"The Whole Story": The Tales of The Privilege and Radical (Part Two)

• The Tale of Privilege and Radical (Part Two): Zachariah White 

Like King T’Challa and Killmonger these same labels of being “privileged” and “radical” are something that have followed me for a long period of time. While I was not born into wealth or royalty, this was something that was bestowed upon me because of the number of possessions I had and what I did while I was growing up. 

To be even more specific, it wasn’t even the clothes or shoes or anything else that was used as the basis for this assertion; it was the toys and the video games. It was these “treasures” that caught the attention of my friends, adult members of the community, and close members of my own family. While I initially received compliments and such for having them, this admiration was temporary praise turned to jealousy and heavy criticism as they looked to what I had done to earn them. 

At the start of this temporary disapproval, the community realized that, in many ways, I was different from everyone. I always did decent in school; however, this was not enough to make up for “certain deficiencies”. “Deficiencies” like not being a good dancer, not being good at singing, non being good at rapping, not being good with getting girls, not being good at sports, and not being a “fighter”. The only thing(s) I was good for was having a lot of things and doing what I was supposed to (avoid getting in trouble + do well in school + complete my chores = “good boy”). Meanwhile, the rest of the people in the community, who were around my age, did just about everything that I could and couldn’t do. Therefore, I was relegated to the perception of being “easy-pickings” or a “lick” (someone who is susceptible and ideal for being taken advantage of).  

Given that all I was good at was doing what I was supposed to, and nothing outside of that, it made things much difficult whenever I struggled in that area. Anytime I came with a C, I got in trouble at school, or I got in trouble at home, it dropped me lower and lower. The reason why this “perception” that I speak of is or was important was because it determined the respect granted by everyone, which dictated the treatment one was subject to. Due to the struggling period where it appeared that I wasn’t even efficient in my areas of specialty, this left subject to the typical name-calling and teasing to the ones I called “friends” to steal my treasures and attempting to fight me even or small disagreements. I couldn’t really go to anyone because the proposed remedy would always be, “Fight them back” or “I don’t care, go settle it with them”. In the eyes of my peers, I was just a goody two-shoes with more than I should have. In the eyes of the eyes of the adults, if I was an adult, I would’ve been someone that was well-off that was undeserving of the position. 

This was the way things were for years (3 to be exact). Then, I did begin to “Fight them back”, but not in a typical fighting kind of way. I proved that I was more than a bland goody two-shoes by getting better at football. I went from crying after every tackle to outplaying just about everybody on the field. I went from being just one of the guys on the bench to being one of the guys out getting playing time. I proved that I was more than a bland goody two-shoes by becoming even better in school. I went from having mediocre grades with B’s and C’s to stringing together a long stretch of straight A’s and A Honor-Rolls with many diplomas and certificates. I went from being just one of the students in class to being the standout leader. I proved that I was more than a bland goody two-shoes by taking the respect, recognition, and support (temporary support) from the community (both the neighborhood and school).  

Although I enjoyed doing what I could in football, I, eventually, chose the leadership route by focusing more on school and taking leadership positions. This was against the wishes of the community, who so constantly asked me to return to football. The community at school weren’t welcoming of this decision either. Even in the glory days, there were whispers of myself being “the whitest black person” (the “radical” label) but these grew to explicit vocalizations once I chose my path. Before I had even begun my venture, they had already place in this negative light. This light that “...Black male elected officials, business leaders, executives, and academicians are thought to be “intellectual sissies” who align themselves too closely with White culture...” (Harper, 338). Perhaps, this was the trend for black males before; or, perhaps, there was a trend of misunderstanding on the behalf of the community.  

However, it is this premature write-off which is one of the biggest reasons for support of the claim of one focusing on one’s self over the masses. This concern was temporary disapproval, which was eliminated on my path to becoming Dunbar High’s YIG Chapter President for 3 straight years, Dunbar High’s YIG Chapter President (2018 – 2019), Dunbar High’s Academic Team Captain (2018 – 2019), Dunbar High’s Mock Trial Team Captain for 2 consecutive years, and Dunbar High’s 2019 Senior Class President. All the while, there was a shift from doubt and disapprobation to appreciation and support.  

The shifts in criticism and favorability ultimately lead me to this realization. “Although Afrocentric cultural values are believed to be conceptually related to ethnic identity (Grills & Longshore, 1996), it has not been clear exactly how the philosophy of Afrocentricity and the constructs of Afrocentric cultural values are related to the constructs of ethnic and racial identity. These constructs, especially racial identity and Afrocentric values, are sometimes inappropriately used interchangeably.” (Cokley, 523). The pieces of interest from this quote lie in “it has not been clear” and “inappropriately used interchangeably.”, which are indicators of a lack of structure for anything, let alone identity, and a lack of control. This lack of key components are what ultimately supports the idea of the community or society being unstable in regards to thoughts and considerations. In the grand scheme of things, this fact coupled with the personal examples of change within this large group confirms the point of placing one’s focus on one’s self.