Culture Gap
With all this talk about the "wealth gap" (which is a lie in this nation) we miss the more fundamental and far more important culture gap. This has been exemplified by Howard University and expressed as politely as possible by one of their Deans:
"Because of the size of the room, and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the Fire Department is now here to shut us down." - Gina S. Brown, Dean, Howard U. College of Nursing
The phrase "don't know how to act" is commonly used by blacks to distinguish us from those who bear a title less prudent than can be stated here. This culture gap is an issue of paramount importance; so much so, that it being left unchecked for decades has caused it to cancel a graduation. Ridiculous.
These kids did not walk for High School because of COVID. Now, they walk not for University because they have failed to withhold invitation from those who - for the sake of decorum - needn't arrive. Part of maturing is leaving behind those chains that bind you to your sophomoric past. I do not care whom they might be, if they are of the class of citizens who "don't know how to act," do not bring them to these places. Let this lesson be one learned, and learned well.
More generally, if we look at black persons in this nation we see this divide, this very clear divide, between the haves and the have nots. Racism cannot be a cause of such a divide because we’re all black. Birthright is also not to blame as the data show immigrant blacks performing just as well as well-off American blacks. Something else must be at cause. It is the culture and one’s capacity to leave that culture.
Using this latest Howard University debacle as a backdrop, we can see several key issues with certain cultural traits that are selected against.
The first and most obvious is punctuality. These people outside the ceremony had arrived after everyone else had already been seated; they were thus denied entry.
Second, we have entitlement. What right do they have to disrupt a private ceremony? None! Go home!
Third, there is a disregard for the rule of law. These people do not get to trample the rights of others simply because they have been inconvenienced. This behavior is indicative of a weak and childish culture.
Finally, we have selfishness. This ceremony was for the graduates and their instructors. Guests are not nearly the focus thereof. These acts - slamming doors, yelling, chanting, breaking glass, etcetera - are the acts of a self-important 7-year-old, not of well-governed adults.
No wonder the fire department shut the event down. These tyrants just outside the doors would be quelled only at the event’s cessation. I try to look on the bright side. The beauty of this event is that it cannot be swept under the rug by Leftist race-baiting. It should cause the black community to come together in the hopes of finding a solution to the cultural problem; it likely will not, but it should.
What would it look like to be rid of these cultural traits and retain the good parts? This is a solved problem and has been answered time and time again. We see it in the careers of Calvin Broadus Jr., Andre Romelle Young, and Curtis Jackson III. One can certainly create and consume Hip-Hop without having to act it out. One can certainly have locs, twists, and cornrows without being consumed by infantile madness. One can certainly be black without having to jettison morals, etiquette, and civility.
Not much in a free society can be done to directly cure this defect. The framers of our nation taught that ruling can be done by words or by power; we choose words. We can do nothing but speak and write about better a way, it is up to those in need to take up the lessons. The children of these juvenile adults are likely to become themselves juvenile adults. This is how gaps and disparities form and continue. This is the culture gap.