In his essay entitled "The Handicap of Definition," William Raspberry explores the narrow-minded definition of "black." He shows how in some instances people view doing something "black" as a compliment, while at other times, people find it offensive. Why is that so? It is no secret that many entertainers and athletes are black, but to think that that is all black people are good at is absurd! Sadly, this is the case for many young black children today. This is a major result of how the world has defined what it means to be black. William Raspberry wrote his essay in the eighties. It was a time in which many of the opportunities for black people were limited though not completely cut off. That being said, black people took advantage of the few opportunites that were possible, and the exceptional few went on and conquered fields that were thought of as unattainable to blacks. These fields were usually dominated by whites. Many of those same fields are still currently dominated by white people, and blacks continue to shy away from them.
Today, too many young black chilldren do not live up to their full potential for fear of acting "white." They want to be seen as black in every sense of the narrow-minded definition that has plagued the black community for years. I see that as a pure act of foolishness, but to the young girls and boys that want to fit in, it is an entirely different matter. What they fail to realize is that being black is about more than being a great athlete, entertainer, ect. We can be ANYTHING that we choose to be as long as we work hard and strive for it no matter what.
It hurts not only black children but all children who feel they have to live by certain standards of their race. The things that are defined as being "black" or "white" or even "chinese" are merely stereotypes that can indeed be broken. Too many children are not able to be the best they can be because of what they feel they are not suppose to do. This is the biggest handicap of all.
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Good article. I believe that the white people perceive African Americans and the mental limitations they place on them have a great effect on the African American children. African American children grow up thinking that the entertainment and sports route is their only or best option, as an occupation because that is all white American wants to recognize African Americans for. Seldom is the spotlight placed on African American businessmen. You hear about Donald Trump all the time, he is even in a multitude of commercials, but how often do we hear about Christopher Gardner. We didn’t even know who he was before “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Some white people try to place mentally handicaps on African Americans, but it is up to us to break those handicaps and prove that we are more than just entertainers. We are great intellectuals.
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