Quote:
Originally posted by TonyB06
"Back then, we were not called sellouts for using our brains. And being intelligent was not frowned upon,"
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*bump*
That's actually UNTRUE, although it makes for exciting propaganda.
Intellect was valued in certain social and educational settings then as it is now. People wanted to get out of the slums through hardwork and education then as they do now, despite what the media portrayals are. However, blacks who wanted to mingle outside of an "elite" circle were generally conscious about the dual identity they needed to maintain.
Anthologies of Black America, such as those conducted by W.E.B DuBois, indicate that many blacks always felt the need to fulfill a cultural stereotype and not display what were viewed as "white traits." The rise of the Black bourgoise also saw a tendency of the children of these middle and upperclass Blacks to "slum" in an attempt to speak and dress a certain way. They wanted to fit in with their lower class and (usually) less educated peers. There were glorified pimps and hustlers back then, too.