Black?

Upon his arrival to California, Robert is shocked to find that the notion of black inferiority has seeped into the consciousness of members of his own community.  "The very system that instilled privilege and superiority in southern whites also instilled a sense of inferiority in the colored" (255)    This attitude is unfortunately still very evident today.  We are constantly bombarded with images of white superiority whether it be through aid campaigns or skewed news reporting.  The perpetuation of black inferiority coupled with the abject living conditions of many Blacks in this nation has generated a voracious form of nihilism.  Many begin to hate what it means to be black as evidenced by the rejection of identification with the African diaspora, and astronomical rates of black on black crime.  What Robert experienced on his daily visits to the homes of insured blacks was unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg that is visible without analytical thinking or critical analysis.   Until we begin to demand more positive representation of Blacks in the mass media and begin to critique our cancerous view of black humanity we will continue to suffer at the hands of both white supremacy and one another.  While Robert was eventually able to woe his patients through compassion and dedication, such tactics only work effectively on an individual basis and we find ourselves dealing with the stark realities of a much larger societal problem.