Despite Black History Month coming to a close, the discussion of issues within the black community are a never ending ordeal. However, it seems like stereotypes have been the main topic of conversation. There are countless stereotypes within the black community. Some of them are created by other races, but some come from black people themselves. Although some people may think they are harmless, it appears they do more damage than good in the long run.
A stereotype is a widely accepted view or outlook on a particular subject. According to the National Institute of Health, “Stereotype is a pervasive and persistent human tendency that stems from a basic cognitive need to categorize, simplify, and process the complex world. This tendency is a precondition for social bias, prejudice, and discrimination.” It seems like creating stereotypes is almost human nature. Yet, if the majority of people know they aren’t right, then one could wonder why they continue to make them. Senior, Emelie Sarpong, says that people make stereotypes when they aren’t exposed enough to one particular thing.
“When non-black people make stereotypes about us, it’s usually because they haven’t been around a lot of us. Maybe they grew up in a predominantly white area or they only have white friends. If that happens they’re just going to follow what they see online and base their assumptions of black people that way because they don’t have anything in reality to go off of. This could apply to literally anything though. If you don’t have that first hand experience then your view might be skewed,” explained Sarpong.
As previously mentioned, sometimes black people indulge in certain stereotypes within their own community. It might be because they find humor in the situation or it might be because they are generally uneducated. Regardless, both ways prove to have major faults. Junior, Nevaeh Caldwell mentions the potential dangers of black people participating.
“I mean, if they’re just joking about a stereotype then I don’t think it’s that deep because we’re allowed to joke about things that affect us. But I do think that sometimes people take it too far. Like King Bach on Vine. He used to make videos about black people saying we only eat chicken and watermelon and stuff like that. The first time might be funny but he kept on dragging it and dragging it and that was the only thing he would post about. And he has a large audience of people who aren’t black so in my opinion that definitely sent us back,” said Caldwell.
One might wonder when stereotypes turn from humorous to dangerous. If a person genuinely believes a stereotype about someone, it can change their viewpoint of them completely even if it is based on something they think they know. AP African American Studies Teacher, Dondrinea Scretchings, describes the lasting effects of stereotyping black people.
“It is imperative to note that people let their preconceived ideas affect their judgment. For black people specifically, it could be something as simple as being scared when you see a black person walking down the street, or automatically assuming a black person is uneducated. It’s all about educating yourself so these instances don’t happen” said Scretchings.
A person could wonder how to put an end to these dangerous stereotypes. If they are genuinely human nature, then perhaps they can never truly be stopped. However, Senior, Jaylene Nyarko, believes that there are numerous ways to make a change.
“Honestly, I think people need to stop being so close minded and make an effort to get to know people who are different from them. If you don’t do that you’re always going to associate us with one thing. And I know some people don’t like confrontation and it doesn’t have to be in a mean way but if you see someone making false stereotypes about black people then speak up so they know it’s not okay. Cause sometimes people won’t do something unless they see other people doing something,” said Nyarko.
Older black people have faced the repercussions of these stereotypes far longer than the younger generation. It is because of this that their viewpoints may be different. However, their perspective allows them to give important advice on how to further end these stereotypes. Colonel Aricai Berry, shares her unique point of view.
“I believe that this generation is more open minded than previous generations so that is very inspiring. I am sure that as the years progress we will see more progress. It’s not an overnight process; we need to be patient. Of course there is the occasional ignorant person here and there, but people are definitely more wary of what they say these days,” said Berry.
Although stereotypes may never go away, it seems that there is something that people, from all races, can do to put a stop to them. In the black community specifically, stereotypes are almost unavoidable. However, the general consensus seems to be to not feed into them and open up one’s mind.
