I figure since there are threads that are regarding African-Americans, members can post their thoughts in this thread.
Here is my theory on why black men are the way that they are today.
This is an issue that most people do not want to discuss. This is even a topic that I do not even feel comfortable discussing.
I'm black and I understand this issue very well. I know there are some questions that you and others might want to know about me.
1.) Have I ever been to prison? No
2.) Have I ever been arrested? No
3.) Have I ever been harassed by the police for nothing? Yes.
4.) Have I ever been accused of stealing, selling drugs, or being a thug? Yes.
5.) Have I ever been judged by my PEOPLE about being something that I'm not? Yes.
6.) Do random people think that I'm stupid just because I'm an African-American male? Yes.
7.) Did I attend college? Yes.
8.) Have I ever done drugs or drink alcohol? No.
I'm not the only black man who's going through this or has been through this. This is America and people DO judge other people based on race and that's a fact. Me, however, I have over come some REAL crap in my life. I won't go into detail about what I've been through. Maybe another time.
Jobs, education, and positive male guidance are the main elements for a man to succeed in this world. However, black men aren't obtaining these elements and it's due to a lot of reasons.
The absence of fathers.
70% of African-American households are being run by black women. That means that the gender roles between African-Americans females and males have been reversed. It's the women who are raising both the boys and the girls. It's dangerous of the boys because they're only getting one perspective of life and that's from their mothers, which isn't a good thing. Being raised by females will NOT be a positive result for the male.
Now, that isn't to say that they're males in the boy's life. Mainly, the type of male guidance he'll receive is from drug dealers, ex-cons, thugs, homeless men, men who have dropped out of high school, and bums. The ONLY positive male role models that the boys MIGHT admire are male teachers and some local business owners. If not them, they're mostly black male entertainers such as athletes, actors, hip-hop artists, and thugs. I hate to say it but there is not much positive male guidance in the "hood". Again, it depends on where one lives.
The problem with this is that black men are being trained to be physically strong and mentally dependent. Think about it. There aren't to many black men in college, black men are dropping out of high school at an alarming rate, black men are most likely to be in prison more than any other race of male, and the list goes on. I know what you're thinking. Why is this? Well, it has to do with how they're being raised. Black men aren't being raised to be something positive in this world. Black men are being raised to be a something negative because that's what black people think is right. The mothers are mainly the ones who raise black men to be the way that they are. No question. She'll teach her daughter to be mentally strong and independent and raise her son to be physically strong and mentally dependent. Why? It is true that most African-American men do leave when they find out when their girlfriend or sex buddy is pregnant because they weren't taught how to be a man correctly, and that's due to not having a father. So, they run. Now, the woman has to raise her child buy herself. It's nothing more than a cycle that IS damaging the black community.
Education
The high school dropout rate for black males is more than 50%. Why is that? It’s simple. There is no proper support for black men to purse an education. Society thinks negatively of a black man who has a college education. God forbid if he has a Ph.D in Physics or in Chemistry. For a black man to obtain that level of education is just simply unheard of AND not very liked in the black community. Here’s the thing. The drug dealer, thug, ex-con, street baller, or bum is considered the alpha male in the black community, while the black man who is a college student is considered to be corny and just plain weak in the black community, depending on how one behaves. Education just isn’t the norm in the black community.
Young black males know this from an early age, mostly during high school, which is why most of them dropout. There is just no support for them to graduate high school and attend college. The only support that they receive is to be a drug dealer, thug, or an athlete. It’s not that they can do the book work, it mostly has to do with the fact that they most likely won’t receive the proper support and funds to purse a higher education. Most likely, their friends and family will tease them and talk smack about them for doing something positive and setting a good example. Most of them will be thought as a sell out or a sucker. Now, this doesn't apply to ALL black people. Just in general, though.
Jobs
With the black male image the way that it is, employers of any race are skeptical of hiring a black man. African-American high school dropouts have a VERY hard time obtaining employment versus any other race in America. Even with a high school diploma, black males find it difficult obtaining employment versus any other race in America. A black male with a criminal past finds it just as difficult obtaining employment as a black man with a high school diploma. To be frank, the black guy with the high school diploma might as well have a criminal past because to the employer, it makes no difference. What about black men who have a college degree? I don’t know. Maybe it’s the same. I can’t answer that question.
