Why Are Black Men Gaining Respect?
by Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove
Why are Black men gaining so much respect these days? If you think that Black men are not valued and respected, you need to understand why the negative perceptions have changed. After reading this blog, your views about Black men might change for the better:
We make many assumptions throughout our lives. These assumptions guide the foundation of our logic and our thinking. They even inform us when we should and should not do a certain action. An example of how these assumptions guide our thinking can be seen in the following situation:
A prominent community group of activists wanted to buy some books for an after-school program for youths to keep them away from gang influences. The books were a great idea because they dealt with modern day topics on growing up Black in America, hip-hop, shining vs. blinging, how to become rich, and is there a God? One of the first reactions to the book proposal was “ya’ll gonna get us shot!” What caused this assumption? What made the speaker think that we would be shot, simply because our hearts were in the right place? We wanted to do the right thing, and we wanted to do something good that would turn young minds away from violence. There are many young people in society, who are impressed by the world, yet an assumption of violence was directed toward the organizers and it emerged from one of the participants. These programs have been successful in changing the lives of Black boys. Such programs have also changed the perceptions and negative images about Black men who volunteer to help these boys. How do we help change negative assumptions so that Black men and the lives of young people continue to be valued and respected?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Black in America: Stay in Your Place
Black in America: Stay in Your Place
By Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove
Do Blacks in America still believe that they ought to stay in their place? There are no signs that say “you will have no trouble from us [the white establishment] if you stay in your place,” but why do some Blacks think that the reality is still there? I was listening to an outstanding Radio Talk-Show Host, Jeffery Faulkerson, as he interviewed the outstanding eighty-year old educator Virgealia Ellis. She profoundly discussed the civil rights movement then and now. One of her brilliant discussion points dealt with how Blacks were taught to stay in their place. Were they taught this or did they just learn it? More importantly, do they still believe it?
Prior to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Blacks occupied their place in this American society and as long as you stayed in your place, there were no problems. If you broke the law, you went to jail, and remember that segregation was the law of the land. This was the case during the demonstrations and sit-ins at Woolworth. That was then and the will of the law was imposed on those who refused to comply. Today, we must ask, have Blacks self-imposed this “stay in your place mentality” on ourselves? Why do so many of us seem to not make much progress socially and educationally when it comes to our children? Do we believe that we should still stay in our place of complacency? Please holla back! ---JH
By Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove
Do Blacks in America still believe that they ought to stay in their place? There are no signs that say “you will have no trouble from us [the white establishment] if you stay in your place,” but why do some Blacks think that the reality is still there? I was listening to an outstanding Radio Talk-Show Host, Jeffery Faulkerson, as he interviewed the outstanding eighty-year old educator Virgealia Ellis. She profoundly discussed the civil rights movement then and now. One of her brilliant discussion points dealt with how Blacks were taught to stay in their place. Were they taught this or did they just learn it? More importantly, do they still believe it?
Prior to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Blacks occupied their place in this American society and as long as you stayed in your place, there were no problems. If you broke the law, you went to jail, and remember that segregation was the law of the land. This was the case during the demonstrations and sit-ins at Woolworth. That was then and the will of the law was imposed on those who refused to comply. Today, we must ask, have Blacks self-imposed this “stay in your place mentality” on ourselves? Why do so many of us seem to not make much progress socially and educationally when it comes to our children? Do we believe that we should still stay in our place of complacency? Please holla back! ---JH
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Modern Day Use of the “N” Word
The Modern Day Use of the “N” Word
by Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove
Have you done any research on the modern day use of the “N” word? During the school desegregation era (post Dr. King Assassination and throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s), the use of the “N” word began to resurface by a few angry whites who were opposed to integration and bussing. (Bussing was a technique used by districts to achieve racial balance for integration in Public Schools). The “N” word was used to keep blacks in their place of belonging, and the “N” word reminded them of this place.
