Gentility

The media formulated idea that Blacks disrespect education. White and Black pundits, celebrities, spokespersons, either paid or gullible enough, declare to the public that Blacks disdain education, have little input into the educational lives of their children, or in other words just plain ole' deserve that low slot in life as they fuck themselves with their own attitude. Well, folks, it's lies and more lies. Propaganda.

Is there a segment of the Black population that neglects their children's education, teaches them that books are for white people? Could be, but I put forth that it has less to do with color, and more of a caste thang. Where you're assigned on the totem pole. Which came first, the continuous media attempt to ugly-nize and dehumanize American Blacks or the overall shoddiness of the public education system? Our school system does what it's geared to do. Discourage, label, divide, and train the general population to accept their lot in life - following orders. The fact that so many today (of all races) choose ignorance over readin', writin', and regimenting makes the point that many children have decided to stay behind.

The Black inner city or lower class child may socially disdain education as a "white thing" but whites around the same rung of the social ladder disrespect education, judging by the fact that so many take so little advantage of it. Perhaps no white kid has been heard to say books are for "white people" but since the White Boy can't or won't do little better socioeconomically than his Black counterpart, it would point to a white lack of respect for education. Lets not forget the lower class neighborhood schools with the leaking roof, crumbling floors, and insufficient textbooks that contribute to the child's concept of what adults think of education. The same adults who prepare the school forms used for stats in the studies claiming Blacks disrespect education. Black or white lower class, whether they graduate high school or not, will have little to no training in critical thinking, none of the emotional or intellectual skills required for the adult world, little hope, and scant respect for society. (Plenty of those traits in the upper classes but they hide it or pass it off as eccentric.) But aside from the fact there's little respect for our educational system overall, why does the media focus on and proclaim lack of respect for education is a choice only Blacks are making?

It wouldn't matter if every Black in American earned a Bachelor or Masters and came from 2 parent homes the ruling class would still need an excuse to explain why Blacks cannot assimilate in larger numbers in American society. Likely the pundits would return to the theory that whites have bigger brains, oh wait, the Bell Curve did that a few years ago. A book funded and written for the rightwing agenda passed off as science, which as NYT columnist Bob Herbert said of the book it's "just a genteel way of calling somebody a nigger." Spreading the propaganda that Blacks have no respect for education is the same shit, packaged differently. It's a racist thang.