The Black Unconsciousness

For many the slogan “The world is yours” can work great as a motivational outlook on life. For others it can work as a deceiving and disappointing outlook on life. Black America is often told that they can be anything they want in life. However they often find out that the world isn’t theirs. Blacks are often unaccepted as equals to most in America and even more so often fail at trying to convince themselves and others that they are equal. Marked by color; one would assume that Blacks are aware of their “Blackness” and what that means to them on an individual basis. But, marked by color and by stereotypical views that conflict with what they have been told since they were children in regards to having a fair shot in the world. Blacks become confused. Creating many different views of what it may mean to be Black and creating a “Who am I” effect that can last the majority of their life. Blacks often go throughout their lives trying to figure out where they actually fit in. The confusion is apparent on the unconscious level within the culture. The Black culture is the values and belief systems within the Black race and the unconsciousness being the lack of unawareness of why they value what they value and believe in what they believe in. Oppression and deception are the prime two suspects of these circumstances.

Being a Black male I know that being Black can mean different things to different black males at the same time. Stemming from the “Who am I” effect three definitions are created. Deceived and oppressed by the dominant culture (whites) these definitions are in relationship to how the black male views himself versus the dominant culture. First there are those that feel they are equal to or maybe greater than whites. This first group often goes through life in constant battle and struggle because they know that they have to work twice as hard to get the same results and treatment as whites. This group is aware that Blacks are not given fair chances at having what whites have. Often members of this group will adhere to lesser roles in society and not complain much about the unjust treatment but will be aware of it. There are others within this group that do complain about the unfair treatment and voice their feelings of it. Many Black civil rights leaders fall in under this category.

The second group feels that they are not equal to or greater than whites. This group has internalized the oppression and believes the stereotypes about Blacks. This group is unaware of their feeling of inferiority on the conscious level and probably will never admit they actually feel like a lesser man than whites. When members of this group are successful they feel as if “they got one over” on the white man. Like the first group this group is aware that Blacks are not given fair chances at having what whites have.

The third group is the group that goes through life with the least amount of problems. This group feels that everything is the same for everyone. This group believes that they are presented with the same opportunities as whites and that their downfalls are their faults and not because they are Black. They feel their success is from working hard. Unlike the first two groups; this group is not aware that Blacks are not given fair chances at having what whites have. This group makes up a very small population of Blacks. These three different views of “self” come from nature versus nurture makeup within their lives. Many young Black males are told that they can be whatever it is that they want to be in life, including myself. From elementary school till junior high I would hear teachers, principals, and career day speakers speak of being a doctor, lawyer or even the first Black president of the United States to me and my fellow classmates. Mack Jones says “..growing number of black persons who are uneducated, unskilled, unemployed and often unemployable, or employed in low paying jobs, living in unrelieved poverty and immersed in a culture conditioned by such abject circumstances with only a limited chance or hope for upward mobility ( Jones, 1)”. This “the world is yours” rhetoric sugarcoats the harsh reality of the world to many Blacks, but for what reasons? Deception is not a new thing to Blacks in this country nor has it resurfaced. It has been constant throughout the history of America. Young Blacks are never told of the opposition that can and will be faced. Forced to find out on our own many of us are left feeling that the world is not really ours. The Black male doesn’t view the world as open space that he can explore but views it rather as limited space that he must be careful while walking on. Throughout most of my upbringing my space was very limited. I would see commercials on television with celebrities endorsing Library Cards and reading. I would see children walking into the library and signing up for cards and taking