Black English or Ebonics gained notoriety during this era, and they allowed Blacks to remove the stigma, which was attached to the “N” word. Blacks simply inverted this term’s meaning. “Inversion” is a process used to change the meaning of language. Whites used the “N” word in a way that was angry and hostile to Blacks. Its used was intended to control the behavior of a people. To negate the power that the ‘N” word conveyed, Blacks began to invert its meaning. Just as blacks inverted the word “bad” to mean “good”, Blacks inverted the “N” word to a so-called “term of endearment”. In other words, the new generation of Blacks in the late 1990’s began to sanitize the harsh word that is now referred to as the “N” word. However, because Blacks were now beginning to live in an integrated society, along with other cultures, the use of the word by Blacks sent a dual and confusing message to other cultures. Now, the word that was used by Blacks as a term of endearment in private circles began to become used in public, and caused much cultural interference and confusion. Such as, I thought that you all told us that you didn’t like the word to be used, but now you are using it (but not us)!
The culture in which the emerging Rappers of the 1990’s grew up caused undue aggression against them for their use of the “N” word in their music. There were two victims: The guardians of the Civil Rights era, and the emerging Rappers who told their stories on wax. Both groups were the real victims of the inverted use of the “N” word. For older Blacks who were not aware that the ugly word had been inverted, it was viewed as an abomination against what the Civil Rights Movement fought to change. For Rappers, they saw it as important to hold true to the game by sharing stories about where they emerged from, and the so called negative images were a part of that truth. We were in the 1990’s and the past was gone. History had taken its course with time.
The movement by teachers and educators to bury or remove the use of the “N” word can be traced to the 1989-90 academic school year. Later, the phrase titled “the “N” word” was popularized in the mid 1990’s as a way to not pronounce the word over the airways of radio and television, since we were then living in an integrated society and not a segregated one. An emerging scholar and researcher named Dr. Jesse Hargrove was the nation’s foremost authority in the movement to end the use of the “N” word in public schools and society. Educators began to ask the public to spell the word over the airwaves and not to speak, nor to pronounce it. The so called “N” word had now become known as the curse word of the 1990’s. The following article was published in 1990 by In the Black Plus, Tucson, Arizona, and it sheds light on the modern day emergence of the “N” word and captures the spirit and climate of the time:
N_GGER: The Curse Word of the 1990's
There is a growing awareness among educators as well as religious leaders that negative words must be eliminated during the 1990's, if a new generation of young people is to successfully transition into the 21st Century. Words that depict negative images must not be used nor reinforced daily in environments where young and impressionable minds are developing. This article is intended to "Sound the Drum" for a new view of the importance of creating positive environments in the home, school, religious institutions and community. Within these environments are the nurturing conditions that are conducive for a new state of affairs to occur in the 1990's.
The key factor that shapes one's personality and allows a person's identity to emerge is the environment in which he or she is raised. Therefore, one must pay close attention to the environmental influences that reinforce desirable and undesirable behaviors in people, particularly students. Further, if these negative environmental influences are not significantly reduced or eliminated, the identity and self-concept of the individual will not develop to their maximum potential.
The use of the spoken word "nigger" is a term that has created the environmental conditions that stifle growth, learning and development within young people. Educators and others are saying, do not say it and do not identify with it. When people say it, they are reinforcing the negative images and beliefs that this concept subtly promotes to the listener of the word. Instead of orally using the word, educators are saying, "take the I out of the word".
When one takes the "I" out, the word cannot be properly pronounced with the same degree of intensity. In addition, educators are saying, if one needs to make a reference to the word, particularly over the radio air waves or electronic media such as television, one should spell this word by saying, "N take the "I" out of it GGER". It should never be pronounced by the person(s) discussing the word because this term is recognized as the curse word of the 90's. Furthermore, radio and television stations should be progressively moving society into the 1990's by blinking out or editing this curse word when it is spoken over the air waves.
By acknowledging this word on the level of the four letter swear word SH_T, one gains the true representation of the depth and danger of the usage and meaning of which this word has come to mean. Certainly, enlightened religious leaders have begun to understand the deeper meaning that this negative term conjures up. Many have begun to educate their congregations against its spoken usage in public or at home. They explain to them that it is not only swearing or cursing, but affirming and reaffirming to the youths of this society that it is all right to swear, curse, or be cursed.
