Dichotomy

You are in a parking lot at night and a black man is coming toward you.

Perhaps he is on his way to the store where you are parked, perhaps not. Do you lock your car door just in case? Black males have been given a reputation for violence that exceeds reality by a great degree.

Let me introduce you to Ernest Simmons, the man in the picture.

Don’t get me wrong, Ernest is capable of violence in a certain setting; he is the 1991 kick-boxer world champion. Out of the ring, however, he is a quiet and cultured man far removed from the perception many have of a muscular black male.

His ability to compete in a violent sport and then interact with society while showing intellect, wit, and dignity is a dichotomy we all need to understand.