Orville Davis: Why I Hate Being a Black Man (November 2013)

[YoungDemCA]

This article honestly breaks my heart. It is a horrible tragedy that so many black men and women, and people of color in general, are taught to hate themselves simply for the fact that the color of their skin is harshly judged and demonized by white society. No one should have such a negative self-concept and self-image, but I completely understand why so many people of color feel this way about themselves. As a white person myself, I can only offer my compassion toward and my solidarity with people of color in this racist, white supremacist society and world in which we all live.

The issue of black self-hatred is something I am supposed to pretend does not exist. However, the great French psychiatrist Frantz Fanon wrote about this issue in his groundbreaking book Black Skin, White Masks in a chapter called “The Lived Experience of the Black Man.” According to Fanon, the black man is viewed in the third person, and he isn’t seen as a three-dimensional human being. The black man internalizes the perspectives of white society and its negative thoughts about blackness affect his psyche. In the chapter, Fanon discusses a white child calling him the n-word and how he becomes cognizant of how he is different and viewed as someone people should fear.

I can honestly say I hate being a black male. Although black people like to wax poetic about loving their label, I hate “being black.” I just don’t fit into a neat category of the stereotypical views people have of black men. In popular culture black men are recognized in three areas: sports, crime and entertainment. I hate rap music, I hate most sports and I like listening to rock music such as PJ Harvey, Morrissey and Tracy Chapman. I have nothing in common with the archetypes about the black male.

Honestly, who would want to be black? Who would want people to be terrified of you and not want to sit next to you on public transportation?

Who would want to have this dark skin, broad nose, large thick lips and wake up in the morning being despised by the rest of the world?

A lot of the time I feel like my skin color is like my personal prison, something that I have no control over, for I am judged just because of the way I look.

http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2013/11/_why_i_hate_being_a_black_man/

[The Polack MSgt]

1. contemplative kick and a mournful rec...

In the 40 years since my teens (when I first encountered articles and essays like this one) I expected the world would've become better than it is now.

"Land of the free - but the skin I'm in identifies me"

Chuck D wrote it in 91 as an echo to James Brown shouting I'm Black and I'm proud in 71.

But 25 years later we have a Rich kid version George Wallace getting MORE THAN HALF of the national White male vote.

Fuck...

And today I watched another black man murdered by cops - in Baton Rouge this time - but really America is the only location needing said.

Could've been anywhere.

[brush]

2. Poor man. He's broken. Doesn't know he is the original man.

Last edited Wed Jul 6, 2016, 04:49 PM - Edit history (1)

[YoungDemCA]

3. I'm pretty sure that he is aware of that fact

I think he's saying that that fact doesn't make much of a difference in the present-day context in which we find ourselves; namely, a thoroughly racist/white supremacist society.

Being part of the original people of this world hasn't stopped police shootings of unarmed black teenagers and other hate crimes against people of color. That's the point that I believe he is making.

[brush]

4. I'm African American and I don't share his feelings at all. I'm proud of my people having . . .

Last edited Wed Jul 6, 2016, 04:48 PM - Edit history (3)

survived horrendous treatment in this country, and in many, many many instances having prospered.

You have to learn to work around and in some cases, outsmart the racists.

A prime example, among hundred of thousands of others, is our president.

If I had the opportunity to speak to him I'd tell him first to hold his head up. Then I'd tell him our strength allowed us to survive centuries here where others couldn't. We've excelled in every area where we've had fair and equal access. You have to work harder than others to succeed but our history should tell you we can do hard work — from dawn to dusk, or can to cain't if you prefer, for centuries during enslavement, and uncompensated at that (we'll discuss unpaid reparations later). The melanin in our skin, that you seem so ashamed of, be proud of it as it protects us better from harsh sun and makes our women look 20 years younger than they are with that smooth brown glow. Black don't crack, you know.

Again, hold your head up, man. Forget what you think haters think of you. Be confident of your own ability to make your way through a sometimes hostile world of racism. God gave you a brain. Use it. And remember this, all whites are not your enemies. Some are allies. Now get on with it.