Bryan Stevenson: a classy man in a world of mediocrities.
People interpret the world drawing from schemas: mental images that capture the nature or quality of the world. Schemas are mental (cognitive) models of organising all incoming information to be stored in long-term memory. If I say ‘Africa’, there are certain mental images that pop up in ways that wouldn’t had I said ‘Switzerland’ because you have different schemas that lead to perceptions, images, assumptions about Switzerland.
So, when you hear about ‘Black men’ in a conversation or it’s part of a news headline, I wonder what comes up. Mass incarceration? Where? In the US or in Australia? Because in Australia, mass incarceration afflicts Indigenous men more, not African origin men. So what else then? Rappers and gangsters? Well, not if we’re talking about Black men in Ethiopia — you sure won’t see either anywhere there.
Maybe let’s narrow it down to individuals — are you likely to think Barack Obama or Jay-Z and Kanye West? Are we still thinking about Americans or are you familiar with other Black men, say Idris Elba from the UK? Anyone from the continent of Africa? Is it easy to think about Americans than Africans? Do you think about intellectuals or entertainers? Lebron James than Larry Elder? Why?
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