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Black Girls, Black Males, Black Popular Culture, EDUCATION, RACE

It Truly is A Different World: A Case for Exposing a New Generation to the HBCU Experience

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There is a nearly unavoidable danger that creeps up on us so smoothly that we neither recognize its arrival nor its presence. Yet, each of us is susceptible to this evil and the vast majority of us will fall victim to it. The danger that I am referring to results from spending too much time within a self-advantageous echo chamber that allows for us to make sense of the world.

I must admit to having found a comfortable echo chamber that fits my needs and interests. The foremost by-product of this dilemma has been conclusions regarding how I could best serve emerging generations of Black America.

While reading a recent post by former student Adrienne Cain, I was taken aback that after making a presentation to a group of high school students, many raised questions about a shirt that she strategically chose to wear. Emblazoned across the front of the shirt were the words Prairie View A&M University; Ms. Cain’s alma mater. To Ms. Cain’s surprise and my chagrin, the majority of students sitting in front of her had never heard of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The cornerstone of the Black middle-class and most reliable path to Black uplift.

In the new millennium, I never thought that the promotion of H.B.C.U.’s would be necessary. Yet, here we are once again. This issue has proven to be so bothersome that I eventually searched my mental Rolodex for an answer to the following question.

When did I learn about H.B.C.U.’s?   

Before I can answer the relatively simple question, I must explain a few things about my upbringing. Although I am from the great state of Ohio, a state where two H.B.C.U.’s exist, neither of my parents attended college. I was also not fortunate to have a blood relative who had attended college and was willing to offer any guidance regarding my desire to pursue a secondary education. Put simply; my exposure to secondary education was non-existent.

While my parents were incapable of providing first-hand testimony regarding the collegiate experience, God made provisions in that area.

I was fortunate to have been raised within a community where black teachers eagerly stepped into existing gaps that I and my peers working-class parents could not. A push toward higher-education was such an area. In hindsight, I cannot recall a moment of my K-12 tenure that I did not hear the familiar refrain of “you are going to college” from some Black educator. Ms. Jones, my sixth-grade teacher, took it a step further and refused to grade subpar work. I cringe at the repetitive experience of having ungraded work returned to me adorned with the blazing red words of “This is not college-level work, DO IT AGAIN!!!!!” The reconstruction of my formative educational moments would be woefully incomplete if they did not include Mr. Rick Roberson, the most important influence in my current status.

My response to the above question of “When did I learn about H.B.C.U.’s?” is an unbelievably specific one as I can tell you the exact date and moment that I was exposed to the Black college experience. It was Thursday, September 24th (1987) at 8:30 EST when A Different World debuted. I know that it was a Thursday because The Cosby Show came on every Thursday at 8:00 EST. And of course, it was through that iconic show that droves of Black students such as myself were introduced to fictitious Hillman College and the illustrious H.B.C.U. world.

Although other factors swayed me away from attending an H.B.C.U. during my collegiate years, I often wonder how different my life would have been had I made a different choice. As a professor at Prairie View A & M University, an H.B.C.U., I can now attest to the indispensability of Black Colleges to the development of Black students. From my vantage point, Black Colleges and Universities are the primary sources of racial uplift and hope for the eventual achievement of racial equality.

When one considers the overwhelming influence of media on the minds of our nation, particularly the youth; it may be time for a resurfacing of a Different World. It is imperative that Black students are exposed to every potential avenue of uplift as they navigate a world that may prove less than accommodating to their hope, dreams, and aspirations. Regardless of what many naysayers may think, the H.B.C.U. remains the primary gateway to a different world for poor and working-class Black students.

The time has come that every Black student understands the true meaning behind the words that opened every episode of A Different World.

I know my parents love me,
Stand behind me come what may.
I know now that I’m ready,
Because I finally heard them say
It’s a different world than where you come from.

