Each week, I receive several correspondences from black people calling me an Uncle Tom, a race traitor and that sort of thing.

The most recent epithets came as a result of my column asking Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp to shut his mouth, stop acting like a child and get back to playing the exemplary football that made him a repeat Pro Bowler.

Weeks later, I am still being accused of dissing not only Sapp but African-American culture itself. So, the question is: Exactly what is African-American, or black, culture?

According to my critics, the likes of Sapp and the late rapper Tupac Shakur epitomize African-American culture. If they are right - although I believe that some are simply venting out of anger - then I primarily dislike their brand of black culture.

Although I appreciate Tupac's poetic genius, I dislike his gangsta persona. Remember, Tupac was a violent brother, and he died in a hail of automatic weapon rounds. I like Sapp's work ethic (which I would advise all youngsters to emulate) and his love of the game, but I dislike the nasty image, on and off the field, he has faithfully cultivated.

Again, if these two men represent African-American culture, then I have major concerns with my culture.

Now, to the essential point of this column: We - African-Americans - should strive to be admired for all the right reasons. I obsess over who we are as a people, about how we fit into a nation that continues to treat us as outsiders after all this time. I obsess over our survival. Sure, we will survive like everyone else. But what will be the status of our collective health in another 100 years, or 50 years even?

These are questions I ponder daily. I have convinced myself that the time has come for mature African-Americans to redefine black culture. Mature blacks must wrest back from the Sapps and Tupacs the values that sustained our people during the long years when de facto and de jure practices guaranteed our third-class citizenship.

We must relearn the sentiments of self-determination and introspection. We should not tolerate another black-on-black killing, another neighbor's house being invaded, another ounce of cocaine being sold on our streets, another adult luring a boy into a deadly confrontation with the police, another child lollygagging and never opening a book.

Mature blacks should unapologetically teach the values their elders taught them. Earlier generations of blacks were taught, for example, the practical power of simple politeness. A "yes, sir" still opens doors of opportunity. A "thank you" still commands respect from others. An "I apologize" still forges trust. Allowing someone else to "go first" in line still paints a smile on the other person's face. "Please forgive me" still elevates the worth of everyone involved in a given conflict.

Blacks nationwide plead for economic development, and we complain of discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere. Well, I have a radical solution for many of our complaints - at least where we have control: We, as a people, need to apprehend the subversive efficacy of the intellect and formal education.

The most subversive act an African-American child can commit in school is to demonstrate a mastery of standard, formal English. Imagine a boy mastering algebra and chemistry. Suppose the same boy completes all of his assignments with excellent grades? Suppose he stays on top of current events? Suppose his teachers and principal like him?

This boy would take away every excuse for whites to legitimately deny him anything. At the same time, he would be admired for at least one good reason: He values learning.

Being intellectually capable is black people's most important possession. Acquiring knowledge and using our intellect to better ourselves are the most powerful and most useful acts we can commit to subvert a system that has kept us down.

My fraternal and maternal grandparents were quiet, determined subversives. I loved listening to them talk about the "days before welfare." I remember how these unflappable people put their families before everything else; how children dared not insult an elder inside or outside the home; how doing well in school was taken for granted; how "cutting up" in public and "shaming the family" were not tolerated.

Calling me old-fashioned and an Uncle Tom does not change this simple truth: If African-Americans are to succeed and enjoy the benefits of this rich culture, mature adults must persuade our children to strive to be admired for all the right reasons.

I've said it before ... As long as Black culture is founded on rejection of the White definition of success, the former is doomed. Now ask yourself who benefits if that remains true. [Hint: it isn't Blacks in general.]

LOL! No, but it is certain Blacks* in particular sure as heck would.

*(Why is the "B" in the word Blacks capitalized? Tradition? Proper grammar? PC-ism?)

But there is a dynamic there. Many blacks continually and repeatedly portray themselves as being separate from mainstream America. Then whine and bitch when someone treats them as being separate from mainstream America.

Canadians do this too. Hate that. "We're a whole different country! You people act like we're just an extension of you, well, we're not!"

Ten minutes later "And then they stopped me at the border and I'm like, 'Come on, I'm Canadian! It's practically the same thing!'"

Excuse me?

