“All We Want to do is Take the Chains Off”

Collin Daniels
Jul 24, 2017 · 4 min read

The black male . . . usually known by stereotypes like criminals, ghetto, and mentally deficient. Throughout history, we were taught that the white man is superior to the black man and that the black man was only meant to be a servant of his/her master. Some people today try to convince us that we have broken these chains of segregation off, but if you look at the system today, it continues to fail all black people. In the United States, we are promised liberty and protection, however, how am I supposed to enjoy these “gifts” when have never had a day in my life in which I have been able to experience either of these completely. As a nation, we need to break those chains off ourselves and become educated in order to protect the people who we love the most from stepping outside one day and getting shot. Lets put the books up and the guns down, so that original negative connotation of who a black man is, will hold new meanings like intelligent, protective, and feared.

But this word feared, what does it mean?

“A distressing emotion caused by impeding danger, evil, pain, etc.”

With that definition, how can someone be feared by a race. I mean think about it, we are convincing ourselves that even before conversation-a necessary tactic to learn more of someone’s identity-that we are seeking potential danger. Well readers, this is exactly what today’s society has continued to do to the majority of African American males. In the book Between the World and Me, Te’Nehisi Coates effectively writes about how his purpose is to persuade black people to grow up hearing the right information producing more successful, “WOKE” people. He believes that if more people hear this information in their youth, as they become more educated, they will be able to stay aware of their surroundings and thrive in their future community. Coates’ has one excerpt from this novel that sums up this topic very well. In the excerpt, the author states, “The killing fields of Chicago, of Baltimore, of Detroit, were created by the policy of Dreamers, their weight, their shame, rests solely upon those who are dying in them There is a great deception in this. To yell ‘black-on-black crime’ is to shoot a man and then shame him for bleeding.” I believe this quote holds a lot of power, but also is a statement that holds a lot of truth still today.

From a personal standpoint, excessive police force has thankfully never been something that has been used on me. With that being said, however, all of us today have seen it happen all over the media, yet we continue to ignore it. As we start to produce more intelligent youth, the system forces us to surrender to the stereotypical lifestyle of a “black man.” But our goal is to create a new barrier for the black male community. Enough of telling young brothers that the only way to make it out is through basketball, drugs, or rapping. How about we start to tell them that a nice degree from Howard University or graduating from the University of Notre Dame can get them much farther in life. Money is temporary, knowledge can last as long as its not forgotten. Black males will not always be seen as the enemy. With activism and togetherness, people will begin to realize the worth of each individual life regardless of the color of your skin. Black isn’t bad, it isn’t the enemy, all it is, is different, and once people understand this simple concept, skin color will no longer matter as much.

In conclusion, many people are naive to the fact that skin color in society can be a disability. Use this disability as encouragement to not only overcome just the disability, but to go even further and become a role model for black men who come after you. Coates exclaims, “I did not want you forced to mask your joys and bind your eyes,” meaning that we should be proud of our achievements. Celebrate for every black male who makes it to the top after overcoming the rough streets and the fast money, celebrate for every black male who maintains the family structure and doesn’t destroy his household, and most importantly, celebrate for every black male who leads by example, for this is the example that we want our kids to look up to and follow in the end. The black male is special and every one of us can do special things, its just the mindset of having a helpful community in which will support your ideas and well-being.

As the great Tupac once said,

“Break the chains in our brains that make us fear.”

Collin Daniels

Written by

Indiana University- Bloomington Class of ‘21

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