On occasion, I have been involved in petty, but sometimes vicious arguments regarding my belief that blacks should not be afraid to do some serious introspection. I feel, rightly or wrongly, that blacks need to look at themselves critically and do some serious “house cleaning.” Part of this self-analysis led me to ask in a forum on the Internet, “What infuriates you about us [blacks]?” The first person responded by saying that I had a “plantation mentality,” and that my question was just a deceptive way to support the “white establishment,” and further white stereotypes about blacks.
In response to those unfounded allegations, I tried to explain that blacks need not hide their heads in the sand, but to face real and perceived problems head on. I also advised the misguided writer that she need not be so concerned with what a good number of whites feel about her anyway, as whites have proven that they will reluctantly let loose of their misinformed notions about blacks—if they give them up at all...
Thoughts On Being Pro-black
The remainder of this essay can be found in your copy of Racial Clarity