I'm supposed to accept this

hypocritical steaming pile

from a black liberal who called the Republican Party an instrument of racism and criticized Colin Powell and Condi Rice in almost these same terms for serving President Bush?

From his column of last week:

The Republicans' racist inner core repels blacks, many seeing the old beloved party of Lincoln as their contemporary enemy. Far from taking African-Americans for granted, the Democrats long ago made our quest for civil rights the bedrock of many policies. The Democratic Party is black America. You do not take for granted that which you are. You simply are. Blacks are Democrats. Yes, yes, J.C. Watts, Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Colin Powell and others have cast their lot with the devil, but their action does not mean that the rest of us should lose our minds, too. We know who our real friends are. And they are not in the GOP.
Blacks did not become Yellow Dog Democrats accidentally. They found a home, a place where they knew that bleeding hearts would do the decent thing - even if the decent thing had unintended negative consequences. I cannot recall a single time that Democrats planned how to abuse blacks. Without trying, I can think of many ways that Republicans have been intentionally cruel to blacks and other groups.
No one should be surprised that most blacks are Yellow Dog Democrats.

Is the vituperative propaganda of a lawn jockey for the Democratic Party to be excused by one good column in which this intellectual Three-Card Monte dealer burnishes his social conservative credentials? Bullsh#t. A race baiter is a race baiter. Pure and simple.

No excuses. A broken clock may be right twice a day, but it remains broken just the same. I have two rewards for this writer: contempt and slight regard.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

I want to also add that black people in this country were succeeding before they had self appointed leaders and snotty white liberals. The libs have a lot to answer for I'd say.

Yes. Marxists have infiltrated the African American community deeply since the 1920s. Most of the pathologies they now think are inherent to their culture are actually remnants of Marxism deliberately injected by Communists intent upon using minorities as a wedge to injure American culture.

As a young cop on the streets of Bedford/Stuyvesant 35 years ago, I noticed that Black "culture" was ALWAYS determined by 12 to 25 year olds,they in turn dictated it to the rest of the community. The way of dressing, talking and acting was that of pre teens.Since welfare took care of most needs and drugs could make them forget the ones it couldn't, acting child like was fun and care free. It seems that for large segments of the Black community little has changed. In DC they are perfectly content to have the government's schools fail the needs of 90% of the children. This is just fine with most of the community because at least the damage is being done by democrats not the hated Republicans.

The most subversive act an African-American child can commit in school is to demonstrate a mastery of standard, formal English.

Amen to that! I've long been convinced that language is a far more important factor than racial appearance in belonging to the group. To put it another way, people identify others with their ears far more than with their eyes.

This part of the post caught my attention as well. Efforts to promote such things as "Eubonics" will never help the black child succeed, where excellent language skills will.

The oratory skills of Ambassador Alan Keyes are an excellent example. Beyond his highly commendable moral leadership one cannot but appreciate listening to him for his "command" of the language, whether you agree with his conservative views or not (and I greatly do!!). Now compare the respect and appreciation for the demonstrated "learning" of an Alan Keyes to a Rev Jesse Jackson for example .... no contest!

I always want to "correct" African-American's (in private of course) when they say "Axe" instead of "Ask" ... but never knowing how they might take such correction, I never do. Cry's of Eubonics or being called a racist always cross my mind. But this one word and it's misuse are what stand out the most as an example of learning that this well writen piece makes me think about.

Excellent writeup and discussion ...

Within the broad American culture there are numerous subtypes.

I think it is subtypes -- just like there is no "White" culture that all whites belong to and are successful because they do --- to me it seems more that there is a "welfare" subculture that affects people of whatever race or group they're in the same way, there is a "professional class" subculture, a "military" subculture, "democrat politician" subculture, and so on,

Yes Chris but he's a tortured man who sees the devil in his party. He's been gradually addressing this and his columns are getting bolder as time passes. Maxwell may never leave his politics behind but his columns are encouraging a movement that will help educate and stablize a community that for now buys the LIBERAL bs, but won't when they see how much better life is when they don't owe their vote to the party that promised them everything and gave them the shaft.

I agree with this column. People are judged - black or white - by their behavior. More specificially, their attitude, the words they use, their ability to interact with others in a civil manner, even the way they dress.

Totally concur ... language skills, manners, morals, propensity NOT to curse, etc. all are much more important than race in determining someone's "acceptance".

