Armando Aparicio for PBS Idea Stream
People are so curious as to why Black people have different terms that they prefer to be called based on what resonates the most to them. For example; Black, African American, Brown and other lingo terms.
Lately in America, everyone wants to know why there is a separation of Black and White things. Ebonics, which is a language in which Black people communicate to each other, the history of Black people, and all of the captivating experiences a Black person goes through that correlate to them because of the color of their skin.
For example: being heavily influential on American sports, having separate hair products, music genres, movie variety, exclusive literature, celebrities that hold high impact and so forth; have created a plethora of beauty that every other race wants to experience.
Being Black is not a trend, but unfortunately, the lack of understanding of Black culture has created a space for those to continue to navigate blindly bleeding the Black history and creativity with no real understanding of why Black culture is detrimental to Black people.
It may be charming, but the pain that Black people endure helps paint a picture of why there is such splendor in their legacy.
As the world continues to evolve, Black people work tirelessly to catch up to the other races of the world in business, class and knowledge. Due to the dark and ugly history that is America, Black Americans and other Black people have been forced to make things happen with only half the opportunities as their white, Asian, and other minority counterparts.
This lack of inclusivity that still exists is why Black culture is such a large component of the success of Black people.
Kristen Uroda for NPR
Black Culture should be protected
Outside of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery and the outlawing of segregation in 1965, there have been many victories and positive turns for Black people, by Black people, because they were driven and determined to build a legacy that their children and future generations would have to call their own.
Activists like Malcolm X, Angela Davis, and Martin Luther King Jr., are all great examples of Black people that wanted more. Their influence helped other Black people strive for greatness, creating movements like the Black Panthers, Rastafarianism, and other Black-led faiths.
Black culture has helped the advancement of writing itself, for instance, in work created during the Harlem Renaissance. Black American Music in general has produced and shaped an amplified sound that impacts all aspects of the world today.
The inventions of legendary things such as traffic lights, hair products, and peanuts have shown Black people that their hands are capable of creating something remarkable. These examples are ways that have been necessary for the evolution of America as a whole.
People often mistake the sense of enjoyment of culture for the obsession with culture. Historically, it is known that Black face, for example, has long been the butt of White American jokes since before the “Birth of a Nation” ever came to big screens.
It’s unfortunate to share that aside from just skin, what Black people eat, how they talk, and what they wear are all things that make other races either obsessively love the idea of being Black, or overtly despise the idea of being Black.
It is a trend to have a Black and white baby on “TikTok.” It’s fetch if you’re a white woman who also happens to be a Black man’s basketball wife. It is now considered beautiful to have a small waist, with a large behind, and large breasts, but for Sarah Baartman (1815) a black woman who was also a contracted slave, her brain, frame, and sexual tissues remained on display in Paris until 2002. She was marveled at and considered “uncommon”. According to BBC News, Baartman’s life was considered a huge “hardship.” She was one of many Black women who was glorified for all the wrong reasons.
Education requires uncomfortably
In America, the lack of emphasis on Black culture and its history creates an opportunity for those not well versed in “The Culture” to be consistent in their ignorance because they aren’t held accountable.
Unity builds a foundation for learning from each other. Some may refuse to learn how to respect and learn about Black culture because they’d rather just not do the work. It is certain that for some if it doesn’t directly correlate to them and their life, it isn’t necessary or important to learn about it.
This way of thought affects the progression of America and will only result in more division unless it is ultimately addressed. To highlight, Black culture is something that should be celebrated and respected by every walk of life regardless of the month, year, or day.
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