5 - THE RISE OF A NEW BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS

John McWhorter, associate professor of linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, first made a name for himself five years ago with the publication of his book, Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America (2000). In seeking to explain the gap in black education and attainment that

In his more recent book, Authentically Black: Essays for the Silent Black Majority (2003), McWhorter draws attention to a new kind of double consciousness among black Americans: to wit, that racial "authenticity" requires showing personal initiative and strength in private, but adopting the role of victim in public. While many blacks are privately confident of their past achievements and prospects for the future, there is a strong inclination - indeed, nearly a sense of obligation - to rail against white racism in public.

But change is in the offing. There is a growing willingness among blacks to seek and speak truth in public. Bill Cosby has been giving speeches across the country to receptive black audiences, condemning black illegitimacy, educational apathy, and the idea that white racism causes black social problems. Black conservative writers, commentators, scholars, judges, radio talk-show hosts, politicians - even comedians - have made great progress in bringing their ideas to public forums.

As McWhorter points out, majorities of blacks believe race relations have improved, are good, and are improving; only 7% of think racism is the most important problem for the next generation of Americans to solve. Eighty-nine percent of black teens consider racism in their own lives to be a "small problem" or "not a problem at all." Twice as many black teens as white believe that "failure to take advantage of available opportunities" is a bigger problem for blacks than discrimination.

In 2002, about one in four new, mostly young black voters registered as independents; only 63% of black voters are now registered as Democrats (down from 74% in 2000). And while almost all blacks favor affirmative action in the form of out' reach to minorities, fully 78% are opposed to the hiring of less-qualified minority applicants on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Finally, according to Nat Irvin, an assistant dean at Wake Forest University, an emerging generation of young blacks is in the process of changing the future of blacks in the United States and around the world. Writing in The Futurist (M arch/April 2004), Irvin calls this new generation "thrivals:"

Thrivals are the manifestation of a profound but subtle shift in awareness within the American black community and blacks worldwide: a shift from the consciousness of survival to that of "thrival." For blacks, . "thrived" represents a transformation of the soul, a transition from seeing oneself and one's community as being the victims of history and oppression. Thrivals see themselves as forces capable of shaping the future rather than being shaped by the forces of the future.

Among the forces identified as driving the emergence of thrivals are dramatic growth in the economic clout of American blacks; continued increases in black educational achievement; extraordinary escalation in the diversity of America, including within the black community itself; and a decline in the significance of race and continued improvements in race relations in America.

Thrivals, concludes Irvin, pose a major challenge to the status quo within the black community.