Are Black people conditioned to fail or succeed? After seeing this video several times over the last few months, I decided to finally address it.
At an event, Candace Owens is asked a question by a Black woman in the audience. This woman’s question is interesting as she is describing how Black people used to be more conservative which included being church-going and also being homophobic. In her quest for alignment, she fails to understand why Black people have not embraced and connected to Candace, also a conservative, and she asks her to assess the situation.
Question from woman: I’ve heard a lot about you haven’t really gone to an event like this in general I get the point that you’re not really liked specifically with(in) the black community but one thing I wanted to address… growing up socially a lot of Black people around me at least were conservative. They went to church every Sunday they were very religious. They weren’t the biggest fan of LGBT. That’s just how they were. What do you think is stopping them from being in this room?
Has a Lot Changed in the Black Community?
To be fair, not a whole lot has changed, Fewer black men attend church but the black community still tends to be homophobic. There’s just been a shift in conditioned tolerance, and (even forced) acceptance because careers have ceased and checks are no longer printed when Black people, mostly Black men, express disdain for the LGBT community, over the last 10 years, for the most part.
Black people including preachers have been called out for their homophobia, for example, and they too want to make sure they keep getting grants and funding as a conditioned requirement that they remain silent … which would mean that Candace’s point about governance determining how Black people move, including the Black church, (ahem) might just have some validity.
Is Family (or the lack thereof) at the Root of the Black Community’s Problems?
Her response to this question is both interesting and thought-provoking. She argues that the decline of the black family is at the root of many of the problems facing the black community today and that this decline is due in part to government policies that have incentivized single motherhood and discouraged fathers from being involved in their children’s lives. Owens also argues that the media and the education system have played a role in promoting a culture that is hostile to traditional values.
Single Black Mothers Continued Ascension
While some may disagree with Owens‘ assessment, there is no doubt that the black family has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades. The single motherhood rate among black women has increased dramatically, and the percentage of black children living in two-parent households has decreased. These changes have had a number of negative consequences, including an increase in conditioned poverty, crime, and educational disparities.
In addition to that, and in the not-so-distant past, Black men did not have to be responsible for their children and it was even encouraged and incentivized, as Candace states, so that Black women could be on welfare.. but only if there was no man in the house. What other race has been given these incredible “opportunities,” to be robbed of a husband and then being fed by a system that BECAME the husband?
Were Black Men Forced Out While Black women and Children were Forced IN?
The Black community was hit hardest by this concept, in the ’60s, 70s, and even 80s. Black women during those days were almost forced to take the offer because their men could not find employment, most likely because of racism. There was a cycle perpetuated here that did indeed dead the Black family. One must ponder if this condition is permanent.
If You Don’t Know… NOW You Know: Black Men Are Forced to Pay for Child Support Today, but Is the Connection to Their Children Often Doomed Per Conditioning?
Today, many of the same Black men who never knew their own fathers because of the previous system, are forced to take care of their children financially. But today thanks to our previous system, we have “strong black women” who don’t need a man and Black men who are still doing their best to avoid the pitfalls of the system that has never been aligned with them. For those who can see, the tyranny, perhaps, is evident.
It is important to note that Owens is not the only person who has made this connection between the decline of the black family and other social problems. In fact, a number of other scholars and commentators have argued that the breakdown of the family is a major contributing factor to many of the challenges facing the black community.
Is it also possible that many Black people agree with what Candace is saying, in this instance, or are we more disturbed by the fact that we know she is a spokesperson for white Republicans? Have you ever had the same thoughts as Candace expresses here? What do you think of her response?
