The American Nightmare

Many times I have heard the term, "The American Nightmare." The term in my experience has been applied to Black men and particular two types of Black Men. One group of brothers called "The American Nightmare" is those brothers who live the so-called "Gangsta" lifestyle. It’s easy to see why Gangsta types would be considered a nightmare. With generally anti-social behavior they are a threat to America and the Black community in particular. America has developed a response to gangstas with tougher law enforcement measures.

The second type of Black man who received the "American Nightmare" title are the so-called "educated" brothers. Men with brains are supposedly a real threat to America. Success is always the best revenge. These so-called educated brothers are not a real threat because many times these brothers buy into the system with homes in the burbs and married to white or bourgeois women. They are not the American Nightmare. They are the American Dream.

So if the gangstas and the educated brothers are not the American Nightmare then who is? There is another group of brothas in American society. Their numbers are small but growing slowly. We don’t see them in the popular media. Depending on the circles you run in you may encounter these brothers consistently or you may never see them. Sometimes people see them and try to ignore them. Some may even try to challenge this brother on a philosophical level. You see, this brother is a threat not only to the American system but to the Black Establishment as well. So who is this brother? He is the Conscious Brother, the Real American Nightmare.

I don’t think there is consensus on whom is a conscious brother. For some it may be the brother who converts to Islam but changing religions does not make one conscious. For some it may mean becoming a Black Nationalist but all nationalists are not necessarily conscious. The brothers I consider conscious fulfill two criteria: 1) they are thinkers and not followers, and 2) as a result of thinking they are more in touch with their true selves as Black men. These brothers are typically closer to being balanced and are not caught up in the illusions of American Society. These brothers constantly work to expand their minds to better themselves and their community. These brothers are usually positive. It’s a wonder we don’t see more of them portrayed in the media. Of course we know why we don’t see them in the media. The image of positive Black men who do not buy into the system is not an image the media would like to promote.

There have been a few examples of conscious brothers in the popular media, most notably the character of "Shaza" from the television series, "A Different World;" a Muslim inmate in the movie, "South Central;" and most recently the movie "Belly" with DMX and Nas. For the most part though the conscious aspect of these characters are not fully explored or reviewers chose to focus on other matters. In the movie "Belly" for example, most reviewers focused on the violence and drug-dealing by the characters played by DMX and Nas. No written review that I have seen focused on the real point of the story: two drug dealers leave the drug game by reading and becoming more spiritual. It was something very positive but not emphasized in the popular media. The same media that will promote films that degrade men and women. Looking at this it should be obvious why the image of conscious brothers is not promoted: this type of brother is a threat to the system.

When I talk about the system I am not necessarily referring to the to the white system but the Black establishment as well. The conscious brother sees past the illusions of the so-called American dream. The conscious brother also sees past the illusions of the gangsta culture, the Black church establishment and the Black bourgeoisie leadership. Conscious brothers challenge the status quo because they are not followers. As such they are a threat. The truly conscious brother is a revolutionary with the ultimate weapon: his mind.

I believe becoming a conscious brother is the path to salvation for the Black man. I have known two ex-drug dealers who have turned their lives around by becoming more conscious. I have seen Black men become more respectful of Black women after becoming more conscious. I have seen Black men improve themselves and their community by becoming more conscious. With all these positives going on you would think the powers that be would promote the image of the conscious brother. But then the system can only maintain control by keeping the Black men in an unconscious state. That seems to be the American Dream. The conscious brother then can only be the American Nightmare.

Copyright 2000

By

Romuald P. Wills