Myths That Black Folk Need to Kill Tuh-Day, Pt. 2
If you ain’t read part 1 yet, go do that first. Here’s part 2 of myths that black folk need to kill tun-day.
1. Black people’s last names came from plantation-owners.
A lot of ’em did, but a lot of ’em didn’t. Many black people changed their names once they were freed from enslavement—whether that happened in 1865 or before. The last name “Freeman” was very popular for this reason. We also chose big up names, presidential names, as a way of personally uplifting and identifying ourselves. That’s one reason we got so many Washingtons.
2. Black people are more tolerant of pain.
(Via @glitterlight1222):
This belief that we have higher tolerances to pain, or feel none at all has roots that go back as far as our enslavement. One of the many justifications of slavery was that our people were animals and because of this, we were to be treated as beasts of burden. Black bodies were seen to be able to endure the harsh conditions for cultivating cash crops of cotton, rice, and indigo as well as drain swamps and prepare the land for planting.
By stripping Blacks of their humanity and making them for all intents and purposes “beasts of burden” white supremacy made the Black body a nearly indestructible machine, even when the machine showed signs of wear and tear, it was still forced to perform at 100%. If not, there was always another to replace it. If this belief worked in the fields, how could it not work for medical experimentation?
Black bodies were treated the same here and many medical breakthroughs have come by heinous traumas to the Black body. What’s worse, it is justified for the sake of medical knowledge and breakthroughs.
This myth is killing us.
3. Black men were given syphilis in the Tuskegee Experiment.
They weren’t injected with syphilis. They already had it, but instead of being treated for it, which is what they were told were happening, they were tricked so that doctors could study the long-term effects of the disease.
(via @glitterlight1222): The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: Miss Ever’s Boys, an HBO movie, was the introduction for me to the horrendous experimentation that went on in Alabama, where men went to get cured of syphilis only to received placebos…
This don’t make the doctors or the government any less wrong, but we want to make sure that our people are teaching facts.
4. Slavery only existed in the South.
That’s what I hate about the Mason Dixon line. It supposedly divides the North and South but it doesn’t. In my personal opinion, if it start snowing and that ain’t surprising, then you ain’t in the South. Seriously though, the Mason Dixon line was supposed to separate states that supported slavery from those that didn’t. It don’t even do that though. Slavery existed in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, etc. They might’ve abolished slavery before the South did, but it still existed there too.
It was also given another name in many parts of the North. When I studied William C. Goodridge, for example, I learned that he legally couldn’t be sold from Baltimore to Pennsylvania. So he was “indentured” instead, becoming an “apprentice” rather than a slave. But if you can’t come and go as you please, then you’re a hostage. Gotta be squint hard at how shit be worded.
5. Black women were classy back then but not today.
Do black women cuss like sailors and show our ass? Yep. We did it back in the day too.
6. Brown v. Board of Education ended school segregation.
This is so much of a lie that they literally had to go back to court, resulting in Brown v. Board of Education II, because white folks REFUSED to desegregate them schools. Part 2 of the law warned the states to desegregate “with all deliberate speed.” Once again, they found a way around that too. That’s exactly why most public schools are still segregated today with the same situation of majority black schools being ridiculously under-resourced.
7. The Civil Rights Movement started after Rosa got arrested.
Civil rights, by definition, make sure that nobody is discriminated against or otherwise harmed because of some shit they can’t help or that is their birthright (e.g. their color, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, gender, disability, etc.). Black people been fighting for our rights since we got here. Phillis Wheatley, in fact, wrote a letter to George Washington explaining that it was hypocritical af for the country to fighting for its freedom from Britain while still allowing slavery. And that was in 1775. Listen, we been been…
8. The “Black Friday” event/concept started with slavery.
It just didn’t, y’all. I fell for it too initially, but it’s just one of those memes that prove that lies spread faster than truth (while also reminding us to research what we believe/doubt).
9. Therapy is white people shit.
This is another one that’s killing us. The concept of psychology started in Africa actually. In the Light of Ancient Africa does a good job of breaking this down. How we did it was drastically different than how its done today, but we gotta circle back and get to it. Also add to it. Hire a therapist and be willing to change ’em out if they don’t feel like a good fit. Dig through your personal and generational past for trauma, vent, question, but also get out of your head and into your body.
10. Africans say that “African Americans” ain’t real Africans.
This is divisive and kinda kills your curiosity to go over there. Why would you if you feel you’ll be ridiculed? I’m sure a handful of folk have actually said this, but so many more don’t feel this way. Talk to more people who’ve visited. Gather more experiences. Even better…just go.
P.S.: Artwork credit: “Depository II (Series)” by Nkem Odeh-Ifeyinwa
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