Kids are dying everyday in many of the communities that are predominately Black, which is a failure that Americans faces everyday. It is a failure because the problem has never been properly addressed and these kids are being born into a system of status quo ideology that enslaves more than it saves and preaches more than it practices. The ideology is detrimental not only to the individuals who reside in these areas, but it paints a picture to the world that we don’t care how are citizens are being affected. The image of America cannot be positive if we continue to ignore the problem that has been here since Africans were kidnapped and forced to work.
People who study this epidemic of hardship that Black Americans face everyday are telling us the same story and pointing the same fingers. There is a blatant refusal to tell the truth and understand that the black family structure was destroyed since Africans arrived in this country. Fathers forced to abandon their kids and wives so that they would not be murdered. Fathers forced to watch their wives and daughters be raped is the true reality. It was a psychological beating that broke the black family structure long before a man put a blue or red flag in his pocket and started gang banging. We have to stop blaming absent fathers for problems because no other ethnic group tries to make the comparison. An absent father does not give a kid a gun and force him to take a life. There are kids everyday who kill people and they have both parents in the house. We, as a society, refuse to put truth in our history books. As a society, WE have criminalized Black Americans and historically made laws that would place barriers on self-achievement in Black America.
Slavery has been discussed but never fully recognized as a tool to destroy Black Americans. When I was younger, I heard many theories in school about the purpose of slavery, but the one that stuck with me the most is, “A business venture that got out of hand.” I understand the thinking behind the statement with free labor that helped build a powerful empire known as America, but if that was the purpose then what is the justification behind de-humanizing and de-civilizing? A question that will never be answered with truth and ownership!
This problem can cease to exist if we start being honest in our approach to help end the violence or break the chains that continue to enslave many individuals, especially the younger generation who have moved away from learning history and focus more on the immediate gratification of money and fame. It has to come to a point where we begin holding schools accountable and not allowing them to miss-educate and guide them down the wrong path. We have to stop allowing people to blame the victims of psychological enslavement. We have to finally stop blaming the ‘destruction’ of the black family on Black Americans and instead learn the history of the making of a slave. The future is bright if we take off the blinders and turn the lights on. The future can be successful if we start addressing the history and not the outcome.
What you say holds merit. Yes we are our worst enemy. We don’t have pride in ourselves. I’m sure you’ve read the Willie Lynch theroy. We were trained to hate our selves and envy our brothers and sisters. This seed has been planted deep. Look at recent current events. The attack on our young girls Gabby who won the gold, the first daughters and the young girl who was up for an Oscar. It’s okay to publicly disrespect us. If that’s not enough we can be shot down under the stand your ground laws. Then these young rappers getting rich with derogatory lyrics dispespectng women, glorifying guns and violence. And Lil Wayne talking about beating someone like Emmet Till. Africans and Haitians come to this country and excel.
I heard this African song and this African guy was translating and the song was praising their people, encouraging them to work hard to succeed.
We need to start telling our children that they are great and can do great things. Instead of cursing and yelling at them. We need to turn off and open books and communication with our children. I know it’s not easy but somehow it has to be done.