Breaking The Chains of Ignorance

By Vonciel Bryant | VOX Staff

Photo by VOX Staff | Courtesy of America I Am

Walking through the halls of my predominantly black high school, with its shiny floors, new paint, new lighting and new furniture, no one would know that only two years ago, it looked worn-down and old. So when I see careless writing on the walls and doors of our renovated bathrooms, I become not only angry, but sad too. Some might see the graffiti as a form of creative expression, but the message it sends is that we don’t know how to take care of or appreciate what we are given.

Our African-American ancestors fought so hard for equal rights. When I see fellow students throw away their education or deface our school, I think to myself, If we only truly understood the struggle of those who came before us, then we could better appreciate our present way of life and look to the future with optimism and hope instead of cynicism or self-pity. We as black people sometimes underestimate the value of our education when we should be the ones who value it most.

I don’t think today’s society is perfect, but it would be ignorant to believe that nothing has changed for the better, especially for African-Americans. We have come from being owned like cattle to being able to fill some of the highest positions in the country. These achievements did not happen simply by chance. Those who came before us succeeded because of their common determination to overcome the unfair circumstances presented to them.
Our generation should follow their example.

Unmask Ignorance
When we give in to ignorance, we place ourselves into a form of modern-day slavery. One of the worst things about slavery was whites taking away our people’s right to knowledge to keep us submissive. Now that we have the opportunity to learn all that we can, some of us refuse to, claiming that studying is “lame” or “acting white.”

Ignorance is believing that we don’t need education to succeed. Some students may skip class because they think they deserve a mental break, but this only puts them behind. Others may disregard homework, believing that their test scores and classwork are enough for them to pass, but ignoring homework limits their learning experience. When students disrespect teachers or refuse to do their absolute best on every assignment, they are basically saying, I don’t care about, deserve, or need education. I could care less about those who lost their lives so I could have it.

Personally, my weakness is being tardy. I’m a good student, but I hate being rushed. Even though this may be a part of my personality, the rest of society has time limits, and I have to learn how to respect them. Doing so not only teaches me discipline in school, but it prepares me for the future workplace.

That is what education is for. It’s not meant to torture us, but to prepare us to survive and thrive in society. That is what our ancestors fought for.

We have to learn to appreciate the opportunities given to us and learn how to use them to their fullest advantage. No, equal opportunity does not mean equal results. I understand that life has a way of throwing circumstances at us that make it hard to focus on the future. However, I also believe that most people have a chance at success with hard work, dedication and overcoming what others may not have had to overcome.

Regaining Our Pride
“Say It Loud - I’m Black, and I’m Proud” was one of James Brown’s hits in the ‘60s. It was not trying to isolate one group of people to lift up another. The song was about being proud of who we are.

Today, we are sometimes proud for all the wrong reasons. We take stereotypes, and instead of proving them wrong, we can unintentionally make them seem true. For example, some people think that all black people are lazy, and when we become careless about our duties and character, it seems as if we’re proving them right.

The more we try to be the best we can be, the better we will be perceived. Don’t get me wrong, the ultimate reason we should make these changes is because they will help us in the long run. Still it doesn’t hurt for others to have the right perception of who we are as a people as well as individuals.

African Americans need to look at one another, not as threats to our own success, but as partners in bettering ourselves and our community. We need to help one another instead of tearing others down. We can begin by appreciating what we already have, so that when we gain more, we will know how to take care of that, too.

Vonciel is junior at Columbia High.