When are, we, as a people, going to start working with our youth to eliminate the lies that are fed to them by the media that prevent them from achieving to thier fullest potential? When are we, goi…

[Jeffrey Van Brown]

           When are, we, as a people, going to start working with our youth 
to eliminate the lies that are fed to them by the media that prevent 
them from achieving to thier fullest potential?  When are we, going to 
stand up and fight the idea, pervasive in our youth, that if you are 
excelling in school, in advanced classes and dominating 
(academically) you classmates, you are “acting white”.  This idea is 
absurd!  Throughout history, we have pushed education when it was 
forbidden upon pain of death!  Even during Jim Crow, we created over 
150 colleges to serves our children when the mainstream ones refused 
to let us in.  When mainstream businesses refused our money, we 
became entrepreneurs and set up thriving districts such as Little Hayti 
in Durham, North Carolina and Black Wall Street in Tulsa, 
Oklahoma.  This all happened, because we educated ourselves, either 
formally or informally!! 


          Now, after our people fought to open doors to the mainstream 
of American intellectual life, a thief come in the night to steal the 
victory and perseverance from our kids; the idea that academic 
excellence is “acting white”, our  ridicule of our brothers and sisters 
who strive for educational and professional excellence.  As they go 
forward in their academic accomplishments, we have Black idiots 
taunting them with the label “acting white.”  Do not confuse 
professionalism or academic excellence with “acting white.”  One has 
nothing in the world to do with the other.  In fact, those Black folks 
who do not encourage nor support their fellow Black students or Black 
businesses are actually the ones “acting white.”  They also act white 
when they do not sound their objections or defend against other races 
that denigrate their Black brothers and sisters, or when they mistreat 
their own Black people with the same lies, injustice and incorrectness 
as white supremacist do.  Those who are accusing other of “Acting 
white,” are simply being niggerish, or, put a better way “stupid”, 
themselves!

                   I issue a challenge to everyone!  Check you state’s, your 
individual district’s, your child’s school’s status on proficiency tests.  
You will see an great gap in the performance of black and white 
students.  Check the ACT, SAT, AP, and other tests.  With affirmative 
action about to go off into history and the standards rising, we must 
reaffirm our intellectual tradition.  Start reading (newspaper, books, 
magazines, etc., use the public library, etc.).  As a special treat, give 
your kids gifts certificates for bookstores.  Take your children to 
museums, galleries, parks, etc.  We must challenge the idea 
promulgated through BET and throughout history that all we do is 
play sports and rap!!


View my sites at:  

• http://www.geocities.com/jvbzook,

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Afro-American_Intellectual_Association/,

• http://groups.msn.com/BlackIntelligence.  

• http://jvbzook.tripod.com/

• http://afrocentriccampvision.groups.live.com/

• http://blackintellectualtraditi.groups.live.com/ 

•  http://blackintellect.spaces.live.com/ 

• http://jvbafro.tripod.com 

• http://groups.msn.com/BlackAkronWeb

• http://www.geocities.com/jvbzook

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Afro-American_Intellectual_Association/

• http://groups.msn.com/BlackIntelligence

• http://educationprosperity.webs.com/ 

Or, you can email me at  [e-mail].