Annette Williams

November 13, 2014

ENC 3315
Our Own Worst Enemies

With the killings of black teenagers Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown, the continuous
debate about race in America is once again at the forefront of everyones minds, with riots which
hail back to the Rodney King era. Whatever opinion someone may have on each case it cant be
denied that race is still an uncomfortable topic of discussion. People today In todays people
make sure to use politically correct answers for everything whilst hiding or disguising how
they may or may not truly feel. As an African American in this country I can attest to personally
being the victim of racial prejudice. However, not just from non-black races, but from my own
race as well. Judging from the mayhem that occurred during the Fergusson riots in the wake of

Comment [EB1]: I like that you added a

personal experience; builds your credibility
with readers

Michael Browns death, or even the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it seems as though the
worst enemy of black people areblack people.
This conclusion is not simply from my personal experience of s being picked on for not
being black enough, though I will discuss my experiences this later on. This conclusion also
came from seeing the behavior of certain segments of the black population acting in a way that
only serves to perpetuate the negative stereotypes that we claim to fight so hard to shed. What
happened to Michael Brown was tragic, in that a child lost his life. However, breaking into stores
and stealing rims, sneakers, televisions, etc. does nothing to change the perception that people
(whether theyre aware of it or not) carry in their minds about blacks.

Comment [EB2]: I might change the use of

ellipses to another word like are indeed but
it may just be a stylistic thing that I would
personally use.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. preached the message of nonviolent protests. He encouraged the oppressed to carry themselves with respect and not give in to
the stereotype that their oppressors had about them. As of late, it seems those ideals have faded
with history. As the saying goes, If we forget history, we are bound to repeat it . (George
Santayana.). It seems as a race, black people have chosen to forget the bits and pieces that do not
justify certain behavior. There is an ever present chip on the shoulder of many who feel
slavery or /discrimination is the reason as to why they can not succeed.
In 2014, President Barack Obama made a speech addressing the issue in which he said,
Sometimes African-Americans, in communities where Ive worked, theres been the notion of
acting white where, OK, if boys are reading too much, then, well, why are you doing that?
Or why are you speaking so properly? And the notion that theres some authentic way of being
black that has to go. (Chicago Tribune). Growing up in a middle- class neighborhood, I
attended private school but . wWhen the economy went into a slump my parents put me into a
charter school. It was the first time I ever experienced bullying; . I wasnt bullied for the
stereotypical things i.e. not having the cool clothes, or being chubby. I was bullied for being too
white. For speaking too proper, for not being black enough, and so on. A group of girls decided
to all physically beat me for this alleged violation of Black Code. They called me an Ooreo,
black on the outside, white on the inside. If my paretnts had not instilled a
stubbornneesstubbornness in me early on to stick to my guns, I could easily have fallen to peer
pressure. This peer pressure told me not to study because it wasnt cool and n. Not to speak
proper English because thats what dorks did. Imagine had that happened, I wouldnt be a
graduating senior this semester. When my parents came to America they were bullied for being
African by the Bblack Aamericans. In other cultures you see them help each other but . iIn the

black community no one wants to help the other one. Instead they hold this theory that if you are
doing to well in life, you are turning your back on your race and you are a traitor. Our own black
media perpetuates this bullying with articles like 10 Things I Cant Stand About Educated
Black People, which goes on to ridicule blacks for things like, LIVING THEIR LIVES
ACCORDING TO THE POLITICS OF RESPECTABILITY, (Madame Noire).
Too many black people have been hypnotized into thinking all theirproblems in the world
are due to discrimination.
http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=277 Yes, we have
overcome a lot but we are regressing. Black men were more than six times as likely as white men
to be incarcerated as of 2010 according to Pew Research. Thats actually an increase from 1960
when blacks were only five times as likely. . Tthe unemployment jobless rate among whites was

6.6%; among blacks, 12.6%,. bBasically double that of whites. The feeling often is that blacks
are the first to be fired and the last to be hired. Whilst there is some truth to that, research shows
that there is, considerable support for the first fired part but not for the last hired part:
Blacks are in fact disproportionately likely to lose their jobs as the business cycle weakens, but
the hiring side is more complex. (Properly cite). The lack of accountability keeps our race from

excelling. While we may be the first to get fired we can do our very best not to. While some
tthings are unavoidable it iss up to us to instill in our children whatas my parents did in me. The
idea that, you cant be just as good, you have to be two times better to be considered equal.
(Properly cite).
There can be as many government programs as we want but the responsibility lies in
African Americans to stand up and fight against these obstacles that have been plaguing the
community for over a century now. In the most recent presidential election it seems as though it

Comment [EB3]: Maybe just cite the video

and use an in-text citation because its kind of
an awkward places to put the link

is beginning to happen. For the first time since 1968, blacks out voted whites with 66% to their
64% (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/09/blacks-outvoted-whites-in-2012-the-firsttime-on-record/) In 1890, blacks were required to take a literacy test in order to vote. Now by
law we reserve the right to vote and have our voices heard.
Upper class neighborhoods dont have as much crime because when someone does
something illegal e.g. selling drugs on the corner the authorities are called. In lower class
neighborhoods or ghettos, as theyre often called, theres this unspoken, no snitching policy.
Because for some distorted reason this is the new way to show black pride and continue to
perpetuate the Us vs. Them mentally that keeps us exactly where weve been (CBS).
If we want drugs out of the neighborhoods, it is our responsibility to report the drug
dealers. If we dont want to be pulled over for DWB (driving while black), then we should stop
giving them a reason to pull us over. According to a federal study conducted by the Justice
Department, Black drivers are 31 percent more likely to be pulled over than whites; they are
more than twice as likely to be subject to police searches as white drivers.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/09/09/you-really-can-get-pulledover-for-driving-while-black-federal-statistics-show/) If seven out of ten times, police pull a
black person over and that person has a warrant or drugs, etc. then of course theyre going to
continuing doing what produces results. If they pull us over and every time find nothing, then
perhaps they would stop racially profiling.
It would be completely irresponsible and unjust, to portray that African Americans dont
have extra obstacles and extra challenges because we do. However, just because we have to fight
harder does not mean we should forego fighting at all. I know that some people hold their purses
tighter when my brother, (whose 6 2,) walks by. But does that give him an excuse to rob

people? The more we behave contrary to the negative stereotypes the less likely those
stereotypes are going to subsistexist.

Santayana, George. Life of Reason, Reason in Common Sense, Scribner's, 1905,

page 284

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-obama-acting-white-edit-0729-jm20140729-story.html
http://madamenoire.com/316833/10-things-i-cant-stand-about-educated-black-people/2/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/06/incarceration-gap-between-whites-and-blackswidens/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stop-snitchin/