Hypocrisy is playing a major role in Black America. We profess one thing, like wanting equality, opportunity, education, employment, justice, etc., but only if those things apply because we’re the victims. When we become the perpetrators, or the enablers, or worse, the obstacles to it, the silence is deafening.
As an example, there’s a video currently circulating on social media where a young, teenage black guy is called the n-word by a young, teenage white girl. The boy, upon hearing the insult, walks up to the girl and proceeds to slap the living mess out of her.
While many on social media were cheering his actions and giving him accolades for his behavior, I wasn’t one of them. In reality, I pointed out that the slap is technically an assault, and should the girl’s response be to press charges, the young guy could end up in jail.
I also question if the same people would cheer with the same sort of enthusiasm should a young black girl call a young white boy a racial insult, and he walks up to her and slaps the daylight out of her? Well I can bet money on knowing that answer!
I also pointed out the irony of Black people using that word, day in and day out. How is it that the word designed to label us as less than human is the main verse in the rap music being produced and played by the majority of young people? Why is that word permitted to be bandied about in movies and on television, when there are hundreds of other words that could be used in its place that are more descriptive and accurate in meaning? Yet if someone were to advocate banning the word, Black folks would be the first to claim that they’re reinventing the meaning. Then when someone who is not Black uses it with the intentionality of its original meaning, the Black person who is the recipient gets highly upset? That is the definition of hypocrisy!
Personally I would like to see the word banned completely. Anyone caught using it over the public airways, or posting it to social media would be subject to a significant fine. And in truth, no matter how much we try to clean it up, it is still an ugly word with a horrific history to it. And all the perfume sprayed on it will never take away the stench.
This is 2022 and we are approaching the 157th Juneteenth anniversary commemorating the end of slavery. I would hope that instead of looking to blame, we begin to embrace successes that help us, individually and collectively, achieve a common goal.