Concomitantly, educators are beginning to take a stronger leadership role in advancing a new view of the power of language. This perspective is designed to eliminate negative images and terms, while reinforcing positive values within the learning environment of the home, school, religious institution and community. In this case, all four environments help shape and prepare youths to assume their proper roles within this pluralistic and demographically changing society of the 1990's and the 21st Century. In conclusion, educators and others are encouraging a new view of language that says, "Be Positive"! Our Children's Minds Are Still Being Developed". –by Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove (1990) See Link at: iwhome.com/in_focus/circle.htm
by Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove
Have you done any research on the modern day use of the “N” word? During the school desegregation era (post Dr. King Assassination and throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s), the use of the “N” word began to resurface by a few angry whites who were opposed to integration and bussing. (Bussing was a technique used by districts to achieve racial balance for integration in Public Schools). The “N” word was used to keep blacks in their place of belonging, and the “N” word reminded them of this place.
Black English or Ebonics gained notoriety during this era, and they allowed Blacks to remove the stigma, which was attached to the “N” word. Blacks simply inverted this term’s meaning. “Inversion” is a process used to change the meaning of language. Whites used the “N” word in a way that was angry and hostile to Blacks. Its used was intended to control the behavior of a people. To negate the power that the ‘N” word conveyed, Blacks began to invert its meaning. Just as blacks inverted the word “bad” to mean “good”, Blacks inverted the “N” word to a so-called “term of endearment”. In other words, the new generation of Blacks in the late 1990’s began to sanitize the harsh word that is now referred to as the “N” word. However, because Blacks were now beginning to live in an integrated society, along with other cultures, the use of the word by Blacks sent a dual and confusing message to other cultures. Now, the word that was used by Blacks as a term of endearment in private circles began to become used in public, and caused much cultural interference and confusion. Such as, I thought that you all told us that you didn’t like the word to be used, but now you are using it (but not us)!
The culture in which the emerging Rappers of the 1990’s grew up caused undue aggression against them for their use of the “N” word in their music. There were two victims: The guardians of the Civil Rights era, and the emerging Rappers who told their stories on wax. Both groups were the real victims of the inverted use of the “N” word. For older Blacks who were not aware that the ugly word had been inverted, it was viewed as an abomination against what the Civil Rights Movement fought to change. For Rappers, they saw it as important to hold true to the game by sharing stories about where they emerged from, and the so called negative images were a part of that truth. We were in the 1990’s and the past was gone. History had taken its course with time.
The movement by teachers and educators to bury or remove the use of the “N” word can be traced to the 1989-90 academic school year. Later, the phrase titled “the “N” word” was popularized in the mid 1990’s as a way to not pronounce the word over the airways of radio and television, since we were then living in an integrated society and not a segregated one. An emerging scholar and researcher named Dr. Jesse Hargrove was the nation’s foremost authority in the movement to end the use of the “N” word in public schools and society. Educators began to ask the public to spell the word over the airwaves and not to speak, nor to pronounce it. The so called “N” word had now become known as the curse word of the 1990’s. The following article was published in 1990 by In the Black Plus, Tucson, Arizona, and it sheds light on the modern day emergence of the “N” word and captures the spirit and climate of the time:
N_GGER: The Curse Word of the 1990's
There is a growing awareness among educators as well as religious leaders that negative words must be eliminated during the 1990's, if a new generation of young people is to successfully transition into the 21st Century. Words that depict negative images must not be used nor reinforced daily in environments where young and impressionable minds are developing. This article is intended to "Sound the Drum" for a new view of the importance of creating positive environments in the home, school, religious institutions and community. Within these environments are the nurturing conditions that are conducive for a new state of affairs to occur in the 1990's.
The key factor that shapes one's personality and allows a person's identity to emerge is the environment in which he or she is raised. Therefore, one must pay close attention to the environmental influences that reinforce desirable and undesirable behaviors in people, particularly students. Further, if these negative environmental influences are not significantly reduced or eliminated, the identity and self-concept of the individual will not develop to their maximum potential.
