We are shiftless, lazy, irresponsible people. I am certain that there are at least a hundred other adjectives and ad-nouns used to describe the black man. Especially when you look at the atmosphere we find ourselves in today, when they looked at Philando Castile, Maurice Gordon, George Floyd and even Trayvon Martin - what did they see?
From time immemorial stereotypes such as criminality, laziness, lewdness, backwardness, and dishonesty have been assigned to black men. We can dig deep into the bricks of colonialism that allows this kind of thought and see where it comes and still in the 2000s we are still continuously depicted with negative stereotypes in news reports and fiction. Media of all types collectively offer a distorted representation of the lives and reality of black males. In turn, media consumption negatively affects the public’s understandings and attitudes related to black males (sometimes including the understandings and attitudes of black males themselves). These distorted understandings and attitudes towards black males lead to negative real-world consequences for them.
What can we do as black men in a white world? The answer is never to bow down to oppression and inequality (speak up and speak out!), support bills such as defunding the police and banning excessive force bills. Let your voice be heard through voting for officials in line with what fulfills your needs. The answer also lies in supporting your own black brothers and sisters especially as it relates to businesses and ventures, the sad reality is that money actually increases power and amplifies voices, not enough when your skin is melanated but it still has an impact.
We cannot do much about all the words and adjectives that have been used to describe us and for the most part we should not even care because they were formed mostly out of jealousy and as a control tactic - in a historical context the ministrel shows did that. They help hammer the excuses to continue to give us subpar education and facilities and then have grand expectations, what we can do however is to own these stereotypes and show the world that these ideas are simply a misinterpretation of our unique strengths and characteristics.
Let us look at some names we have been called and what they imply.
Lazy and Entitled
Perhaps the most widely propagated stereotype, and the most absurd to a black man, we are described as lazy and entitled people who cannot work for a single dollar.
First of all, it fails to make sense as to how the same person who was forced to work under violent and harsh conditions for centuries can be described or even imagined to be lazy.
As far as being entitled is concerned, there is a thin line between wanting what you deserve and demanding it without working for it. If a black man feels like he deserves to be rich and recognized, he goes ahead to set up a trade or business and works hard to climb up the corporate ladder.
If that is what being entitled is, then the world is made up of entitled people don’t you think?
Aggressive/Thug
‘Black men are aggressive’ is something you will hear a thousand and one times, and sometimes even from the black female folk, but that doesn’t make it true. And even if it is true for some persons, no rule or theory proves that aggression is specific to a race or color.
Anyone can be aggressive and it is a result of several factors including environmental, physical, mental, and social.
Several persons are quick to call a black young man a thug when he gets a run-in with the justice system but overlook the role racial and economic injustice and profiling has made a black man an automatic target in such issues
Rather than accept aggression as a trait of the black man, competitiveness is more apt to describe our lifestyle in many regards.
A black man wants to win at everything he does; he strives to succeed to feel a sense of fulfillment, and sometimes to prove to doubters that he can be much more than what is expected of him.
The system of the world as it is remains to go smoothly because of healthy competition in every field that leads to development. Is that a bad thing? I think not!
Irresponsible
If you consider the fact that it takes a responsible person to take up leadership roles, run major businesses and take charge of one’s personal life, you would agree that it would be wrong to call a black man irresponsible.
Perhaps, someone who propagates this stereotype has a certain expectation from black folks that are not met, but we are responsible where it matters.
Sometimes we just love to keep our nose in our business and that is never a bad thing.
However, on a larger scale, it would not hurt to reach out more, get invested in more endeavors, and champion more causes that could impact the lives of many other than us.
It also doesn’t hurt to take a minute to think of our actions before carrying them out. Every individual should do this regardless of race.
Nonconformists
A sore thumb that sticks out is what many have portrayed blacks to be. From our fashion to music and lifestyle, some persons cannot understand why we refuse to fit in.
But if you have everyone conform to a certain standard or way of life, then ‘unique’ and ‘different’ would not exist as words.
Black culture and traditions are different than other cultures around the world so it would be weird if we don’t live to show such uniqueness.
While we pride in being nonconformists, we also know and understand that this is not in any way a guise to break rules or flout regulations.
We do the right thing when it should be done, and that is what matters.
Faithful and dependable
It wouldn’t be fair to not throw in some positive stereotype now, would it?
No matter how one might try to find loopholes to this stereotype, blacks are dependable and trustworthy, especially to people they love.
The wide acceptance of this stereotype, therefore, debunks many opposing ideas and opinions about the black man as you might have already guessed.
All that being said, we have been called many names; we will be called many names. Some may hit close to home but the name itself doesn’t matter. What matters is what you make of the stereotypes around and about you.
Stereotypes are not always a negative thing, and even negative stereotypes can be turned into positives. What you can do is to learn from every idea, develop yourself, and own who you are!
