In Black Society, we have a wealth of examples to choose from in regards to true Black Excellence…too many to name here, but nonetheless, our impact on the world is monumental to this very day.

In spite of such a consistent track record of Melanoid people contributing to society, the past century has seen its fair share of Brothers and Sisters who truly doubt how great they truly are as a people. They have succumbed to not only doubt, but the previously mentioned debilitating effects of fear. These are the same Brothers and Sisters who will, at any moment’s notice, shoot down any talk of progress, because according to them, “The white man will find out about what we’re doing and do away with all of us”. Although the occurrence of the Black person who exudes a high dose of skepticism towards Black progress has become an upward trend in recent years, our history–in particular, our history here in the States–has seen its fair share of Melanoid ladies and gentlemen who refused to empower themselves or their people because of what’s commonly known as conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories involving any instance of harm, defamation of character, or outright murder have indeed been proven to be true in years past. A prime example would certainly involve the family of Dr. King receiving some sense of closure after a years-long deliberation on who MLK’s murderer was. However, we’d be remiss to note several examples of conspiracy theories that we as Black folks have allowed to serve a brutal blow to our overall morale.

1. The Air Jordan Conspiracy

“Is it the shoes?”

This is probably one of the latest in a long line of conspiracies that we as Black people have found ourselves deeply fixated on. Message boards, barbershop conversations, and social media feeds alike have been rife with more-than-questionable information that suggests that basketball Hall-Of-Famer Michael Jordan owns several prisons. Because of this dialogue, many Melanoid people have begun to assume that a Brother with the latest “J’s” on his feet has been rendered useless to Black Society–all because of his taste in athletic footwear. This example was in no way intended to go to great lengths to defend Michael Jordan. It was, however, provided to illustrate that instead of focusing on the semantics surrounding this issue, let’s celebrate and support the up-and-coming  Black entrepreneurs who have created their own line of sneakers, and/or learned to monetize their hobby as a sneaker enthusiast. On another note, the easiest way to not give credence to the “Air Jordan Conspiracy”? Just don’t buy the shoes!

2. End-Time Biblical Prophecies 

It’s no secret that much of Black Society has used Christianity as a spiritual resource for the past few hundred years after being discouraged from practicing all of the other spiritual systems that were part of our African culture. Some of the greatest people in our history–from Nat Turner, to Marcus Garvey–were devout Christians who effectively utilized their faith to evoke change and provide sound leadership for our ancestors. While the Turners and Garveys of the world relied on their faith to counter systematic white supremacy, there were more Black people who were the “rule” in reference to how we have conducted ourselves as “good Christians” (in the eyes of the dominant society) as opposed to the “exception” (Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey)…which brings us to the heavy influence of eschatology over Melanoid people.

Eschatology, better known as the study of the “end-times”, has served as that perpetual little voice in the back of our heads that have told our grandparents (and now us) that there’s no need to create long-term plans for future generations of Melanoid people, because the world as we know it will be ending at a moment’s notice. Even individuals such as Edgar C. Whisenant capitalized on this movement, writing a book on the matter, which was titled “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988“. Unfortunately, far too many of us in Black Society have bought into this ideology to our own detriment.

3. The Illuminati

Our most romanticized conspiracy theory to date, this concept of the “hidden hand” is nothing new, but it sure has been used as an excuse for mediocrity and lack of progress among a sizable segment of Black Society. Sadly enough, the illuminati has been referenced by certain Black folks as a reason for them not being further ahead in their lives…as if to imply that they have to “join the dark side” in order to achieve great things. Are we dismissing the fact that there have been certain covert forces at work throughout the course of history that have worked against the best interest of Black people? Absolutely not. However, let us remind that hapless family member of ours that the illuminati hasn’t prevented them from going out and applying for that job that they desperately need.

4. The “Truther” Movement

Because of the continual threat of racism/white supremacy, we as Black people generally feel a false sense of relief when we see someone from the dominant society seem to expose certain elements of corruption in the system. These people have been known as “Truthers”. One of the most prominent faces of the “Truther” Movement is none other than Alex Jones, a white man who made a name for himself in the early 2000’s after “exposing” the real deal behind the September 11th (2001) attacks, and allegedly infiltrating places like Bohemian Grove. To many Black people, it was assumed that Jones was an ally to us in the fight against “The Man”, yet some of his views have shown that nothing could be further from the truth. By the way, Jones is a longtime proud supporter of former presidential candidate Ron Paul, and we know how Paul gets down.

5. Black Celebrity Conspiracies 

This particular example is one that we should tread lightly. In light of the untimely passing of music great Prince, we have been given reasons to believe that his death was highly suspicious. On the contrary, we must steer clear of any demoralizing talk that comes from critics when it comes to the deaths of these talented Black celebs. This means disregarding any talk that aims to derail us from working towards ownership in any sector of business. In other words, we need more “Michael Jacksons” and “Princes” in terms of us handling our business (especially in the entertainment industry, where our impact runs deep). While we’re speaking on Black celebrity conspiracies, can we stop wasting time on the “Is Tupac alive?” talk, please!

B. Clark