The use of the spoken word "nigger" is a term that has created the environmental conditions that stifle growth, learning and development within young people. Educators and others are saying, do not say it and do not identify with it. When people say it, they are reinforcing the negative images and beliefs that this concept subtly promotes to the listener of the word. Instead of orally using the word, educators are saying, "take the I out of the word".
When one takes the "I" out, the word cannot be properly pronounced with the same degree of intensity. In addition, educators are saying, if one needs to make a reference to the word, particularly over the radio air waves or electronic media such as television, one should spell this word by saying, "N take the "I" out of it GGER". It should never be pronounced by the person(s) discussing the word because this term is recognized as the curse word of the 90's. Furthermore, radio and television stations should be progressively moving society into the 1990's by blinking out or editing this curse word when it is spoken over the air waves.
By acknowledging this word on the level of the four letter swear word SH_T, one gains the true representation of the depth and danger of the usage and meaning of which this word has come to mean. Certainly, enlightened religious leaders have begun to understand the deeper meaning that this negative term conjures up. Many have begun to educate their congregations against its spoken usage in public or at home. They explain to them that it is not only swearing or cursing, but affirming and reaffirming to the youths of this society that it is all right to swear, curse, or be cursed.
Concomitantly, educators are beginning to take a stronger leadership role in advancing a new view of the power of language. This perspective is designed to eliminate negative images and terms, while reinforcing positive values within the learning environment of the home, school, religious institution and community. In this case, all four environments help shape and prepare youths to assume their proper roles within this pluralistic and demographically changing society of the 1990's and the 21st Century. In conclusion, educators and others are encouraging a new view of language that says, "Be Positive"! Our Children's Minds Are Still Being Developed". –by Dr. Jesse J. Hargrove (1990) See Link at: iwhome.com/in_focus/circle.htm
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Origin of "Acting White" in America
Dear Colleagues,
Kim "PCG Intern" Campbell wrote a profound blog, and raised an important issue concerning the July 23-24, 2008 CNN discussion on what it means to be Black in America. She raised an important question at the end of her revealing blog. She asked that I read it and share some comments on its content. She asked what we can do to change the mindset of Blacks in America. My thoughts are as follows.
THE ORIGIN OF “ACTING WHITE” IN AMERICA
Most cultures have created a system of acceptable behavior. If you do not support your race or culture, you can be labeled by that culture with a symbol. For instance, African Americans who do not support their culture are labeled as an “Oreo”, black on the outside and white in the middle. Native Americans refer to one from their culture as an “apple” –red on the outside and white on the inside. Likewise, Asian Americans refer to themselves as a “banana”, yellow on the outside and white on the inside. The Latinos label their members as a “coconut”-brown on the outside and white on the inside. Hargrove asserts that these are self-imposed descriptors.
When approaching this topic on “Blackness” or “Am I Black Enough for You”, one has to understand that there are at least two key assumptions operating in the environment. The way that race plays itself or should I say displays itself in America, can be traced to the following assumptions:
1) I am better than you because I have all the “physical attributes” to be placed ahead of you in the societal pecking order. Example, I have good hair, and you have bad hair; I have two parents, and you come from a single parent home; I have a car, and you ride the bus; I have middle class friends and you are ghetto; I live in an upscale community, and you live in the projects; I have a wardrobe, and you all have clothing; and
2) Because I have all these things, I am closer to “Whiteness” than you. This is a “mental assumption” that allows one to believe that he/she is better than another. The way these two assumptions play out in America is through a “divide and conquer” mentality. The two assumptions met head on in 1992 and crashed. The Rodney King verdict caused the middle class Blacks to see themselves as no better off than the poor Blacks. As a result of a racially divided society, after the Rodney King verdict, followed by the O.J. Simpson verdict in 1994, Blacks were gradually forced into a unified position.The Million Man March of October 16, 1995, spearheaded by Minister Louis Farrakhan, was able to galvanize significant numbers of Black men to Washington D.C. The country had been more polarized than ever. Middle class Black students had begun to see society through the lenses of poor black students. In public schools in America, smart Blacks no longer wanted to “act white,” by displaying their intellectual prowess. In other words, being smart was rejected by large numbers of both poor and middle-class Blacks.
