Some African Americans become visibly irritated if they see any image of a black person looking less than happy posted anywhere--whether that is on or off the Internet. They will complain about how a black woman or man might be viewed by others. "You really should take that down...do you know how that makes us look...why do we have to look that way?" they say.
Blacks attempting to censor other blacks from sharing anything that "makes us look bad." Yet, the best kept secret among many African Americans is not so much keeping the negativity about us out of public view, but what it really goes back to is one's personal thoughts about self--negative things he or she has already done that makes "us" look bad. "Now why you have to put my business in the street?" I could almost hear someone say. For instance, if I acted like a complete idiot standing in a check-out line over a price of something that I really couldn't afford, then regretted what I did later, then who made who look bad? At the moment of disappointment, the last thing an African American is thinking is, "How am I making my race look?" However, those who are irritated with black folks and wish there was a place for them (like an African American planet), including fellow blacks, will find fault with just about anything drawn, written, shared, recorded, etc. about black folks. "Do you really have to talk about my outburst in the store? Why you show a photograph with my face all turned up? Do you see how that makes us look?" Nope. I see how that makes you look!
A picture is a picture whether good, bad or otherwise. There is a long history of African American images that are unattractive as well as attractive, photographs of blacks doing things they shouldn't, and drawings depicting us in ways that non-blacks think is funny. The psychological impact that this sort of behavior made on society over the years has been devastating. As a result, blacks running around hating the way they look and non-blacks assuming a certain appearance is trouble stem from negative imagery--systematic brainwashing. However, just because that was done and is still ongoing, doesn't mean we should pretend as if there are no bad stories to tell and no negative images to post--we as writers, reporters, creative people, and others still have stories to share whether people like them or not whether good or bad. I recall a relative say once, "Don't give them any reason to talk about you." Point well said.
When there are issues that need to be dealt with, the alarm will be sounded even when there is a black face attached to it. And just because it is one face, there is no need to jump on the bandwagon (that a non-black has created) and say, "Look at us...why do we do that...why are we always...?" Speak for yourself. We don't have to claim any we anything! Last I checked, I wasn't on any plantation having to explain to master why we do what we do.
Nicholl McGuire
Blacks attempting to censor other blacks from sharing anything that "makes us look bad." Yet, the best kept secret among many African Americans is not so much keeping the negativity about us out of public view, but what it really goes back to is one's personal thoughts about self--negative things he or she has already done that makes "us" look bad. "Now why you have to put my business in the street?" I could almost hear someone say. For instance, if I acted like a complete idiot standing in a check-out line over a price of something that I really couldn't afford, then regretted what I did later, then who made who look bad? At the moment of disappointment, the last thing an African American is thinking is, "How am I making my race look?" However, those who are irritated with black folks and wish there was a place for them (like an African American planet), including fellow blacks, will find fault with just about anything drawn, written, shared, recorded, etc. about black folks. "Do you really have to talk about my outburst in the store? Why you show a photograph with my face all turned up? Do you see how that makes us look?" Nope. I see how that makes you look!
A picture is a picture whether good, bad or otherwise. There is a long history of African American images that are unattractive as well as attractive, photographs of blacks doing things they shouldn't, and drawings depicting us in ways that non-blacks think is funny. The psychological impact that this sort of behavior made on society over the years has been devastating. As a result, blacks running around hating the way they look and non-blacks assuming a certain appearance is trouble stem from negative imagery--systematic brainwashing. However, just because that was done and is still ongoing, doesn't mean we should pretend as if there are no bad stories to tell and no negative images to post--we as writers, reporters, creative people, and others still have stories to share whether people like them or not whether good or bad. I recall a relative say once, "Don't give them any reason to talk about you." Point well said.
When there are issues that need to be dealt with, the alarm will be sounded even when there is a black face attached to it. And just because it is one face, there is no need to jump on the bandwagon (that a non-black has created) and say, "Look at us...why do we do that...why are we always...?" Speak for yourself. We don't have to claim any we anything! Last I checked, I wasn't on any plantation having to explain to master why we do what we do.
Nicholl McGuire
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