Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / BBT #15 Snippet | Raising Black Children to Navigate a World That Wasn't Built for Them
Transcript
- Malcolm: it's like, I think when you raise your kids in a way to make them think that these problems ⁓ that we're talking about and that we see as headlines or news stories, when you make them think that that isn't a thing, when they do ⁓ and they will see it for the first time in real when they do see it in real life, it's going to hit them 10 times harder because they thought it was just so impossible that it never happened. in their bubble, in their neighborhood, in their community, right? So it's like, that's the parent's job to, you know, know how to share enough with your children in a way that it's digestible, understandable, and something that's gonna stick with them for the rest of their lives and that they know how to kind of carry themselves in those type of situations when they're around people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. But it's like to bring them up and to think that, all you have to do is just be kind in this world and you'll get rewarded. You're crazy, bro. This isn't a movie. crazy. Thomas: I agree 100%. I think there needs to be a balance between the truth and optimism. So for example, I think there's two extremes that people fall into, especially in minority communities, where ⁓ one is you're taught too strong of the history at an early age and you kind of go into that revolutionary standpoint where you're like super pro, ⁓ you know, people. ⁓ Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: to a fault. There's nothing wrong with being pro your people. I think that's great. You know, we have people like MLK, Malcolm X, Black Panther Party, great things for the people. But then at the same time, you can't be too far on that side to where you're now creating additional conflict. You can't necessarily fight fire with fire there. think the key thing, granted, I don't have any kids, but I think the key thing is making sure kids understand why things are how they are so history does not repeat itself. And also ⁓ educating them to see the world because even if America for example completely forgot about slavery Completely forgot about racism and everything and everyone just looked at each other for their names you go travel to another country They don't do that. You're still gonna get treated like whatever you are whatever you look like, they're gonna treat you like that. So not what you are, but what you look like, what they think you are, is how they would treat you. I think, especially raising up minority children, they need to be aware of how they could be perceived. Now some people say, that's a victim mindset, that's this, that's that, no it's not, it's called... preparation. I would not want to raise my black son to think that he's going to be viewed perfectly equal as every other person on this earth and given the same opportunity and the same grace. And then he goes and walks in a room and thinks it's all peaches and cream. And now he's confused why he's getting treated differently. Malcolm: none. Mm-hmm. And it's, yeah. Exactly. And I remember, and I think a lot of people that look like us have heard this, but one of the first lessons I was taught by my dad, this was before I even realized what it meant, but he was like, as a black man, you got to work twice as hard to get the same opportunities as anyone else. And some people who may not be in our shoes understand what it's like to be in those rooms and be the only one that looks like us. And these are more times than not the same people that kind of advocate for like, oh, you know, people is only be selected based on their merit based on this and that, you know, DEI's can be there. These are usually the same people that have this kind of viewpoint, but it's like, you're not ever going to, you're not going to understand what it's like because it's like we can claw and fight and do everything in our power to get in these rooms. But it's like the fact that we are the only person in that room, it means a couple of things, right? It means that one, it's not as easy as it looks like, because one, we don't have the same... access we don't have the same exposure and two is clearly not as right like because I'm seeing a lot of the same people that look the same way in the same room for some reason I'm the only one maybe one or two of me my brothers and sisters but it's like that that kind of like significant distinction between like who feels that room and who doesn't I think that that tells a story and it's like I think that when you're on the opposite ⁓ side that spectrum for your whole life It's kind of hard to be able to delineate and understand like, okay, maybe this is reality. It's like, let's say we're on the other side. All right, let's say we were the people who was like, we're always in the room. We're always there. It's like, for us, like, we don't ever give thought to not being, to being the minority, to having to work twice as hard because we're always in these rooms. So it's like, when someone does come to us or something like this, like, sounds like madness to us because to us it's just like, know, just do what you have to do and you'll get there. But you know, it's hard for them to, it's hard for other people to put themselves in our shoes and vice versa. for us to them, but it's just like needs to just take a step back and understand that some of this stuff really does have meaning. And ⁓ not just saying this for pity or ⁓ get pity points or ⁓ make people feel sorry for us, but this is a reality. And started race with ⁓ a 152, year, like, Everyone else had a 150, 200 year head start, bro. We started this super late. So we've been playing catch up. And that's why that twice is hard, three times as hard to get the same opportunities. It's still the real thing today. I think people still don't realize that we still aren't that far out from when slavery ended, right? Not to use that as like an excuse, but it's pretty hard to overlook that when we talking about some of the current systematic reasons as to why we don't get included in some of the same spaces. It's all about perspective, man.