The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed the collection of myths to which white Americans cling: that their ancestors were all freedom-loving heroes$$$ that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen$$$ or th

The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed the collection of myths to which white Americans cling: that their ancestors were all freedom-loving heroes$$$ that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen$$$ or that Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace$$$ that Americans have always dealt honorably with Mexicans and Indians and all other neighbors or inferiors$$$ that American men are the world's most direct and virile$$$ that American women are pure. Negroes know far more about white Americans than that; it can almost be said$$$ in fact$$$ that they know about white Americans what parentsor$$$ anyway$$$ mothersknow about their children$$$ and that they very often regard white Americans that way. And perhaps this attitude$$$ held in spite of what they know and have endured$$$ helps to explain why Negroes$$$ on the whole$$$ and until lately$$$ have allowed themselves to feel so little hatred. The tendency has really been$$$ insofar as this was possible$$$ to dismiss white people as the slightly mad victims of their own brainwashing.