Issues Under Fire: Black People, African Americans and Knowing the Difference

Issues Under Fire: Black People, African Americans and Knowing the Difference 

While investigating the decline of the African American experience as a result of a recent upsurge in race-related incidents, it quickly became apparent, there was more to this story than was meeting the eye. From police shooting unarmed African American males to African Americans being followed around in malls and department stores like thieves, the nagging question was why.  

The more I immersed myself into the problem, the more I realized, many of these race-related incidents could be related to mistaken identity. When a proud Black man is pulled over by the a cop or monitored carefully by store clerks and mall security, its often because many in the White community still think all Blacks look alike, so all Blacks must be alike. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain. 

Proud Black men and women never even really accepted the term African American to identify themselves. Maybe some did publicly, but privately, they saw America for what it is and never trusted this country to do the right thing. After more than 400 years of slavery, Jim Crow and segregation, proud Black people knew education and financial independence was the only path to true freedom.  

When opportunities became available to them, the proud Blacks grabbed them. When opportunities were sparse, proud Black people created them. When jobs were hard to find, Blacks opened barber shops and hair salons, hotels and markets, auto repair business and night clubs. In fact, until integration was all the rage, Blacks were doing better for themselves on their own. 

Simply being allowed to attend schools with Whites, allowed to sip from the same water fountain or allowed to ride in the front of the bus, was not enough to lure the proud Blacks into to the trap of dependence like those who proudly identify themselves as African Americans today. Dependent on God and country, African Americans found themselves disappointed by both. While the educated Black prays as much as the African American, the educated Black won't wait around too long for an answer. 

Black people realized decades ago, their roots to Africa had been severed (possibly forever) so they prepared themselves for a struggle. Black people realized decades ago, America would never except them as equals, so they prepared themselves to stand alone, as they knew they'd have to. Black people took the path of Malcolm X. That path led to self-sufficiency. As a result, proud Black people became emotionally and intellectually independent.  

In the final analysis, the only problem proud Blacks have in this country, is the reputation of African Americans and White America's inability or refusal to understand the difference. White Americans have absolutely nothing to fear from Black People, save for their ability to compete successfully at every level of  America's socioeconomic strata. And in reality, White America have little to fear from African Americans, as they pose more of a treat to themselves than anyone else. Podcast Below!