For Hundreds of years a wall of separation has existed among the Black community. Whether it involved the skin color, hair length, nose size, or social standing, Blacks have always found someway to distinguish themselves away from the masses of their culture. In Malcolm X's essay "Message to the Grass Roots," and Shelby Steele's excerpt "On Being Black and Middle Class," Black separatism can be traced to the times of slavery. House Negroes wanted to disassociate themselves from the field Negroes. Today, the question is whether the Black community has let the house Negro mentality transcend through time to be emulated by the Black middle-class.

Malcolm X clearly defines a house Negro as being absolutely loyal to his master. The house Negro thought more of his master's well being than the master thought of himself. Love was...