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| Forrestchump44 - Reddit |
“…the world assumes white people are naturally good. So when something bad happens, it’s a good person doing a bad thing. They assume black people are naturally bad, so when something good happens, it’s only a matter of time before that animal’s true nature rears its ugly head.”
— Mr. Nancy, American Gods
Many films portray stories of those who have been. Showcasing their experiences, and what it truly means to be “white” or “black” in America.
You may not want to read any further than this. You may feel as though society talks about race enough. Well, in my opinion — the significance of historical indecency bestowed upon Black Americans is never done justice on a grand scale.
Yes, you hear people talk about slavery often. As do you hear perpetual stories of judicial injustice, and police misconduct — hence the most recent polarizing case of Sonya Massey. You hear it all the time. But I can assure you, that the majority of the American population does not understand why black people are so frustrated.
Through the course of a 500-year relay of black bodies bearing the fruit of a dying tree, history is repeating itself.
Pathological Adaptation in the Black Community:
Typically the term “Pathological Adaptation” is about the cells in the body. When the central nervous system is compromised, cells try to adapt to their conditions by attacking the harmful cells or adjusting and changing into something else. In psychological research, the term has been adopted by some about how people acclimate themselves to traumatic experiences (Kennedy, T. M., & Ceballo, R., 2016). This concept is often utilized to explain the impact of generational violence on Black American people.
Brief History:
Between the years of 1882–1962, over 4000 slaves were subject to openly gruesome acts of American terrors (Pilgrim, 2004). Such acts consisted of lynchings, castration, and intimidation. There were events held in the Jim Crow South commonly referred to as “Nigger Barbecues”. Aside from civil unrest, and mistreatment — Black Americans of that time were subject to what could be considered domestic terrorism.
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| Jim Crow Museum Website |
In the final days of slavery, the United States government — limited resources and freedoms to Black Americans through the “Black Codes”. The Black Codes ensured a passageway for indirect chattel slavery by property and employment violation laws for newly freed black individuals. Vagrancy laws permitted the arrest of unemployed and homeless black individuals, who were fined and, if unable to pay, were then indebted and required to perform labor (Britannica, 2023). The phrase, “freedom ain’t free” reigns supreme even today.
As of July 20th of this year, The Washington Post reported that though half of the U.S population fatally shot by law enforcement is white, Black Americans are killed at an inordinate rate: “They account for roughly 14 percent of the U.S. population and are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans” (The Washington Post, 2024).
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| The Washington Post |
This morning, I was doom scrolling on TikTok and saw a clip from a movie that reflected society in the early-mid 1900s. A black woman was attempting to buy groceries on credit from her local clerk — he was white. He wouldn’t allow her to use her credit although she had always been paid up. In the midst of this, he had been stealing money from letters her son was sending her from out of state, while simultaneously bad-mouthing her to other local white patrons.
You shouldn’t be fooled into thinking things like this only happen in movies, or only happened in the past.
The Department of Justice recently reported that a Virginia-based tech company requested that hiring managers only accept White American applications: “The Labor Department’s agreement resolves its determination that Arthur Grand violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.” (Dept. of Justice, 2024).
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| Indeed |
Are you getting the picture yet? Do you need another example?
It is not just one-off murders or misunderstandings. It isn’t that he or she may or may not have had a gun. It is every piece, of every thread, of every fabric that makes up the American tapestry that hates black people.
Work. School. Stages. Fields. Courtrooms. It‘s Everywhere.
Mr. Nancy also said, “Angry get’s shit done”. But not if you're black. It gets you killed.
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