Not to open up a can of worms, but I would be interested in the authors opinions on "quotas" and the like, i.e. the results of so called affirmative action programs.

I don't see how any of the "social experiments" of "Affirmative Action" that actually result in 'reverse discrimination' will ever really assist a young African American. How does lowering an admittance standard of a university help?

My definition of "affirmative action" that I would hope that all races would get our elected officials to support as well as NO other definition, is to provide economic scholastic assistance to the inner city poor child, or where ever that poor child may be found. If all efforts, funds, assist, scholarships, programs, etc. were focused here the African American or Hispanic youth would be the benificiary. Racism exist in poverty, and focusing at this level, not at "lowering admission standards" is the right thing to do.

Many people may respond and say "we already do that" but I would disagree. One just has to look at the condition of "inner city" schools provided by our tax dollars and see that. The over whelming support in the African American communities for school vouchers, admitting that their is an imbalance, is a testimony to where we are "missing the mark" in educating our youth.

Anyway, just got me going ... I would be interested in Cincinatus' Wife's opinion on this subject, as well as any other of our African American brothers and sisters on this board.

Again, great article!!

I see that as LIBERAL vote pandering. It helps no one to lower the bar, except, of course, the snake-oil salesmen aka politicians. Universities are packed with Sixties radicals and the fruit of their Marxist teachings. Everything that a progressive believes in thrives on university campuses - affirmative action, environmentalism, feminism, diversity, sexual experimentation, anti-Americanism, anti-business, anti-moral under-pinnings, justice this and justice that. Text books are politically motivated instruments of social teachings. They ridicule America and leave students with a prejudice against their own country. Beyond believable.

I hope I would. King maintained that it was never in the interest of the black community to tie itself to the fortunes of one party. It's not that 95% of black voters tend to vote Democratic come rain or shine; it's that they treat those who dissent as race-traitors and believe and propagate charges of racism against my own party.

I can excuse cluelessness. I can't excuse cluelessness combined with mendacity.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

There are exceptions to every rule. There are good inner city schools but they are the exception. We must insist on English only - none of this bilingual stuff that's destroying academic achievement, contributing to dropout rates and condemning generations of uneducated Americans to live lives of poverty. It's very obvious from testing that kids fall further behind the farther they go in public schools. Why? Teachers are not educated. Teachers don't know much about the subjects they teach. They know a lot of theory and politcal correctness but that isn't going to educate a student.

Sorry Mr. Maxwell. The items you speak of have absolutely nothing to do with "Black Culture" or any perceived need to redefine it.

Substitute "Tupac" with "Eminem", "Warren Sapp" with "Bill Romanowski", "black" with "white", "race-traitor" with "cross-burner", "African-American" with "Anglo-American" and the epithet "Uncle Tom" with "Nigger Lover". Now read the article again.

On extolling the virtues of a return to a more civilized society, the article has its merits. However, this article has nothing more to do with redefining "Black Culture" any more than it has to do with redefining "White Culture". Mr. Maxwell's attempts to put such a narrow focus on black culture does everyone a great disservice.

This part of the post caught my attention as well. Efforts to promote such things as "Eubonics" will never help the black child succeed, where excellent language skills will.

Those who support and promote "Ebonics" in our schools are in my opinion the worse kind of racists. These people seek only to keep black people down and "on the reservation" as Alan Keyes would put it. It is difficult to think of a worse crime that could be perpetrated upon our young black people then to teach them that "gangsta talk" is an acceptable way to communicate in our society.

What a sad waste of young talent, for to teach them in this manner, their doom is sealed as they will never function normally in society. No company will hire them. Nobody will want to do business with them. It is an unspeakable thing to turn a young person into the world without the communication skills he/she will need to be successful.

About the only successful lines of work that one who cannot speak English properly can engage in is professional sports and rap music. But so few ever make it to the top of those fields that it is hardly worth a mention. What are the other 99.9% of these people going to do for a living? Probably nothing as they are effectively doomed to the welfare rolls for life and many of them will end up in jail, with additional cost to our society.

The liberals pushing this Ebonics agenda sicken me. They are destroying the lives of so many black people who could contribute so much to our society, if only they were held to the same educational standards as everybody else.

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