Black People : Just a question from a brother…

[pfa1451usa]

I’ve only been privileged to observe and contribute to this site for a short period of time. Having done so, I seem to observe a continual pattern and feel compelled to ask a most simplistic question:

“Why do we hold our sisters and white America accountable for our own failings?”

Children born out of wedlock are now 75% of births in the Black-American community as compared to 20% in the 1950s. The majority of these liaisons involved young sisters (13-16) impregnated by men in their mid to late 20s (25-29). We have 1/3rd more of our children living in poverty than 50 years ago. What ever happened to fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins looking out for our young women? Why don’t we hold these young men accountable?

Incarceration of Black-American males continues to rise. Bad music, disrespect, drop-out rates continue to climb. Drug use, gang activity, profanity (listened to a wayward young brother curse and display total disrespect on his cell-phone yesterday in a crowded restaurant filled with small children) domestic violence is on an uphill climb. The pursuit of the newest pair of sneakers, designer labels, video games, stereotypical films and obscene behavior appear to be part and parcel of our young brother’s constant pursuit.

Why do we continue to glorify the worst of our society? (Image award from the NAACP to Michael Jackson? Gangster rappers successful entrepreneurs? Professional athlete’s role models? How about our local pastors, business owners, teachers, volunteers, seniors?)

In the process of integration and abandonment, what did we buy into? Why do we continue to say nothing while our children murder and defile each other and continue to see it as the vestiges of “racism”?

In my wildest imagination I would never have guessed that even Rosa Parks, or any Afro-American senior for that matter, would have her home invaded several years ago by a young Black-American male.

Anyone here willing to comment on the role of Black-American men in the destruction of our own communities?

Just a question…and by the way as a Black-American male, I also consider myself accountable...

 

[Coach707]

I totally agree with all you have said brother! Our ancestors would be dissapointed in the way things turned out after all of their sacrifices they made to allow us to breath the same air as whites. I will say that Im not the kind of brother that blames other people for our problems, and I believe that there are others that feel as you and I do. But there are a good amount of people who balme it on whitey in order to feel better about their situation. To place blame is a universal defense mechanism that many people use (not just black folk) to balance self-esteem. Now, of course its not cool and its needs to change but lets look at reasons why it is nearly impossible.

Its a well known fact that we live in an instant gratification society. how does this effect every issue you bring up? Education is undervalued because society portrays sucess in everything from commercials, billboards rap videos and movies and hardly ever shows the hard work and dedication that it takes to have those things. These are the images that are clouding the head's of our youth, as a result they have a false sense of reality and become strangers to patience and hard work. How can they be loving fathers and dedicated husbands with no patience and no sense of the hard work it takes to be successful in anything? Nearly impossible. everything else is a domino effect to the miseducation of our children. Parents cant raise them and work 50 hours a week. Do you realize that many black children spend more time with other people (school, friends, relatives etc.) in the run of a week than they do their parents who work full time jobs? These things are crippling us as a culture.

By no means am I making excuses Brothas and sistas. I just feel that there are reasons as to why things are the way that they are. Some of them can be controlled and others are just things that we may have to live with.

Brotha PFA I respect that you recognized the many problems that plague the black community. Now I hope to discuss solutions that will help us take that step toward change.

 

[jamesfrmphilly]

“Why do we hold our sisters and white America accountable for our own failings?”

can you kindly quote a specific example of that happening here?

 

[karmashines]

American culture is a media-based society that is spreading its cancer onto the black nations along with others. In other words, people identify themselves through the "little box" and not through their own judgment and common sense. And the people controlling the images on "the little box" are those who have no concept of what a real "black" person is, or want to make money $$$ exploiting the stereotypes of their own people. Other races perpetuate racism through these beliefs, and SOME blacks perpetuate an identity that is destructive to the community. Advocating drug use, womanizing, gang-banging... these are behaviors that physically or emotionally harm others.

Free-thinking individuals will be able to separate themselves from these images, and they are what need to be looked to to solve the problem. Blacks in this category must gain control of a form of media that perpetuates positive things among the youth.

 

[pfa1451usa]

Thank you brother James...

can you kindly quote a specific example of that happening here?

...

"I aint blaming sisters, just asking sisters - who are raising our children, in many instances, by themselves - to take a look at how they send them some subtle and not-so-subtle messages about what they should aspire to, and want for themselves... If you are straightening your hair as a mother, then what more can be expected from your female child??? She wants to look and be like the most powerful woman in her life, her mother... Whatever you do, then she will, likely, mimic that... "

...there is much more in this thread as well as others...