What Being Black Is And What Being Black Isn't

Jacob Whittingham

Description

Currently, the most powerful man in the world is Barack Obama and the most powerful woman in the world, according to many in the media industry, is Oprah Winfrey. For the first time, being black and successful isn't just about being good at singing, dancing or running. Yet there is a flipside: in the UK, around 70 per cent of teenagers murdered are black and half of all black families are headed by a single parent. Biscuit and Whittingham here take a bold, fresh and honest look at the problems and achievements of the black community in Britain and the very definition of being black.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique
• Cultural studies

Informations

• Publié par: Hansib Publications
• Date de parution: 26 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781906190873
• Langue: English

Extrait

WHAT BEING BLACK IS
AND
WHAT BEING BLACK ISN T
Jacob Whittingham
Published by Hansib Publications in 2009 London Hertfordshire
Hansib Publications Limited P.O. Box 226, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 3WY, UK
Website: www.hansibpublications.com
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-906190-87-3 (e-Book) ISBN 978-1-906190-86-6 (Kindle)
Jacob Whittingham
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Printed and bound in the UK
For Frances Ruth Vigors
Dedicated to the Memory of Sunday Essiet 1992-2008
Somehow along the way Black life and culture was deemed profitable, and the big great White male took interest and fought over the seven seas of soul. Niggativity , which was a minority element in the hood, had its DNA corporately extracted
Chuck D

