Fight, Fight, Fight, a N****r and a White
Steeped in disgust and embedded in our soul.
Frightening to even fathom, but with all its ugliness, this phrase was commonly chanted by suburban schoolchildren eagerly awaiting a rumble to commence between two misguided preteens. It didn’t matter if both opponents shared the same skin tone. Determined before the first swing caught air, whoever drew the shortest straw (or was the crowd’s least favorite) would undoubtedly hold the distinction of being the “less than desirable” subhuman that was “the n****r.”
The ease at which this chant slipped off the tongues of babes so effortlessly, one could wonder was this statement used as easily at home as it was in the schoolyard?
Middle school in particular ran the gamut of unsuspecting and highly questionable behavior masked only by the naïveté most children possessed at this age. It was not uncommon for kids to mimic what they had learned, be it from someone they idolized like a famous athlete, a peer, or more commonly from someone at home.
Witnessing such despicable behavior take flight and transcend once it reached the untainted innocence of school was a common occurrence by unwitting kids who didn’t know any better.
“Fight, fight, fight, a n****r and a White.”
The words were spoken with a cavalier calmness — the tone, not so much. And for those who were targeted by such a label, the meaning was atrocious, degrading — oppressive.
Although the spectators of pending fights knew not the origin of the words they were chanting, they sure knew how to use them. With no concern or understanding, the true impact came in whomever the crowd wanted to lose — the n****r.
Round 1
Once, in a moment of non-clarity, and admittedly ‘slightly’ encouraged persuasion, I was bamboozled into assuming the role of “manager” for an after school bout. My only responsibility was to hold court and announce the inescapable scuffle. Even though I saw myself from the outside mouth the announcement, saying the n-word felt unnatural, strange, and a word I could barely get out, and thankfully I did not. Starting the chant was the responsibility of the manager who would then follow-up with a broadcast of who would be rumbling and to a crowd of boos, who would be the n****r.
Yes, twisted activities 12 and 13-year-olds repeatedly engaged in.
Fortunately, I avoided such fisticuffs throughout my time in middle school. The thought of getting into a fight is one thing — being despised by an entire crowd chanting your demise and hurling n****r haymakers while your ass is being handed to you, I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, even the asshole who stole my PB&J from the office fridge.
The young brain is like an indifferent sponge, soaking up its surroundings and unaware of its cause. Often the incomprehension by which it justifies actions can be summed up as ignorance, or innocence. It’s difficult to break free from embedded brainwashing especially when its roots run deep from generations of purposeful indoctrination.
Do young kids stand a chance? Not if you are a minority in a country that does not value equality.
You talkin’ to me
The need to feel included is powerful, especially when you are young, and oftentimes does not abandon who we are after the age of 12. Often, this can be the lens through which many look as they get older, and is ingrained as a vital component of their character.
We are social beings, with every fiber of our genetic makeup locked in a complicated labyrinth of misguidedness, and tribalistic insecurities.
We look to groups who will embrace our needs even if they go against our best interests or contradict, to the core, who we are or what we know to be right. That feeling of inclusion however provides that empowerment many seek in life and is a false sense of righteousness that frequently blinds us.
Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It’s a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. — Radio Raheem
The good vs. evil, or “us vs. them” construct has been woven into our conscience since the beginning of time, only to evolve into calculated behavior throughout life. We see this perpetuated over time even in the most innocent display such as games played by children — with no real understanding of the history of performing a character or the discrimination they are participating in.
It’s only a game
Before gaming culture took over, playtime activities (especially games) children would engage in were basic in formation. Typically there were two groups each with assigned characters to act out; those that would be the victors, triumphant in their standing, and those portrayed in a negative light with stereotypical overtones — the group (or characters) no one wanted to be.
On the surface, innocent games of Cowboys & Indians, Cops & Robbers, “War” with little green plastic men infiltrating unfamiliar foreign countries always had underpinnings of discrimination and racial injustice, but at a young age, social awareness was nonexistent and unquestionably not being taught.
The rumor of the despicable “Catch a N****r” made its way around neighborhoods as well. No doubt a carryover from a generation earlier, when “Hit the N****r Baby” was a standard activity at summer camps and carnivals. Not surprising when you consider the Jim Crow era from, well, not that long ago.
In an environment with a lack of diversity such as the suburbs of Boston in the ’70s and ’80s, this was the norm and anything that was remotely foreign would be cast aside and left on a shelf to collect dust. The idea of disrupting the apple cart seemed unacceptable within itself. This is what children were taught and continue to be taught today.
Herein lies the problem.
It goes without saying… the effort to combat the seed of hate begins at the early stage of indoctrination. This is an uphill battle, one that might not see any light at its peak.
The battle begins at the roots before it germinates and spreads like a disease from generation to generation.
It’s ALL hands on deck. The cycle MUST be broken.
Games from a time not long ago saw a heaping spoonful of racist depictions on display. But today, in a society that is heavily influenced by technology and gaming culture, imaginative worlds can double down and help exploit this even further. Gaming has evolved to reflect every fabric of life in more visceral circumstances, running the spectrum of disturbing subject matter from discrimination and extreme violence to overt racism, and in some cases, misogyny (but this is for another read).
This is part of the learning children receive at an early age. It becomes their norm, desensitized by each entry of infection — acquainting deliberate dehumanizing gestures with having fun, even at the expense of demeaning other people. Over time this unsavory mindset cements itself into the conscience of a person and solidifies a belief system.
There will always be two teams, as there have been throughout history, but life is no game.
Gamin’ on ya
We do try to raise our children to respect others, embrace the differences in people. Unfortunately, not everyone takes a page from this playbook. Racism is Learned at an Early Age, a study conducted by Harvard University psychologist Mahzarin Banaji explores how children are taught racist behavior as early as three years old. Further, her studies show for children to fully understand diversity, it is paramount to observe different ethnic groups interrelating in a positive and balanced nature — to embrace equality.
We know racist behavior is a learned behavior, an ideology taught early, typically in the home. When it spreads across the communal grounds of a school, especially within a diverse crowd of young impressionable kids, the barbarity can take on a life of its own.
Today, the chants might be gone (in some areas) but the rallying cry for divisiveness is deafening, and still upon us. In a divided country, the venomous rhetoric we hear every day is a reminder of how people view others.
The seeds of disparity and discrimination are planted at the onset and navigating a course of preteen intellectual-lite behavior is complicated. It’s not easy, and if you are the recipient of this hostility, it’s no picnic. No wonder I don’t carry many fond memories from this time in my life.
Ah, another example of growing up in the ‘burbs while Black.
Thank you for reading!