Do You Really Know What It Means To Be Black in America

I like many other people sat down and watched CNN's special on Black in America, and from the outset I felt that the special was lacking in many different areas. For one, I felt that the premiere episode should not have been split between the black family and black women. Yes, it is the black woman who is looked at as the glue in most black families to either play both mother and father or as that all knowing maternal figure (you know Granny Granny), but I still felt that to accurately portray both the black family and the black woman each topic deserved its own two hour block. I also felt a disconnect with the second part concerning black men. Although the special was able to get more in depth into the plight of the black man, it still only skimmed the surface of what it truly means to be a black man in this country.

Furthermore, when it looked as if O'Brien would actually get to the heart of any of the numerous topics that were discussed in the special a commercial break would always pop up or the special would simply move on to another topic. This made me wonder, why could this much hyped about special not provide more detail or even perhaps answers of what it means to be black in America? It was not until I really thought about what it means to me to be black in this country, that I realized there are no real answers to the question of "What it means to be Black in America." I came to this conclusion because my experiences in life are different than those around me. I grew up in a stable, college educated household, I lived in the suburbs of Maryland where when my local schools were deemed not up to par with my parents standards I was sent to one of the best private high schools in the Metro area, I am currently a Junior at a major university in North Carolina and I have an internship with the federal government. To some my life might be similar but to the majority of blacks in this country they can neither imagine nor comprehend my life.

So this made me wonder how others felt about their lives in this country. I come from an environment of support where nothing was denied me if I was willing to work for it, so I ask you the reader to enlighten me on what it means to you To Be Black in America.


The Intellect