One of the most damaging features of African American stereotypes is the influence they have on young African Americans. When young people grow up under the stigma of these negative African American stereotypes , it somehow informs their psychology and these African American stereotypes bring about what Psychologists refer to as the self-fulfilling prophecy. Quite a number of African Americans do not even know that they play into and help to reinforce the African American stereotypes . They believe that the African American stereotypes have been imposed upon them and while partly right, they reinforce them through acceptance. For example, some African Americans do not aspire to higher education because they live under the African American stereotypes of being dumb and lazy. It is even more painful to hear children label themselves according to these African American stereotypes. http://www.m3boys.org/African-American-Ste...
I second that notion because some Black teens take the path of least resistance so instead of applying themselves and proving that these stereotypes are wrong, they just accept and go with it which takes the least amount of effort and resistance. In order to achieve and be something in life, one has to work at it and work hard. More or less... fight ( not with violence) one's way to success
