The American Perception

Austin Smith '22 breaks down what it means to be a black man in America and how athletics and family have impacted his identity.

Art by Erik Richardson '20 and Emma Mansfield '20

Being a black man in America is not an easy walk in the park. It is like running a 100 meter dash in track, but in my lane, I have hurdles every 5 meters and everyone else starts at the 75m mark. Because of how black men and people are perceived today, I am a little more cautious about where I take my steps and how loud they are. Ever since I was a young child growing up in this world, my parents have always preached to me that people will always have a prejudice towards you because of the way you look. I had trouble understanding this frankly because I was too young to really comprehend their message but because of them, I know how to handle certain situations. Perception is a tough concept in this world, yet it is a way that people regard and understand others based on past news or preconceptions. Black men in America certainly have different experiences because we are always trying to not fit into the narrative of the “everyday” black man, but still be unique and represent our skin well. In my own life I have always been characterized as just as an athlete but that is not all to me, I love family, and I love embracing people and having fun. Every time we gain success athletically it is always minimized by people’s comments that our success is inevitable because we are black or superior athletically. Personally, in my life, there have been times when I have not been acknowledged for the countless hours that I have put in to be the best student-athlete that I can be. Pressure also comes with being in this skin because so many great people have come before me and I know that there is a lot on my shoulders, and I know that if I make one mistake it would be highlighted as if I made ten. Everyone uses the cliché, “block out the noise,” or not listen to people’s comments but it is hard because every move that you make is constantly being judged by everyone who thinks their opinion matters. Due to my gender and color of my skin, life has been harder, but through my experiences and relationships, I have learned to grow.

"Ever since I was a young child growing up in this world, my parents have always preached to me that people will always have a prejudice towards you because of the way you look."

Creating relationships today is still exceptionally difficult, but I have coped with this struggle through my relationship with my parents. My parents have always been there when I needed them, and have given me advice to keep pushing and progress as a man. I have experienced many successes and failures in my life, but I have never let them define me because I was always taught the only way to grow is to fail. When I was a freshman in high school, I was cut from the varsity team of one of the best programs in the country. Honestly it still stings a little from how much work I put in. My mother has always told me that I need to,”Play hard, Stay humble, and Stay hungry,” and I have applied that to my whole life because I know what both of my parents have been through. My parents offer me different stages of advice, for instance, my mother is more of a school and priorities and my father is a life-lesson and character building. Having a good relationship with your parents or a close family figure can really enhance your development because you can look to them for advice or even just someone to talk to. My family relationships have shaped my character because I have learned to live in the moment and use everything to its fullest potential. When I was growing up I would never think about the now it was always about the future, and around 2012 during many of the Black Lives Matter protests my parents sat me down and told me to cherish these moments. They understood the world we live in today can be dangerous so they wanted to ensure my safety because at this time black men were under a lot of scrutiny and danger. I commend both of my parents for their constant hard work and showing me what it takes to be a black man in this world.

In my life, I have learned countless lessons from family and learned a lot on my own, but honestly being seen in a bad light has made me stronger. You are probably wondering how this could be but no; being looked down upon and not embraced can be negative; but I consider it as a character builder. Criticism fuels me so I use negatives and turn them back into positives so that I can keep going and succeeding. Being black in America is like a job because you are given all of these expectations and you can never “clock out” in a sense. On the daily, people of color are challenged with tasks that most people are not challenged with and I believe that using that as a motivation would ultimately make it easier. I am not saying that I deal with this perfectly because the daily work takes a huge mental toll on your mind, but I understood at an early age that this life would not be easy and I had to embrace that. In a better light, because of how my family has pushed me to be the best that I can be; I now have a better outlook on my life. My personal growth has been tremendous through the help of my parents and also through criticism, as a black man I have learned to find role models who positively influence you and help you focus on your own expectations and not the ones of others. I have always been seen as behind the curve because most people feel that people of color are not capable of the same feats but I see myself as ahead of the curve because people’s words do not affect me anymore. Thus far in life I have been tested in many ways, but out of everything, I have learned the most important thing to do is fight and bet on yourself.

"My personal growth has been tremendous through the help of my parents and also through criticism, as a black man I have learned to find role models who positively influence you and help you focus on your own expectations and not the ones of others."