"WHY SO SERIOUS?" A question Blacks often get when they speak out on controversial issues

This was a question the Joker once asked in the hit Batman movie "The Dark Knight"...usually before he was about to do something evil or lethal.

Well obviously, I'm not the Joker, but I sometimes get the same question when it comes to my LinkedIn or Facebook posts. I do sometimes post things that are humorous and occasionally cute (which isn't always easy for me and my personality). However, it is true that the majority of my posts reflect a more serious overtone that, for some, might be a bit overwhelming, or sometimes dark. Sometimes Blacks are asked this because we are often viewed as "angry". The truth is...sometimes WE ARE, and for good reason. The world is upside down!

Think about it....if you're a White person with a decent job, a family that's safe and doing well, and have a home, a few good friends, have your health and look forward to a decent retirement, life is good, right? Before anyone feels like defending themselves with comments below.... please hear me out. I'm not saying that Whites don't have their issues, for ALL people from all races do. What I'm saying is that marginalized populations experience life differently, and that White society IN GENERAL is not considered to be a marginalized group in this nation because they are viewed and treated a little differently by society as a whole. Non-marginalized populations have issues, but not typically based on race.

AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE VIEW OUR LIVES!

Marginalized people are not typically in the position of being the dominant culture of their society, thus the term "marginalized." Most marginalized populations in this country consist of people of color, women, people who speak English as a second language, if they speak English at all, people who are from the LGBTQ community, and so on. Here's a simple example of what I mean when I refer to the term dominant culture:

For every family oriented TV show like Good Times and Cosby, or Sanford and Son, there are countless non ethnic shows like the Facts of Life, Family Ties, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, Beverly Hills 90210, Modern Family, Full House, Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, etc. Here are more examples of these disparities in this nation.

• Most of the people who make the laws of the land are White.
• Most of the people who own businesses and run corporations are White.
• Most of the people who own or manage financial corporations are White.
• Most of the peace officers in America are White.
• Most faculty and administrators are White, even at schools that are predominantly composed of students of color.

On the other hand...

• There are inequitable racial disparities in the prison & jail populations.
• There are inequitable racial disparities in hiring practices.
• There are inequitable racial disparities in unemployment rates.
• There are inequitable racial disparities in college graduation rates.
• There are inequitable racial disparities in promotional options and pay rates.
• There are inequitable racial disparities in disciplinary actions in K-12 education.

Even when I buy band-aids and cover a scrap or cut, I look at it for minutes wondering if band-aids are brown in Nigeria? I know it may sound silly, but these are real thoughts that may seem trivial to some, but speak to a much larger issue of my value within this society. I do not expect or wish to be dominant over anyone. But I also have no desire to be viewed or treated as if I'm LESS THAN either!

It's also important to point out that marginalization is not exclusive to Blacks or Latinos or any particular race. Marginalization occurs when there are disparities between the "haves and have-nots" within a society that cannot be accounted for other than attitudes related to discriminating factors such as race, gender, sexual preference, nationality or religion or any measurement or difference that can be used to exercise meritocracy.

As a Black man, my disparity is typically my race. Since I'm not part of the "White" dominant group, I am far more likely to experience marginalization because of the prejudices and discriminatory practices of those from the majority, or dominant group, which have been in place for centuries. This is also what continues to perpetuate the current status quo. These privileges have existed for so long that a large percentage of the dominant culture see their dominance not as dominance, but as normal and traditionally American, when in fact it is controlling, manipulative and discriminating.

Once this misconception is tied to one's dedication to patriotism , religion and capitalism, it becomes extremely difficult to see yourself as an oppressor of the marginalized. Some see it as another form of "manifest destiny."

What is often misunderstood as a result of these generational disparities is that these conditions are also part of the reason why so many marginalized groups are seen as radicals or militants. Marginalized populations typically fight and resist assimilation, restriction, unfairness, colonization, dis-empowerment and cultural genocide. What I find ironic is that this country has a respect and appreciation for the military, but when a culture or ethnic group decides to defend itself, it's rights or it's existence, we're labeled as militants, which now has a negative connotation, for doing virtually the same thing as a soldier would do when defending their country and their rights and existence. In essence, in America, it's morally right to defend the country, but not one's cultural heritage unless it's the dominant culture. 

