A Powerful Play That Identifies and Attacks the Stereoptypes of Black Men
For better or worse, athletes hold a place of honor in the African American society. Because of the stereotype that African Americans are not as intelligent as their counterparts, blacks are often steered away from the ‘thinking’ positions on sports teams. But Black athletes can meet academic challenges.
The statement,, “There are more Black men in prison than in college” turns up again and again in stories on Black crime. But it is rarely noted how misleading this statement is. In 2000, there were 180,000 Black males aged 18-24 in prison and 480,000 Black males the same age were in college. Comparing Black male prisoners of all ages to the overwhelmingly young college population gives a false perception.
The government’s ’War on Drugs’ concluded that socio-economics status and neighborhood type are much better predictors of drug dealers than race. Poverty, despair, and drugs go hand-in-hand. Some Black men are making a very good living selling drugs, but the question that follows is, ‘Are they really LIVING?’ www.robdemery.com
MYTH: Crack, by nature is a ‘BLACK’ drug.
REALITY: The vast majority of Blacks have never smoked crack. In a recent study, it was found that 95% of Blacks had never smoked crack. Among those aged 18-25, Whites were more likely to smoke crack than Blacks: 64.4% of Whites and 26.6% of Blacks.
12 million women will be abused by a husband or boyfriend in their lifetime.30% of women murdered in the year 2000 were murdered by their mate. The message is very clear: Pimps are as played out as an eight track tape. Any man who has ever hit or thought about hitting a female is not considered a man.
One of God’s greatest creations is the Black woman. She is to be cherished and respected. Making a baby does not make you a man. ‘Pimps, ‘Playas’, and ‘Baby Makers’ may be titles that are thought to be cool. But a real man does not try to prove his manhood at the expense of her womanhood.
Language creates a reality for us in this society. What we say and how we say it affects the minds of listeners. Words like ‘gang’ are being used to describe groups of young Black men— even when they have absolutely no gang affiliation. Not every time Black men hang out together are they thinking about fighting, killing, or committing some type of crime.
When you are dictated by society and their views of manhood, your destination is bound to be one of destruction. Just because some black men decide not to have 4 or 5 women for every day of the week does not mean that they have forsaken their manhood. Manhood, especially Black manhood, is determined only by the individual.
