Black youth both young men and women are being
killed, their lives seemingly have no valuable.
Just another statistic for vital statistics and crime
reports and another one or two minute sound bite
for news media.
Young men like Trayvon Martin (Sanford, Florida),
Ervin Jefferson (Atlanta, Ga.), 20-year-old Kendrec
Lavelle McDade (Azus), 18 year-old Ramarley Graham
(New York City) taken away by violent deaths.
Violence, claiming the lives of those who should have
promising futures ahead of them, young men and
women have fallen at the hands of those who have
sworn to protect and serve the community, but instead
have caused chaos, sorrow and pain.
Black fathers, grandfathers, uncles and stepfathers are
hard pressed to teach young Black men and a growing
number of Black women survival skills to keep them
from being targets and victims.
President Barack Obama has challenged more Black fathers
to step up and take on the responsibility to teach
their children. Even though he is the President he has
experienced disrespect, curses and hatred is shown to him
because of his color. Racism is not dead…
President Obama has even made the statement that
Trayvon Martin could be his son. What a testament for a
plea for change.
The excuse that Black youth are trouble makers because
they have no fathers does not count in the case of Trayvon
Martin because there is an involved father. The excuse
that Black children are all in poverty is not true from the
lifestyle of the Martin family. They are not welfare
recipients, nor on food stamps, but some in society auto-
matically think they are, this mentality must change.
In the United States of America Black young men
time lines are slowly diminishing; devaluing to a point
of unimportance. Across this country more young Black
men and young Black women are being gunned down.
Fathers, the teaching to our sons and now daughters
should go beyond riding a bike, attending church, dating,
drugs and sex. Fathers have to teach their children lessons
of life, the lessons of survival, how to stay alive when there
are those who do not value them as they should. Fathers,
the responsibility to speak to children is more important
now more than ever.
Personal Fears
True fathers have fear for our sons and now for
our daughters. Attending the Daddy Daughter Dance 2012
I see loving and involved fathers. This needs to grow and be
consistent.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400553/william-jackson/2012-02-27/daddy-daughter-dance-jacksonville
The dance shows that fathers are involved and there are more
Black fathers involved than would be imagined by society.
Fathers fear that their children may die before they do
either at the hands of an overzealous service revolver or
the hands of someone who looks like them. Our young men
and women should be searching for a cure to cancer, diabetes,
heart defects, fighting poverty, working to end hunger
and other social challenges.
Fathers now must teach sons and daughters to look over
their shoulder, how to talk to law enforcement officers, to be
mindful that some see them as less than a man or women.
Be careful who you hang with and who you associate or call
friends.
Black youth should be concentrating on graduating high
school and planning their futures, not having parents planning
funerals.
There is Evidence
The evidence is visible in the media and seen on our streets.
Young Black men and women’s lives are at risk, when
men do not take the time to teach their children how to
conduct themselves in public, pull up their pants, talk
respectfully to adults, respect authority and act with
intelligence and pride, they set their children up for failure.
When Black children are successful in school, in their churches,
earning honors for academic excellence and achievement
they are not acting white, or the other demeaning terms used for
being respectful, educated and career oriented.
Young men and women that act like thugs and gansta’s will be
treated as such and subjected to actions that may prove deadly, but
this mentality is transferred to all young Black men and women.
Young men must be willing to change their mentalities and
actions. Not to change who they are, but to change the perceptions
of society. Too many Black youth are not prepared to grow mentally,
socially and spiritually. To many think it is cool to be uneducated
living on welfare. Parents should not teach their children that a
“Food Stamp” life is a good life.
Teachers can’t teach social responsibility and accountability,
the government can’t teach it, the media can’t teach it,
but fathers and mothers can and must teach the value of education.
If a greater number of families are involved in their children’s lives
crime would be down, education would be a priority and more Black
youth, our young men and women would have more direction and purpose.
Conclusion
The reality is there is a lack of fatherly presence in
Black homes; it affects communities, schools
and churches. It is past time for more fathers to
stand up and make a commitment to their communities.
Fathers must remember that there are several institutions
that want Black children Educational and Institutional, it is up
to parents to direct their children to the correct institution.
Statistics and data do not lie, they can be manipulated, but facts
are facts. It is up to parents to direct children to educational
institutions, vocational schools, career choices, valuable career
options. Steering youth away from the institutions of incarcer-
ation and death.
Parents must know their children’s friends and associates, because they
sometimes do not have your child’s best interests.
Trayvon Martin is a wake up call for all of us to the travesty of
Black youth being murdered. The Trayvon Martin story is not the
first, but parents must work hard to make it the last..
The Trayvon Martin Case Exposed the so called Equal Justice System!
Their has never been Equal Justice For Darl Skinned Males in America!
America has Always Promoted Racial Bias based on skin color!
I Truly Hope What Trayvon Martin Died For and what Martin Luther King Jr. Died For One Day Becomes A Real in America. Content of Character Not Color of Skin!
Friday, April 13th 2012 at 11:44AM
Gordon Arnold Wright
I Do Not Agree With Your Conclusion. Their Are Some Women who have done Great Work as Single Parents.
President Barack Obama is One of those Biracial Men. Stop Defending The UnEqual Justice System! Make the needed Changes . No More Excuses Please.
What Kind of Parent Did George Zimmerman Have to Raise A Man who Hates Dark skinned Men ???
Friday, April 13th 2012 at 11:51AM
Gordon Arnold Wright
I understand the need for fathers to be more involved than ever in your children's lives. But we keep saying fathers. What also has to stop is our young girls having babies for all the wrong reasons. Where is their self respect. Where are the mothers when it's time to teach them self respect. This street that a number of our young adults travel is a street of "NO SELF RESPECT" and without that, you don't respect others. Self Respect is the beginning. "You are Somebody". When you know and understand that, those chips on your shoulder fall one at a time. We have to stop these babies from having babies. That chain needs to be broken NOW. Babies can't teach Babies. Let's get Pride back in our people and stop making excuses for failure. As long as we disrespect one another (black on black crime) we will get no respect from anyone else.
Monday, April 16th 2012 at 3:46PM
lorenzo ogden
Mr.Ogden , in America All People are entitled to their opinion.
Hitler's Propaganda murdered many People. You can Google the US Census and You can current Statistics as it relates to unwed Teens. You will find that it is not Black Teens that are number one for Fatherless homes. It is White Teens. According to the recent USCensus . Their are more unwed Caucasian Teens on Welfare Food Stamps
Monday, April 16th 2012 at 10:31PM
Gordon Arnold Wright