Even though my cultural and racial heritage is part of my DNA, I'm constantly told and reminded by either individuals, the media, the news, politicians, and even employers that my country, which is less than 250 years old, should take precedence over my cultural or racial heritage, which is thousands of years old, despite racism, prejudice, and social inequities encountered from other citizens who have more freedoms, rights and opportunities than the marginalized. Think about it. I can change my citizenship if I so choose, but I can never change my cultural or racial heritage, nor would I ever want to.

This is why some Blacks resist authority, especially if that authority doesn't acknowledge or respect our cultural heritage. We don't hate the police, we hate being disrespected, invisible, or shackled by a society we helped build. In essence, we hate oppressors, regardless of their profession, race, gender, religion, nationality or sexual preference. Some wear badges, but not most. some are teachers, but not most. Some are lawyers, but not most. Some are politicians, but not most. Somehow, there always seems to be just enough oppressors around to create social inequity, but not enough for the general public to actually implement significant or lasting change. Most people think that progress is slow, when in fact some of the most significant changes in American history took place through conflict, such as the War for Independence, The Civil War, The Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Movement. The wheels of progress have always moved at a snails pace, until the oppressed collectively decided to give progress a push. We get tired of asking for inclusion and sooner or later, begin to demand it. As citizens, aren't we just as entitled as any other race?

This is why we created several sub-cultures within Black society. Because for some, instead of seeking inclusion, the objective now was to create our own culture to find community and a sense of belonging that often could not be found outside of these sub-groups. This is part of the reason why Historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been so successful at producing highly qualified college graduates from institutions such as Howard University, Morehouse, Spelman, Hampton, Tuskegee University and Fisk. These institutions provide a sense of belonging and a culture of pride and support that is often missing from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs).

Because inclusion was often not an option, or came at too high a price, we, as a race, often created "our own".

• Black Fraternities- Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, etc.
• Black Media- TV-One, BET, Essence, Ebony, Jet, Vibe, the Source, Black Enterprise, the Root, the Grio, News-One, etc.
• Black Influenced Music- Blues, Jazz, Hip hop, even Rock and Roll...
• Black Dominated Sports... The Negro Leagues, the NFL, the NBA, Track and Field
• And a multitude of Black owned businesses, restaurants, radio stations, our own brand of Christianity, as well as legal firms, marketing organizations, and much more.

Black Culture didn't just spring up out of nowhere. It developed as a result of a lack of inclusion and racial harmony, and as a result of racial progress that moved far to slow. The reality is, one can never be disappointed or denied if one never ask for anything from you. This is a way of avoiding embarrassment and maintaining self respect, but to the extreme, it also increases participation in separatism, a movement that was once popularized by Marcus Garvey a century ago. After all this time, though we are of African descent, we are culturalized as Americans, and deserve the same rights as any citizen born in this country. THIS is what our struggle has always been and continues to be today, the struggle for true equality in all aspects of American citizenship.

Still, there are those that are hungry enough for life comforts typically associated with the dominant culture that they are willing to assimilate and make accommodations to the point of diminishing or down-playing their own culture.  Essentially, the more you assimilate to the dominate culture, the better off some people of color are socioeconomically, but they also risk losing some aspect of their own ethnic culture and heritage in the process. The more people of color assimilate, the more they tend to excel, by traditional American standards, However, the more people of color resist or avoid assimilation and exercise and display their own cultural and ethnic heritage, the more they will face marginalization at some point in their life. This is part of what decimated millions of Native Americans who resisted assimilation and colonization for centuries.

This doesn't mean that we cannot become successful while also expressing cultural pride. But it does mean that the challenges for most will be significantly harder than for those who are less accommodating....and much less for those that are from the dominant culture. 

If you ever wondered where the non-smiling "hard look" comes from when you see images, or personally confront serious looking Black men, it's often because we are trying to determine what the situation is and how we should react. Black men in particular, eventually learn that even subtle actions on their part can lead to serious consequences. We are often misinterpreted and viewed as aggressive when what's actually happening is that we are making calculated decisions about what to say or do so as to avoid potentially dangerous or negative consequences, some of which are sometimes LIFE THREATENING. We are often viewed as dangerous, when in fact we are the one's who are typically in danger.

