“Self-destruction. You headed for self-destruction.” These are the opening lyrics to KRS One’s rap song titled “Self-Destruction. “ This collective rap classic became an inspiration for this article after witnessing seven African American men ages 17 to 25 being led away in handcuffs within a 24-hour period.
The first instances occurred in traffic court, where, up until that point in my life, I had never seen people get arrested. I had always seen traffic court judges order fines, dismissals and even censures, but never arrests. Although the courtroom was racially diverse, the only people getting arrested were African American. Most of their charges centered on the same issue, drug possession, specifically less than an ounce of marijuana. Two of the three men were sent to jail because they couldn’t pay the $550 fines. One of the young men offered to pay part of it that day and pay the rest within the 60-day deadline everyone else had been offered, but the judge told him that he must serve the time in jail instead. Another man, who was there on a non-drug related traffic charge, was so surprised that he yelled at the judge, saying, “Are you serious? Why are you arresting me?” His actual question should have been: Who is my real enemy?
Across town, at an elite, predominately African American high school, four young men were led away in handcuffs for fighting. Other arrests were pending, stemming from certain students’ desire to “get it crunk” on the last few days of school. After an almost three-hour melee, which included food fights and bathroom flooding, some parents and even students were blaming “bad kids” who were allowed to attend the school. Who is really to blame, however?
Most times, we blame others for our demise because we try to avoid the psychological burden and emotional discomfort of the truth. The truth of your circumstances always begins with you, not others. It may not mean that you’re wrong, but it does mean that you somehow actively or passively contributed to your situation. The truth in these arrest scenarios is that we, as a people, are often our own worst enemies. Sociologists and other theorists say this self-destructive tendency is the result of self-hatred, but I believe it goes beyond that. It’s ignorance. Many have forgotten that slavery came as a result of greed, so African Americans deal drugs in their own communities, providing an easy means for enslavement in the penal system. Similarly, we have forgotten that our freedoms have been won through fighting the system, which triggered changes in legislation. We have never won anything by fighting each other except in a boxing ring.
Prisons have become modern plantations, and our brown-skinned neighbors are now our main adversaries. The reason for this is because we are in denial, blaming outsiders for the depravity and disillusionment within ourselves.
Annette Johnson is the owner of Allwrite Advertising & Publishing and the author of “What’s Your Motivation?: Identifying and Understanding What Drives You.” Follow her on Twitter @AnnetteWriter
