This is an awesome article that appeared in the newspaper here yesterday. This kid is wise way beyond his years.I applaud him for the courage to speak out in such fashion in these ever increasing politically correct times.
Blacks still can't handle truth
Steve Butler
For the record, I would just like to say that I am a colored/ black/African-American/negro. Depending on whom I am addressing, these terms are interchangeable.
I have no immediate qualms with W.E.B. Dubois using negro, my grandmother using colored, my Afro-centric sister using black or Jesse Jackson using African-American. In fact, depending on who is using the "N" word, this term is acceptable for me also in specific environments.
My point is that we as a people get wrapped around the axle with respect to the trivial when internal genocide is perpetuating itself daily. Unfortunately, it also has no immediate future hope for reversal of outcome. The real problem I truly have is the lack of direction in which my race continues to trek.
Jack Nicholson, perhaps, said it best in his movie role as a Marine Corps colonel by bellowing, "You can't handle the truth."
Indeed, this continues to be the case when valid comments about my people are given from others outside our race and even within. Ontario Wooden's column in this newspaper a few weeks ago regarding how our people can begin a positive turnaround for change was factual and accurate. It explained the dismal data regarding income, single-parent households and political influence of my race.
As a scholar, I have heard it all before with respect to slave mentality, poor man's envy and inferior educational options as a reason for our pitiful state of affairs. These theories should not be discounted; however, the other side of the fence should be looked at as well. We have squandered many opportunities presented to us as a people.
The historic explanations and anecdotes of why we are in our current condition seem feasible; however, like our so-called current black leaders, the suggestions presented to remedy our problems are just too vague.
Engaging the youth, using our schools and building stronger families just ain't saying enough.
For many of us, buying our kids a new pair of Air Force Ones while giving them a Pop-Tart on their way out the door to school with no close educational monitoring is adhering to these principles.
So with the full knowledge that I may be ostracized by the very people I have sworn to project a positive image for, here are some things we all need to start doing as of yesterday:
••Read cover to cover Booker T. Washington's "Up from Slavery," W.E.B. Dubois' "Souls of Black Folk" and Alex Haley's "Biography of Malcolm X." If you do not know your past, you will be doomed to repeat it.
••Start and support businesses by us. Create networking lists at your job, church and social clubs.
••Stop buying things that depreciate in value for your kids and yourself if you truly can't afford them. Clothes, cars, jewelry, pocket books and rims still tell me you are broke and dumb if you can't seem to pay your rent on time or keep the lights on. If you want to look stylish, sport a white T-shirt.
••Stay out of those rent-to-own/no-credit-check/check-cashing joints. Open up a bank account, and live under your means. It's not how much you make; it's how much you keep. Hint: People with money spend other people's money.
••Go to school (both kids and adults) and pay attention. Your grades should be your primary goal. Education will take you places you could have only dreamed of without it.
••Additionally, parents should have a monthly school (if not weekly) progress report on their kids. Do not reward failure. Enough said.
••Go to church. Any church or denomination you feel comfortable with. People will let you down, but your positive faith will last a lifetime.
••Teen pregnancy/single parent motherhood is still on the rise. Since celibacy does not seem to be popular, adopt these choices: either condoms for him, pills for her or clothes stay on.
While this list is not inclusive of all our immediate problems we can work on, it is a start. Notice that I excluded dress codes and ethnic mannerisms. Why should we be so different from other cultures in expressing who we are?
Hip-hop is great and a true invention of ours. Specific social settings make Ebonics OK once you have earned the "poetic license" by learning the king's English.
Embracing our ethnic culture is nothing to be ashamed of; however, using poverty, ignorance or laziness as a stereotypical crutch is unacceptable and downright stupid.
We all fall down, but many of us choose not to pick ourselves up. We are masters at generating idiotic excuses. It is at this point when most of us "can't handle the truth."
Steve Butler graduated from Central High School in his native Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Norfolk State University and a master's degree in communications from University of Oklahoma. He is a 19-year active duty military officer and adjunct public speaking/cross cultural communications professor at Darton College.
