“I Live In a Good Neighborhood”
Bedford N. Umez, Ph.D.
1. Introduction
"I live in a good neighborhood; it is a white neighborhood," is a statement I
overheard an African made to another during a birthday party of a friend.
Although such a phrase is common (especially, in the US), it is troubling. It
is troubling because some of my people have come to believe that the quality
of a neighborhood is defined by race.
It is, therefore, my intention to dispel this calculated stereotype by
contending that the quality of a neighborhood is not determined by race; it is
mostly defined by the income level of the residents. But before that, I must
first comment, rather briefly, on the origin of this dehumanizing stereotype
about Africans.
2. Neighborhood Quality and Race: The Genesis
Equating "bad neighborhood" to "black neighborhood" (and, in fact, describing
anything bad with the adjective "black") is not new. It is rooted in the
centuries of caricature of African people; the caricature that is built around
the following phrases: "black sheep of the family," "painted one black,"
"black market," "black maria," "black widow," among others.
These phrases, and others like them, have only one thing in common, namely, to
degrade, cajole, ridicule, and dehumanize Africans -- the so-called "blacks"
-- all over the world. In this article, my case will be made when one
considers the usage (and the meaning) of the words "black" and "white" in
several cultures, and subcultures.
Let us begin by considering the pictures of Satan and that of the Angel.
Notwithstanding the obvious fact that those who draw (and paint) Satan and
Angel have never seen them, it has been generally accepted that Satan (the
evil doer) is black in color while Angel (the savior) is white.
Accordingly, it is not surprising: that our priests, and popes dress in white
robes before the church congregation; that "black Tuesday" was the name given
to the day when the stock market crashed in 1929; that illegal market is
defined as "black market;" that some of our (Nigerian) leaders embezzle our
funds and siphon them to foreign banks owned by the color-defined "Angels,"
while banks owned by the "Satans" are being closed daily due to lack of funds;
that back home (Nigeria) the best residential areas, such as the so-called
"European Quarters" (what a name?) are mostly reserved/occupied by the
"Angels," while the natives -- the owners of the country -- subject themselves
(due to inferiority complex and ignorance) to modern-day colonists and slaves;
that several African medical doctors do not receive equal status and respect
as their "Angelic" counterparts, even in their own countries; that some
African nations have literally rejected their own languages in lieu of the
languages owned by the color-defined Angels; that some of our people refuse to
marry their own kind because the person has a darker skin color (as if, a
white person will refuse marrying another white because the person is too
white in complexion); that some of our own custom officials hold us hostage in
OUR OWN airports (in search of the so-called contrabands) while the "Angels"
are allowed to pass with little or no questions asked; that some of our own
people demand bribes from our own people, while "Angels" are totally exempt;
that the TIME magazine presented a more darkened picture of Mr. O. J. Simpson
once charged with the murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman (in 1994); and
that the pundits ascribed the origin of AIDS to the green monkeys (I have
never seen) in Africa.
Hence, I agreed (and still agree) with Father (Professor) Robert Drinan (of
Georgetown University, Law School) when he stated [in the CNN edition of
Crossfire, June 1, 1996] that death penalty is wrong in America because it is
administered discriminately with over "two-thirds" (68%) of those put to death
being blacks while the "Angels" who committed similar offense are given life
imprisonment (which we know does not mean spending one’s life in jail)..
When one puts all these in proper perspective (and context), one understands
fully the movie called "Mississippi Burning;" why and how bad neighborhood is
defined as black neighborhood; why some ethnic groups in Africa require that
one wears a black dress/robe to mourn for the dead of a loved one; why some of
our sisters (and brothers) bleach their beautiful African complexion -- built
to last by our God -- to look "white;" and why African-American celebrities
generally spend their vacation in the countries owned by the color-defined
Angels instead of African nations.
My fellow Africans, neighborhood quality is not race specific; it is defined
by the quality of the houses and the income level of the residents. Although
this statement is self-explanatory, let me simply say a few words about it.
3. Neighborhood Quality, House Prices, and Income
The generally held view that race determines the quality of neighborhood is,
in my view, a pure lie. It is one of those lies that when told repeatedly tend
to have the characteristics of truth.. The high prices of the houses in any
neighborhood (say from $100,000 up), and the level of income (that can afford
them) determine the quality of a good neighborhood. Conventional wisdom --
otherwise called common sense -- makes it clear as noonday that individuals
who can afford such homes have a lot of stake to protect: their professions,
businesses, families, property, and, of course, their income. It is a fact
that these individuals are mostly in the high socio-economic status due to
their wealth. Accordingly, they refuse to "throw stones" because they live in
"glass houses," and hence, their neighborhoods become good neighborhoods.
These wealthy individuals who can afford such expensive homes, and hence, good
neighborhood, can be found among any race -- the Africans, the Asians, and the
Americans, for instance. As a result, our African friend, described in the
first paragraph, lives in a good neighborhood (which he wrongly labeled "white
neighborhood" probably because the absolute number of whites outnumber other
groups in that neighorhood).
4. Conclusion
My fellow Africans, the centuries of caricature hauled at us is not news
(given the origin of such caricature). What will be news -- and good news for
that matter -- is when we (the Africans, wherever we are), understand the
importance of language, symbols, culture, patriotism, and oneness, and act
accordingly.
For instance, it will be a wonderful news when most of our leaders understand
that inferiority complex is the most important factor why they embezzle our
money and send it to countries that literally LAUGH at them, and call them all
sorts of ugly names, while our people are left to die due to starvation. It
will be a good news when most of our leaders will understand that the Western
media has nothing tangibly good to say about them, and act and react like wise
people. It will be a good news when most our leaders will understand that the
"Angels" practice charity begins at home in their OWN countries, while they
practice charity begins abroad.
In fact, it will be a good news when the so-called "blacks" all over the world
will shun the name "black" and answer Africans (e.g., Native Africans -- for
those in the beautiful continent of Africa; African-Americans -- for those in
the US; Spanish-Africans -- for those in Latin America, etc.).
My friends, no race is a repository of all virtues while others possess evil.
Good and bad people abound in any race. As such, bad neighborhood is not race
specific.
________________
*Note: Dr. Umez is a Professor of Government, Lee College, Baytown,
Texas, and University of Phoenix, Houston Campus. He is the founder of
Liberating the African mind, LAM, and Nigerian Leadership Council, NLC. His
latest books include, Nigeria: Real Problems, Real Solutions, "Educated" to
Feel Inferior, The Tragedy of a Value System in Nigeria: Theories and
Solutions, and Your Excellency. These books can be assessed from his web site,
www.umez.com or
www.lee.edu/~bumez.
