Community Checkup

Now for a more lighthearted post as the weekend comes to an end. Many of you have probably already seen the website, Stuff White People Like. Well, now there is a black counterpart called, Stuff Educated Black People Like .

I found it to be pretty hilarious (and humorously true), but judging from some of the comments on the site, some found it pretty offensive. C’mon folks, It is okay to laugh at ourselves sometimes. We don’t need to be so serious 24/7.

Anyway, I noticed there were some key things missing from the list and thought I’d help out with filling some in. Feel free to add your two cents.

1) Condemning the “black leadership” (see below)
2) Martha’s Vineyard
3) Professional/Singles retreats
4) Cornel West (he’s our Noam Chomsky)
5) Sushi
6) Expensive liquor

Educated black people like criticizing the black leadership.

As amorphous as this supposed group of leaders is, educated black folk always find a way to identify them and criticize how “they” have shrugged their responsibilities and let the black community down. You will certainly find Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP at the top of most EBP’s list. The most common gripe is that these people and organizations are outdated or dinosaurs. Some say they have lost their way from their glory days. The more extreme view is that they have become sellouts and race hustlers. A 2007 survey found that 20% of blacks thought that the NAACP was “not very effective” and 21% thought this about black political leaders. You can bet that most of these black folk were Educated Black People.

Condemning outmoded back leaders makes EPB feel like they are a part of a new wave of leadership. In place of more popular black figures, many will identify with lesser known, up-and-coming black leaders like Cory Booker or Barack Obama (before he ran for president). Doing so, also affords EBP bragging rights that they are ahead of the curve and on top of what’s happening–much like the feeling they get through identifying with fledgling Neo Soul artists.

Some of the more quarrelsome EBP dare to include the leadership of the black church on their list of corrupt leaders. Leveling such criticism can be quite risky because most EBP love some church. As a general rule, it is acceptable to criticize some pastors and their preaching style, but attacking the black church as a whole is sure to bring on the ire of most other EBP. Therefore, this kind of criticism is not advisable unless you are very familiar and friendly with the audience you are is speaking to. To be down with the educated black crowd, play it safe and keep your criticism within the bounds of older black political leaders or conservative ones.