Читать книгу Still Invisible? - Elvin J. Dowling - Страница 5

Preface

Or again, you often doubt if you really exist. You wonder whether you aren't simply a phantom in other people's minds. Say, a figure in a nightmare which the sleeper tries with all his strength to destroy. It's when you feel like this that, out of resentment, you begin to bump people back. And, let me confess, you feel that way most of the time. You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you're a part of all the sound and anguish, and you strike out with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you. And, alas, it's seldom successful."

- Ralph Ellison, "Invisible Man" (Shmoop Editorial Team. Prologue.2)

(This image of an "Invisible Man", rendered in scratchboard art form, is emblematic of the "invisibility" Black men in America feel and experience daily.)

Paying Homage to An American Classic

In 1952, famed author Ralph Ellison penned the fictional classic, "Invisible Man", chronicling the challenges of early twentieth century life in America for her citizens of color. In its gripping and often gritty depiction of the travails of a college educated, young Black man who often felt himself unnoticed in the rest of society, this literary masterpiece helped to shed light on the harsh realities that most Black males face each and every day—from the womb to the tomb—as they are forced to swim against the tide of negative public perception, institutional disadvantage, and creative disenfranchisement; further stacking the odds of success against them. Trapped in the alternate reality of being “seen, but not seen”, present but unaccounted for—and in many aspects unaccountable—Ellison’s work brought light to the plight of Blacks in America. Today, however, nearly seventy years since the book’s release marked a watershed moment for a slowly evolving society, many argue that very little has changed for the plight of America’s Black males. And, in many instances, a "reversal of fortune" has occurred, as Black men in America continue to lose ground and get left behind in today’s changing global marketplace.

Since the first African slaves were brought to the Spanish settlement in what is now St. Augustine, Florida in 1581, Black males in America have been systematically marginalized and told they were inferior in most aspects of American life. In spite of this uncontested truth, however, Black males, as a subset of the broader cultural fabric, have achieved remarkable feats that can’t be overlooked. Yet and still, even with the election of America’s first President of color, very little has changed for African-American men, as they continue to lag behind in all measurable indicators of success in twenty-first century America.

At this point in the journey of the Black man in America, no one can argue with the effects of generations of systematic racism and a pathology of "low expectations" that Black males sometimes embrace for themselves. This pervasive attitude, born, more often than not, from a culture of poverty, is a result of the combined effects of hundreds of years of psychological terrorism that is permanently embedded within the DNA of the survivors of one of the world's most brutal example of "man's inhumanity to man". So, what must we do? For starters, we must get real about how America arrived here in the first place, while offering real solutions to begin addressing these intractable issues. and what we must do to fix it. And that requires hard choices—and tough conversations—if we ever want to get to the root of the problem, instead of uselessly treating symptoms.

What Makes This Book Different?

It has often been said, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” Still Invisible? is an explosive narrative that examines many of the reasons Black men have been left behind in the shadows of a twenty-first century economy. The goal of this work is to remind America that the problems we will explore throughout this book are not just Black America's problem, its America's problem! Just as importantly, this book, not only examines the current and, if nothing is done, future prospects for countless Black males.

Narrated by "Lady Justice", the symbolic embodiment of moral justice and fair play in the judicial system, each chapter of Still Invisible? will not only feature the shared experiences of African American males from all walks of life, from working class men striving to make ends meet, to power professionals and recognizable figures, all of whom get that same feeling in their stomach whenever they see the police, it will also provide the reader with the tools and resources they need to accurately and factually contextualize the issues facing Black men today, while taking into account the attitudes and perspectives of those who experience them differently.

Special sections at the end of each chapter include:

In this section, we will examine the opinions, beliefs and assumptions of many in society, as it pertains to their overall views of Black males in America. As a part of this discussion, we will explore stereotypes, taboos and preconceived notions that help to drive the negative narrative attributed to African-American men, how they came to exist, and what fuels them today.

Perhaps the most useful resource in this book, this section will provide data and statistics that directly address each of the issues explored within the chapter. Challenging widely held misconceptions about Black males in America, such as the erroneous belief that there are more Black males in prison than there are in college, or the false narrative that Black males are more prone to violence than other members of American society, this section will help to arm the reader with accurate information, facts and empirical evidence that they can use to help reshape a false narrative. Those pesky things called facts are always critical when wading into the raging debate on race and culture in America.

After considering the opinions and perspectives of others as it relates to their views on Black males in "THE SURVEY SAYS", and providing the requisite facts and figures each reader needs to inform their own perspectives in "BY THE NUMBERS", we will then offer thoughtful solutions on what to do next in "PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PROGRESS."

As an author committed to chronicling the truth in a way that examines all sides of the argument, while offering a compellingly transparent perspective buttressed by unassailable evidence, my aim is to present to you, the reader, a seminal narrative that will last the test of time. To that end, it is my hope that Still Invisible? will be for you what Invisible man was for me: the definitive narrative of what it means to be a Black man in a white country.

Works Cited

1 Shmoop Editorial Team. "Invisible Man Identity Quotes Page 1." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 Aug. 2019.