Inappropriate Behaviour Patterns - IBP
Inappropriate Behaviour Patterns - IBP
Inappropriate Behaviour Patterns - IBP
Inappropriate Behavior
Patterns (IBP)
SLAVERY CONDITIONING
The methods used to socially condition Blacks were horrific and showed the vicious
nature of the enslavement process. One example, cited from the Cardinal Principles
for Making a Negro, the writer says:
“Take the meanest and most restless nigger, strip him of his clothes in front of the
. . . [slaves], tar and feather him, tie each leg to a different horse faced in opposite
directions, set him afire and beat both horses to pull him apart in front of the
remaining nigger(s). The next step is to take a bull whip and beat the remaining
nigger to the point of death in front of the female and infant. Don‟t kill him but put
the fear of God in him, for he can be useful in future breeding.” (From Lets Make a
Slave, by Robert L. Brock)
In order to fully grasp the magnitude of our current problems, we must reopen the
books on the events of slavery. Our objective should not be to cry stale tears for
the past, or to rekindle old hatreds for past injustices. Instead, we should seek to
enlighten our path of today by better understanding where and how the lights were
turned out yesterday.
We should also understand that slavery should be viewed as a starting point for
understanding the African American psyche, and not as an end point. Therefore,
the study of the African American psyche should include psycho-history, but if
should not be exclusively concerned with events in the past.
In Survival Strategies for Africans in America, p.33, Anthony Browder says it best:
African Americans must never forget that our ancestors were compelled by the
letter of the law and the force of the whip, to accept the ideals and beliefs
imposed on them by their so-called masters. They were forbidden from expressing
their own thoughts and perceptions of the world and were forced to accept the
beliefs and behaviors deemed appropriate for them.
These steps were taken to ensure the continuation of slavery from one generation
to the next. Such social engineering manufactured culturally deficient clones,
generation after generation, over the last four centuries. Each successive
generation was infected from the time of inception with an ingrained cultural virus
that was designed to prevent them from reaching their fullest potential.
In Black Labor White Wealth, p.165, Dr. Claud Anderson points out:
The slave owner‟s absolute power over Blacks allowed them to operate an efficient
and effective slavery conditioning system. Slaveholders constructed internal
controls on slaves that minimized the external force needed to control them. The
government provided the environment of legal framework that allowed the
conditioning process to exist for 250 years . . .
The effects carried over into freed Black society and affected the general
behavior of Blacks as a race of people.
Jawanza Kunjufu, in the powerful book, Solutions for Black America, p.145 says:
Affluent Whites who are valued in America and who have experienced trauma are
given treatment immediately. When there have been in stressful events –
Columbine, Kentucky, Oregon – the government sent counselors immediately to
address the survivors‟ needs. The fundamental problem for African Americans is
that when slavery ended in 1865, African Americans were not given counseling to
address post-traumatic slavery disorder.
IBP CONTINUED . . .
Now, let‟s get back to our discussion of IBP. IBP manifests when your mind is so
filled with thoughts of negativity and inferiority that you weaken your competitive
impulse. You justify the behavior of outsiders rather than help your own group
compete against outsiders.
For example, African Americans spend 95% of their annual disposable income with
businesses located outside of their community. Of the five percent that remains in
Black communities, another three percent is spent with non-Black owned businesses.
It‟s hard for Black communities to maintain a reasonable quality-of-life and be
economically competitive when only two percent of their annual disposable income
remains within the Black community.
You cannot give 98 percent of your income away and blame 100 percent of your
problems on someone else. It‟s no accident that the number of African Americans
that start new businesses is comparatively small, when most of them are aware that
because of self-hatred and lack of self-knowledge, only 2 percent of Black dollars
will come to their African American business. [4]
The mind is the conduit through which a person can access spiritual consciousness.
If the mind is blocked and filled with thoughts of negativity and inferiority, it is
incapable of tuning in spiritually empowering thoughts. A self-blocked mind is
programmed to engage in self-destructive behavior that is often injurious to the
body. To repeat a frequently used statement in the African American community,
„If you free your mind, your ass will follow”. [5]
The failure of Black people to eliminate IBP, on a collective basis, has resulted
in actions that have plunged us into the depths of despair, self-hatred,
distrust, and economic dependence rather than economic independence.
Community Division
The major separation was between the house and field workers. The house workers
saw themselves as privileged. They had less physical labor, wore better clothes,
ate better and took care of the personal needs of the master and his household.
Just to be physically closer to the master gave the house slave a sense of
superiority over his fellow field slaves.
The slave master used his house slaves as a buffer zone against the field slaves.
He encouraged them to feel superior, be loyal to his cause and take his side during
any disputes. Because of this social conditioning, the slave master gained some
slaves that assisted and identified with him completely. (Sound familiar?)
