When are, we, as a people, going to start working with our youth to eliminate the lies that are fed to them by the media that prevent them from achieving to thier fullest potential? When are we, going to stand up and fight the idea, pervasive in our youth, that if you are excelling in school, in advanced classes and dominating (academically) you classmates, you are “acting white”. This idea is absurd! Throughout history, we have pushed education when it was forbidden upon pain of death! Even during Jim Crow, we created over 150 colleges to serves our children when the mainstream ones refused to let us in. When mainstream businesses refused our money, we became entrepreneurs and set up thriving districts such as Little Hayti in Durham, North Carolina and Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This all happened, because we educated ourselves, either formally or informally!!

Now, after our people fought to open doors to the mainstream of American intellectual life, a thief come in the night to steal the victory and perseverance from our kids; the idea that academic excellence is “acting white”, our ridicule of our brothers and sisters who strive for educational and professional excellence. As they go forward in their academic accomplishments, we have Black idiots taunting them with the label “acting white.” Do not confuse professionalism or academic excellence with “acting white.” One has nothing in the world to do with the other. In fact, those Black folks who do not encourage nor support their fellow Black students or Black businesses are actually the ones “acting white.” They also act white when they do not sound their objections or defend against other races that denigrate their Black brothers and sisters, or when they mistreat their own Black people with the same lies, injustice and incorrectness as white supremacist do. Those who are accusing other of “Acting white,” are simply being niggerish, or, put a better way “stupid”, themselves!

I issue a challenge to everyone! Check you state’s, your individual district’s, your child’s school’s status on proficiency tests. You will see an great gap in the performance of black and white students. Check the ACT, SAT, AP, and other tests. With affirmative action about to go off into history and the standards rising, we must reaffirm our intellectual tradition. Start reading (newspaper, books, magazines, etc., use the public library, etc.). As a special treat, give your kids gifts certificates for bookstores. Take your children to museums, galleries, parks, etc. We must challenge the idea promulgated through BET and throughout history that all we do is play sports and rap!!

View my sites at:
http://www.geocities.com/jvbzook,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Afro-American_Intellectual_Association/,
http://groups.msn.com/BlackIntelligence.

Or, you can email me at Jeffrey_V_Brown@hotmail.com.

- http://www.anythingblack.wordpress.com

I first heard of you a few days ago, on a San Diego radio station and I was floored when you had said that between the years of 1964 or 1965 to 1972 that something went terribly wrong in those years. I am of the belief that it was integration. Was it not Martin Luther King who told his longtime friend Harry Belafonte, ” I am afraid, I am asking my people to integrate into a burning house”.
Who we are is not what we can buy and yet “consumerism” rules the day. Because of someone else’s standard.
I am so pleased your documentary could be the beginning of waking up our people from the illusions of living in a strange land.
“Come out of her my people”.

There is much to ponder and discuss and although time did not allow full exploration this evening, I guess you would have grasped from the audience interaction that the Black British experience is not a whole lot different from the US, we just have different accents. The issues you highlight are diasporic legacy’s of post slavery and there lies your greatest challenge, how do you get this film to Brazil’s 75 million, Europe’s 15 million, Caribbean 10 million black people. Only by trading and knowledge share beyond borders can we start to make a real difference as a collective. You have begun that journey and I will do what I can to illuminate. Incidentally, I was the guy who asked for your perspective on the two films: American Gangster and Talk to me, both with stark contrasting Box Office reciepts….needless to for me the best moment when the Indo- Chinese farmer offered Lucas some good advice , “quit while you’re ahead”, now I wonder where our Black dollar would be if we got our collective heads around that misnomer. Be strong. London brotha’s.

The troubles the wind rush generation faced when they are arrived are still here with us today in 21st Century UK. It’s time black people start working together to address some of the social issues we face, in the workplace, our homes, socially & education.

I look forward to an informative and constructive discourse.