Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").
Do You Have A “Slave” Mentality? 8 Reasons Why You Might.
If this doesn’t not apply to you then don’t get your boy shorts, thongs, boxers or briefs in a tiffy. This is just an analysis that I have come to from various courses , and life experience in general. This does not apply to all Black people but it definitely explains some behaviors of ours in my opinion. Feel free to add on.
1. Competitive Nature
Competitive among one another, also known as crabs in a barrel complex. Often when people of color see another person of color doing well, instead of us congratulating him we hate, or become envious. We become insulted that they may have or appear to be surpassing us and want to knock them off their hustle. This is a direct result of us being paired against each other during slavery.
2. The whole light skin vs. dark skin crap
This one should be the most obvious. It has been well documented that fairer skin Blacks were favored over those with darker complexions. This same ideology is sometimes exercised in today’s society. Those with lighter complexions are often saw as being safer, less threatening, more attractive, more intelligent. Simply because their complexion is closer to that of a Caucasian.
3. Non- attachment to kids
During slavery kids were taken away not long after birth. This meant that Black women were unable to build a bond with their child. They had to learn to be cold to their children in some regard because there always was that chance that the child would be taken away or killed. Either way the chances that a Mother would never see her child again were high. I see that this has affected some Black women to this day because on some level, they can demonstrate a coldness to their children. Almost as if the child is a burden or a bother that they themselves should not be required to handle. Slavery, to me, created this distance that some Black mothers have with their children.
4. Complexities in Black love
Black men and women were not allowed to marry. In fact we often had to hide the fact that we were dating one another and if we dared marry someone we had to do the jump the broom ceremony which was not legally binding. So in essence our marriage was not seen as legal as well. In doing this they ripped black men from the home and never allowed them to see themselves as MEN. They were constantly referred to as “boy” and other derogatory terms. After hearing this for centuries, one starts to identify themselves with those negative terms. So some are forever trapped in this boy like stage and never want to grow. Some are unable to handle responsibilities of an adult nature and feel that they should never have to no matter their age. This separation also caused more tension between Black men and women. How are we suppose to know how to truly love one another if for years it was punishable by death if we acknowledged the other sex unless it was for breeding purposes?
5. Black men spreading their seeds
Because Black men were seen as breeders, they were the instructed to have sex with other slave women who they may not have necessarily had or wanted a relationship with them in order to produce more children which would be mean more slaves. The slave owners wanted the Black men to be whores. They taught them how to be whores. This idea of spreading yourself with various women and making babies with various women is still present today. Sure we do not have someone forcing us to do it but the urge is still there. This is why the capacity for a man to go from woman to woman and make babies with each of them is not a foreign idea. In fact it is much more accepted because it Is what Black men were trained to do.
When Friends Grow Apart
6. Eating that fat s**t
I myself love sweet potatoes and greens, and can even get with chitterlings from time to time. I love soul food. But let’s face it. There are certain soul food menu items that are unhealthy and not meant to be ate as often as we do. Eating these foods daily during slavery were out of necessity for survival as we were only given the scraps and less desirable portions of meats and foods. However, constant consumption of these foods also led to our high blood pressure, diabetes also known as ‘the sugars”, heart issues, and a tendency to be overweight. I am not suggesting that we should not eat the foods at all, but the constant consumption of these foods is what leads to many of our health issues. Some soul food items are fatty, too salty, and loaded with other undesirables that were not meant to be consumed daily.
7. White women on a pedestal
“Mirror mirror on the wall.. Who is the fairest of them all? Why…You are White woman.” During slavery White women were seen as goddesses and obviously highly favored over Black women in every way. They were the fairest of them all and not to be attained by a lowly Black man. What is withheld from a person for so long often becomes the object of their obsession. I’m not saying that all Black men are obsessed with White women or anything dramatic of that nature. I am saying that there is a direct correlation as to why SOME not all Black men feel that they have struck gold once they have a White woman on their arms. Some use this as a tool to stroke their egos and offer themselves self worth. Finally they can have something that for years they were not allowed to even stare at for too long nonetheless have sex with and make babies.
8. No we don’t want to work
Since slavery many Blacks have been forced to work for Whites for survival reasons or out of necessity. Some are able to adjust while others have an inherent desire to do whatever it takes to scheme, plot and manipulate the system for however long in order to receive free money and never truly have to work a job. There is a deep resentment towards having to work for “Whitey” by Blacks because we feel as though we have been doing that since the beginning of time by force.