We are often viewed as being angry when in fact we are often a little concerned or afraid of Black misandry, a hatred focused on Black boys and men in particular due to negative stereotypical and prejudice views that have nothing to do with who we actually are. We are often accustomed to being vilified, so when some people show or display kindness, respect and open-mindedness, it's refreshing and appreciated, but is often unexpected and sometimes viewed with suspicion. As a culture, we are not quick to trust. History has proven that our trust has been betrayed on a regular basis before. What sometimes makes Black men socially challenging, is also what helps us to be safe from harm. 

So....yes, as a race, we have a few complaints.

We want what most people want; the paid mortgage, the new car, the job security, to raise our families in peace, to create a promising future for our children, the sense of being included and safe in social situations, and the ability to develop real wealth that can be passed down to future generations. Unfortunately, the majority of marginalized people just won't get there for a number or reasons, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with their intelligence, potential or ability.

So, much of what I write about is often serious, as it reflects not just my culture, or race, not just my life, but also the world through my eyes and experiences. Myself, and many others like me, or in worse situations than me, simply have to work harder, or be in the right place at the right time, which is even more rare. When you're younger, sometimes the margins are harder to see. But as you get older and more experienced, time, and history begin to display patterns that were always there, but are difficult to recognize without the time to develop perspective. As a result, the world seems so much smaller when you're younger. You think you have all the time in the world, and before you know it, you're aging, slowing down, getting gray.

A friend of mine once asked me a serious question that put things into perspective in seconds. He asked me "Mike, how is it that this white kid I once tutored in 4th grade, the same kid who took geometry with me in high school, the same person who worked for the state and earned a bachelors degree while I earned a masters degree.... is now my boss, making twice as much, and living in a house and neighborhood I could never afford? And Check this out; we've talked. They've never seen the inside of a cop car, jail or unemployment office while all of these are things I've experienced several times! What did I do to work so hard and still end up achieving so much less than him?"

I knew my friend wasn't jealous, but he was a little envious. I've been there myself when your self esteem occasionally begins to waver and you begin to let self doubt influence you, and you sometimes question your own efforts. We both knew the answer to that question, but neither of us were willing to say it, because if what we were thinking were true, then that suggests that what we do has little effect on what we actually will accomplish, and that the quality of our lives depends more on our race than our own merits. This may be true, but I'm not willing to believe it yet. This also happens to be the recipe for how one kills hope in Black men.

Part of the reason I'm saying all of this is because I'm one of the marginalized. I'm not a victim, ...yet, among the marginalized...I'm pretty fortunate and I KNOW IT. I have 35 years of work experience, I'm a former I.T. professional, I've worked in both the private and public sector, have a B.A., a masters and almost done with a doctorate...yet....I feel marginalization all the time as if I'm wearing size 10 shoes on a size 10-1/2 foot...I'm always trying to find a fit in a world that isn't eager to provide this for me. In short, I'm one of the lucky one's, BUT... a lucky marginalized person can and is often in more challenging situations than non-marginalized people who consider themselves to be less fortunate. I do not discount personal perspective here. I'm merely comparing the realities of life as they are measured within THIS society, not one's own mind. As a result, the majority of marginalized people will remain invisible, and/ or disenfranchised to most of us, even on LinkedIn. They're just too busy trying to survive poverty, unemployment, racism, racial profiling, illness, drugs, violence, and mental disorders caused by stress to worry about social media posts. So when you read this and other stories like mine, multiply this by a factor of a ten-thousand and you'll get some idea of how many people are truly marginalized.

So.... I completely understand the question "why so serious". I'm just not likely to post stories about cute cats, or my week at the lake with friends, or my promotion to senior manager before age 32 with just a bachelors degree, or the birthday cake that the dog ate. My life and the lives of most people from my culture aren't likely to have these kinds of experiences. These aren't typical concerns for marginalized people. Life really is a little more serious for most of us. We are more likely to be fired than hired. We are more likely to be demoted than promoted. We are more likely to be arrested and convicted. We are more likely to received higher interest rates on loans. We are more likely to die of cancer or gunshot than old age. We are more likely to experience stress at school and at work in the form of microaggressions or overt racism. We are more likely to experience debilitating psychological and physiological disorders that also contribute to shorter life spans than the non-marginalized. Almost everything in this "game of poker" is HIGH STAKES for marginalized populations. And when complaining about these disparities, we often are told to pull ourselves up by our boot straps. This is difficult to do if you have no boots to begin with.  

So I say again...I get it. If this is how some people feel (and some of you have asked me or told me about this from time to time over the years), I am sorry if you find the serious nature of what I write about to be a little disturbing to you, for this is not my intention.

