Enslaved: The Anatomy of America's Power Culture: Unmasking of the Privileged

By Dr. Dudley J Davis

priv·i·lege

A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Davis
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088116241

Dr. Dudley J Davis

Dr. Dudley Davis is the founder of the YES! Program, a youth focused non-profit organization that he served as the Executive Director for over 25 years. Dr. Davis holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Maine, a Master of Science degree in Health Psychology from the University of New England, and a Ph.D. in Strategic Media from Liberty University. Dr. Davis has three children and resides with his partner. His hobbies include basketball, poker, reading, writing, and taking walks.

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Enslaved: The Anatomy of America’s Power Culture

Unmasking of the Privileged

By

Dr. Dudley Davis

Copyright © 2022 by – Dr. Dudley Davis – All Rights Reserved.

It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

FIREFIGHTERS            

POWER CULTURE            

Chapter II

THE CONS:1 AND 2            

GREENWOOD            

CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY REALIZED BUT DENIED            

ENLIGHTENMENT            

ESCAPING THE CAVE            

Chapter III

PASSING ON HATE            

SELF RECOGNITION            

AWAKENING TO ENLIGHTENMENT            

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE            

THE COLOR OF LAW            

SEEING ME            

BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION            

CONSEQUENCES OF SILENCE            

CRIMINALIZATION OF THE BLACK MALE            

YOURS IS A WHITEWASHED HISTORY            

IMPLICATIONS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE            

THE OMNIPRESENCE OF WHITE PRIVILEGE EVEN IN THE SCOURAGE OF PRISON            

Chapter IV

CONCLUSION            

References

Dedication

For my mother, who has been there for me every step of the way, guiding, encouraging, and supporting me to be the best version of myself in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Acknowledgements

My warmest gratitude to the editors, designers, and marketers who lined up in single file in support of this project. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Thank you! I would also like to express my gratitude to my family for their unfailing support and encouragement. Thank you! To my loving and cherished partner, thank you for your daily words of encouragement and support and for allowing me to write in my quiet space. You make me feel like I can conquer a mountain with you in support of me, and I thank you for that. With infinite love!

About the Author

Dr. Dudley Davis is the founder of the YES! Program, a youth focused non-profit organization that he served as the Executive Director for over 25 years. Dr. Davis holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Maine, a Master of Science degree in Health Psychology from the University of New England, and a Ph.D. in Strategic Media from Liberty University. Dr. Davis has three children and resides with his partner. His hobbies include basketball, poker, reading, writing, and taking walks.

Chapter I

If history is White, the privilege of writing and teaching history only from the perspective of the colonizer has such profound implications that they are difficult to fathom.

-Francis. E. Kendall.

INTRODUCTION

The positions argued in this book will likely make some readers uncomfortable. However, readers are challenged to read, shelve their opinions for ninety minutes, and sit behind the eyes of ordinary African Americans. Secondly, this book is not intended to judge every White person for it is known all too well there are many good, well intended Whites who roll up their sleeves every day to work towards a world where diversity, equity, and inclusion becomes a reality. Furthermore, this book makes no claim of holding a monopoly on truth, only the experiences and perspective that African Americans have experienced. The intent is to share some of these experiences with the reader.

Throughout American history, African Americans’ contributions to society have been relegated to primarily sports and entertainment. These are samples of few professions in America's power culture that African Americans are allowed to excel to the zenith of their potential. Pathways toward other professions are often blocked, impeded, checked, and limited to a select few, the tokens America's power culture is comfortable with. These are often the lone Black faces you see in groups, on committees, or in organizations representing social progress. But there is not an honest intent to move towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. The American negro is a devalued member of American society. Their culture is often criminalized, mocked, derided, stereotyped and their contributions outside of sports and entertainment are often invisible to most Americans. The devaluation starts early, often in American schools. Here is an example. African American children are four times more likely to be disciplined or suspended in American schools than White children for trivial matters such as hair styles or the clothes they wear.[i] The people acting as sole arbiters of these discretionary suspensions do not come from or reside in Black communities. These cultural discriminatory practices by school administrators have consequences for students of color, which may lead theses students on a trajectory of dropping out and joining gangs—hence, creating a school-to-prison pipeline.[ii]

​Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in American schools will be a challenge for administrators, teachers, and students. Politics will rule the day, for those in power will see the embrace of diversity as an encroachment on their cultural heritage—the loss of the right to be first, the loss of the privilege to rule and others follow and obey. The staunch defenders of White-only history in American schoolbooks underscores the fight that lies ahead in American classrooms. Banning books in American schools that provide different culturally diverse points of view other than White Americans, appears to be at the top of conservative political agenda. Subramanian (2022) argued the alarming book banning wave across school districts, counties, state legislation and national political interest groups is moving towards dangerous censorship of education.[2a] Subramanian (2022) further stated:

​Sweeping experiences of Black and Brown perspectives of ​yesterday, today, and               tomorrow under the rug causes more harm               among children by erasing injustices and suggesting that an               experience that isn’t aligned with dominant culture narratives is               not just untrue, but non-existent. [2b]

America is more diverse than ever, but if true diversity, equity, and inclusion are to be realized, it will