When talking with various brothers and sisters, one may tend to get various ideas about how to live in and among white society: amongst the rules, laws, prejudices, and racism that seems to play against Black people. Regardless of how many different strategies you get, there are only two that actually stand out, 1) get over, and 2) play along.

First, the "get over" mentality is not necessarily a corrupt or criminal mind-set, whereas the conjurer strategizes to take - illegally or undeservingly - what the white man has to offer. On the contrary, this mind-set is one of survival. How to get as much as possible without conforming to a culture not assembled with you in mind.

This strategy sometimes leads to underground activity such as purchasing illegal goods from true criminals, exaggerating credentials and experience to gain a good job, falsifying documents with utility and government institutions, religiously playing the lottery, and other such "get over" tactics.

Though some of these tactics may incriminate the person, they are things done by many people one would never suspect, including the white man, especially the white man. The difference between some of these illegal activities and out-right criminality is aggressiveness. Better put, white-collar crime versus, street crime. Yet, how often do we hear about small-time white-collar crime as opposed to the intent and profile of harden criminals.

Measuring the ability to survive in America can easily be done by exposing the many small-time crimes committed by everyday people. In the case of Blacks, many of us have had to resort to these type tactics more often than not. Not because we are criminal minded, but because many of us were not presented with a silver platter as children. In fact, there may be some whose parents have yet to tell them the things they may have done to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.

Many more whites have been served life differently, especially in America. The system is set for them and works for them, and is not always kind to the Black face. Though there are more white criminals than Black ones - over-all - the general population of Blacks has to live under these circumstances everyday and more often.

The second mind-set is the "play along" mind-set. This mentality suggest that a Black person get into the minds of whites, abide by their rules, talk the talk, walk the walk, read the books, and you will survive. However, once a Black does this, they have sacrificed their true Blackness for a piece of the American pie. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Some believe that it is not, but a necessity in order to live. There is nothing wrong with conforming to the American standard if survival dictates it. But there is a fine line between selling out and surviving. Because once we begin to conform by shedding our identity in terms of diction and personality, we are perceived by the other "get over" Blacks as sellouts. And if we suppose that conforming is the best way and begin to degrade the other way of life, we have sold out because we have forgotten where we came from and what we may have went through, thus we cannot relate to the "get overs" any longer.

So what do we do, do we "get over" or do we "play along?" Depending on your family's past, your social economical background, and your values, you live life according to what hand life deals you. Striving for better is good, but meeting with racial impediments can be distressing, leading back to "getting over."

© 2004 by CR Hamilton