Our Love/Hate Relationship with Pookie, Ray-Ray, and Sha Nay-Nay

I'm Bossy.
I'm the one ya'll love to hate.

Pookie, Ray-Ray, and Sha Nay-Nay (PRS) are proverbial names for characters that typify ghetto stereotypes that usually represent the worst of Black America. These include the Welfare Queens, Dead Beat Dads, and Ex-Cons. They are rude, loud, irresponsible, and you cannot take them anywhere. But for many educated blacks, they are offended by PRS but in a sick subliminal way actually like them. PRS make degreed Patrick and Renee (P&R) feel better about themselves. Look, I have a job. Look, I’m not married and I don’t have any children. Look, I am doing WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO.
This is especially true of Black men who deem themselves good. I had a conversation with one of my black male co-workers who was offended when I said he was average. In our conversation, I expressed that having a degree and a job do not make you special. This is what is required to maintain in a 21rst century first world country, or any country as the developing world is pushing for more education among their young people. He was hot with me. I said just because there are those (many) who have fallen by the waist side along the way doesn’t make our ‘success’ look better. It actually speaks to where we are as a people if what one is supposed to do is deemed amazing.

This is also illustrated in how many successful blacks will not help other blacks who demonstrate that they want help (not the panhandlers, they have taken steps to move forward) because if they move up, they/we (P&Rs) are no longer special. They/we are no longer different. They/we become ordinary and are not breaking the mold. I am comfortable with the pedestal that I have placed myself on. P&Rs, are you excited about telling people you work for a corporation or telling them that you graduated from x,y,z college? Are you excited to tell people that you will not have children without jumping the broom anticipating the praise you will get? Again, this is the stuff the educated never even realize that they/we do.



Will I be Pookie or Patrick today? I'll be Pootrick.

 On another note, I am finding that it is becoming harder and harder to tell the PRSs from the degreed Patricks and Renees (P&Rs). Even the Patricks and Renees are decidedly not getting married, having children out of wedlock (landing them back on public assistance), having paternity battles, and going through child support wars. Its the P&Rs who are refusing to maintain property when moving into a clean neighborhood or adjusting to norms when being hired into a corporate position. Patrick’s words for black women are just as derogatory as Pookie and Ray-Ray’s. Renee settles for the one she knows is cheating on her, performing wifely duties with the lack of commitment, just like Sha Nay-Nay. Many black HBCUs have accepted anybody with a sob story into their benevolent arms having allowed their campuses to turn into the projects and are now having to work overtime to rebuild their legacies. So the PRSs of the world have been allowed to become PRSs in P&R clothing. Patrick and Renee need as much of a mental cleanse as PRSs from time to time. They have more money and are educated but some bad habits that they were supposed to leave behind have yet to fall off.

This is where a lot of the problems in the Black community resides. We know where Pookie and Ray-Ray are. We know where the educated elite are. It’s the many people usually between 20-40 years old whose income is middle class but whose actions are substandard at best. They are economically ahead of the game but their mind is still filled with PRS tendencies. This is why colleges have to have workshops called ‘Do Thugs Go To College?’ or the mighty Morehouse has to issue a dress code. The college communities are middle/upper class playgrounds (among any race) so when these entities have to engage in this way, there’s a problem. Today, I’m talking not to the PRSs of the world. They don’t get it and may never get it. I’m talking to Patrick and Renee who are the real future. Patrick and Renee are where the fruit lies.

Patrick & Renee review your rap sheet. Do any PRS tendencies reside in your behavior?

How loud/vulgar do you talk around the office, even on your lunch break?

Girl, I would tell you what I eally think, but I like my job.
I'll call you back when I get off work.

Do you scoop your dog's poop?

How loud do you play your music in your house/apartment/car?

How do you talk to/about black men and black women?

Is our predicament as a people solely the fault of the opposite sex?

Do you have a definition of ‘acting white’?

Use your mind and invent something, silly.

Do you think the only way to become wealthy is to rap?

When’s the last time you went to an event that fed your mind?

Is chivalry dead?

Do you condone having children out of wedlock?

When a teacher corrects your child are you quick to come to their defense?

Do you hold yourself accountable for taking care of your children, working with your child’s other parent (if not married), and working on your marriage?

Are you cautious about how you ask questions to our African borthers and sisters?

Do you think people should let you be you even if it’s disruptive to the group?

Do you vote for political candidates because everybody else you know does or because you’ve researched the issues and candidates?

Do you give and require the best when in a relationship?

Just to be close to you is my desire.

I am convinced that most blacks of a certain age group (20-40 year olds) that were raised in or near certain urban areas (or people with PRS tendencies) need to reevaluate how much PRS is still in them and do some real mental therapy. Many in this group need to learn how to turn the nigga switch off. One’s thinking affects every area of one’s life so rearranging some thought patterns is key. I have had to get myself in check many a day and I was sheltered from that lifestyle. My mommy didn’t play that. So I know others who were raised in those environments may have to work harder to overcome some bad habits. Just because you have a college education doesn’t mean you’re intelligent. You can buy diplomas nowadays. As Solomon recorded in Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

i.e. Learn how to operate in the world. This is called common sense.

Here’s to the re-education of Patrick and Renee!