First off I am aware the term Negro may be passé. However, it was the prevalent terminology of the day when W.E.B. Dubois conducted the research for his path-breaking social study: The Philadelphia Negro. The evolution of the term is important in its own regard and lends to the cause and effect premise of this essay.

“I didn’t raise you to be a nigger; so don’t act like one”, my father said to me in response to one of my many tirades he has witnessed over the years. I was complaining to him about a situation at work that seems to play over and over again regardless of the setting. I went on to tell him what I would like to have done to affect my retribution, hence his chastisement.

Whether an immigrant or descendant of Blacks brought directly to the U.S. during slavery; Black men in the U.S. have had their undue share of burden and responsibility to ensure their survival and the well being of their loved ones. My father is the strongest and bravest man I know – he is my superhero. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of all Black men. Like all other racial factions of our nation we have our good and our bad. In this writing I aim to draw correlation between the condition of Black men as a whole and what I deem are influential circumstances – purposefully imposed - which may ensure that prosperity for Blacks in the U.S. is an untenable aspiration for many.

Bear in mind this paper is not an assignment of blame; simply stated, I do not abide any notion where “the white man is holding us down”. However history tells us this has been the objective of many of our nations’ laws both past and present (1). I find it difficult to consider certain laws which have been enacted as having the best interests of Black men as a major deciding factor (2). Nevertheless if our ancestors survived being stacked upon one another in the hulls of wooden ships, then forced to work from “can’t see in the morning ‘til can’t see at night”; surviving contemporary American society should be the proverbial piece of cake. My aim is for the reader to develop or expand her understanding and empathy for Black men in contemporary American society. Also I desire to foster camaraderie, as we are all Americans. 

Ask yourself: What actions are pursued by a man when the ability to provide for his family is purposefully and systematically undermined by his government and society as a whole (3)? Does it negatively affect the likelihood of success if one is stymied in his pursuit of happiness by law? Are there any long term effects; despite the reversal of any unjust, albeit legal, societal constraints? Imagine this; you are a runner participating in a marathon. The race begins, you are not allowed to begin running until the marathon is well underway, hours after you have lost sight of the slowest participant – what are your chances of winning? For Black men in America - Is survival enough? Not for me!

In the U.S., for many, a disturbing truth is apparent – at the inception of America the majority felt it given, the destiny of Black men would either be destruction or enslavement. The actions born of these beliefs and the effects are readily apparent in the condition of the majority of Black men in America. Here we focus on a few main concerns; wealth, conjugal condition or marriage and family, and education.

Acceptance: favorable reception; approval; favor; the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable. Acceptance by one’s society is a key determinate of value and success. In many instances it is directly proportional to the ease of garnering a high standard of living. I can think of only a few areas in our society where Black men have been accepted and excelled as professionals – sports and entertainment. Many Black men have found a path to success via physical gifts and some by way of their intelligence; however the overwhelming majority of Black men work as laborers (4). These jobs are predominately low-pay and provide little in regard to wealth creation. When I speak of wealth I am not referring to bling-bling worn by buffoons and coons parading about on BET spouting gibberish. The value of all of one’s financial assets minus all financial liabilities: this is wealth. Black people as a whole have very little wealth. There have been more laws created that have negatively affected Black folk and created impasses to wealth accumulation than have helped (5). Sure, Oprah is a billionaire, Jay-Z is more than half way to the same level of success and Obama is running for president. Does this mean we, Black folk, have arrived? We made it?.

A staggering proportion of our homes are headed by single mothers. Estimates place the amount at 30% compared to 9% for whites (6). The dissolution of the Black family is an issue we have dealt with since slavery. Where are the men? Many are in jail, some leave due to the guilt and shame associated with not being able to provide for one’s family, others are simply inept. When a group of people are forcibly removed from their indigenous place of birth, yoked with unfamiliar customs and deprived of the benefits of both learning from your father and imparting knowledge to your sons, what is the outcome?

To a lesser degree of negative effect, we bear the responsibility of care for our elderly at three times the rate of whites for ages 30 and older (7% compared to 2% respectively) (6). We have made gains in the managerial and professional sectors of industry; however, our poverty level is an astonishing 26% compared to 9% for whites. Black households earn on average 38% less income than white households. This being despite the gains we have made in educational attainment. We own our homes at lower rates and these homes are of lesser value. How does this situation come about? Maybe we are just an unlucky people; maybe we don’t make the right choices in regard to money management, perhaps. Or is this the result of hundreds of years of self-perpetuating systematic disenfranchisement handed down by lady liberty prior to her understanding and enforcement of civil rights? Let’s examine the correlation.

