My mother always taught me to be the best of the best. She said that being mediocre wasn’t an option for a black male in today’s society. America isn’t built for African Americans and even more so young Black males. Hearing this information as a ten year old didn’t resonate in my soul until I got older. As I grew in years I realized that hard work doesn’t pay off for everybody. Why do I have to study 20 hours to achieve the same goals of my white counterpart? I’m working double the time and not receiving double the payoff. How does one group of people seem to get further than another with the same amount of work and effort? We can easily say discrimination is the answer but the underlying cause of this issue extends further than discrimination. In my opinion it’s not only a matter of discrimination but a lesson in social mobility. Wikipedia defines social mobility as the degree to which, in a given society, an individual's social status can change throughout the course of their life. In this column I will look at how social mobility plays a role into the lives of everyday Americans.
Shaquana, Davonte’, Aaliyah, Porscha are all historically African American names. These names are vastly different to Michael, Amy, Christy, and Jonathan. Employers don’t even have to discriminate based on skin color, they can just look at your name. It’s hard to fathom that a special thing like your name could prevent you from realizing your potential. Of course I don’t have the proof, but it’s my firm belief that discrimination/racism is alive and well in other covert forms. Simple things like your name can hinder your social mobility. I feel blessed that I have my name because if I was named Dontrell or Andre I might not get hired based on the ethnic origin of my name. Just think about all the famous African Americans you know with “African American” names that aren’t athletes. Condoleeza Rice and who else? NOBODY. Other things such as gold teeth, dreads, tattoos and piercings can limit your social mobility. When is the last time you have seen anybody in Congress or in your local doctor’s office with any of the aforementioned body accessories? Society is becoming increasingly accepting of different lifestyles but there remains a bad stigma attached to things like gold teeth and dreads.
Lifestyle preferences such as religion, sexual orientation and even style of dress can hinder your social mobility. I personally don’t agree with homosexuality, but I don’t believe anyone should be stopped from being all they can be because of their sexual preference. Maybe if society had more of an open mind, we may have a gay president. MAYBE? The hip-hop generation also catches a lot of slack for its style of dress. The baggy pants, expensive sneakers, and gaudy jewelry are all hallmarks of this lifestyle. People still attach mischief and thuggery based on the sheer appearance of people who embrace this culture. Societal norms usually force most of us to conform, but why can’t I dress the way I want? I’m not advocating wearing a pair of Timberlands to a board meeting, but I am promoting a form of expression. Something that our Constitution guarantees and something we don’t stand by always. Racism has changed a lot since its early inception but it’s more institutional and mental than ever. Age old systems didn’t change with the inclusion of a couple civil rights laws they just found other ways to prevail. I’m not so skeptical of society that I think there is MASS plan to keep African Americans down but I do recognize certain things that are in place that prevent my people from succeeding.
For example, your teacher stresses to you to do your homework and you’ll eventually get A’s. What if you have a learning disability and it prevents you from reaching a certain level of understanding? Learning disabilities isn’t indicative of low intelligence, but it does hinder your cognitive process in some capacity. Some people with learning disabilities are straight A students. This disorder doesn’t predict your grades or intelligence it’s only indicative of your psychological process in regards to processing information. Learning disabilities aren’t caused by environmental factors, cultural differences or economic challenges, yet they are some of the main reasons why this problem is prevalent. How can a child with no medical insurance receive the proper attention for their condition? They won’t receive care and most children won’t be diagnosed if they don’t receive the proper attention early on. Some African American children are improperly diagnosed with learning disabilities such as ADD and ADHD by school counselors and doctors. In my opinion some of our children get prematurely diagnosed because schools and physicians don’t have the care or patience to deal with our children. African American children that show signs of hyperactivity and overall disruptive behavior in some schools are often left heavily medicated due to this lack of improper diagnosis. Public schools that are already suffering from economic issues can’t afford to pay a psychologist/psychiatrist. Most colleges don’t have a mental health education program installed and they require way more money to maintain than public schools. Imagine being put in a class with the so-called special kids and you’re not supposed to be there, but you are because you’ve been improperly diagnosed. That “special-child” treatment over time plays into the psyche of the person over time and most children and parents buy into these false diagnoses. Students are often tagged “dumb” and “slow” by their peers and even treated with lesser respect by teachers. How can a person progress in a society when their needs aren’t being addressed correctly? For every Malcolm Jamal Warner or Danny Glover, all of which have learning disabilities, there will be thousands of children that won’t succeed because of the stigmas attached to their learning disability.
In every society there are norms and at the expense of not being considered an outcast, I agree with conformity to some degree. However, I’m greatly opposed to modes of oppression that keep people from progressing as individuals in a society that worships the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. We pledge of allegiance for the liberty and freedom of the people, but do we honestly promote this ideal?
Shaquana, Davonte’, Aaliyah, Porscha are all historically African American names. These names are vastly different to Michael, Amy, Christy, and Jonathan. Employers don’t even have to discriminate based on skin color, they can just look at your name. It’s hard to fathom that a special thing like your name could prevent you from realizing your potential. Of course I don’t have the proof, but it’s my firm belief that discrimination/racism is alive and well in other covert forms. Simple things like your name can hinder your social mobility. I feel blessed that I have my name because if I was named Dontrell or Andre I might not get hired based on the ethnic origin of my name. Just think about all the famous African Americans you know with “African American” names that aren’t athletes. Condoleeza Rice and who else? NOBODY. Other things such as gold teeth, dreads, tattoos and piercings can limit your social mobility. When is the last time you have seen anybody in Congress or in your local doctor’s office with any of the aforementioned body accessories? Society is becoming increasingly accepting of different lifestyles but there remains a bad stigma attached to things like gold teeth and dreads.