The Gena Six issue in the 2006-2007 school year created a new re-awakening in the younger generation, and the cause for social justice began to surface by a newer generation. In summer 2006, the demise and burial of the “N” word and the resistance to call or refer to Black women as the “B” word and the “H” word caused a pause in the negative images perpetuated by Blacks toward Blacks. In 2008, the good news and positive signs continue to emerge, particularly with huge numbers of young people registering and participating in local governance and national elections. This renewal of energy has stirred the souls of this new generation to make positive changes in America.
The 2008 Presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama has done more to instill a sense of pride and unity because he is viewed by many to be a qualified candidate who can represent this nation as President of the United States. As a result of this, young African Americans are now talking in culturally prideful terms. The time is right for real education reform to begin in America so that gaps in learning and achievement can be closed. As Dr. King would say, the fierce urgency of [the moment is] now!—Dr. Jesse Hargrove
Kim "PCG Intern" Campbell wrote a profound blog, and raised an important issue concerning the July 23-24, 2008 CNN discussion on what it means to be Black in America. She raised an important question at the end of her revealing blog. She asked that I read it and share some comments on its content. She asked what we can do to change the mindset of Blacks in America. My thoughts are as follows.
THE ORIGIN OF “ACTING WHITE” IN AMERICA
Most cultures have created a system of acceptable behavior. If you do not support your race or culture, you can be labeled by that culture with a symbol. For instance, African Americans who do not support their culture are labeled as an “Oreo”, black on the outside and white in the middle. Native Americans refer to one from their culture as an “apple” –red on the outside and white on the inside. Likewise, Asian Americans refer to themselves as a “banana”, yellow on the outside and white on the inside. The Latinos label their members as a “coconut”-brown on the outside and white on the inside. Hargrove asserts that these are self-imposed descriptors.
When approaching this topic on “Blackness” or “Am I Black Enough for You”, one has to understand that there are at least two key assumptions operating in the environment. The way that race plays itself or should I say displays itself in America, can be traced to the following assumptions:
1) I am better than you because I have all the “physical attributes” to be placed ahead of you in the societal pecking order. Example, I have good hair, and you have bad hair; I have two parents, and you come from a single parent home; I have a car, and you ride the bus; I have middle class friends and you are ghetto; I live in an upscale community, and you live in the projects; I have a wardrobe, and you all have clothing; and
2) Because I have all these things, I am closer to “Whiteness” than you. This is a “mental assumption” that allows one to believe that he/she is better than another. The way these two assumptions play out in America is through a “divide and conquer” mentality. The two assumptions met head on in 1992 and crashed. The Rodney King verdict caused the middle class Blacks to see themselves as no better off than the poor Blacks. As a result of a racially divided society, after the Rodney King verdict, followed by the O.J. Simpson verdict in 1994, Blacks were gradually forced into a unified position.The Million Man March of October 16, 1995, spearheaded by Minister Louis Farrakhan, was able to galvanize significant numbers of Black men to Washington D.C. The country had been more polarized than ever. Middle class Black students had begun to see society through the lenses of poor black students. In public schools in America, smart Blacks no longer wanted to “act white,” by displaying their intellectual prowess. In other words, being smart was rejected by large numbers of both poor and middle-class Blacks.
The Gena Six issue in the 2006-2007 school year created a new re-awakening in the younger generation, and the cause for social justice began to surface by a newer generation. In summer 2006, the demise and burial of the “N” word and the resistance to call or refer to Black women as the “B” word and the “H” word caused a pause in the negative images perpetuated by Blacks toward Blacks. In 2008, the good news and positive signs continue to emerge, particularly with huge numbers of young people registering and participating in local governance and national elections. This renewal of energy has stirred the souls of this new generation to make positive changes in America.
The 2008 Presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama has done more to instill a sense of pride and unity because he is viewed by many to be a qualified candidate who can represent this nation as President of the United States. As a result of this, young African Americans are now talking in culturally prideful terms. The time is right for real education reform to begin in America so that gaps in learning and achievement can be closed. As Dr. King would say, the fierce urgency of [the moment is] now!—Dr. Jesse Hargrove
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