During the civil rights movement there was an abundance of pride in the African-American community. There were struggles for equal rights and equal opportunities. The community was tightly unified at that time. Black people of all ages, shades, and religions risked their lives and freedoms to ensure a better life for future generations. Did they do all of that for nothing? Surely they did not go through the movement so their successors could pass on the opportunities they worked so hard to make available. While there are a great number of success stories in the black community there are still many tragedies. It is a sad reality that for practically every African America student in college there is one incarcerated. There has been an obvious decline of the moral fiber of the African-American society. This dissension can be attributed to many factors. There needs to be major improvements in the African-American family unit. Strong family values need to be incorporated in the community. Top priority should be guidance and support of your family, immediate and extended. Children need to be infused with the proper tools to become productive adult citizens. This can not occur if the focus of parent’s priorities is any where other than family. Absence of fathers is a major contributor to the breakdown of black families. Some men simply run away from the responsibility because their values are askew. In addition, thousands of African-Americans males are incarcerated and can not be present to raise their children. This forces a lot of mothers to raise children alone. Single mothers are without a doubt strong and capable of raising productive citizens but statistics show that children who grow up with fathers in the home are better prepared for the future. Fathers are especially needed to raise sons. A mother can teach her son the fundamentals to function in society, but she can not teach him how to be a “man” in society. This is why fathers, older brothers, and uncles alike are all essential in the African-American family unit.Next, the institution of marriage needs to be encouraged. Marriage ties directly into the development of a stronger family unit. The stigma of children being born out of wedlock has virtually vanished. A child needs both parents to receive the best care. Two parents providing discipline, emotional and financial support are imperative. In the single parent home some of these components are usually missing. The single parent is the sole provider and nurturer of the children. This leaves the single parent to work longer hours and spend more time away from home. They are unable to properly bond with their children and instill needed values. The egregious terms “Baby Momma” and “Baby Daddy” are hints that the children involved will not receive the attention and the support they need and deserve. They are used so nonchalantly in urban communities. Subsequently, these subtleties are indicators of the disintegration of families in the African-American community. There is also an evident lack of unity in the African-American Community. A lot of people only think of self-preservation, regardless of whether their neighbor goes hungry or not. There are separatist issues still prevalent in society such as skin tone and castes. This problem with skin tones began back in the times of slavery when the lighter skinned slaves received preferential treatment while the darker skinned slaves worked from sun-up to sun-down in the fields. Lighter skin and other Eurocentric features are still viewed as being closer to perfection. On the other hand, strong Afrocentric features were equated to inferiority. The separation of the castes in black society is also problematic. Middle class African-Americans are criticized and due to their financial success are viewed as “selling out.” Being affluent should not be condemned it should be heartened. These individuals should be viewed as models in society as long as they do not forget their roots and are willing to help others in need.The black race is diverse in itself and all differences should be embraced. The community needs to purge itself of present hang-ups such as skin tones and castes, and come together to reach a common goal. There needs to be unity to make a strong stand in society. In essence, all African-Americans should want the same things; justice, equal treatment and equal opportunities. It would be exponentially more effective if the entire community worked together to reach the summit rather than a sporadic few. Drastic changes need to be made in order to improve the conditions in the African-American community. We need to reestablish strong family units to ensure prosperous future generations. We need to help one another and accept all of our differences. At the same time, we need to rid the community of negative attitudes and become more active in the political process. There needs to be a resurgence of unity in the community. The unity that was present when people walked in protest of segregation and unequal treatment. All channels should be exercised for this cause from television, newspapers, and handbills. In recent years, internet venues such as HBCU Connect, Myspace, and Facebook have become extremely popular. These successful networking sites reach millions of individuals daily. They would be highly effective sources to spread the message to people of the community. In conclusion, we need healthy, knowledgeable and compassionate citizens involved to carry-out a massive reconstruction of the African-American community.Values need to be refocused on the immaterial rather than material. Imagine a community where values including unity, prosperity and betterment were top priority. If we start with the root of the problem the other issues that spiral around them could inevitably be affected positively.
