(ThyBlackMan.com) If you call yourself “black“, you have been programmed and yes I am talking to the right person. Look at your car tires, belt or dress shoes then look at your hands. You are not “black” and you never were. But programming in America goes a lot deeper than deceiving you into ignoring what your eyes see and calling yourself something you are not – a label with no connection to your genealogy nor your history beyond slavery. A label full of negatives in THIS country, planned that way and a dangerous behavioral self-fulfilling prophecy. So before you try to counter my arguments, offer immature insults or use this article as your straw man platform, I suggest you read, look in the mirror and look around you.
LABELS CREATE PERCEPTION WHICH THEN INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR AND SET EXPECTATIONS
Slavery has taken its toll in programming African-Americans in this country. And its impact is still present today. There is a reason other ethnic groups can come to America and surpass the African-American community – and it’s not just the loans they get. They come with a plan, a purpose, unity, diligence and accountability to each other. They come willing to sacrifice for a time as needed, listen, learn, acquire and share instead of placing their egos out front, getting offended and making excuses. They expect to work hard and smart, not to procrastinate. And they don’t blame the government, the police nor the president for their failures.
Yes for African-Americans systematic racism, oppression and disproportionate incarceration all exist. But when do we stop 
allowing ourselves to fall into the traps in the first place? When do we stop making excuses to camouflage laziness or lack of motivation. When do we stop making racism and oppression the modern day giants that we believe can stop us from succeeding?
The “black” community, much like the definition of “black” in the dictionary, has been programmed to feed on itself like predators. To divide instead of unify. To work against each other instead of together. To lack focus, diligence, consistency and follow through. This is not to say all African-Americans are brainwashed and programmed to think, behave and react as inferior people – but far too many are. We see that in the lack of accountability. We see that in the rejection of correction. We see that in “black on black” crime. We see that in lack of motivation, poor parenting, school drop-out rates, domestic violence rates, abortion rates, divorce rates and infidelity rates. We see that in how quickly our people get offended instead of receiving and adjusting to correction. And while none of these are exclusive to African-Americans, the rates in our communities are far too high.
While we can genuinely blame those who created the problem, if we keep contributing to those problems and making excuses then we become the culprits to blame just as much as they are.
By now you may be offended. But if you are, it’s because I am likely talking to you and about you. Medicine that heals often taste bad but it is necessary to attack the problem. So ask yourself how many of the inferior traits I have named are those which actually describe you. Why? And what are you going to do about them?
It is easy to slam this article, live in denial, avoid looking in the mirror or blame someone else for what we should and could be. But where does that get any of us? Our thinking, attitudes, habits and decisions can work for us or devastate us and those around us by working against us, sabotaging our efforts, creating negative cycles and setting very poor examples. Or they can do just the opposite. But we are only going to rise as individuals and as a people once we stop making excuses, stop denying the problems, stop blaming others, start looking in the mirror and start changing what works against us. Empowerment without action takes us nowhere and knowledge of what to do without diligence in doing it means nothing.
2019 SHOULD BE THE YEAR OF THE MIRROR: As a people, African-Americans are consistently operating sociologically, spiritually, economically and intellectually on an inferior level to basically ever ethnic group in America. Sadly this has become acceptable, expected, excusable and even pseudo-defensible.
Am I talking about you? Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Denial will get you nowhere and excuses will not even get you that far. It would do all of us some good to take an honest look in the mirror. So instead of this year being one where you walk in denial, get offended by the truth, pacify yourself with material things and entertainment, why not make it the year of waking up, stepping up and heading in the directions you should have gone all along? If I hit the nail on the head, don’t get offended at me – get offended at you and how you are letting yourself and others down. Expect more of yourself and those around you. Do more, be more – much more.
So I reiterate being mad or disgusted at me for writing this article will gain you nothing. But being mad and disgusted that you may be living below your potential and letting yourself and others down can gain you everything. I see so much potential in our people of all ages that is being wasted, underestimated and taken for granted. Too many of our people struggle twice as hard only to get half as far and all of us can do better for ourselves, our families, our communities and our people.
African-Americans must stop measuring ourselves against people who do less than us, think worse than us, have less, make less and expect less. When we do this, we set up a false standard to make ourselves fell better. Instead we should be measuring ourselves against our own individual potential and from the top down instead of from the bottom up. There will always be those who do worse than you – and better. But neither are the true measure of your purpose and your potential – you are.
If you want to be mad, offended or disgusted, start with an accurate self-assessment and the mirror in front of you. Make the change. Be the example. Reach your potential. No more excuses because the person most likely equipped to hold you back is you. Slavery is over when you make it over and it is far worse when you enslave yourself with the chains someone else gave you!
Staff Writer; Trevo Craw
