NEGATIVE BLACK STEREOTYPES

When I hear negative stereotypes about black people it causes a rise within me. As a black woman myself, how could it not? The thing about my reaction or the rise it causes within me happens to be different than the rise it causes in majority of black people. When I was immature my reaction was different, less filtered and more emotionally driven. Now, I use those negative stereotypes to push me forward, to make me rise above. I use them as motivation to achieve, to show the opposite of that negative stereotype. I refuse to prove it correct and I wish everyone did this. What a world we would have if every negative stereotype was proven wrong!

I once heard "If you don't want a black person to know something, put it in a book." This is clearly stating that black people are either ignorant or do not read. Initially after finding out about this stereotype, without thinking I got a bit upset. Until I realized, you know what, I hadn't read a book in years. So you know what I did? I began reading books! Lots of educational and self-help books. Entrepreneurial books and my favorite metaphysics book, the best book ever, The Urantia Book (over 2,000 pages). So, what I do is I work on proving the stereotype wrong above all else. I don't buy into a negative stereotype, I refuse to.

I got a free library card a few years ago and this month (Black History Month) I picked up 'The Souls of Black Folks' by W.E.B. Dubois. I am excited for my latest read! Currently I'm still working on the 75,000 word audio book I am recording but as soon as it's delivered I will be educating myself on double consciousness. See life isn't as hard as some people make it out to be. Yes black people are stereotyped, so what! What matters is your reaction to it. Will you allow it to control you or will you turn it into motivation for yourself? There's always a choice involved. Also be real and ask yourself if the stereotype defines you or not. If it does, then you shouldn't get upset about it at all, just change your behavior. There's absolutely no point in getting mad at a stereotype when you play or buy in to the stereotype. I do feel more black people should educate themselves by reading more books. Malcolm X received his education in a correctional facility, he availed himself of the free education he had access to while locked up. Yeah read up on some history.

Unfortunately, every day young and old black people, who aren't imprisoned, ignore picking up a free library card and getting a free education. When watching the film 'Red Tails' about the first all black aerial unit during World War II, at the beginning of the film there states 'Blacks are mentally inferior, by nature subservient, and cowards in the face of danger.' This came from a US Army war college study in 1925. Those black airmen at Tuskegee certainly proved quite the opposite and then some. That is what we are meant to do, rise above and excel. Nowadays, it seems we don't even work towards reaching the mark. How about just trying? Stop limiting yourself and become better.