Wealth accumulation occurs predominately in two ways investments and inheritance. In today’s society we all have a shot at the former – to a certain extent. In financial markets, Black people, are arriving a little late to the game; In 1870 Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company, slavery ended in 1865; we were allowed to become citizens in 1866 and first allowed to vote in 1867 - not until 1869 in the entire nation. In 1883 the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was overturned! This begins an era of U.S. capricious and wavering resolve to protect the civil and human rights of Blacks in our nation.

For the latter – inheritance – is a different matter entirely. Some reports (6) estimate that my generation of Blacks will be the first to be worse off, in regard to financial prosperity, than their parents. This should come as no surprise. Take into account the areas on which this paper has focused, they were chosen for a reason. Wealth, family, education; I feel these are the pillars which stabilize all societal groups. We did not have the opportunity to earn money during the formative years of the U.S. How can it be expected of us to manifest a self-sustaining economic base? To sustain such monetary vigor while also providing residual gains, requires an equal-footing and congruent opportunities.

Suffice it to say it would be nearly impossible for a single mother, for example, caring for her family to find the discretionary income many couples (most likely white) have to put towards savings and investment.
Another oddity in regard to Black men and marriage is the presence of a noteworthy small number of interracial marriages. The numbers are lower across the board but are lowest among Black men and white women. One researcher (8) points to a dating taboo as the predominate contributor to the minuscule percentages. I would however go a bit further, although having no empirical findings; I believe it is a simple matter of nature. Many women seek men whom they feel will be a good provider. When one takes into account the characteristics of or even the perceptions held of Black men; predominantly working at low-paying jobs, chronically unemployed, the tendency for abandonment of the family during hardship, and the dating taboo or societal maltreatment of interracial couples, I can understand the low percentage of interracial marriage. Also and probably the most profound, this was an illegal act in our nation’s history.

I believe it difficult if not impossible for any sane person to deny an allegation of Blacks having been unduly denied educational opportunities throughout the history of the U.S. After all it was once illegal to teach Blacks how to read, our government found it necessary to provide national guardsmen to protect a Birmingham, AL group of Black students; simply for them to attend classes at an all white public school. In Georgia, there remains a high school to this day, which has two separate proms, one for the white students and another for the Black students.

Provide sub-standard education; enact forcible or systematic and situational confinement to menial low-paying occupations; and circumvent the desire of marriage and family to disproportioned levels when compared to mainstream society: these are attributes of historical U.S. societal conditions imposed upon Black men. These actions appear to be by design and have negatively affected the condition of Black men in contemporary American society.

We, Black people need to remember the basics of the fight for freedom. The obsequious should be shunned. The sycophantic must be vilified. In order to reverse our course more action is required. We must move beyond affirmative action, exorcise the apparition of equal opportunity and demand the rectitude of freedom as sought by our nation’s architects.

When viewed in the light of historical perspective, Black men in the U.S. have overcome many obstacles. A life laden with an exorbitant amount of unwarranted imposition; fast-forward to the 21st century, assess his condition. We, Americans must come to an understanding and realize the need to prescribe to the philosophies of Benjamin Franklin, return to the actions of W.E.B. DuBois, and adhere to the doctrine of Malcolm X. In doing so, question the path on which we have been placed. Make no room for intolerance and encourage dialogue.

Works Cited

Bias-Based Policing. Auburn University Montgomery. Commonwealth of Virginia: Center for Government and Public Affairs, 2004.
Buetzow, Eric W. "The Powers That Be: the American Endeavor to Suppress Black Political Voices." Law and Society Review as UCSB 1 (2002): 89-96.
Darity, William A., and Patrick L. Mason. "Evidence on Discrimination in Employment: Codes of Color, Codes of Gender." The Journal of Economic Perspectives 2nd ser. 12 (1998): 63-90.
"Jim Crow in America." The Library of Congress. The Learning Page - Community Center. 5 Dec. 2007 <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/community/cc_civilrights_kit.php>.
"Time Line: African American History 1619-1900." The Official Web Site of the State of Tennessee. 2006. Black Caucus of the Tennesse General Assembly. 5 Dec. 2007 <http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/exhibits/blackhistory/resources/timeline.pdf>.
United States. American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. The American Community - Blacks: 2004. Feb. 2007. 5 Dec. 2007 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/acs-04.pdf>.
West, Cornel. "Race and Social Theory." The Cornel West Reader. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 1999. 251-265.
Wong, Linda. “Why Do Only 5.5% Of Black Men Marry White Women?” International Economic Review. Binghamton University, Department of Economics, 2003. Vol 44, No.3

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