I think we as African Americans do still focus too much on skin color or each other. Black is Black no matter how dark or light the individual is. As we all know nobody can pick the color they are born with and because somebody is born with a lighter skin complexion doesn’t make them less black and just because somebody is a lot darker toned, doesn’t make them too black. Also I feel that class still divides the African American community. A family that is successful is viewed as not having endured “the struggle.” So question… just wondering…kinda curious… Does not growing up in poverty or dealing with some form of oppression, strip an individual of their blackness. Over all I believe the black race spends too much time evaluating and judging each other’s circumstances and degrading one another and this is the reason we are unable to achieve upward mobility as a race.
I am a firm believer that men
are not as advanced as women due to the fact that many of our fathers are not
in the same home. A mother can be mom
and dad but that only goes so far in the black home. There is just something that a father can do
for his son that a woman cannot. Even if
it is not the father, a positive male figure in the home would suffice. Also
many African American men seek to live gain the career that is very slim to
attain. These jobs include basketball,
football, and entertainment. If far more
men focused on school and obtaining a career on a more educational path, I believe
this would help with the difference between the advancement in men and
women.
29%
of African American women between 28-55
years old and earning over $55,000, a year are married. According to Cornel West, the ratio of black
men to black women college students at Harvard between 1970 and the ratio has
changed today to a 9-1 female. It is
interesting how today we focus on how much one gender over the other or one
race over another advance more than the opposite but just years ago we were
focused on ways to keep the black family together after slavery. Most importantly ways to build the black
community up after such a horrible oppression.
I feel like for some African Americans (not all), not dealing with some form of oppression does strip them of their blackness. There are many African Americans who have embraced mainstream white ideas who do not even care about other blacks. I agree that as blacks, we do spend much of our time judging each other when it is unnecessary as well. I also agree with what you said about differences between black men and women. Many times it is hard for me to find other black men with aspirations similar to mine outside of UT.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying about oppression and blacks judging, and I agree. We have no right to judge the lives of others, and that should not determine their "blackness". I think most people think of black people and oppression/resilience as a causation rather than a correlation. Just because we are black doesn't you automatically HAVE to go through oppression which makes you resilient (causation), but most people who are black have gone through some kind of oppression and are resilient (correlation). Judging our resilience level and oppression needs to stop in order for us to UNIFY.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to what you are saying about having a male figure in the household would suffice. I live with my dad and I feel he has greatly influenced the woman that I am today. I would have to disagree with you in my specific situation because my dad has exceeded my mom by far within our home. I really think it goes back to the individual. I TOTALLY agree that black people spend too much time judging each other. All the negative energy from within are keeping blacks opressed, in my opinions.
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