With jobs skeptical about hiring black men, this is where the trouble begins. Joblessness, in this case, usually leads to violence and a life of crime. With the idea of being a drug dealer and a thug, selling drugs is the quickest way to make money. The crack business, in my opinion, is nothing more than a damn trap for black men. When arrested, black men receive harsher sentences than any other race in America. Fortunately, President Obama signed a legislation that would reduce sentencing for the procession of crack.
Lets’ face it, with no jobs hiring you because you’re a black male, you’re FORCED into situations beyond your control in order to make money. Some people feel as if they don't have a choice, especially when the media portrays a very negative image of black people and Hispanics. When you live in a horrible environment with a shitty education system, your chances of "making it out" are low. Some people are frustrated and feel hopeless.
Here’s a quote that I found from an article that will help you understand how bad this really is.
"The reality is, for a lot of Americans when they think of who is a drug dealer they think of somebody who is black or a person of color," said Ellison, moments after the House's crack-powder vote last week. "Even though white people sell drugs all the time, people... just don't think of them as doing that. I mean that's what racism's about: It's an unrealistic and inflated sense of guilt associated with people of color and an unrealistic inflated sense of innocence associated with people who are white. And they just think they're fairer, nicer, kinder... Whereas they look at somebody who's black and say: 'Crook! Send him away!'"
This is true. Everybody is aware that white people are the most drug users in American. To black men, again, it's nothing more than a trap.
I just hope that things will turn out better in the future. If not….
I really don't think any of this can be solved. Think about it.
Sure it can, but it would be a few generations of hard work. It would require so-called black activists to educate people on the importance of family and regular jobs, instead of dwelling on complaining on white people oppressing the Black. It would require a growing number of Blacks who managed to be respected members of the society and avoided being typecats as thugs to show a positive example to the youth. Finally, it would require a fundamental change in American society - putting an end to single-ethnic "ghettoes"(Britain is actually a quite great example, of course there isn't all roses but they avoided such massive inter-ethnic animosities by having a lot of mixed-etnicity zones). It isn't just a black thing, having little Italies, Chinatowns and German quarters should also be put to an end.
Finally, it would require a much stronger and better-organized lobbying amongst authorities to actually put some energy into resolving those problems, 'cause, as it seems, it always gets some temporary medicine and then gets buried under the carpet until the next race riots.
As I said, it won't be easy and it'll take a hell of a long time, but it can be done. Separatism isn't answer. If you are already taking so much pride in being one great nation, you should make steps to actually unify it instead of having a lot of mini-nations and interest groups in conflict with each another.
"The Devil is not the Prince of Matter; the Devil is the arrogance of the spirit, faith without smile, truth that is never seized by doubt. The Devil is grim because he knows where he is going, and, in moving, he always returns whence he came."
Sure it can, but it would be a few generations of hard work. It would require so-called black activists to educate people on the importance of family and regular jobs, instead of dwelling on complaining on white people oppressing the Black. It would require a growing number of Blacks who managed to be respected members of the society and avoided being typecats as thugs to show a positive example to the youth. Finally, it would require a fundamental change in American society - putting an end to single-ethnic "ghettoes"(Britain is actually a quite great example, of course there isn't all roses but they avoided such massive inter-ethnic animosities by having a lot of mixed-etnicity zones). It isn't just a black thing, having little Italies, Chinatowns and German quarters should also be put to an end.
Finally, it would require a much stronger and better-organized lobbying amongst authorities to actually put some energy into resolving those problems, 'cause, as it seems, it always gets some temporary medicine and then gets buried under the carpet until the next race riots.
As I said, it won't be easy and it'll take a hell of a long time, but it can be done. Separatism isn't answer. If you are already taking so much pride in being one great nation, you should make steps to actually unify it instead of having a lot of mini-nations and interest groups in conflict with each another.
Good post. I have thought about the samething too but can it REALLY happen? This type of discussion took place years and years ago and things only have gotten worst in the black community. People are talking the talk but not walking the walk. Why? Because deep down inside, on one really cares.
