Self Hatred: Acting Black – Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How

The third installment of the Self Hatred topic focuses on the concept of acting Black and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What constitutes acting Black and are these associations fair?

2. Do you subscribe to the notion that there are Black people and there are n_ _ _ _ _ _  and if so, why?

3. Have we been brainwashed to think, act, and react, in a certain way to things and if so, why?

FRONT STREET

We are not a monolithic people.  Some of Us voted for Mitt Romney, some of Us don’t like chicken, some of Us use proper english at all times, and yes Our ethnicity is still that of a person of African decent.  However, We would be remiss if We honestly didn’t look at Ourselves for what We have become.  We have painted ourselves into a corner labeled blackness where a person can only be considered Black if they do certain things and do things a certain way.  Not to mention, the baggage of outside perspectives on and about Us.  Does the idea of acting Black contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and respond to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These questions and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  3/1/2014.

Acting Black Part 1

Acting Black Part 2

Acting Black Part 3

Self Hatred: Good Hairitage  – Intra Racism 

The fourth installment of the Self Hatred topic focuses on issue of intra racism and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do hairstyles contribute to stereotypes about Black people even among Black people?

2. Is there any validity to the theory that slavery continues to contribute to our mentality today?

3. Are you color blind, color struck, or color stuck and why?

FRONT STREET

When We originally started Black Advancement Inc. We were often questioned why We decided to focus specifically on Black people and Black issues.  Granted, there are several reasons and explanation for this; however, one of the main pillars of Our reasoning was the issue of self hatred within the Black Community.  This issue goes deep into the hearts of Black folks and can impact Us in a variety of ways  including but not excluded to hairstyle, fashion, and even romantic relationship.  Our progress and struggle both hinge on Our ability to get out of Our own way.  The question remains, do are intra-racial issues contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  10/26/2013.

Good Hairitage Part 1

Good Hairitage Part 2

Good Hairitage Part 3

Self Hatred: The Mask  – Is It Still Necessary and Is It Still Being Used

The fifth and final installment of the Self Hatred topic focuses on the mask and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Have you ever worn the mask and if so where and why?

2. Do we only where the mask when in the company of other races?

3. Will there ever come a day when the mask won’t be necessary?

FRONT STREET

We have all been there.  We have all had that feeling We don’t belong in the rarified air of Our colleagues at Our jobs and in some cases Our friends and family.  We have all had to wear the mask in order to make it through situations.  But when does the mask become self hatred?  When does wearing the mask become dishonest to yourself and what you are?  Are you ashamed of who you are or are you just cognizant of the situation?  These are questions that Black people consciously or unconsciously face everyday.  Does the use of the mask contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 11/15/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

The Mask 

Self Hatred: The ‘N’ Word – A Term of Endearment or Enslavement

The first installment of the Self Hatred topic focuses on the usage of the word nigger in any form and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Should Black people use the word nigger in any form, and why or why not?

2. What does the word nigger mean to you?

3. How do you feel when Whites and other races use the word?

FRONT STREET

The most charged word in the English lexicon is nigger in all of its forms.  It stems from a place in American history that is linked to shame, pain, and misery.  Used as an insult to all people of African decent, this word is just as likely today to start a riot as it was in the Civil Rights Movement nearly 60 years ago.  However, through time and an ability to adapt the negative, Black people have turned the phrase into a “term of endearment,”  and something to be quasi proud of.  Use of the word in this manner has at times caused rifts between generations due to the negative connotation of the word to past generations.  Due to our inconsistency pertaining to the use of the word and who is allowed to use the word, the Black race comes off as confused and ignorant to their own history.  Does the use of the N word contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and respond to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These questions and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  4/5/2014.

The N Word Part 1

The N Word Part 2

The N Word Part 3

Self Hatred: Stereotypes – Rising Down

The second installment of the Self Hatred topic focuses on stereotypes of Black people and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Are Black people accurately stereotyped?

2. Which stereotype about Black people is least accurate to you and why?

3. Which stereotype is the most offensive towards Black people to you and why?

FRONT STREET

Every race suffers their own version of negative stereotypes, but none are quite as negative as those aimed towards Black people.  If you were to stop for a second and try to think of all the negative stereotypes attached to Black people, you would be surprised at how many you could come up with.  The issue becomes even more depressing when you are forced to look in the mirror to determine if you are complicit in perpetuating the negative stereotypes through your actions.  Are We just as guilty as the people who created the stereotypes or is it all in Our heads and the heads of others?  Do stereotypes contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and respond to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These questions and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  09/13/2013.

Stereotypes:

Stereotypes Part 1

Stereotypes Part 2

Stereotypes Part 3