Community Division in the Black community persists today. Rather than house
versus field we have, establishment, grassroots, Christians, Muslims, Baptists,
Methodists, fraternities, sororities, schools, white collar, blue collar, republicans,
democrats, neighborhoods and hundreds of other devices for division. The origin of
all these divisions comes from the same source as it did 400 years ago – an outsider
who profits from the separation. [29]
Black Americans just as we did 400 years ago, spend more time arguing and
justifying separate goals than we do working on common goals. The Slavery
Conditioning of slavery has psyched us out to feel our separate problems are more
important than our shared problems. [30]
In Black families, we‟ve noticed that those siblings who are professionals are more
respected than those who are business owners.
Carter G. Woodson, in his classic work, The Mis-Education of the Negro, referred
to how schools encourage Black people to pursue careers working and managing
other people‟s enterprises rather than starting their own. Schools feel that it is
more prestigious to be an accountant for a Fortune 500 corporation than to own
your own grocery store or cleaners in the community.
There is a perception that Black businesses are marginal, require too much work for
too little income, and that it‟s more lucrative, less demanding and more financially
rewarding to work for someone else than to own your own business.
Even though the numbers are, increasing African Americans still have the smallest
number of businesses per thousand. The reason for this is probably because the
social environment does not encourage people to start businesses.
Many Black men and women who face a great deal of frustration due to not being
able to climb the corporate ladder start businesses. Many of our best Black minds,
with degrees in engineering, accounting, marketing and business administration are
using their skills and talents for corporate American while other members of our
community, who have not been trained, are starting “mom and pop” businesses which
reinforces the thinking that Black businesses are marginal.
Lack of Trust
Prosperous business owners maintain trust with their customers, employees, and
investors. It becomes crucial that if we‟re going to be successful as business
owners we have to acknowledge that trust is as essential an ingredient as money and
business intelligence.
We look down on grocery stores and cleaners and “marginal operations” because we
lack the vision of how, Ford, GM, Chrysler, IBM, Wal-Mart, and others started as
“marginal operations.”
We were not around when they met in the basements of their homes developing
strategies. We didn‟t observe the 12, 16, and 20 hour workdays seven days a week.
We were not there when payrolls were missed and financial sacrifices were made.
We were not there when they borrowed money from relatives because they had a
vision that years later they would have multi-million dollar operations. It has been
said that people without a vision will perish and unfortunately, that is happening in
the business sector of our community.
On the other hand, some Black people dream too much. Business requires more than
just dreams. They require hard work, sacrifice and planning. You never want to
destroy anyone‟s dreams, but in my mind, I have doubts if the dreamer has the
perseverance to turn the dream into reality. The idea is to encourage people and
seldom give discouraging remarks, however as the old saying goes; “nothing comes to
a dreamer but sleep”.
Another way that viability affects Black business is the desire to convince
themselves, their families, and their communities that their businesses are viable.
This is demonstrated by the purchase of expensive clothes, cars, and houses. Many
business owners fall prey to materialism and the desire to show the community how
“big time” they are. The assumption is I can‟t be “half ass” if I‟m driving a
Mercedes, BMW or Lexus. In reality, those kinds of purchases rob the business of
capital for future growth and development. The business becomes marginal from
the owner making expensive purchases.
There are other alternatives to convince the Black community that a business is
viable and needs to be pursued. The Black business community is in need a major
public relations campaign to communicate their tremendous benefits.
Many Black business owners assume that because they are Black, they should be
supported. Timothy Bates and many others have documented that businesses can‟t
assume race loyalty, they must provide quality service. African American businesses
can‟t open late, close early, treat customers rudely, talk on the phone while
servicing customers, and have an untidy store that is also under stocked.
What price do we place on loyalty to our race? Kunjufu says, people have told him
they would support Black stores as long as Black stores have prices that are lower
than non-Black stores, but if the price becomes equal or if the price becomes four
cents higher their loyalty begins to shift
Enslavement meant work and freedom meant avoidance of work. Work was viewed
as the activity of the pride-less underdog. Today, one hundred and forty four
years removed from slavery, it is difficult for many Blacks to view the long – term
reward of sustained work as being adequate to erase the stigma of the toil. Many
of us will not start a business because it is easier to work for someone else and get
a regular paycheck and the leisure of Emancipation-Friday evening through Monday
morning. [9]
Allowing the slave to own nothing or very little was Slavery Conditioning that
spawned a careless Attitude Towards Material Things. The slave master possessed
property and the finer material things such as, clothes, jewelry, fine house,
beautiful landscaping, etc. Consequently, the same way the field slave hated and
resented his master, he resented and envied the master‟s possessions. Those
possessions were associated with freedom and power to direct one‟s life, family and
economy.
This type of inappropriate behavior comes from old Southern racial etiquette. It
occurs when Blacks, especially from the South or Midwest, avoid situations that
make them appear free, independent and about determining their own destiny. [32]
A good Negro seeks White approval. They are perfectly happy to go to work or to
church, look at television and then go to bed. To them whatever happens to Blacks
in the community or anywhere else is not their concern. Good Negroes want to
appear happy content, compromising and non-competitive. Those who behave in this
manner will neither speak up nor speak out on Black issues, nor will they defend
against Black injustices. [33]
History has taught us that coalitions usually operate at the expense of the
grassroots Black majority. This type of inappropriate behavior occurs when Blacks
partner with other ethnic groups.
