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Memo
Nicole Proof read my paper she stated that my paper was great the myth I
chose was a great topic. I had a few errors because I wasnt finished so she put that
I had a few run on sentences and I need to switch some paragraphs around to make
them sound different. Since I only had two pages there wasnt really too much to
say. My thesis statement was clear because I didnt propose a thesis statement then
but I had an idea so she commented on that. I had to fix my MLA format and I didnt
have a work cited because it was based on my story and how I was encounter with
the myth.

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Deondra Mayfield

Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101-09
February, 14, 2016

Blacks doesnt read

In todays society many people have portrayed that blacks do not read and that the
African American culture are still slaves. This has been a stereotype that was develop when
blacks wasnt able to read or write because they wasnt taught. Since slavery days the white man
has kept the myth alive that African Americans cant read. Generations to come has been
brainwashed not only by their ancestors but also the media, and the news television that has
portray this negative stereotypical image that was force upon African Americans 100 years ago.
Since then that myth has been kept so close to home because this was a saying to put down many
others stating that blacks were UN educated. Many blacks today are being judge based on this
cultural myth. Cultural myths can harm ones character, because these myths are stereotypes and
being judge before you walk in the room based on myth can stop you from achievements you
may deserve. We have been discriminated against for years we have lost job opportunities,
education, (enrollment in schools). It has been so bad over the years that a law had to be in place
for African Americans to attend predominantly white school Blacks shouldnt be stereotyped
based on a myth that was created to repress their character.
Although many do agree because blacks seem to care more about the materialistic things
then the most important things than education. We seem to come across as being selfish and very
greedy for the finer things in life. Due to new circumstances blacks are more privilege now than

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they were years ago, and since then blacks are now taking advantage of colleges and graduating
with degrees. Should this myth blacks dont read be true? Although the rates for blacks with
education are down but they are higher now than it was in the 60s. I felt that this topic was
necessary because there are books and articles relating to this topic and one quote that stuck out
to me it said if you want to hide something from black people put it in a book they will never
find it. The first thing that came in my mind was who said things like this who make up these
nasty things to say about people in general and why? It just had sparked a lot of thoughts in my
head because this was a myth because its not true. It is very easy for me to say that this is not a
true statement, because I am black and also a college student. So would this put me in the
category that every black person doesnt read or isnt educated? I came across a face book post
that stated that blacks werent educated and this wasnt even from a white person it was from a
young lady that was my age and black. I feel as if you state this and youre black you are also
talking about yourself.
From my last experience of interaction with this stereotype, I remember sitting at the
barbershop on a summer day waiting to getting my eyebrows done. Around that time that was
when the barbershop was busy. A woman came walking in she sat down she was reading
something and I didnt pay attention at first until she handed the paper to the barber and told him
to read this Im guessing it was a paragraph from the article she was reading he sat it down and
he said I dont believe this. After that he ended up reading the paper out loud he disagreed with
the whole article. The article was saying that blacks are very Un educated we rather buy clothes
then pick up a book to gain knowledge The man face seem very upsetting, because he was
educated and he didnt believe that he fit in this category for all black people dont read. The

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woman agreed with the article stating that it was true, because We will try to live beyond our
means to try to impress someone who is not doing anything for us.
This became a debate in the barbershop as more people came in more people started to
claim their side after hearing what the debate was about. As I am sitting here im just thinking to
myself we as in blacks are really agreeing to this myth that was basically put in place to repress
the black community to put us down and make us think we cant amount to anything. As the
debate started get heated the barber said if we didnt do anything but by clothes how come we
have black owned business and the education rates of black males and females are higher than
they once was before since we dont read. I never said anything but I just sat there but when he
made that statement I was just like jack pot! Who couldnt agree to him at this point he was
making true statements because he is a part of that community that is educated and he has
worked hard to get to where he is at now. So the woman who gave him the article at first started
to stumble on her words because there was no way of coming back with facts when it was
already evidence, because she was standing in a black owned barbershop and talking to a man
who has two degrees and made himself successful.
Even though she stood her ground on what she believe she never back down but I felt as
if you see the evidence that this is just a stereotype and every black person does not belong in
this category so why would you still believe this article. Just sitting there watching them debate
you could see that this myth has made an impact on so many people, and that they are not even
recognizing the African Americans who are being missed represented by this cultural myth. I
watch how many people believe the woman who wrote this article, a Caucasian female who
probably doesnt know too much about the black community and the change that many blacks
are trying to make. It is all just a stereotype and many people are being judge by this stereotype.

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Even though it seem like he was alone, some did come to his rescue the man right next to me
who said he just graduated from UNC- Chapel hill with a bachelor degree in communications,
and I know for certain he had to read some books to be successful in that 4 year college. He
made his point to say that if he didnt read he would have never finished at Chapelhill with a
degree and with a GPA of 3.7. When this happen I was in high school a senior but I never knew
how rigorous UNC Chapel hill was until applying.
The debate never ended, and I never said anything but before walking out it got quiet and
opinions started to die down. I felt like when everyone got quiet that the people was really
thinking about what they was saying about how true the myth could be. As walking out the
barbershop made me think more and more on why this particular cultural myth has made a
dominant effect on people. The history on African Americans also the stereotypes that has been
place on African American has made this stereotype so believable, that many cant wipe the fog
of their glasses and see the change.
Cultural myths has played a big role in society. We as people tend to believe in these
myths and expect them to be true. Blacks doesnt read has been a myth since slavery days
because we couldnt read, because we wasnt taught. You have to be taught to learn and if you
are not taught then how do you expect someone to be educated. As we can see in todays society
we know that these myth has been overrated and there are a lot of educated African Americans.
Stereotypes has been placed on people to in fact tear people down it can harm you more than it
can help you. Basically you are being judge not by your character but by societys tag that they
have placed on you.

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After being in a situation where the myth was present I seen how society could brainwash
ones brain to make them believe something which is totally untrue. These myths have been a
dominant factor in American way of living. One myth can go very far and have many minds to
believe something that is not real. Although there is nothing we can do to make cultural myths
disappear but in fact this is how America stays alive due to stereotypes to degrade someone
either by their skin color or the way they may think. Even though we know these myths are still
alive and we know a stereotype when we see one it doesnt stop us from judging one either.