The End of Blackness
Debra Dickerson's fresh take on blackness in America.
Dickerson's ambitious aim in this book is to clear the ground for fresh
thinking about race in America. She argues persuasively that while America is no racial utopia,
it has become, in the long aftermath of the civil rights movement, a place where racism no longer
blocks blacks from "playing the game." Indeed, she believes that "no one can stop the American,
black or blind, who is determined to succeed." She also highlights such social dysfunctions
in black communities as low scholastic achieve- ment, crime, and "family breakdown" that have
not improved in the two full generations since the passage of the Civil Rights Act. "There is work
to do," she writes, "and it must be done by black people, regardless of how whites behave."
The End of Blackness is a solidly researched account of the evolution
of black identity in America (her "prologue" is about as concise and direct an account of slavery
and its long-standing effects as you are likely to find). Dickerson is issuing a tough-minded challenge
to her fellow blacks "to shoulder the adult's full responsibility as a member of the polity." "Crime
is crime," she writes. "Sloth is sloth. Merit is mostly measurable," and it is debasing to believe
and act otherwise, regardless of race. In this turned-off age when so few eligible adults are even
bothering to vote, let alone assume other vitally important responsibilities of citizenship,
Dickerson's is a message for all Amer- icans, not only those who are confused about how to think about
race.
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When the subject is race, it is all too easy to create a false dichotomy between the two most obvious positions. The guilt and blame from the past, and the move forward into the future attitude.
I will generalize about "white america": we are so anxious about our complicity in the perpetuation of racism and about seeing evidence that it is still embedded deep into our culture and institutions that any scheme that frees us from dealing with them is welcome.
So of course, everyone is thrilled to know that it is entirely up to each black person to make the most of his or her potential. Of course!
Taking responsibility is always as good thing, and we should all stop complaining and making excuses, but dealing with race and racism is more complex than just choosing responsibility over blame.
White folks are complicit in lots of racism, and there are tremendous inequalities in health, educational opportunities and in the justice system.
While it may be a relief (to our white racial guilt) to have a black person say, the problem is blacks are not taking responsibility (so it's their own fault then!), the reality is that there is MUCH to do, and whites need to take responsibility to help reform racist attitudes and to reform racist institutions.
you were great on the colbert report!
