Being White is Too Easy & Rather Boring… Why I Enjoy Being Black So Much…

By now, even a person who is living under a rock knows about White-Skin Privilege. And almost everyone has debated the need for or the pros can cons of affirmative action. But, let’s cut right to the chase… BEING WHITE is rather easy… and unfortunately, when the human-being does not have enough problems, s/he creates his/her own problem… Therefore, a lot of White males create their own adventures (e.g., they go sky-diving, hunting, skiing, bungee-jumping, and many other forms of “nice to do” but certainly not “need to do” challenge-driven activities.

HOWEVER, BEING BLACK is often challenging enough. Imagine being with no hook-ups, no famous uncle, no one in your family who has ever done anything that you attempted to do.

Growing up, I looked up to my teachers and professors a lot. I didn’t realize why until later. But it is practically because I lacked relatives or friends in my circle who were as accomplished. Naturally, whenever I met someone whose accomplishment matched or resembled a prospective accomplishment I found myself zoomed into that person’s CV or profile and acting like a private investigator as to ascertain how that person manage to so accomplish. And it didn’t matter what racial background this person came from. Nevertheless, I did discover a trend. For instance, although Bill Gates was very hard-working, and had failed many times prior to succeeding, he also had a very accomplished Father, who was an attorney and had assisted him with the legal (e.g., licensing, copyright, trademark) aspect of his businesses. Another example is Donald J. Trump. As much as I admire his passion and zeal, he too got a million-dollar loan from his Father. BUT, most Black men have no such luck… Well, Sean Combs (P. Diddy), and Shark Tank’s Damon are a few exceptions of Black men who did get parental assistance, but of course, most Black men have no such luck.

THE HUSTLE & THE BLACK HUSTLERS A/K/A MY OTHER HEROES

The word “hustle” seems to have been invented for the Black man or woman who refuses to give up despite all the barriers that had been set up by disenfranchisement in a Nation that once LEGALLY denied him access to even the same rest-rooms and restaurants that were used by Whites. Naturally, remnants of such a brutal past can still be found in many aspects of America because in many parts of American, especially in major Cities like Detroit and Chicago, there are still mind-boggling segregation and achievement gaps that are directly traceable therefrom.

While many Blacks have pulled their weights, far too many just gave up on a system that seems to have been intended to break their very will to fight and survive. Many seemed to have become victim to drugs and alcohol that are more likely than not used to numb their failed dreams and aspirations, and yet many more have clung on to religion as a sense of hope and to cling onto a God that they hope will not forsake them like the society in which they live did.

In this article, I will simply write about THE HUSTLERS… It is those Blacks who will use whatever tools and favors they can get from anywhere in order not to give up. It is those Blacks who have decided to be Human-beings first in order not to focus on both societally-imposed and self-imposed barriers. Those who simply refuse to quit. Those who would rather move to another State or even country than to give up on themselves… some of them are working as CEOs, teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, yet others are working as successful legal and illegal drug dealers. But the result is the same, many of them are even more successful than their White counterparts either academically/intellectually or financially. They have beaten the odds and the seemingly insurmountable challenges that they faced. Albeit, many required the help of a White person, or that of another successful Black, but that help was few and far between for most of them. They are usually over achievers who take nothing for granted and are ready to pounce on every opportunity that comes their way. TO them being Black is fun, exciting and adventurous in and of itself and often there is no need to seek adventures in other unnecessary activities like their White counterparts do. I meet these guys often a JUST THE NOD tell me that they acknowledge me and I acknowledge them. I have forgotten to say that these guys are my heroes. People like Richard "Dick' Parsons whose Mother managed to get him a scholarship via the Rockefellers and had the highest score on the NY Bar Exam in the early 1970's and went on to become CEO of AOL Time Warner and has also been labelled as America's secret PEACE MAKER. Others like Doug Jackson, my person big brother and hero who became very successful at Sony Pictures and at Fox.

Over the past 30 years I have been told by a plethora of people that I have changed their opinion of a Black man.

This morning this man asked me:

"How do you view yourself BC you are different from...."

My answer:

A non-bamboozled and non-mentally enslaved independent-thinking and proud NEGRO, AND the opposite of a nigger… He told me 15 times how honored he was, and how I changed his opinion of a Black man.

Perhaps the most prevalent moral of the story behind this article is to remind All Black Men to do their part. What we do affect those that resemble us... at least it affects the opinions of others who might deny us opportunity solely based on an immutable characteristic (i.e., a physical trait that we cannot change, and which has nothing to do with true beauty and true abilities to perform.)

He said: It's unfair for others to profile a man like you.

I Said: There is always a silver lining, and homeostasis (balance). Many times, the expectations were so low that I was effortlessly a genius. I enjoy being underestimated. I enjoy surprising folks in the end. I enjoy being Black. Being White is too darn easy and a bit boring.

I'm saying sorry to my White friends because as much as I love you, I truly think that it's more fun, challenging, exhilarating and redemptive to be Black and for sure I think it's awesome to be a BLACK HUSTLER. At least it is adventurously NOT BORING! (smile).

But of course, I have met many Whites who love Black folks so much and I don't think those Whites are boring at all because it is SO FUN to love Black folks! (smile)

Dr. Lorins is the Editor-in-Chief of LorinsPOST.com. This article was sponsored by RapidGigsPlus.com