Here’s a chance to make it,
If we focus on our goals.
If you dish it we can take it,
Just remember you’ve been told
It’s a different world,
It’s a different world,
Than where you come from
Than where you come from

As a professor at Prairie View A&M University, I can attest to the above lyrics and encourage others to learn more about and propagate the H.B.C.U. for future generations. Because it is truly a different world from where you come from.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

 

 

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Exhibit 284: Why Athletic Prowess Does Not Prepare A Person to be a Political Commentator (The Case of Sir Charles Barkley)

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It is a joy to watch what W.E.B. Du Bois characterized as the dawning of racial consciousness among my students. Now, I am not saying that it is not until my students enter my class that they become aware of race or racial identity. Such an assertion would be foolish. For many of my students, Introduction to African-American Studies is the first time they have seriously considered race, class, activism, and identity.

During a recent discussion, one of my brilliant students opened the conversation with an interesting quip.

I wonder what things would be like today if we still had leaders like we used to.

I responded in the following manner.

Well, you do have Lebron James commenting on these matters.

A phalanx of students erupted in unison with an overwhelming

“C’mon, Dr. Jones. Lebron? Who is he to be our leader?”

Of course, my rebuttal regarding the absence of suitable leadership for Black America was a facetious quip intended to provoke thought within my young charges.

It would be an understatement to say that I was incredibly proud of my students for raising the pressing issue of what a Black leader should be and ought to do. Are there qualifications to become a spokesperson for Black America? Or is it something that you are anointed by some unidentified source to do?

It appears that there is a correlation found between fame and the rise of Black leaders. Unfortunately for Blacks, the alluded to fame flows from God-given abilities, not study. One needs to look no further than the personas that appear on national newscasts to discuss critical racial matters that take decades of study to comprehend. One’s ability to sing, jump, run, or dunk a ball through a metal hoop has nothing to do with one’s ability to issue productive commentary regarding this nation’s centuries-long racial problems.

This issue of athletes and entertainers serving as spokespersons for the race is nothing new. History dictates that the most reliable path to being a nationally known expert on race is to record a song about possessing a “Wet Ass Pussy” or becoming a notable professional athlete.

It is the history mentioned above that fed my non-response to Charles Barkley’s emergence as a political commentator some years ago. Yes, the same Charles Barkley, who reminded us in a long-forgotten 1993 commercial that he was not a role model.

I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.

My how things have changed; during the past twenty-five years, we have witnessed sports figures such as Charles Barkley reverse the downplaying of their importance regarding matters that occur beyond the playing-field to pursuing every opportunity to comment on critical political issues. If I did not know any better, somebody could convince me that the path to being a political commentator or cultural critic was notoriety as a professional athlete.

In the wake of the Grand Jury verdict that exonerated Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove for their actions during a no-knock raid of Breonna Taylor’s dwelling, Sir Charles Barkley opined the following in front of millions of viewers.

I don’t think this one was like George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery and things like that. I feel sad that this young lady lost her life…But I am worried to lump all these situations in together.

And I just feel bad that the young lady lost her life. But we do have to take into account that her boyfriend shot at the cops and shot a cop. So, like I say, even though I am really sorry she lost her life, I just don’t think we can put this in the same situation as George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery.

After hearing Barkley’s commentary, I marveled at how he managed to be so comprehensively wrong. The answer to how he managed this feat is simple, Charles Barkley, much like his athletic peers, has neither qualification nor the abilities to address such pressing matters.

Barkley’s dim-witted assertion that the murder of Breonna Taylor was different from the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery would be laughable if it were not heard by so many around the globe. Make no mistake about it, the insistence of brilliant Black writers such as Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou that words are powerful entities is a lesson that is largely lost on the recent crop of Black political pundits and culture critics who have been booked for appearances by media outlets such as ESPN, Fox, MSNBC, and CNN. Their absence of understanding and ability to form a persuasive argument is a missed opportunity that retards Black advancement.

These unfortunate developments remind me of esteemed historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke’s words. Clarke asserted that outsiders had taken over the Black movement with little genuine interest in Black liberation. According to Dr. Clarke, we now have Hollywood revolutions that are akin to the lights, camera, and action moments commonly found on a blockbuster movie set.

