

America has come a long way in the last 10 years. 10 years ago it would have been unthinkable for me and many other Americans Black or White to imagine a man who is half black becoming president of the United States of America. Or imagine an elegant black first lady as his wife. However in 2009 that dream became a reality. In the America of my childhood a black president was often talked about but reaching that goal seemed to be unimaginable. However in the America of 2011 it is a reality.

Is this dignified behavior?

So with these great achievements in mind, why is it that so many African Americans are still left or lagging  behind.With the prize hanging just before us, why do many of us still remain in a state of poverty, ignorance and violence? Why for many African-Americans is this still a reality? The answer may lie in the fact that many
black people find a comfort zone in these places and are unwilling to do what it takes to move ahead. Even if many of us do move ahead (i.e. gaining money, notoriety) we still want to take short cuts and get things easy. Many of us do not want to rise to the challenge and reach our highest potential.

For some black people it could be that they have internalized all of the negative and racist stereotypes forced upon and associated with black people. For many black people lazy, ignorant and violent behavior are the forces that make up black culture and black life in America. Instead of creating something that is dynamic and positive, many of us continue reinforce negative stereotypical behavior. Most of the black people who display this behavior have the capability to do and be better.

Many of us still want to hold onto negative behaviors that were the result of systematic racism and discrimination which kept us impoverished, underdeveloped and ignorant. Despite many barriers however those of us who wanted freedom, dignity, respect and better opportunities fought hard in order to get our rights. Some of us like Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X even paid with our lives. So why is it that even after all of the struggles and hard work of many African-Americans some of us take these things for granted?              


Although there are many good, kind and Christian white people in America who abhor racism and discrimination, there are many white people who would readily keep racism and discrimination going. Keeping racism alive prevents true and fair economic competition for jobs and wealth. For some white people who didn't grow up in a privileged class, discriminating against others gives them the opportunity to feel better about being the low man or woman on the economic totem pole in America. For some more privileged white people discrimination secures their position at the top and promotes the God complex mentality that many in their position desire to have.

Despite institutionalized racism, the relative newness of the United States coupled with the principles of a democratic republic gives African-Americans recourse to fight the system through public and legal channels. In order to take the higher road however and conquer the ignorance and evil of racism, African-Americans as a whole must hold ourselves up as exemplary paragons of dignity. This means constantly and consistently displaying highly moral, ethical, and high achieving behaviors. If we are to conquer the evils of racism and get our rightful share of the American dream we must stop celebrating behaviors that demean us, degrade us and negatively impact our communities.

Instead of reveling in sophomoric, juvenile behaviors that make us look like bafoons we must display true wisdom, maturity, intelligence and responsibility. We can no longer totally blame the past for our present failures. We cannot continue to indulge in immature parasitic behaviors that do nothing to advance our culture or civilization. If some people have a negative image of black people it is because many of us have given them that view through our own negative and low brow behaviors. It all or most of us are behaving as the paragon or real morality and true nobility than our detractors and enemies would be hard pressed to find negative images to perpetrate

The bottom line is we need to change our outlook. We must stop associating low class behavior with black culture and being black and embrace higher standards of behaving and living . We must temper our desires of
fun, riches, and enjoyment with hard work, higher learning, and civilization building. We must not shun education but embrace it as tool that will lift us out of our troubled predicament. By embracing and living the principles that God has set down for us we will elevate our image and leave a children a rich heritage and a fruitful legacy. .

Why do many young black men refuse to work?

"If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one."


— Carter G. Woodson (The Mis-Education of the Negro)

I am a black America female and the question that consistently plagues me is why so many younger black men refuse to work.  Many Black men from 35 years or younger refuse to do any kind of consistent and meaningful work these days. Of course this is not all. Could hip hop and the drug culture be to blame?

Additionally many of these young black men seem overly preoccupied with sex, smoking weed and laziness in general. They seem to have no idea that they have to make a living to sustain themselves. This goes from some young black men who live in the ghetto to some of those who live in the suburbs but have adopted ghetto thug culture.

This has greater repercussions for the black family. Without a strong male figure who works and helps sustain the family, black families are going to be continue to be headed by single females. Where did the black community drop the ball?

Racism is no longer a valid reason to excuse the actions of these men. Data shows that working black men make more than women. Many jobs are actively recruiting black males. Black men have greater legal recourse these days to fight discrimination. Additionally, gaining a higher degree of education can ensure greater success in the job market.

It now seems sad to me that the rights that many black people fought and died for during the civil rights movement are being casually thrown away by younger black males. The white supremacists no longer have to work hard to keep black men down, black men do it themselves.

Additonally black men cannot blame black women for their own lack of ambition and desire for success.

I think the problem is that too many young black men look at hip hop or sports as a viable way to make money. They look at these as an easy path to success and riches. The reality is that only a small percentage of black men will make it in these fields. Meanwhile fields like medicine, science, business and the social sector continued to see black men underrepresented.

Additionally for many of these young black male's ethics and honor are not high priorities on the top of their lists. Abusing women, selling drugs and being irresponsible seem to be the top priorities.  A lot of these young men are cheating themselves and setting themselves up to be imprisoned, homeless, dependent on the system and only having the potential to achieve a low standard of living. Political forces on both the left and right have made it a platform to put more black men of a lower income and educational level in jail. Many of the parents who are still around for some of these black men
How did things get this way?
It's time for the black community to get out of denial and raise strong, well educated black men that are committed to professional achievment, hard work and building strong communities.

Lazy, drug selling, drug taking black men bring down our communities and stall achievement in the black community. Yes we can be politically correct and keep blaming racism but that is all smoke and mirrors to cover up for the lack of many of the younger black males lack of commitment to hard work and recieving a good education.