Troubled minority causes self-destruction

By Dejon Bivens

Close your eyes, Winthrop University and those who were the silent observers of the self-destruction of a race formerly known as African Americans. For just a few moments, let’s think back to what could have been done to save the African Americans from their unexpected demise.

Might the African Americans been saved if we decided to peel off the diseased, sub-cultured skin known as “acting black?”

Could we have been saved if the brothers at Winthrop and around the United States decided to take education as serious as they took an insult on their mothers? What if the African American sisters traded in their fantasies of finding a wannabe NBA star or NFL wide receiver for the educated negro with, not one, but two degrees? Could that have saved us?  

Could we have prevented the self-destruction of African Americans if, on the day that Barack Obama became president of the United States, blacks, instead of quitting their jobs and kicking their feet up, believing that the work was done for African Americans, decided that instead they, too, would announce their candidacy for President of the United States? Would that have saved us?

Can anyone recall the day the “N” word suddenly disappeared from the black vocabulary? I can. I don’t know how it happened, but what a day it was. I know for sure it took out a few of my African American friends. It was as big a crisis to the blacks as the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated or the day Madea died. 

Why was it such a big deal? It was a big deal because without the “N” word, black people could not communicate with each other. You see, back when black people were around, using the “N” word was the only way we used to get each other’s attention.

We never called each other by our names to start a conversation, unfortunately. That was just too uppity, too white and went against who we were as black people. God forbid we acted white- Black Power! 

Well, how did we communicate with each other, exactly? Simple, one black individual saw another and just hollered out loud to them, “What up, ‘N’ word?!” Then a properly constructed sentence would follow. Or not, because a lot of us, back when African Americans were around, took education for granted and did not properly learn to construct sentences -- we used Ebonics instead -- simple, easy to use and black friendly.

What was fascinating to everyone else was that many of us African Americans responded to it. It perplexed many who knew the meaning of the word, which by the way, is “ignorant” and “inferior.” 

It was all downhill from there. Just before we got to the bottom of the hill of self-destruction, we pulled out these special things known as “race cards.” 

We swiped them like credit cards throughout life to buy us some timed excuses. These cards were used on occasions when we failed classes after skipping everyday but the days we took exams.

We used them when we got pulled over by the police, after going 80 mph in a 60 mph zone. To further lower the cost of self-responsibility, we added the coupon D.W.B (Driving While Black) to really stick it to the man.

Then it came time to pay Life back. We charged the “race card” to its limits and now it was time to pay the balance. We had no money, we had no education and we had no degrees. 

This card allowed us into some of the best institutions of higher education, best jobs and yet we had nothing to show; none of the power, prestige or wealth to keep us ahead in Life. Life wanted payment in degrees and networking. Most of all, Life wanted African Americans with a vision of something better for ourselves and we had nothing; not even a vision. 

So Life, disappointed in our actions, ensured that until we had what it wanted in payment, we would continue to have nothing. It was on this day that Life shook its head at the African Americans and I think shed a tear. 

Life knew that it had given African Americans all the opportunities in the world to be successful, despite tough challenges and setbacks yet we were not. We made Life hard on us. We were wreckless with our opportunities and unaware of the consequences.

African Americans self-destructed on that day in front of those silent observers who watched the fall of a race we formerly knew as African Americans.