Again, 70% of African-American households are being run by black women and that number to steady climbing. The number of black males in prison is constantly rising. Illiteracy rates in the inner city are high, violence, drugs, etc. The REAL question, and this is the only question. Will things get better in the future?
It's been all but worst in the black community for decades, and we ALL know why.
You're right, though. We CAN put a stop to the vicious cycle but there are people who are in power who will try everything in their power to keep that from happening. Businesses will suffer, like the prisons, the drug game, etc. Arresting innocent people so prisons can receive money. WTF?
Lol. Bob Parker owns several prisons. Dirty motherfucker!
Good post. I have thought about the samething too but can it REALLY happen? This type of discussion took place years and years ago and things only have gotten worst in the black community. People are talking the talk but not walking the walk. Why? Because deep down inside, on one really cares.
Again, 70% of African-American households are being run by black women and that number to steady climbing. The number of black males in prison is constantly rising. Illiteracy rates in the inner city are high, violence, drugs, etc. The REAL question, and this is the only question. Will things get better in the future?
It's been all but worst in the black community for decades, and we ALL know why.
You're right, though. We CAN put a stop to the vicious cycle but there are people who are in power who will try everything in their power to keep that from happening. Businesses will suffer, like the prisons, the drug game, etc. Arresting innocent people so prisons can receive money. WTF?
Lol. Bob Parker owns several prisons. Dirty motherfucker!
I remember Lupe Fiasco saying something about how if we burned all of our history and raised our children as if slavery and civil rights never needed to happen no one would see color anymore and given time it would go away. He also said that blacks and whites were too proud of their culture to do that though. Lupe's no MLK but I think he makes a good point.
right before he was murdered MLK questioned if he was hurting the black community by pushing for integration.
"i wonder if we are integrating into a burning house"
what needs to happen IMO is for us to get the israel treatment and not the liberia treatment.
its like black folks just got out the hospital after a car crash and coma. now we supposed to go play pro sports with everyone else.
it took my fam 4 generations to get out of poverty. a lot of sacrifice and hard work.
2010, who works hard for anything anymore? who is willing to sacrifice? we are in the microwave era.
I remember Lupe Fiasco saying something about how if we burned all of our history and raised our children as if slavery and civil rights never needed to happen no one would see color anymore and given time it would go away. He also said that blacks and whites were too proud of their culture to do that though. Lupe's no MLK but I think he makes a good point.
so you do agree that we should all just forget about it huh ?
This is a good topic Ironman and i agree with the stuff you posted about the absence of fathers, education, jobs. This is the type of stuff Bill Cosby talks about in Come On People book. Ironman, have you read Bill's book? If you haven't, you should read it because it's very good. I agree with most of the stuff he says but i disagree with him about what he has to say about black men being unemployed. Getting a job isn't easy and it definitely isn't easy for black men because black men still get discriminated against when they're looking for a job. But black men also don't help their situation when they're looking for a job by wearing baggy jeans, big t-shirts and sneakers and talking slang instead of speaking proper. You can't wear whatever you wanna wear when you're looking for a job and you can't talk like you want to when you're on the streets with your friends when you're trying to get a job. That's just not accepted at a job. It doesn't matter if you're being interviewed by a black supervisor or a white supervisor. If you've been locked up before, that makes it even harder to get a job when your black.
I honestly don't think the black community will ever get any better. I think black schools will continue to suck. Black men will continue to get locked up and continue to drop outta high school and not go to college. Black men will continue to not be in their kids lives and black women will continue to raise kids by themselves and be single. Black men will continue to die at a young age. Black men will continue to be unemployed and homeless. The only way this cycle of ignorance will end is if black men start taking care of their kids and realize that black boys need to have a father in their life. Black men also need to read more and stay outta trouble and stop thinking that the only way they can get a lot of money is by being a rapper, a athlete, drug dealer. Black women also need to change their ways and stop being materialistic, having a attitude problem and acting stuck up and stop thinking that all black men are worthless just because a few black men have done them wrong. They should know that all black men aren't the same because all black women aren't the same.
The Official Black Thread.
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Originally Posted by TheBoarzHeadBoy
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