Lifestyle preferences such as religion, sexual orientation and even style of dress can hinder your social mobility. I personally don’t agree with homosexuality, but I don’t believe anyone should be stopped from being all they can be because of their sexual preference. Maybe if society had more of an open mind, we may have a gay president. MAYBE? The hip-hop generation also catches a lot of slack for its style of dress. The baggy pants, expensive sneakers, and gaudy jewelry are all hallmarks of this lifestyle. People still attach mischief and thuggery based on the sheer appearance of people who embrace this culture. Societal norms usually force most of us to conform, but why can’t I dress the way I want? I’m not advocating wearing a pair of Timberlands to a board meeting, but I am promoting a form of expression. Something that our Constitution guarantees and something we don’t stand by always. Racism has changed a lot since its early inception but it’s more institutional and mental than ever. Age old systems didn’t change with the inclusion of a couple civil rights laws they just found other ways to prevail. I’m not so skeptical of society that I think there is MASS plan to keep African Americans down but I do recognize certain things that are in place that prevent my people from succeeding.
For example, your teacher stresses to you to do your homework and you’ll eventually get A’s. What if you have a learning disability and it prevents you from reaching a certain level of understanding? Learning disabilities isn’t indicative of low intelligence, but it does hinder your cognitive process in some capacity. Some people with learning disabilities are straight A students. This disorder doesn’t predict your grades or intelligence it’s only indicative of your psychological process in regards to processing information. Learning disabilities aren’t caused by environmental factors, cultural differences or economic challenges, yet they are some of the main reasons why this problem is prevalent. How can a child with no medical insurance receive the proper attention for their condition? They won’t receive care and most children won’t be diagnosed if they don’t receive the proper attention early on. Some African American children are improperly diagnosed with learning disabilities such as ADD and ADHD by school counselors and doctors. In my opinion some of our children get prematurely diagnosed because schools and physicians don’t have the care or patience to deal with our children. African American children that show signs of hyperactivity and overall disruptive behavior in some schools are often left heavily medicated due to this lack of improper diagnosis. Public schools that are already suffering from economic issues can’t afford to pay a psychologist/psychiatrist. Most colleges don’t have a mental health education program installed and they require way more money to maintain than public schools. Imagine being put in a class with the so-called special kids and you’re not supposed to be there, but you are because you’ve been improperly diagnosed. That “special-child” treatment over time plays into the psyche of the person over time and most children and parents buy into these false diagnoses. Students are often tagged “dumb” and “slow” by their peers and even treated with lesser respect by teachers. How can a person progress in a society when their needs aren’t being addressed correctly? For every Malcolm Jamal Warner or Danny Glover, all of which have learning disabilities, there will be thousands of children that won’t succeed because of the stigmas attached to their learning disability.
In every society there are norms and at the expense of not being considered an outcast, I agree with conformity to some degree. However, I’m greatly opposed to modes of oppression that keep people from progressing as individuals in a society that worships the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. We pledge of allegiance for the liberty and freedom of the people, but do we honestly promote this ideal?
3 comments:
This article is soo true. I’m glad that finally someone isn’t afraid to speak the truth. The thing that amazes is me is how little the black community does to support each other. How is it that 100 years ago we created HBCUs when we had nothing at all? The founders of HBCU were direct descendants of slaves yet today we as a community are not meeting the needs of our people. Young people don’t vote, they probably have no idea that people died just trying to vote.
It seems like some people get a bigger party for getting out of jail and ‘surviving’ that they do if they get a college degree. I’ve talked to some high school students and I ask them what they want to be. The first thing out of their mouth is some kinda athlete or music exec, I say well what are you going to major in…they look at me as if I’m crazy failing to realize that in order play ‘pro’ they are going to have to stay off of academic probation and you can only not declare a major for so long. I don’t blame the hip-hop culture for problems that we are facing because that’s not the issues. The problem is that these kids are lost, they are seeking someone to care about what they do, someone to tell them that what’s on tv is just entertainment. I pray for the future of African-Americans youth they just need more people who are really invested in their future and more people who can guide them in the right direction.
Great article. Working at a Job Corps Center I see so many students, bright students, come into our program simply because no one has paid any attention to them. They've been given wrongful diagnoses and some of them have such incredible academic or vocational abilities. They think they can't perform because that's all they've been told all their life so our real battle is getting them to actually try. When they do try, they generally excel. If previous teachers or family members simply took the time and effort to really find out what their problem was, many of them would most likely have done well in traditional schooling.
Names are used to descriminate in hiring. My niece used her married name which is African, to apply for jobs online, no takers. She then changed her resume to reflect her maiden name, and was offered so many she could pick and choose.
This is not an isolated incident, I saw another case on national news not long ago, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. This is not going away, so I think we should help our children as much as possible and not name them Alize, Aquanetta, Nokia, etc... all very lovely names if that's what you like, but it doesn't help our children. The drop out rate from high school is also extremely alarming.. I think part of is not there fault. We grew up without AIDS being a part of our lives, or Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, mothers throwing their babies over bridges, fathers killing the whole family. Crack wasn't around, being bisexual wasn't cute, good grades were applauded, children didn't kill their parents with their teen lovers, or alone. More kids had both parents, serial killers were not part of every day language, the list goes on. My point being, I understand if some feel hopeless. My daughter has graduated high school and is going to college, I still worry about her though.
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