“I’m Black and I’m Proud” Those five words were first sung by the legendary James Brown in Dallas, Texas in 1968. Wow! We all recall and respect Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he stood up for his race in the face of terrible oppression. I wonder, however, how many of us recall and give due respect to the courageous James Brown as he crossed racial lines with his blockbuster hit “I’m Black and I’m Proud”?
And, why wouldn’t blacks be proud of their race? Despite being treated as second-class citizens, especially in the South, they persevered. Not only have African-Americans made tremendous impacts in the entertainment and athletic arenas but also it would take very little research to uncover their contributions in all fields: law, politics, medicine, business, and more.
In our book Black and White Like You and Me, Thomas Marsh and I state,
“No one has ever had control over to whom he or she was born.” (p.10)
If you were born black, so be it. If you were born white, so be it. How can you hate or judge someone over something he or she had no control?
On the news last night, a report indicated that there was a search for, and would be charges filed against, the persons responsible for putting up flyers that read “It Is Okay to Be White.” What?
Aren’t we proud of our family? Aren’t we proud of our nationality? Aren’t we proud of our country? Aren’t we proud of our religion? Aren’t we proud of our sports teams? (well, perhaps not the Detroit Lions) Aren’t we proud of the school(s) that we graduated from? Aren’t we proud of our race? What is so wrong with those feelings? Why do we have to apologize for what we are?
Certainly, when we make a mistake, we should apologize and try to make restitution. When I was coaching 9th-grade basketball, to have a little fun but mostly to make an impression when a player made a mistake, he knew that part of his consequence was to say, “I’m sorry; I made a mistake; I will try not to let it happen again.” We had a lot of fun with that.
“I’m sorry; I’m black or white; I made a mistake being black or white; I will try not to let it happen that I am black or white again.” Do you see the absurdity?
Getting back to James Brown, he courageously stood up for his fellow African-Americans on stage in front of supportive and hostile crowds pleading with his people to be proud of themselves. He did NOT apologize. He did NOT meekly state his case. I, an older white man, respect him and love him for uniting his race and telling them to be proud of being black.
Can someone step up with a new version perhaps titled “I’m Black and White, and WE Are Proud”?
