Black on Black Violence 1
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Welcome to Psychology Level 1, Lesson 3: Black on Black Violence 1
In this lesson, you will learn about:
The myth of Black on Black violence
Media racism and victim blaming
Black on Black violence as a psychological campaign
Internalised anti-Blackness and powerlessness
Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will understand:
External mechanisms that create Black on Black violence and crime
How Black on Black violence acts as a justification for white oppression and exploitation of Black communities
How Black on Black violence is manifested by white power
“Black on Black crime” is the go-to phrase for racists when they are confronted with their own actions. According to them, the fact that some Black men kill each other means that the racist treatment of Black people worldwide is entirely justified. However, the existence of this violence, as well as its use in conversations, is due to racism.
Racism in the forms of segregated ghettos, unemployment, lack of education and opportunities, and drug addiction are often put forward as the reasons for Black on Black violence. Although each of these are definitely contributing factors, there is another concealed reason this violence occurs. Other simplistic and racist arguments pin the blame solely on the monolithic absent Black father, or the cliche neglectful Black parents. These non-arguments are simply ways in which white society can alleviate its guilt.
The phenomenon of Black on Black violence is primarily down to a psychological campaign against the pan-African community. This in turn aids the white supremacist power structure, as the basis for its existence is the continued oppression of Black people. By psychologically influencing Black people to fight with one another across the world, the power structure remains safely intact.
The mainstream media is the main way in which white society projects its fears and racism onto Black people. As white-owned media has taken over large sections of so-called Black culture, they can control how Black people are perceived. The education system also serves as a vehicle for peddling anti-Black racism. When coupled with continuous microaggressions, these factors take root in the Black psyche.
This causes the internalisation of anti-Blackness, leading to a Black person expressing learned negative attitudes towards other Black people. The attitudes expressed are the same as those of white society, with the most notable expression being the use of the word “nigga.” These attitudes can be so negative that they escalate towards violence, particularly between young Black men.
A Black person can even feel that Blackness is why racism exists, and if other Black people stopped acting in a certain way, racism would disappear. They then attempt to reject their Blackness by treating other Black people the way white racists do.
Subordination of a group of people requires that they be dehumanised, humiliated and violently oppressed. This causes a reaction in the oppressed, who attempt to defend themselves with counter violence. However, when a group of people are rendered powerless in a society, this counter violence isn’t directed at their oppressors but instead at themselves.
This is another major aspect of Black on Black violence. Black men kill each other as they feel they cannot challenge and neutralise the white supremacist system that rules over their lives. The police, the courts and the politicians are deemed untouchable, but the brother next door is anything but. This often isn’t a conscious realisation, but a subconscious frustration that emerges as violent acts.
Due to cognitive dissonance, the white community cannot be honest with itself. It therefore projects a civilised, friendly, liberal face while exploiting the Black community to maintain white supremacy. Black subordination is maintained by white society without it appearing to do so, and Black on Black violence acts as one of the methods of maintenance.
This orchestration is subtle enough that the majority of its victims don’t even notice it. Instead, it is misperceived to be something that has nothing to do with white people. However, the reactionary violence due to powerlessness, self-hatred and other psychosocial factors is because of the organisation of white society. To overcome this, we must organise as well.