It's More Than Black & White

One of most prominent issues in America is race. It pops up in elections, economics and is the most intense social issue that exists. Stereotypes of White and Black are flagged and candid conversations rarely, if ever really occur. When I grew up, I was not taught that someone of another color was different than me. Difference in equality is not something I understood and I was surrounded by Black, White, and even Asian friends, family and people I respected. The fact was, it wasn't an issue at all and recognizing someone with darker or lighter skin was just a fact, not a put down. As I've grown and become more educated: I still find it baffling that people on either side of the White/Black community would put the other down for color. It's true that slavery in the United States was a shameful practice and was color based. But I also find that slavery has existed for thousands of years and very often is a wretched practice among so many peoples across Africa, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Europe. The United States faced a Civil War where race was only one issue (among other economic conflicts) and a century later, a Civil Rights Movement that changed the face of the country. The 1960s carried leaders that moved equality further, as it should have been carried out post Emancipation Proclamation.

As I am wrapping up Boom by Tom Brokaw, he touches on the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders. He took time to recognize what they accomplished during the most explosive decade of the 20th Century, and discussed many of their personal lessons over the years. One particular gentleman that caught my attention was a man by the name of Dr. Shelby Steele. Steele has over the years become known as a "Black Critic." Steele is a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and began as the president of the local SNCC chapter at Coe College in Iowa during the late 60s. His low-income family was active in Civil Rights events in Chicago that followed the hopefuls of Dr. King. Later, Steele admits he became "something of a black nationalist, and the politics of race had changed into a this anti-white militancy." He stated that the peaceful movement became one that lead blacks to fight openly for equality and to express anger and hostility because of what blacks had suffered. It became a power struggle and not a peace march.

Steele notes that at the time, he tried to have a conversation with his father about "blackness" and his father was blown away by the idea. The idea of black power and black pride-- they were not concepts that were identified or embraced by the pre-WWII generation. Steele followed this movement for a time, but now admits that it has only damaged the work that Dr. King did.

"We were suddenly in a situation where the government was giving us a lot of money for being black...We took it as our due...in the name of race and militancy, we taught black separatism."

(Steele, Boom, Brokaw)

Dr. Shelby Steele stated that once freedom was gained, the black community didn't know what to do with it. And rather than pursuing economic development, education and jobs, they lived off "blackness," and demanded retributions from society. In the late 60s, "black power" went beyond demanding equality, and "treated our race the same way the Ku Klux Klan treated whiteness," making color the end all solution. Steele noted that blacks were not following the example of their great speaker- and seemingly the I Have a Dream speech dissolved in meaning and significance. Today, Steele thinks that Whites are different- they've swung so far to the other side of the pendulam, that are more afraid of being labeled racist than anything else. And it's evident any time a white individual makes a racial slur, by accident or not, the white community will punish their own so harshly, that person's career is over.

Steele believes that racism is actually beneficial to the black man, b/c he can then use it to his advantage- become the victim and making the white man afraid of not treating him fairly. Steele has praised Bill Cosby for challenging the black community to further themselves as individuals- and rejecting the stereotype- rejecting the notion to fall under the victim label. He doesn't have patience for what he believes are white enablers either.

He commends someone like Michelle Obama who has stated questions of "what is black and who is black enough" trouble her. She was quoted as saying, "I did exactly what leaders in my community told me to do. They said do your best in school, work hard, study and get into the best schools....and when you do that, bring that education back and work in your community," which she has done. In other words, it wasn't about white or black, it was about being American and individual in the community.

I doesn't bother Steele that he doesn't having many followers in the community. Rather he's proud of where his life has lead him and he wants to continue learning and participating.

Certainly, for me this is a profound discussion and is what equality is all about. As an American, I'm for everyone having equal rights. What bothers me is when particular social demographics demand special treatment in the NAME of equal rights. And really what is happening is their pursuit is only creating fear and handouts: two things that don't honor the human race at all.