Black Men: I’m My Own Man?

 by Kenny Anderson

Recently I watched an interview with Freeway Ricky Ross a key point person ‘major Black drug dealer’ in the CIA geo-political drug trafficking operation of massive 'crack' cocaine profits funding arms to the Nicaraguan Contras ‘Iran-Contra Affair’.

During the interview Ross was asked when he was in prison what was the difference between Black and Mexican gangs? Ross said Black gangs were a lot less effective than Mexican gangs. Ross said that Black gangs were loosely organized, no real structure or leadership; that most gang members were individualists ‘I’m my own man’.

In contrast Ross said Mexican gangs were highly organized with a leadership structure; they operated as a unit of we are Mexican men! While I was listening to the interview with Ross, I reflected back on my experience providing Male Responsibility Development service to school-age Black boys (K-12) and to Black men in prison.

From elementary to the penitentiary I often heard “nigga you aint my daddy.” From my perspective this sentiment of “You aint my daddy” I raised myself results in “I’m my own man” that’s based in part on the tremendous numbers of Black boys who’ve grown-up decades fatherless resulting in feelings of insecurity, bitterness, and resentment towards older Black males ‘father figures’ that remain as ‘child within issues’ in adulthood.

The Fatherless Resentment Syndrome (FRS) coupled with significant socialized Black-on-Black male distrust undermines Black men’s objective need to be organized as a super-oppressed gender in America. These undermining ‘disorganizing’ factors is why ‘organized’ Arab, Asians, and East Indian men dominate Black communities economically.

Black Men, if we keep it 1000 we are limited of what we can do ‘accomplish’ just being only I’m my own man in the face of organized non-Black male oppressors and exploiters. Facing organized odds alone saying I’m my own man sounds confident, however underneath these words a sense of incapability and insecurity is there.

Black men when its all said and done 'bottom-line' the individualist notion I'm my own man is bullshit socioeconomically in the fact that as a race of men we lack the power in this country to control our own lives; we don't control 'provisions' and 'protections'!!

As long as we continue to be our own be all-end all individual ‘I’m my own man’ we will continue to be a bunch of disorganized individuals ‘I’m my own man’ who will remain oppressed and exploited by non-Black male organized groups.

Indeed, until we as Black men mature to a sense of group Black manhood, just being individually I’m my own man only ‘do me’ is why we will keep ‘getting done in’ collectively.