EANS (Extremely Angry Negro Syndrome): it is hard to place this category, because it is more like an affliction than actual type. Symptoms usually include a high degree of anger and the belief that making everyone as furious as they are will bring about mobilization and spark instantaneous “consciousness.” Though a great deal of their anger is directed against “the man” (who they take great pleasure in telling off or scaring at any given chance), most of this rage eventually is turned upon other black people. If one does not quickly accelerate to these individuals’ level of anger, there is the strong possibility you will be denounced as an Uncle Tom, traitor or “honkie-lover” (the latter is a direct quote).

Pros: a significant amount of these afflicted individuals are new to the struggle (in fact some may have grown up in lily white venues before), and the shock of seeing things through “conscious” eyes causes the onset of disease as their worldview is challenged and thrown into imbalance; most will calm down over time and channel their anger in a more productive means; EANS is a natural phase nearly everyone who becomes “conscious” goes through; though it may cause some to lash out at friends and family members for being “deaf, dumb and or blind,” it is best these latter individuals wait out the disease of their loved one as it will normally clear up with maturity.

Cons: if left untreated, EANS can develop into a chronic disability. Some clear cases may include standing with bullhorns in black urban venues and screaming at other black people to get as angry as ones self; verbally insulting and lashing out at black passer-bys for not reaching a desired fever pitch of fury; brandishing weapons (empty) and jumping in front of television cameras at any given opportunity to show white people how angry you are (synonyms include “show-biz revolutionaries);” will more than likely turn off ten times as many black people as they turn on; all this anger will probably result in hypertension and high blood pressure, both of which are deadly.

Suggestions: St. John’s Wort, prozac or anger-management. Perhaps watch or read Malcolm X and see how he channeled anger into pro-active philosophy/action.