If Trayvon Martin could be murdered with impunity just for walking home from the store to buy some candy, how is a black youth supposed to feel safe anywhere? Why didn’t they arrest RIGHT AWAY the guy that murdered him? Why does it seem like the life of a black teenage boy is worth less? These are some of the questions many people have been grappling with in the wake of the Trayvon tragedy.
I feel like there is a buried message that needs to get sent to the young black men in my life: my sons, grandsons, friends, students, neighbors, and my fellow campers at different adoption camps I attend. I want all my younger brothers to know that I share the pain, frustration, and anxiety that this tragedy calls forth. Most importantly, I want to validate for ALL of us our indignation. I want you to know how royally pissed off–how OUTRAGED– I feel.
The sad truth is this: If it seems like a young black male’s life is worth less than someone else’s life, it’s because it IS worth less. That’s how racism operates in our society. Our bodies, minds, and souls are not valued the same as other people. If you are a young black male reading this, know that I’m writing this out of my love for you. This is for all my younger brothers, meaning for all males of African descent between the ages of ten and thirty. Whether you identify as black, biracial, multiracial, blatino, blasian, half-rican, African American, Caribbean, Afrikan, or what have you, I am speaking to you.
Because I WAS you when I was your age. And I remember what it feels like to be a teenage target of suspicion and surveillance. I know what it feels like to move through the world in a masculine dark body that is feared. I learned the hard way what it means to be a menace to society. I know deep in my gut how it feels to be worth less.
The harsh reality is that the lives of black boys in the United States have always been seen as less precious than the lives of other boys, going back to the days of slavery. African American moms and dads know that, on some level, our lives don’t matter and have never counted as much as the lives of others.
As a young black male, you are not supposed to feel safe. The weight of our worthlessness is supposed to make us feel afraid, insignificant, and disempowered. Every concerned and aware parent of a black boy comes to this realization at some point, just as every black boy has to come to terms with his position in the social order. I am not telling you to accept this second-class position; I am stating that each of us has to figure out for ourselves what to do about it.
If other people perceive you as black and male, then you might as well wear a target around your neck. For centuries, our lives as black men could be snuffed out at the whim of white men. It was true back in the day, and it is still true today in the 21st century. This nation’s history of lynching by vigilantes has left a bitter taste in our mouths. Lynchings happened not all that long ago, even during the twentieth century. This partially explains why black parents have so much concern for protecting our sons and our brothers whenever they leave the house. It is a healthy paranoia borne of generations of violence against black males. From studying history and recalling family stories, we know full well how bad it can get out there, how dangerous it is especially to live as a black male youth.
We recognize that racism, while often hidden, has a way of popping up suddenly, especially when other people become frightened. We know all too well how quickly prejudice and ignorance can turn to dangerous violence in the heat of an argument, or to mass hysteria during the aftermath of a crime. We know that to many police officers, we automatically fit the description. We recognize that, to them, we all look like criminals. We are all suspects. We all wear targets. We are all guilty until proven innocent.
In light of the way other people fear us, I’ve observed closely the different coping strategies that black men have come up with over the years. I am sure you’ve seen some of these in action yourself, if you watch TV or hang out where black men hang. For example, there are men who grin and shuffle and try to appease white people by coming across as harmless and non-threatening. In the black community, we sometimes refer to such men as Uncle Toms. Or you’ve no doubt come across funny black men that cut up and act the fool and perform as something like a class clown as a way to deflect suspicion from themselves. You have probably also seen smart black men who attempt to use their intelligence to achieve academic success, or to argue like a lawyer for their rights and for fair treatment.
Many black men adopt a swagger and try to project macho bravery, giving off a serious “don’t fuck with me” attitude. A lot of men try to use their athletic talents to win favor on the basketball court or the playing field, again, in an effort to show that they have some value, and to prove to the world that they are somebody. Some black men turn to religion (especially Christianity and Islam) as a way to affirm their self-worth and to find comfort, and to project an aura of dignity and power. Other black men join gangs, fraternities, or the military as a way to feel powerful, respected, and to gain the protection of strength in numbers.
Black men have come up with awesome creative ways to respond to our ascribed worthlessness as black males. Another way to think about it is more psychological: Once you understand the dangers facing black male youth, once you come to realize that your life is not as valued, you have several options. Basically, you can take that awareness and turn it inward or outward. If you choose to turn it inward, you run the risk of succumbing to depression. You might find yourself feeling suicidal and acting out in self-defeating ways. For example, you might engage in self-medicating behavior by drinking too much alcohol. You might start over-using dangerous drugs. You might engage in promiscuous sex, and forget to wear protection, leaving yourself at risk for STDs, including HIV AIDS.
Or you can turn your emotional distress on yourself and other males that look like you. This is what we mean by internalized oppression. You might come to actually hate your race, and resent your blackness and your gender. You might put down other black males and buy into the mindset that says we are all worthless. Hear that, say it out loud—we are supposedly worth LESS. But do you really believe that? Do you accept this as your lot in life? You might even want to prey on other black males and use violence against them. Internalized oppression explains a big part of the problem of black-on-black violence in black communities across the land.
Once you realize the fact that we have been locked into a second-class caste-like status, once you let the realization hit you that our lives are worth less, at least in the minds of society, you don’t have to turn your feelings inward. You can turn your awareness outward.
Instead of being depressed, you can acknowledge your anger at how unfair the situation actually is. But anger can be tricky, because it can easily turn to violence. And we know that violence begets violence. You have to understand that. As much as I admire the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, and other black militants, I also understand the extreme reaction the Panthers provoked. By taking a courageous militant stance in defense of the black community, the U.S. government and police departments across the nation came down extremely hard on black militant activists everywhere. Many Panther leaders were murdered and assassinated and imprisoned. Know this history, and think about an appropriate, intelligent response to our condition.
Another use for our anger is using it as fuel. We can channel the rage we feel into positive directions. Organizing for social justice, like setting up police brutality monitoring squads, and taking anti-racist actions are some examples of productive uses of our anger. Taking self-defense classes, or enrolling in a firearms safety class and then going to target practice at a shooting range might work for you. Writing letters to politicians and newspaper editors, making a blog where you can express your frustration and educate others, creating music videos and expressing yourself through other art forms such as hip-hop—all these are productive channels for the righteous indignation that I carry inside me, and I have relied on many of these strategies at different times in my life. For a long time, I’ve felt like if I didn’t know how to express myself in writing, music, and art, I would be out in the streets throwing bricks. I reserve the right to exercise that option if and when it becomes necessary.
In the end, the choice is up to you. How you respond to the lesser value placed on black male life is a choice you have some control over. If our lives as black males really are seen as worth less, what do we do with the feelings provoked by that ugly truth? How do we respond? You have to answer that one for yourself.
I cannot tell you how you should feel, or the best way to respond. But do keep in mind that I, just like many other older brothers, am with you. I will be more than willing to talk about my own choices if you ever want to talk. You are hardly the first generation to face this ugly reality. And most likely, you won’t be the last. I pledge that I will do my best to advise you as you think intelligently and plan an appropriate course of action. I want you to feel safe, to feel loved, and I want you to survive. I am here for you. Know that I’ve got your back.
You are not alone in your righteous anger. Hell yeah, I’m pissed off, you better believe it. And I’d rather see us all OUTRAGED instead of depressed.
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Are Black Males Really Worth LESS?
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