It‟s a problem because so many members of the Black establishment class use it.
Coalescing encourages Blacks to work with groups who already have articulated
goals, rather than organize goals of our own. Black participation gives credibility
and strength to sexual preferences, ethnic, class, gender, disabled, and Spanish
speaking groups, some of whom compete openly with us for wealth and power and
openly oppose Black gains. [32]
During Conspiracy with the Competition African Americans, lose by default due to
the inappropriate behavior of Black establishment leaders who seek cross-group
alliances, White approval, and corporate dollars at the expense of their own people.
In addition, if funds are available, the trickle-down theory takes effect and usually
leaves us with leftovers after sexual preference, gender, ethnic, religious, disabled
and Spanish speaking language groups receive what they want or need. [32]
Diversity
For other ethnic groups cultural diversity has its advantages. Main streets in every
city have their share of Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek,
French, Ethiopian, and Thai restaurants. The cultures of these groups stay intact
if they choose to assimilate into mainstream culture. At the same time, they can
establish other businesses, communities and their own economies.
On the other hand, African Americans do not have the advantage of an identifiable
culture of our own. Instead, Black culture is represented by a fragmented array of
African heritage, “soul”, and Black history. This mish-mash of culture disintegrates
during assimilation into mainstream culture. If all things were equal, cultural
diversity could be advantageous to us, however it is not.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Anderson, Claud, Powernomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America,
(Powernomics Corporation of America, Inc., 2001) 7
[3] Black Labor, White Wealth: The Search for Power and Economic Justice,
Anderson, Claud, Ed.D. (Duncan & Duncan, Inc. 1994) 165
[4] Ibid. 165
[5] Ibid. 165
[6] Akbar, Na‟im, Chains and Images of Psychological Slavery, (New Mind
Productions, 1984) 27
[7] Ibid. 29
[8] T Shaka, Oba. The Art of Leadership, (Pan Afrikan Publications, 1991) 287
[9] Anderson Claud. Powernomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America,
(Powernomics Corporation of America, Inc., 2001) 29
[10] Stamp, Kenneth. The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante Bellum South,
(New York, Vintage Books, 1956) 289
[12] Clingman, James. Blackonomics: The Way to Psychological and Economic
Freedom for African Americans, (Milligan Books, Inc., 2001) 200
[13] Anderson, Claud. White Wealth, Black Labor: The Search for Power and
Economic Justice, (Duncan & Duncan, Inc. 1994) 35
[14] Akbar, Na‟im. Know Thy Self, (Mind Productions & Associates, 1998) 2
[16] Anderson, Claud. White Wealth, Black Labor: The Search for Power and
Economic Justice, (Duncan & Duncan, Inc., 1994) 52
[18] “Economic Opportunity for Minorities Is True Freedom”, Denise Meredith, The
Business Journal-Phoenix, 2002
[19] “Rebuilding the Black Entrepreneurial Spirit”, James Clingman, The Final Call,
<http://www.finalcall.com/perspectives/entrepreneur04-30-2002.htm>
[20] “Current Issues in Minority Entrepreneurship”, Udayan Gupta, Peter Shatzkin,
Lorraine Leung, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 7 February 2001
[21] “The New Realities for Minority Business”, Minority Business Development
Agency (MBDA)
[22] “Minorities In Business, 2001”, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of
Advocacy, Table 23, Nominal Dollar Value of 7(a) Loans by Ethnicity
[24]From the Browder File, Browder, Anthony T., 1989 71
[25] Ibid. 71
[26] (Cosmic Biology The Science of Egyptian Medicine-Part II, Tariq Sawandi, M.H.
www.blackherbals.com/Egyptian_Medicine-Part_II.htm)
[28] Clark, C. Black Studies of the Study of Black People in R. Jones, Black
Psychology (1st ed.), New York Harper & Row, 1972 PP.7-8
[29] Akbar, Na‟im, Chains and Images of Psychological Slavery, (New Mind
Productions, 1984) 26 - 26
[30] Ibid. 26
[31] Ibid. 28 – 29
[32] “Powernomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America”, Claud Anderson,
Ed.D. Powernomics Corporation of America, Inc., 2001 27
[33] Ibid. 28
[34] Akbar, Na‟im, Chains and Images of Psychological Slavery, (New Mind
Productions, 1984) 8
[35] Ibid. 9
[36] Blueprint For Black Power: A Moral, Political and Economic Imperative for the
Twenty-First Century, Wilson, Amos N., 1998 828
[37] Blackonomics, Clingman, Jim, Milligan Books, 2000, 11
[38] The State of the Dream 2004, United for a Fair Economy,
(http://faireconomy.org/0115/)
[39] Blackonomics, Clingman, Jim, Milligan Books, 2000, 57