I guess that the Last Poet’s prophecy that “the revolution will not be televised” is proving correct. One needs to look no further than the set of “Inside the NBA” and listen to the commentary of Charles Barkley for confirmation that there is always some Black fool willing to receive a King’s ransom from working against Black interests by talking loud and saying absolutely nothing.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

African-American Girls, African-American Males, African-American Men, African-American Women, Black Girls, Black Males, Black Men, Black Women

What A Cursed Day September 23rd Has Become: Reflections on Emmett Louis Till and Breonna Taylor

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Although it would be psychologically comforting to consider court decisions that found the lynchers of Emmett Louis Till (1955) not guilty and the murderers of Breonna Taylor (2020) not responsible for her death were handed down on the same day are coincidental. The truth of the matter is that like so many other days in America’s history, September 23rd has revealed itself as a cursed day for Blacks; a day that makes other ominous dates such as Friday the 13th look like child’s play.

Freedom loving Americans must never forget that on September 23rd, 1955, an all-White jury found half-brothers Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam not guilty of a heinous crime that they later confessed to. Sixty-five years later on the same cursed day, Americans should remember that a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, notified the nation that law enforcement officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove would not face trial for their actions on March 13th that resulted in Breonna Taylor’s death.

The cursed day of September 23rd illuminates much about racial inequality and injustice in America.

Although difficult to comprehend, Emmett Louis Till, lynched while visiting family in Money, Mississippi, was closer to receiving justice than Breonna Taylor would ever be sixty-five years later. One can only think that at least Till’s killers faced some semblance of a trial. The grand jury decided that a trial was not even a necessity for Breonna Taylor’s killers. The realization that justice was a more distant possibility for Taylor in the new millennium than it was for Till sixty-five year ago in Mississippi is a startling reality.

Those who ignore the events of September 23rd to extend their power guarantees that similar tragedies will continue for decades, if not centuries. It is ironic that those who perpetrate such atrocities have been allowed to cloak themselves in an ill-fitting suit of patriotism. This seemingly impenetrable coat of armor provides them with an unrivaled ability to accuse their opponents of seeking to destroy the nation. In the bizarre world that they have constructed, these self-proclaimed patriots promote themselves as advocates for the freedom, justice, and democracy articulated by the Founding Fathers.

When viewed through an appropriate lens, it becomes obvious that flag toting White Nationalists are the equivalent of Benedict Arnold’s who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that American principles will never be extended to all citizens. Despite their fervent protestations, it is the misdeeds of White Nationalists that ensures America’s historic racial divide remains.

Ultimately, one is left with no other choice than to question what do those opposing racial justice desires? This question is particularly poignant when one considers that the American historical record indicates that their kind has monopolized every seat of power from politics to economics.

I ask again, what more do they want, need, or desire?

If I were a betting man, I would wager that the White Nationalists in our midst are devoid of a reasonable answer as they have never considered such questions. Yet, there is no denying that America’s race problem has its genesis within White America. Hence, it should be understood that the solution to this centuries-old problem begins in that locale. This reality seemingly escapes well-meaning Whites who have chosen to join Blacks during boisterous protests through the nation.

If provided the opportunity to address the aforementioned well-meaning White activists, I would advise them to return home. If this battle against racism is to be won, they must attack it at its root; inside of White America. This pernicious socially constructed evil oozes from their homes, their civic organizations, small businesses, and the political decisions made by their local, state, and national political leaders.

Well-meaning White activists need to learn the adage that one must always seek to work smarter, not harder. The most powerful move that they could make at this moment is to abandon an antiquated playbook of joining oppressed people expressing their angst in American streets in favor of a new plan that directs their energies toward their white countrymen who have yet to learn that at the present moment the most appropriate measure of patriotism are unyielding attempts to ensure that freedom, justice, and equality are extended to all Americans.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.