Throughout our powerful conversation on Monday that concluded on the topic of single stories, I could not stop thinking about the single story that I myself and the rest of the Black male population in America are characters of. The single story of Black males that is composed of characteristics such as violent tendencies, aggression, rudeness, and others that make people afraid, or unwilling to communicate with them (us) are strong. So strong, that I (as a Black man) feel as if the people that I come into contact with already feel as if they know me, or know what type of person I am before I even shake their hands. So strong, that individuality is very difficult to accomplish, since I am usually labeled a “Black guy” rather than a guy. So strong, that being a “Black guy” means a lot more than being a male with Black skin; it means to be a male with dark skin who is known for this, and this, and that. So strong, that the du-rag that I am wearing and the pants that I am sagging define me more than the conversation that we are having. Actually, we aren’t having the conversation. My du-rag and sagged pants scared you away. So strong, that the White people down the block who were walking towards me are now walking across the street. So strong, that those White people feel as if they just escaped a potentially dangerous situation.
Single stories are very prevalent, and very powerful. I am not the only victim of a single story, but I felt like sharing my experiences as a character of one. Attached, is a Buzzfeed video that encompasses this feeling and relates to our class discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a8oiGP2IAU