April 7, 2012 7:12:06 PM EDT
When are, we, as a people, going to
start working with our youth to eliminate the
lies that are fed to them by the media that
prevent them from achieving to thier fullest
potential? When are we, going to stand up and
fight the idea, pervasive in our youth, that if
you are excelling in school, in advanced classes
and dominating (academically) you classmates,
you are “acting white”. This idea is absurd!
Throughout history, we have pushed education
when it was forbidden upon pain of death!
Even during Jim Crow, we created over 150
colleges to serves our children when the
mainstream ones refused to let us in. When
mainstream businesses refused our money, we
became entrepreneurs and set up thriving
districts such as Little Hayti in Durham, North
Carolina and Black Wall Street in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. This all happened, because we
educated ourselves, either formally or
informally!!
Now, after our people fought to
open doors to the mainstream of American
intellectual life, a thief come in the night to
steal the victory and perseverance from our
kids; the idea that academic excellence is
“acting white”, our ridicule of our brothers
and sisters who strive for educational and
professional excellence. As they go forward
in their academic accomplishments, we have
Black idiots taunting them with the label
“acting white.” Do not confuse professionalism
or academic excellence with “acting white.”
One has nothing in the world to do with the
other. In fact, those Black folks who do not
encourage nor support their fellow Black
students or Black businesses are actually the
ones “acting white.” They also act white when
they do not sound their objections or defend
against other races that denigrate their Black
brothers and sisters, or when they mistreat
their own Black people with the same lies,
injustice and incorrectness as white
supremacist do. Those who are accusing other
of “Acting white,” are simply being niggerish,
or, put a better way “stupid”, themselves!
I issue a challenge to everyone!
Check you state’s, your individual district’s,
your child’s school’s status on proficiency
tests. You will see an great gap in the
performance of black and white students.
Check the ACT, SAT, AP, and other tests.
With affirmative action about to go off into
history and the standards rising, we must
reaffirm our intellectual tradition. Start
reading (newspaper, books, magazines, etc.,
use the public library, etc.). As a special
treat, give your kids gifts certificates for
bookstores. Take your children to museums,
galleries, parks, etc. We must challenge the
idea promulgated through BET and throughout
history that all we do is play sports and rap!!
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Or, you can email me at Jeffrey_V_Brown@hotmail.com.