It’s the author’s belief that most of the well-known present and past problems of the Black family originate from its having been assaulted—physically and mentally—for over 10,000 years. This war upon Blacks and their culture has brought about the phenomenon we call programmed self- and mutual-destruction.

I have discussed on many occasions the idea that some Blacks are programmed for self- and mutual-destruction. This destructive syndrome is manifested by the fact that no matter what individuals may achieve educationally, economically, psychologically, socially, or politically, they are predisposed to act at some point, sooner or later in a manner that is destructive to themselves or others. Few escape this detrimental process, and only to a variable extent. It’s not in their nature but in the way they have been conditioned.

The Black story represents one of the greatest survival stories of Earth’s history. For them to experience the cruelty, brutality, and wickedness they encountered, and survive the experience with any amount of collective or individual sanity is a near-miracle. However, that survival experience did not occur without its consequences. In fact, there were many long-lasting consequences that continue to affect Blacks today.

Blacks were consciously and unconsciously programmed from their first contact with other groups to become destructive to themselves and others. They have continued to be programmed on a daily basis to manifest this self- and mutual-destruction.

After having been programmed for destruction, many Blacks will either seek to destroy themselves, seek out a relationship with someone who is likely to extirpate them, or find a specific vice that will ultimately prove deleterious.

Look back at the many Blacks who have achieved fame and fortune, whether in entertainment, sports, or academics; we always seem to get to a certain point and then take a downward spiral. It happens with such frequency that it almost seems as if we are predestined to go out in this manner.

In my estimation some Blacks have a reason for carrying out this self- and mutual-destruction. They are especially prone to hurt themselves and others in their group. I don’t believe that they always intend to be destructive; it’s just the way they have been conditioned in this society. In some cases Blacks have every intention of being positive, but still come off being destructive. Many of them are attempting to come off in a positive way, but their conditioning is so negative that it won’t let them be positive.

In other words we have been conditioned in such negative ways that we don’t know how to relate to others in a positive manner. So parents pass on the negativity to their children, children pass it on to their children and their friends. And we end up with negativity being passed around the community from generation to generation.

In this way we become like crabs in a bucket: pulling each other back from reaching the top without knowing the reason why. This is why we engage in fights, drive-byes, senseless murders, and other destructive and abusive behaviors.

Blacks have been treated negatively in history: including during pre-slavery, the Middle Passage, slavery, post-slavery, and modern times. We have been conditioned to self-hate, self-destruction, impotence, to lack unity, to lack organization, chaos, and confusion. All our conditioning leads in one direction: self-hate. This conditioning which leads to self-hate causes us to turn on each others and brings about self- and mutual-destruction. We will then do things to destroy ourselves, and assure that none of us make any significant progress.

The biggest issue we have to deal with is our conditioning to self-hate. A person who hates himself is dangerous to himself and all those around him. A person who hates himself will strike out at those who closely resemble himself. When he gets angry he is most angry at himself. Therefore he lashes out at those who look like him.

This self-hate desolates Blacks and leads them into self- and mutual-destruction. This causes them to turn on themselves, each other, and perpetuate all manner of inappropriate behavior on each other and the community.

Blacks take everything thrown at them and turn the hostility, anger, frustration, and devastation right back at each other. We commit murder, robberies, rapes, use drugs and alcohol, and involve ourselves in many other inappropriate behaviors. All of these things aid us in destroying ourselves. We kill each other, engage in self-defeat, self-destruction, and do all manner of things that are counterproductive. We are especially psychologically and physically abusive toward one another. A lot of our behavior is so confusing and chaotic that no one understands how it originated.

When we become defensive we attack ourselves. Those things we hate we often attack when we are angry, hostile, or aggressive, and attempt to destroy them. If we attack the things we hate and hold hostility toward when we are overly frustrated and angry, when we hate ourselves we will attack each other, suggest Amos Wilson, a late and great psychologist in his video, “A Blueprint for Black Power.”

We will channel that hostility, anger and hatred inward because that’s the thing we dislike most. Black self-hate then becomes a mechanism for Black self- and mutual-destruction. The aim of our angry and aggressive feelings becomes self and others who look like us.

We all wonder why Blacks aren’t making significant progress. But it is for these reasons that Blacks have difficulty thriving. We must learn to have love, loyalty, unity, and to consolidate resources. Without love there can be no loyalty; without loyalty there can be no unity; and without unity we will fail to consolidate resources. If we don’t learn to consolidate resources in a capitalistic society we will continue to fail to thrive.

We must reorient ourselves to our values and seek to find new ways of dealing with our frustrations, hostilities, and aggression.