There are many ways we get stereotypes.  We get them from our parents and the things they teach us.  We get them from our peer groups and what they teach us.  We get them from books, T.V., movies, etc.  But the one place we get stereotypes that we seldom hear about is the very people or things we have stereotypes about.  I bring this up because of a recent article I read about a movie that is playing in theaters right now.  The reviewer said it was a great movie but it played to racial stereotypes.  What stereotypes are being portrayed in the movie?  Well the most basic ones.  Young black men wearing baggy clothes, speaking English poorly and acting like criminals. 

Where do we get this stereotype I wondered to myself.  Did we get it from our parents or our peer groups?  No because our parents and peer groups are all much older then this stereotype.   So we must have learned this stereotype from other sources such as the media, movies and T.V.  On the surface this would be a horrible thing.  The evil white guys in suites portraying poor young black men and women in a way that they really don’t behave.  Then I thought to myself, “Wait! Who is teaching me these stereotypes on TV. It is the very people who don’t want to be portrayed in this light. 

Lets take a look at what the black culture teaches us about itself.

Lets look at the number 1 Rap song from 2008

#1 “Royal Flush" (Feat. Raekwon & Andre 3000)

Excerpted lyrics

“I am the wrong nigga to cross and the first nigga to jam”

“I mastered. What? The treasurer of getting ass
Whip assing. Red pipe and leather; slick nasty
Sassy, but at the same time raspy
Plug me a thug, your mother eating plaster”

“The B's call me honey, Hollywood calls me back
Crack and I have a lot in common
We both come up in the 80's and we keep that bass pumping”

I could go on forever and use up  my entire hard drive giving examples of the “black culture” that is presented to us from the “black culture”

What are we to do.  On one hand we are told we could never understand the life of a black person and on the other we are told we need to learn about their culture.  For too long the “black culture” has had it both ways.  They get to call us racist for portraying them in a movie the exact same way they portray themselves in a movie. 

I say to the black community, to Jessie Jackson, Oprah and any other so called black leader to step up to the plate and take these stereotypes on with the very people who are advancing these stereotypes.  Not the white community but  your very own black community.  Why is it they wont?  Well I guess we just have to look at Bill Cosby.  He tried and now he has been pushed out.

So as long as the black community portrays themselves as hooded thugs who only care about bling and bitches I will honor their wishes and do the same.