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SOCIETY SHAPES US. To piggyback off of the ideas noted in chapter four, black men may receive so much attention that they feel inclined to always look cool and appeal to everyone. This leads to them dressing in ways they may not normally just to please others, which results in them using their money on expensive things, such as clothes and shoes that, quite frankly, they cannot afford.
In a related way, society calls celebrities, more specifically, black males, to look a certain way in public and on camera. The general population of black males might feel the need to look/act the same way, especially because of how much girls (and guys) practically worship the celebrities.
HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THIS? We as a society are contributing to the loss of individual personas among many of our black men and boys. It is not just girls that feel inclined to change themselves to fit society's image. It's a difficult thing to remember, but true all the same. If we keep portraying these so-called "perfect" images, we are demeaning our boys (and girls) and making them lose their sense of expression.
Keeping these factors in mind, it is no surprise that, at a young age, black boys have started feeling inclined to please others with their looks and actions instead of focusing on more important things, such as finding themselves, doing well in school and jobs, and keeping up with their responsibilities.
They find themselves focusing solely on their appearances and begin to talk down their fellow black boys that may not be fortunate enough to have the newest trendy clothes, like Jordans or KDS. We need to start thinking of our boys' abilities, not their appearance, because at the end of the day, their education and personal responsibilities are far more important.
