By Ryan Coleman
In 2001, President George W. Bush gave a speech to the NAACP in which, among other items, he decried the “soft bigotry of low expectations.” While he was speaking of how minority students are treated and viewed in the classroom, such sentiments are now true of American society as a whole–especially for young people.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Unfortunately, the burden of lowered expectations often weighs heavier on young people than any set of responsibilities, for it brings a lack of purpose. This lack of purpose can cause restlessness, discontent and even recklessness.
I believe, and have been an example of, how being your best with the highest standards is essential to reach greatness. It has been adherence to these values that led to the rapid advancement of Blacks from the cotton fields of the South to the highest offices of America.
The bigotry of low expectations is a way to continue to hold Black people down and destroy our communities.
Below are local examples we see in Baltimore and surrounding areas. The bigotry of lowered expectations is seen when:
-Management at Carroll Fuel in Security accepts and allows criminal activity on its property
-Members of the Black community accept traveling to other areas in search of diverse businesses
-Misbehaving kids cause stores needed in our communities to shutter their doors
-Violent juveniles are allowed to continue to victimize people
-A violent, juvenile sex offender, accused of assault, is placed in a hotel in Owings Mills where another attack allegedly takes place
-Children can squeegee instead of being in school
-White led groups can advocate for more lenient policies regarding youth crime, under guise of equality, leading to more crime in the Black community
– The focus on misbehaving children is greater than talk of high achieving Black students
We must not let our focus be on making excuses for misbehaving individuals, our anger over educational policies, or our exhaustion in the face of centuries of dehumanization distract us from the simple fact that anti-Blackness, in all of its many expressions, serves a single political goal: To destroy our communities and limit how many Black Americans can reach their full potential. You must keep your eyes open to see the bigotry.
All people must see and recognize the value of Black lives. We must understand that we are equal inheritors of this great nation. We are a part of the creative and moral fabric of our nation. And we must not allow that truth to be thwarted by a small group of misled, underdeveloped and misguided individuals.
We must be both cheerleaders for the best in the community and first responders to the harm caused by the worst. We must be the first to correct these young people. We must be the first to speak out against their misbehavior. I am disappointed by the lack of outrage expressed by the community for the violent assaults on Black people.
If there is going to be an enduring and respected Black community in Maryland, we must continue to develop and discipline our children. We must recognize the value of our presence and accessibility to Black children, both our own and our neighbors. There is a direct correlation between the amount of time we spend together, how valued we feel by each other and the setting of high expectations. Let’s make the time to be fathers, mothers, friends and neighbors to the people who need us and push each other to excellence.
Excellence and high expectations are how we defeat bigotry and structural racism.
Ryan Coleman can be reached at randallstownnaacp@gmail.com .
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