As you may have surmised already...there's a reason for this serious tone, for those that are still reading and still curious as to what I'll say next. I'll share some of my reasons, but for some of you reading this, I'm sure that you also share some of my experiences and reasons as well. They aren't exclusive to me...I just have the podium in this particular story. By all means, feel free to share your own reasons in the comment section below. Not only would I love to hear them, I think it would be helpful for others to read them as well.

So...let us begin...

I'm a former employee of the Sacramento Sheriff's department, and L.A. Sheriff's department, and I've taught students who are residents of juvenile hall, jails, parole offices and prisons for 12 years and counting. I've also worked as a social worker and a 9-1-1 operator.

So...I've seen a few things, okay?

Also, I'm in my 50's, so I've been around long enough to have seen or remember a few historical events such as the assassination of Dr. King and RFK, The Rodney King Verdict, the first OJ trial, the L.A. Riots, the terrorist attacks of 9-11, and Watergate. I saw ash "snow" in Oregon when Mt. St. Helen's erupted in Washington, I remember the terrorist attacks at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and the Bakke case in 1978. I originally started college before the digital age when typewriters and cassette tapes were still relevant.

I was born before JFK was shot, and before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I'm the son of sharecroppers who actually picked cotton and lived through racial segregation and Jim Crow in the South where Blacks were lynched and still attended separate schools (even after the landmark case of Brown vs the Board of Education) and drank from separate water fountains. My parents were about the same age as Emmett Till in 1955 when when he was murdered just a little over 100 miles away from their hometown. What this said to me is that this could also have happened to my parents as well. This fear of harm or death is also what contributed to Black families instilling discipline and even fear as part of raising a child. Parents wanted to make sure that their children obeyed them, even when they weren't around, so as to minimize their risk of harm or even death.

Also, I'm an educator specializing in teaching critical thinking skills and preparing other educators to be more culturally relevant and socially conscious in a a world full of racial, gender, cultural, ethnic and economic disparity and inequities. I'm also a researcher, so I am constantly reading the research of prominent scholars and the data from reliable resources that I use to inform and develop my pedagogical process. I'm a late boomer in the field of social justice education, so I do not have the luxury of time. I must do what I can while I can to contribute what I can towards a better world for all people. It may sound like a cliche' or a line from a blockbuster super hero movie... but it's also quite true!

Last but definitely not least. I'm a Black man living in a society that doesn't always see me, or appreciate me, or respect me...simply because I'm Black. And I use Black and African American for different purposes.

Demographically...nationally and statistically, I'm an African American, if you're measuring me by my group affiliation. That's what the U.S, Census refers to me as.

Culturally and politically...I'm Black, which is the first thing that I personally identify myself as.... which speaks to a movement, a demand for respect, equality and justice, and the description also ties me to my racial and cultural heritage as a descendant of Africans and survivors of a 300 year holocaust.

As a budding scholar, educator, researcher, and self-proclaimed educational sociologist, it's not just my desire to be appropriately serious, but it is also my responsibility to do so as a social justice advocate and member of a marginalized population in this country.

So....all of these aspects of my life feed into why I’m "so serious" as well as why so many people of color or marginalized groups are also serious; because life itself is also pretty serious as a result of the margins and inequities we face every day of our lives. Sure, things are essentially better in 2016 than they were in 1966, and definitely better than 1906, but we are still a long way from racial and cultural equality. The news and current events should already prove that as we live it all the time.

I still laugh, have fun, make jokes, and sometimes share a cute story, because I'm human. Despite the disparities, I enjoy life and love humanity. But until there is real and complete equality and equity for all marginalized groups in this country, or until I draw my last breath...whichever comes first, I'm compelled to do my part to change things for the marginalized.

As I close this story, just so you know, this post was not really about me, but since it's not research based, I used myself to convey something about a lot of people who are like me who are not in a position to express what I'm conveying to you now. Some are in jail or prison. Some are working in factories as laborers just to provide for their families. Some are in college learning more about this society and about themselves. Some are in graveyards ... prematurely. But most are not in my position, to teach, to conduct research, and to express their thoughts as well as share their experiences. So...I share part of my journey as a means of also sharing theirs, for I did not get here by myself.

And...make no mistake about it folks...

I'M JUST GETTIN' STARTED!!