The Hypocrisy: The Tragedy of Two Americas

While watching television one night and seeing another African-

American man standing trial in a court of law for the murder of
another civilian. I began to wonder why a certain segment of our
population still chose to remain on the path of uncertainty and
destruction leading to prison or death? In order to answer that question
I had to look within and from my introspection here is what I found
out.

An African-American child born today would be exposed to what is

arguably a Renaissance and rebirth of the Black nation. He/she would
also see a significant increase in the number of African-Americans
who hold Bachelors and more advanced degrees at well over 1.1
million strong, a robust and formidable economic powerhouse, worth
well over 50-60 billion. Already seated in office, the nation’s first
African-American president, countless Congressmen, Mayors,
Governors both past and president, Doctors, Lawyers, Judges and
Entertainers who occupy every rung and segment of this society. Every
continent that you would travel to in this world contains an African
presence, from the Black Filipinos to the Black Iraqis, from the
Untouchables on the outskirts of India to the Aborigines of Australia
and the Black Brazilians of Rio. Each culture has its own unique
character and struggles for equality in their respective societies but it
can be argued that none are more analyzed, dissected, criticized,
despised and revered than the African-American people here are in
America. We are successful, yet we aren’t; it’s a paradox that has
baffled the world, it’s not a simple concept like class rich vs. poor is
irrelevant in this context and should be saved for another discussion.
The problem is much more complicated than that and since I don’t feel
that it’s been properly addressed hence all of the ignorant statements
that continue to emanate from African, South American and European
culture about the inability of the African male in the U.S. to thrive and
become a productive citizen.

Now the strides that African-Americans have made would seem like a
dream come true especially to those who were born during the Jim
Crow era and witnessed firsthand the brutality visited upon people of
color back then in the 60s, but on the surface the reality is every major
city in America contains an underclass of poor, impoverished African-
Americans who aren’t living this so called American dream; who come
from fractured homes with no ambition of ever achieving anything in
life, who saw their father beat their mother or were born to Pimps,
Thieves and Hustlers. Also those role models that they see on
television don’t live in their neighborhoods but reside in affluent gated
communities far away from the kids who desperately crave role
models to help set the example when the parents just aren’t there. This
is the other reality of America and the question is why do some
succeed while others fail? Upbringing could play a major role in this,
but not always, even kids from middle to upper-middle class homes
stray down the wrong path and find themselves caught up in the penal
system. I’ve met a few in my lifetime and the question is why? Now
this brings me to the crux of this discussion.

Back in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson and the rest of those guys signed
the Declaration of Independence, you know the document that talks
about the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Well guess
what? When they signed that document Jefferson and the other co-
signers held our ancestors in bondage. Yes they were slaves and
weren’t considered human, but chattel; so they were excluded from
possessing the same rights as White folks and what many people fail to
realize also is that less than 50 years ago African-American’s could not
own property; this included houses, cars, jewelry and relationships
were skewed at best. I don’t care how resilient you think you are, when
someone deprives you of the basic necessities of life, takes away your
liberty, exploits your family, whips your kids and takes liberties with
your wife it is going to affect you; it is going to affect the entire family
that is one of the brutal legacies left behind by slavery. Forward to the
sixties, now you are stigmatized as being less than intelligent and not
only that the law is against you so even when you are treated
inhumanely, guess what? You can’t fight back because the law is going
to take the side of the majority every single time; you come home to
your wife and kids feeling like less of a man because society doesn’t
respect you even though you are an educated man. How would that
make you feel today in 2009? There is no way in this world that you
would not be affected unless you were a robot. But guess what?
Despite the African-American’s progress, throughout the many facets
of life this mind state continues to exist, even today so in a sense
millions of African-American’s are living in this country but are really
not a part of it. I guess you can compare it to being invited to a picnic
but being told that you have to sit on the bench within an arm shot of
everyone else. Sure the racism is not as overt in some places as it was
at one time but if one has been told all of their life that education is the
key and they go out and get that education and apply for a job only to
be told that they aren’t qualified for the position even though they
clearly are, that is subtle racism and one could argue that it is just as
damaging to the psyche as well.

Now all that I’m doing here is making an observation and proposing a
solution because the only way to affect change and in effect change the
negative mindset of both black and white (because some of our own
people have bought into the notion that an African-American’s life is
worth less than a penny as well) for one is to address it, because it is
not going to go away on its own. A disease can never be healed
without first diagnosing, identifying and aggressively treating it. Sure
some segments of society are trying to come to grips with past
injustices but the reality is in order to create a truly Democratic society
that the Declaration of Independence should have intended, the people
must amend the document to include African-American’s in order to
correct that past injustice. That would go a long way in my opinion,
towards facilitating the healing process leading to constructive
dialogue, action and possible solutions that could positively affect
every culture living in the melting pot called America and not only
there but amongst those within other communities all over the world,
since America is viewed somewhat as a progressive nation in the
international arena, but more importantly it could have the potential to
truly unify and uplift those left behind in the quagmire of hopelessness
and poverty here in America’s ghettos. Sure there will be resistance,
people who have had the truth withheld for them for a long time only
to finally have it revealed later on in life would definitely suffer an
identity crisis an assault on a flawed mentality if you will; this is my
perspective.

Lonzo Lucas II