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OP-ED
We're Pro-Black Because We Live in a Racist Society
Pro-blackness is an effort to reclaim the power historically stripped from Black people.
When it rains, you can expect to see people holding umbrellas, wearing raincoats and boots, especially in muddy and low-lying areas. However, if you were to explain this behavior without mentioning the environmental conditions, it would seem unusual. Whenever context is removed, confusion is quick to follow. This also applies to group dynamics. Kwame Ture once said, "You can never make an analysis of the oppressed in any aspect of their lives and leave out the oppressor. If you do, you'll blame the oppressed for their condition." Sadly, many Americans have failed to heed this warning. A prime example of this is how pro-blackness is often maligned. Instead of acknowledging the need for this practice, some accuse them of perpetuating hatred against other racial groups. Not only does this seem disingenuous, but it's also ironic given the evidence, which suggests Black people are on the receiving end of racial animosity. They're the group most likely to be victims of violent hate crimes.
In the late 1960s, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover famously described the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, a Black community organization dedicated to improving…

