Manning Up

Black people face a lot of challenges in today’s world. Advancing themselves and uplifting their communities while dealing with personal demands and institutional prejudice place quite a strain on individuals. Tragically Black males have been frequently known to get involved in criminality, drugs and gender based violence. This comes out of a culture of toxic masculinity that has normalised both misogynistic and anti-social behaviour.

It needs to be acknowledged that too many young Black males are overly invested in living out a ‘gangsta’ fantasy. It is so bad that a majority of them are so committed to it that they can’t see any reason why it isn’t a viable life choice. If you add the lack of any real ambition outside of making quick money, and toxic masculinity to the equation; we are now dealing with a young underclass that cannot see the potential of a big blue sky and instead is settling for a hole in the ground. 

The double whammy of materialism and violence has had a detrimental effect on Black families and women. Not only is the behaviour of Black males devastating domestic family life, it is also tearing apart the community fabric that Black people have been so dependent on for survival. This is not to say that there aren’t negative external pressures that are hurting the Black society. Racism, poverty, discrimination, unemployment, low educational achievement are equally problematic. However Black males have become an issue that we can no longer ignore. 

The corruption of the Black male psyche is a generational issue that has created an endemic problem. It is difficult to expect more when the individuals have very little self worth and awareness. If all they value are material things and machismo then by adulthood we are being left with too many lost causes. The numbers of Black men not in education or employment, involved in the criminal justice system or who have a history of abuse and violence speak for themselves. 

There aren’t any miracle cures for the problem but families have a responsibility to instil good values in their youth. The Black community also needs to do a better job of promoting wholesome role models. People who know the harm that systemic racism has been doing but are still committed to improving themselves and the people around them. Being a better man is not about being a superstar it’s about supporting yourself and those people you come into contact with. 

Fighting Racism Matters

The experience of being discriminated against and abused because of your race in societies that you have been born into and grown up in is unique to people of colour. The longstanding nature of racial discrimination has meant that it has become innate and systemic in most western societies. This doesn’t deny the efforts of some groups to combat and make amends for it. However, it is counterproductive to continue to argue that the existence of systemic racism is not an issue. It means that the history of racial prejudice and discrimination is not taught comprehensively in communities or schools, and it poses a real danger to people of colour and social cohesion. 

As Black people and persons of colour we are not a homogeneous group. This is despite a lot of individuals from majority populations not being able to tell people of colour apart. Whether we are Asian, from the Pacific Islands or African, including by birth or heritage we are all very different people. In fact people from any two different African countries are very likely to be nothing alike and have little in common. However despite all these differences our experience of racism, prejudice and discrimination remains singularly uniiform. If you take a look at America any group of persons of colour may differ in culture, norms or perspectives but will still face the absolute same experience when it comes to discrimination. In fact if a being from outer space landed in America today it is most likely to be more welcomed than a hard working, well spoken and educated person of colour. 

People of colour need to go on a journey of self development that means they are able to support themselves and give back to their communities. We need older people to do more to promote socially aware values that espouse empowerment and self awareness. Young people need to feel inspired to develop themselves and adopt lifestyles that allow them to be independent and enlightened. We cannot wait for reparations before we recognise and repair the rifts in our own communities. Even reparations will not initiate the empowerment and solidarity that people of colour need to uplift their communities in majority White societies. The discussion of reparations might trigger some opportunities to highlight the challenges of striving for racial equality. However, right wing governments and politicians are extremely ready to vigorously deny the space to even have the discussion in a public arena. Any attempt to raise and pursue the issue of historical and systemic racism is seen as a threat rather than an opportunity to work towards a better understanding of the needs and challenges of minority communities. 

The recent racial criticism and abuse of English footballers who participated in the 2021 European Football Championship says a lot for how racial intolerance is very much alive in high society and underbelly of the nation. There might have been any number of players who underperformed during the tournament but it was the Black players who were particularly singled out for abuse. It made no difference that the Black players had represented their country with pride and distinction. The sort of racism they have been subjected to is not isolated or a rare occurrence. It is the sort of prejudice that people of colour experience on the streets, in school, in the workplace and during interactions with public institutions. This speaks to a level of institutionalised racism that needs to be acknowledged in order to be addressed. 

Black on the 4th of July

Source: NewsOne

A section of African Americans are acutely aware of the close connection between America's independence and the history of slavery. They are thus very indignant about any attempts to celebrate the 4th of July by Black people. And they have every reason to be embittered. Not only were Black people enslaved and brutalised but three centuries later they are still being oppressed and marginalised.

Source: chocolatehighhhh.tumblr.com

America's history is a tale of conflicts and hypocrisies. America claims to be the land of the free yet at various times it has enslaved or oppressed Native Americans, Africans, Latin Americans, Polynesians and various minorities. Americans are fiercely nationalistic but suffer from a strangely enduring desire to be British. The American love of sport is legendary yet it suffers from the worst incidence of obesity in the developed world. Americans swear by the second amendment but America is plagued by the highest levels of gun crime and violent deaths anywhere in the world. America is the foremost developed country in the world but it has shown year on year increases in poverty, deprivation, ill health and social marginalisation. 

It is important that African Americans not forget their history. That history is integral to the history of America. While past wounds may not be healed there are future battles to be fought. It is reasonably acceptable not to celebrate the 4th of July but Black Americans have earned their place in modern America and they have a role to play in its continuing evolution and transformation. It is important that African Americans don't become infested with the hypocrisy that inhabits American history and pervades the American psyche. It was ironic that Bill Clinton; a man responsible for drugs and penal policies that have ravaged Black American communities gave the eulogy at Muhammad Ali's funeral. 

There is still a huge amount of work to be done on building up Black enlightenment and self esteem. African America can't keep pointing the finger in one direction and yet turn its back on the poverty, crime, deprivation, under education, ill health, and lack of aspiration that has infested its neighbourhoods. It needs to learn about history while educating itself about the demands of advancing its interests locally and globally in harsh and oppressive modern times. Complacency and settling will only serve to dishonour the sacrifices of the Black people who fought for survival in an independent America.