This is an awesome article that appeared in the newspaper here yesterday. This kid is wise way beyond his years.I applaud him for the courage to speak out in such fashion in these ever increasing politically correct times.
Blacks still can't handle truth
Steve Butler
For the record, I would just like to say that I am a colored/ black/African-American/negro. Depending on whom I am addressing, these terms are interchangeable.
I have no immediate qualms with W.E.B. Dubois using negro, my grandmother using colored, my Afro-centric sister using black or Jesse Jackson using African-American. In fact, depending on who is using the "N" word, this term is acceptable for me also in specific environments.
My point is that we as a people get wrapped around the axle with respect to the trivial when internal genocide is perpetuating itself daily. Unfortunately, it also has no immediate future hope for reversal of outcome. The real problem I truly have is the lack of direction in which my race continues to trek.
Jack Nicholson, perhaps, said it best in his movie role as a Marine Corps colonel by bellowing, "You can't handle the truth."
Indeed, this continues to be the case when valid comments about my people are given from others outside our race and even within. Ontario Wooden's column in this newspaper a few weeks ago regarding how our people can begin a positive turnaround for change was factual and accurate. It explained the dismal data regarding income, single-parent households and political influence of my race.
As a scholar, I have heard it all before with respect to slave mentality, poor man's envy and inferior educational options as a reason for our pitiful state of affairs. These theories should not be discounted; however, the other side of the fence should be looked at as well. We have squandered many opportunities presented to us as a people.
The historic explanations and anecdotes of why we are in our current condition seem feasible; however, like our so-called current black leaders, the suggestions presented to remedy our problems are just too vague.
Engaging the youth, using our schools and building stronger families just ain't saying enough.
For many of us, buying our kids a new pair of Air Force Ones while giving them a Pop-Tart on their way out the door to school with no close educational monitoring is adhering to these principles.
So with the full knowledge that I may be ostracized by the very people I have sworn to project a positive image for, here are some things we all need to start doing as of yesterday:
••Read cover to cover Booker T. Washington's "Up from Slavery," W.E.B. Dubois' "Souls of Black Folk" and Alex Haley's "Biography of Malcolm X." If you do not know your past, you will be doomed to repeat it.
••Start and support businesses by us. Create networking lists at your job, church and social clubs.
••Stop buying things that depreciate in value for your kids and yourself if you truly can't afford them. Clothes, cars, jewelry, pocket books and rims still tell me you are broke and dumb if you can't seem to pay your rent on time or keep the lights on. If you want to look stylish, sport a white T-shirt.
••Stay out of those rent-to-own/no-credit-check/check-cashing joints. Open up a bank account, and live under your means. It's not how much you make; it's how much you keep. Hint: People with money spend other people's money.
••Go to school (both kids and adults) and pay attention. Your grades should be your primary goal. Education will take you places you could have only dreamed of without it.
••Additionally, parents should have a monthly school (if not weekly) progress report on their kids. Do not reward failure. Enough said.
••Go to church. Any church or denomination you feel comfortable with. People will let you down, but your positive faith will last a lifetime.
••Teen pregnancy/single parent motherhood is still on the rise. Since celibacy does not seem to be popular, adopt these choices: either condoms for him, pills for her or clothes stay on.
While this list is not inclusive of all our immediate problems we can work on, it is a start. Notice that I excluded dress codes and ethnic mannerisms. Why should we be so different from other cultures in expressing who we are?
Hip-hop is great and a true invention of ours. Specific social settings make Ebonics OK once you have earned the "poetic license" by learning the king's English.
Embracing our ethnic culture is nothing to be ashamed of; however, using poverty, ignorance or laziness as a stereotypical crutch is unacceptable and downright stupid.
We all fall down, but many of us choose not to pick ourselves up. We are masters at generating idiotic excuses. It is at this point when most of us "can't handle the truth."
Steve Butler graduated from Central High School in his native Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Norfolk State University and a master's degree in communications from University of Oklahoma. He is a 19-year active duty military officer and adjunct public speaking/cross cultural communications professor at Darton College.
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