8 Popular Myths That Continue to Hold Back and Destroy the Black Community

'Individualism' The great scholar Dr. Amos Wilson spoke on why the myth of individualism is problematic for Black people. He said the more "we push for our own unique individual freedom is the more we come under the domination of others as a group." "Individual freedom is made possible by group freedom and group power," he added. Good Education for a Good Job While education is one of the most important variables to uplift the Black community, it's not enough to just go to school, get access to the same education as whites and then get a good job. Wilson argued that "same does not mean equal." He posited that the Western education system was built to solve white folks' problems, and if an education lacks the context of providing solutions for Black people, it's ultimately an inferior education to what white students are getting. Voting Rights Equal Black Power Although voting rights have a place in the struggle for equality, it's not enough to transform or protect the Black community. A May 2013 Census Bureau report showed that the rate of African-American voters (66.2 percent) in the 2012 presidential election surpassed that of whites (64.1 percent) for the first time in history. Since then, there has been little to no positive change in any of the social or economic indicators that represent quality of life in the U.S. Blacks should rely more on types of power that are more effective in bringing about change, such as economic power. Besides, voting rights were extended to Blacks during the Reconstruction era and then taken away. The same can happen again. Post-Racial Myth One of the biggest myths of our time is the idea of a post-racial era. Ignoring the impact race has on how people are treated and how resources are distributed in the world today allows systematic injustice to go unchecked and has a catastrophic effect on Black people's ability to generate effective solutions to their problems. Colorblind Myth African Proverb: "Just because you put your hand over your eyes doesn't mean the sun has gone down." Black people pretending not to see color doesn't prevent the world from seeing color. This misconception goes hand in hand with the "Post-Racial" myth, and the reason why it is problematic for the Black community is the same. Violent Black Male Criminal Only about 1 percent of African-Americans — and no more than 2 percent of Black males — will commit a violent crime in a given year, according to a 2013 report, Race, Crime and Statistical Malpractice, by timwise.org. Despite this, the myth of the innately criminal and violent Black man persists. This myth has been used to justify violence, murder and mass incarceration against Black men. The overrepresentation of Black males that is seen in crime statistics is not a reflection of their violent criminal behavior, but the historic and systematic inequality they experience, including overpolicing in Black communities. If the street crimes committed by Black men reflect a violent and criminal nature, what does the World War I and II death toll (50 million to 150 million) say about the nature of white men? Image by © Greg Hinsdale/Corbis Black People Don’t Get Married One of the most pervasive myths about romantic relationships involving Black couples is that their relationships rarely end in marriage. After examining census data from 2005 to 2009, Howard and Morehouse scholars Ivory A. Toldson and Bryant Marks found that 75 percent of Black women marry before age 35. Eighty-eight percent of married Black men tied the knot with a Black woman, according to Toldson's research. He also noted that Black women in small towns have higher marriage rates than white women in urban centers such as New York and Los Angeles. Black people should rebuke the media and society at large for propagating this silly misconception that continues to breed more mistrust and alienation between Black men and women. Whites and Other Groups Should Help Black People Black empowerment leader Marcus Garvey said that "the best of a race does not live on the patronage and philanthropy of others, but makes an effort to do for itself." He also warned that "any leadership that teaches you to depend upon another race is a leadership that will enslave."

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