Black youths’ problems begin at home
The following is a Counterpoint.
By Samuel Johnson
There was a report recently that supposedly showed that black youths lag behind in school. But I suspect the headline should have been: “Youths from poverty lag behind” or “Boys without fathers lag behind.”
If race-related discrepancies exist in our schools, then, yes, they need to be addressed. Students should be evaluated race-blind. Teachers should have equally high expectations and standards for all their students.
No students should internalize the self-destructive belief, “I’m a black male, so of course I’ll fail in school.” But we will lose the struggle if we don’t concentrate on the big problems: poverty and family decay.
First, fight poverty by finding and imitating successful programs that bring into the economic mainstream the unskilled workers — too many with drug problems, a poor work ethic and habits of petty crime, who are right now a drain on our society, a disaster for themselves and disastrous parents.
Second, teach our young women that it is immoral to condemn themselves to the perpetuation of poverty and their sons to lagging behind in life by bearing unplanned children out of wedlock. The dirty secret is that the badly performing boys in school are overwhelmingly the children of poor, unmarried mothers. Bring back abstinence, bring back contraception, bring back the pill and the condom, allow choice to those for whom choice is ethically acceptable, and if needed, bring back the shotgun. Even bring back shame for the sexually irresponsible!
Third, launch a major effort to bring role models, especially male role models, into the lives of our city’s youths. We try to collect child support from irresponsible dads. Let’s also help those same dads when they are denied access to their sons and let’s encourage dads to want access. Also, let’s support programs like Big Brothers, Big Sisters. We need men from successful, intact families to reach out to children, especially boys.
Fourth, find and imitate successful preschool, school and after-school programs that address the deficits of children of poverty households. We need to help poor parents and grandparents be better parents, and we need activities and programs that offer stimulating, safe and legal play for kids who otherwise are latchkey kids or are hanging out on the street, waiting for gang recruitment.
The writer lives in Greensboro.
Comments (12)
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"Bring back abstinence, bring back contraception, bring back the pill and the condom, allow choice to those for whom choice is ethically acceptable, and if needed, bring back the shotgun. Even bring back shame for the sexually irresponsible!"
I like it. It's sort of like you're attacking the problem from allllll angles and not just arbitrarily picking the least effective one.
Posted on July 12, 2008 4:28 AM
The tried and true way was to boot slackers from school regardless of color. Today, a certain segment of society would stand out like a sore thumb if we did that and the whiners of that culture would cry racism! Unfair!
PC has ruined this nation. Bad times are coming folks and in bad times, PC gets put where it belongs, in the garbage can.
Posted on July 12, 2008 6:31 AM
I'm all for the deterrent value of shame, but how do we bring that back to a culture where a baby is a status symbol for a teenage girl? Also, the shotgun was an extremely effective deterrent back in the day, but many of these girls, like the boys, don't have fathers to stand behind the shotguns.
It's almost too late. The best protection for a teen is a strong family, i.e. boys know that if they touch a girl, her father, brothers, uncles, and cousins will hunt him down like a dog and gils know they will face the wrath of their mother, aunts, and grandmothers if they behave like the wrong kind of woman. Can we ever get that back in a world that glorifies every kind of sex at any age under any circumstances? Or will only a few kids in religious families escape this teen culture unscathed?
Posted on July 12, 2008 6:39 AM
Bill Maxwell is a syndicated columnist based at the St. Petersburg Times who has written extensively --- and eloquently --- on self-destructive aspects of black culture. Highlights from one of his most despairing columns with link to full text:
Innocent victims of a misguided mob [highlights]
By BILL MAXWELL, Times Staff Writer
Published May 23, 2004
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/23/Columns/Innocent_victims_of_a.shtml
BILL MAXWELL’S SHAME AT BEING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN ST. PETERSBURG: IRRATIONAL, IMMATURE, IRRESPONSIBLE DO-NOTHING BLACK LEADERS:
“Never have I been around so many irrational, immature, irresponsible, do-nothing black adults - clergy and secular - who pawn themselves off as ‘leaders.’”
TERRIBLE PARENTING:
“Never have I seen such a high percentage of black parents who fail to parent adequately, who seem incapable of creating a culture of learning in their homes, who, quite frankly, let their children roam the streets and cut the fool in school.”
NEGLECTING COMMUNITY, BLAMING WHITEY:
“Never have I seen so many blacks who refuse to invest in their own community, who will not pool their resources for the greater good, who blame their problems on white people who live in communities many miles away.”
TOLERATING THE PRESENCE OF ACTIVE CRIMINALS:
“Never have I seen such a high percentage of blacks who tolerate the presence of active criminals in their neighborhoods, who remain silent about black-on-black crime.”
