YBP? Yes. Expert? No.

August 17th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Young Black Professional Guide YBP? Yes. Expert? No.
I attended a forum sponsored by the Washington Post called Being A Black Man last week in Vegas. Journalists at the newspaper gathered to debrief with their peers on their award-winning series on the black male experience at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.

They also announced the release of a book of the same name and plugged similar books by Tavis Smiley, Denzel Washington and Hill Harper.

Actor Hill Harper was on the panel and had a lot of fine things to say. I’d heard negative things about him (extreme arrogance) after his visit to the Arizona Black Film Festival earlier this year, but he came off as relatively humble to me. Perhaps that is because I hang out with too many folks like Hill, so I’m used to it : ) … but that’s another post.

Harper understandably plugged his book “Letter’s To A Young Brother” and the female version - which will come out next year. I honestly doubt I’ll check either of them out, but I’m sure it’s a great read for people who haven’t already heard what he’s saying … which I believe I’ve already heard based off of reviews I’ve read and statements he made last week. Besides, he ain’t really talking to me in that book … I don’t think.

But one thing that really got my attention was Hill’s chastising the black elite on how we deal with our community’s underprivileged. For those of you who don’t know, Hill has three degrees from Ivy Leagues. He is the son of two doctors – one of them quite prominent. He grew up in Iowa. And the obvious … he is successful, famous and more than likely, “rich.”

His life experiences have been very different from most of the young men he’s writing about/to.

While his statement wasn’t profound, it was refreshing. So many of us YBPs think we have all the answers about how our own can be “free,” but we don’t even know what the questions are (I’m talking to you Bill Cosby). And regardless of whether we THINK we know what the questions are – or should be, we need to fall back a bit. Elitism on this level has never been known to produce the type of results we say we want.

Our degrees don’t make us “wise.” And our success doesn’t make us an authority. But our arrogance makes us ignorant. Our society’s most disenfranchised ARE our kind of people despite our differences. Until we realize that, our “sermons” will continue to fall on deaf ears. My pastor once said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Do you care?

Eugene is a journalist based in Phoenix. Read some of his lighter fare at Intelligent Ignorance.

Viewing 4 Comments

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    Well said, Eugene. People tend to become too outspoken after receiving degrees and certifications. Too much talking, and not enough listening.

    I think that's Greg Oden at the very bottom of the picture. That cat is 31 years old. Trust...
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    Eugene and JC I totally agree with the both of you. There is a need for talking and a need for listening but I think their is also need for action. I do not think there is enough action taking place to back up what people say or listen to . A young brother says he wants to work , people listen to him but the only people that tend to hear him is the drug dealers or other illegals that put him to work right away. Action is the best reaction and that is what the culture lacks.
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    I actually like what Bill Cosby said and I like what Hill Harper says, but I don't like that Hill Harper feels the need to chastise people like Bill Cosby. The fact is that there is a problem and some people will listen when you tell them one way and some will listen when you tell them another way. Why are black people only allowed one message? MLK vs Malcom X? They were both valid in some ways and perhaps they were both successful because there were two different viewpoints out there. Hill Harper and Bill Cosby are attacking the same problem from two different angles. Each will reach an audience that won't listen to the other. In my humble opinion, both are doing fine, and we should have MORE angles and viewpoints to choose from, not less.
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    In fairness, Harper didn't specifically call out Cosby - I did.

    Some may call Cosby's approach tough love. I don't. The number of inaccuracies and generalizations he spews are unhealthy. Sure, we need diverse approaches, but all of them must be edifying - and I believe there's a way to do so while being "tough."
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