Although Wright (1981; 1975) has written other pieces in Black Psychology, his fundamental and most-known work is "The Psychopathic Racial Personality." In this essay, he poses whites as the mortal danger to Black people and seeks to analyze their behavior to demonstrate this.

The urgency of such an analysis, he suggests, is due to the fact that this period in history is critical to Black's future. Using the analogy of a bullfight in which the bull finally stops charging the cape blindly, sees that "matador" and faces "the moment of truth." He argues that "this is indeed Blacks' moment of truth and it is time for them to look at the matador."

According to Wright, European "matadors" have for hundreds of years held up various banners to distract and delude Black people, i.e., "such concepts as democracy, capitalism, Marxism, religion and education." But now these banners, Wright contends, have reduced to one-genocide, as evidenced in the development of genetic, chemical, electrical, surgical, and other behavioral control strategies.

This emerges from the fact that due to technological development and the worldwide struggle resources, "Blacks are now a threat and a liability to the white race." It is in such a context that the understanding of the white "matador" becomes imperative.

Wright states at the outset that the basic premise of his work "is that in their relationship with the Black race Europeans (whites) are psychopaths." Moreover, he states that this "behavior reflects an underlying biologically transmitted proclivity with roots deep in their evolutionary history." He defines a psychopath as "one who is constantly in conflict with others,…unable to experience guilt, completely selfish and callous and has total disregard for the rights of others."

Expanding his analysis, Wright focuses on evidence of behavior traits, which he reasons proves his contentions and demands Black consideration. He asserts that the key to understanding the psychopathic personality is its "almost complete absence of ethical or moral development and an almost total disregard for appropriate patterns of behavior."

This is expressed in the fact that whites have "historically oppressed, exploited and killed Black people-- all in the name of their God Jesus… and with the sanction of the churches" (Wright, 1975:6). The activities of the KKK, a white Christian clan, and the Pope blessing Italian planes and pilots on their way to bomb Ethiopia without provocation are cited as examples.

Secondly, Wright maintains, the psychopath is also defined by the lack of "concern or commitment except to their own interest" and becoming indignant and angry when they are exposed and questioned. The unkept promises of the 60's by whites and their attitude toward black liberation and progress are examples of this. Also Wright argues, "The psychopath is usually sexually inadequate with a very limited capacity to form interpersonal relationships." This is exhibited in whites in their constant project of excessive sexuality on Blacks, although it is they "who streak, mate swap, participate in orgies, etc."

Bobby Wright Bio

Recognized for his activism, he was a special guest on the Committee of Science and Technology at the Sixth Pan-African Congress held at Tanzania in 1974. As a social scientist, he sought an all-encompassing social theory for Black people and formulated the concept of mentacide. To paraphrase, he defined mentacide as "the planned and systematic destruction of a group's mentality aimed at the destruction of the group."

Thus, Black folk alienated from their culture and history eventually lose their sense of purpose and direction, the symptoms of mentacide. Well aware of the implications of technical advances such as behavior modification and genetic engineering, he presented science as a tool serving greater ends (such as controlling the outcasts of white society), neither objective nor neutral.

Being an uncompromising critic of Western society, he wrote the following on the relation of religion to prejudice from "The Psychopathic Racial Personality" in the Fall 1974 issue of Black Books Bulletin: "Because of their lack of ethical or moral development, there is no conflict between the white's religion and racial oppression.

The white race had historically oppressed, exploited, and killed black [sic] people, all in the name of their god Jesus Christ and with the sanction of their churches. For example, it is generally overlooked that the Ku Klux Klan is primarily a religious organization. Also, blacks [sic] should never forget the Pope [Pius XI] blessing the Italian planes and pilots on their way to bombing Ethiopian men, women, and children who only had spears to defend themselves."

Source From: Introduction to Black Studies - Karenga, 1993

© December 2005 By Afromerica

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