Drylongso: a Self-Portrait of Black America

Carl Roberts Drylongso: A Self-Portrait of Black America Nancy White

White’s why-question: Why don’t white folks become adults, whereas African Americans sometimes do?

White’s motivational mechanism: People are born lazy, although they can be taught otherwise.

According to Nancy White there are two types of control:  Moonlight boogie-joogie (control through flattery—statements that another is smart or otherwise superior). Women and whites tend to be susceptible to this.  Financial control (the exchange of money for labor). Women and African-Americans (i.e., people with few resources) tend to be susceptible to this.

White’s theory is one of socialization that begins with people in what amounts to a state of “original sin”:

Children are born with 2 sinful natures: African-American Many African-Americans become adults who . . .  laziness (leading them to trick socialization:  are free not to be tricked. others into doing things for them) “getting the devil (i.e., o not dependent on others for comforts  foolishness (i.e., a susceptibility to laziness and foolishness) o not susceptible to others’ flattery flattery) whipped out of you”  do right by each other.

Whites’ socialization:  Mothers (duped by flattery) do not Whites punish lazy sons and convince remain daughters to believe their flatterers. children.  Fathers side with sons and perpetuate flattery.