first you and I got to unify to stop the niggativity and control our creativity the rich is getting richer, so why we ain t richer? could it be we still thinking like niggas? educate yourselves, make your world view bigger visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture! KRS-One
I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE, BUT I HATE NIGGERS
Chris Rock
Be proud of who you are! Lets enlighten ourselves and re-educate our fellow Brothas and Sistas of the knowledge of Self. Lets escape niggativity so we can become who we really are.
Tion Jakely
Have you been vaccinated? cause here comes an Inoculation of Truth, guaranteed to immunize you niggativity proof. Niggativity is that deathly, mental disease killing-off the black Community; making us live like slaves, even though we born free Here comes that healing cupful of Truth. Bitter to some, but sweet to the true Akil
No N*ggativity Pure Positivity logo designed by Raam, Accra (21 years old)
NN-PP logo designed by Jesse, Southwark (18 years old)
Website and MySpace designed by justfix.co.uk Ltd, Southwark (20 years old)
CONTENTS
Intro
Chapter 1
Blackness
Chapter 2
The Stupid Nigger Guide
Chapter 3
Civil Wars On Foreign Shores
Chapter 4
House Negroes (Hip-Hip Rmx)
Chapter 5
How To Look black In Five Days
Chapter 6
For Kiyan, Jesse, Nathan And The Others
Chapter 7
The Street I.Q Test
Chapter 8
The Immaculate Conception
Chapter 9
Black Actually
Outro
INTRODUCTION
To everyone reading this book , whether you re just flicking through or you re here for the long haul, let me start off by saying that whilst we re still getting used to the notion of a Black American President, I think it s a good opportunity to put some things into perspective.
I know that some people would have you believe that Obama signifies a new dawn in how the world ultimately comes to treat Black people, but let s not carried away with ourselves.
You ll hear the political commentators say that it was a triumph for all Americans, that the West really has gone colour blind. But let s not get things twisted - we still got a long way to go. Yea that s right, I said it - we got a looooong way to go. You might know that 95% of African-Americans, and 67% of Latinos voted for Obama. But what you might not know is that an incredible 57% of White Americans voted against Obama. That s right, more White Americans voted for John McCain, and his running mate Sarah Palin - a comedy double act we haven t seen the likes of since Cannon and Ball graced our screens.
Now don t get me wrong, I m glad that 43% of White people gave a Black guy a chance. But before we get haps, we should also remember that 43% of all African-Americans live beneath the poverty line, and it s estimated that 40-44% of African-Americans are functionally illiterate. We should also remember that Barack made his victory speech inside a bullet-proof glass case, such is the threat to his life by people who can t handle a Black President.
You see the truth is, Obama does not signify a change for White people, or for White America, or even for America. Obama signifies an achievement for Black people, and Black people only. Because despite the Western perception of what Black means on this planet - menacing, angry, violent, stupid - a Black person managed to convince a country with one of the worst histories in race relations, that he could run the country better than any other man or women, and assume the position of the most powerful person on the planet.
However, if you can t stop making Obama about you, and if you wanna help make a difference , then I m gonna ask you for three favours, primarily to do with young Black people: in fact, it applies to all young working class people.
1. When you see a batch of kids walking down the street, hoods up, talking loud, play fighting - I m gonna ask you not to get scared. Try not to get scared because hoods aren t a weapon, they help keep people warm during winter. Try not to get scared because the more you act scared, the more they ll think that they re supposed to be scary, and the more that they ll think that they re supposed to act up to the scary stereotype that you ve given them.
2. When you see three or four Black kids in your shop, I m gonna ask you not to follow them around. I know it s difficult to think of them as having any purchase power , after all, the article you read in The Sun was about how a gang of youths tore up a jewellery store in Knightsbridge - but when you make them feel like they re thieves, they ll lose faith in their ability to amount to anything positive. In many cases, this leads to sense of apathy about their predicament - and that s when the drama really begins. So just try, even a couple of times, to trust that these kids might actually be in your shop to shop - legit.
3. And lastly, when you get on a bus, and you ve just finished work, and you re tired and you re hungry, but you can hear that there are some kids playing music off their phones, full blast and shouting to each other - I,m gonna ask you. Just chill. Try to remember what you were like when you were young. Weren t you a little annoying too? If you badly need them to turn the music down, then please talk to young people nicely, cos when you act rough with them, they ll get rough with you. In short, try to remember that if you treat kids like outcasts, don t expect them to treat you any better.
To the people of African heritage reading this book. We re living in one of the most sublime eras of our history. The most powerful man in the world is Black, and if some political analysts are to be believed, that Oprah is considered the most powerful woman in the world, we pretty much got a monopoly on things right now.
For the first time, we got every reason to brag about the achievements of Black people without talking about Michael Jordan or the Pyramids. For the first time, we got the whole world prepared to accept the positive achievements of Black people. And that s because Obama has shown everyone what true Blackness is.
But as well as we ve got Obama, we ve got the drama. In the UK, Black people are 10% of all people in mental institutes and there are nearly twice as many Black people in prison as there are at University. From the fact that there are only two Black CEOs in all British blue-chip companies, to the fact that last year only 45% of all Black Caribbean pupils got five good GCSEs - it s important that we don t lose sight of where we are right now. You see, while we focus on the achievements of Black people across the pond, it s essential that we remember that 80% of all teenagers murdered in London in 2008 were Black.
So, what we can learn from Obama is that nothing will change until we, ourselves, individually, are prepared to say, I m gonna do what I need to do, so that I can do what I want to do. And I m gonna do it without begging anyone to do it for me.
And that s why Biscuit wrote this book. This book is about what being Black is, and what being Black isn t.
Blackness has always been, and always will be, about getting a University degree regardless of the school you went to, taking care of your children despite the estate they grew up on, and being on time, even if you had to ride the bus.
The book is not here to offend, and it s not here to upset - I know that in places it s kinda harsh, and it pulls no punches - but it s time we opened up some of those wounds that we were afraid to look at, and face head-on the problems that exist in the Black community right now - cos there are problems. You see, I know you might not agree with all of what Biscuit says, but the intention is not to be right. The intention is to open up a discussion.
Like Biscuit says, Blackness is a responsibility, not an excuse. So let me pass you onto him. In the meantime, stay blessed.
Jacob Whittingham
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation ... The hand is the cutting edge of the mind Jacob Bronowski
nigg a tiv i ty n .
adj: niggative ant: positivity
1: An attitude expressed through an act, a statement or expression made by a marginal faction of black people exemplified by an extreme detestation for blackness.
2: A state of being, or a mindset made consciously or unconsciously by a black person that directly or indirectly negatively affects themselves and their community.
3: The unique characteristic of a nigga/nigger.
ster e o type n .
adj: stereotypical
1: One of the direct consequences of racism - in that the discriminated become the dupe of a series of rationalizations whereby the power-holders justify their dominant position in the society.
2: A means of social control and repression.
black ness n .
adj: black
1: Defined by not only the colour of one s skin, but a reflection of a mental attitude, characterised by the following traits:
i) The determination to be financially independent of the state.
ii) The d