MAXWELL’S UPBRINGING BY SELFLESS, CONCERNED ADULTS LEAVES HIM DISGUSTED WITH WHAT HE SEES IN BLACK AMERICA TODAY:
“As a black man who was reared by sober, industrious and selfless adults who cared about the future of the children in their lives, I am ashamed of what we have done to ourselves.”
Posted on July 12, 2008 7:08 AM
How about as a headline: “Children without parents that give-a-crap lag behind.”
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How about bring back Manufacturing, so those slackers Hugh is throwing out of school will have something to do between video games and TV-sports watching beside bang their g/f's.
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How about bring take away welfare-type programs so those slackers Hugh is throwing out of school are kinda forced to take those Manufacturing jobs.
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Other than that, I agree with Momma Steam - except is is possible to achieve her stated results outside the exclusive criteria of religious family upbringing. See #1 above: “Children without parents that give-a-crap lag behind.”
Posted on July 12, 2008 7:12 AM
I know there are moral people who don't necessarily practice an organized religion, but one does need some kind of constructive culture to counteract the destructive culture. Strong churches are a strong deterrent to evil, as are strong families and strong communities. Weak, lukewarm churches are of no use at all.
Also, there are certainly children with religious upbringings who stray. Just as some people are vaccinated against a virus, yet still get sick. That doesn't keep us from trying. Those of us with a religious background at least had somewhere to return after we realized our sin was destroying us.
Posted on July 12, 2008 7:54 AM
Uhmm just a thought here . . . how many more programs and handouts do we need to come up with before these "black youths or youths from poverty" get with it?
I mean come on already . . . apathy runs the roost . . . can't force some people to drink the well water? . . .
I guess thats my fault . . .
Posted on July 12, 2008 8:25 AM
I thought abortion on demand was going to do away with all these social problems. Do away with all the unwanted children and make us one big happy cuddly family. I guess there are consequences of legalizing murder. All the dead babies are laughing now. Along with the dead and democratized Iraqis. How bout them stay the course fixeruppers..who can argue with them.
Posted on July 12, 2008 8:42 AM
I agree with many points of the author but his overall position is that we need yet even more govt. programs.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters is an excellent program, they rely on donations from The United Way and volunteers to serve as mentors. They probably do get govt. money somewhere however. Anyone who has the time should serve in this program, it is very rewarding.
How about getting rid of destructive so called "leaders" like Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton? Their message has assisted with the decadence of some black people. Take no self-responsibility, blame whitey, blame institutions, demand more money. It doesn't work.
Note I say some black people. I see many many many black people everyday taking care of their families, working, getting an education, and contributing to America. It's the decadent minority that gets all the attention.
I'm not an Obama fan but I was glad to see him on Father's Day asking black fathers to be responsible and take care of their children. I wish he would champion that cause as Bill Cosby has but it's not PC.
I'm sure Jackson & al. were cringing at Obama's message however. Jesse said Obama was talking down to black people. Imagine that, asking for self responsibility is "talking down".
Posted on July 12, 2008 10:23 AM
"How about getting rid of destructive so called 'leaders' like Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton?" Dan, don't be so quick to dismiss Sharpton. He actually supported Obama's speech. And Sharpton has criticized the lyrics of rap music.
Mr. Johnson's LTE is full of common sense approaches. But, isn't this what Daniel Patrick Moynihan proposed 43 years ago in his report? My parents' education ended at high school. But, their children all went on to get college degrees. I have a relative who grew up in a nurturing environment, but, he made decisions that led him to prison on two occasions. So, in the end, the choice was his. And really, that is what we are talking about. Choice. Yes, there are those unfortunate children who will be born to parents who should not be parents. But, the majority of these people who create havoc, do so of their own choosing. In the end, a person has to want to do better. And no amount of local, state or federal intervention can instill that. It should start in the home, but, there are a lot of parents who do not have the best interests of their children at heart. I just thank God for my parents!
Posted on July 12, 2008 12:37 PM
conundrum, good for Sharpton if he supported Obama's speech. I'll just never forget the Tawana Brawley case involving Sharpton. More recently is his pushing to have Don Imus fired despite multiple apologies on Imus' part. Sharpton is a race pimp, although a bit smoother at times than Jackson.
Disclaimer: I never listen to Imus, don't care for his style. What Imus said was indefensible but where is the spirit of forgiveness after multiple sincere apologies, especially on behalf of a reverend?
I agree with much of your post, especially this:
"And no amount of local, state or federal intervention can instill that."
We were both blessed with good parents. I don't know if you have children, but I feel it is my duty to raise mine to become responsible adults just a my parents did for myself and my siblings.
Posted on July 12, 2008 4:41 PM
"Third, launch a major effort to bring role models, especially male role models, into the lives of our city’s youths. We try to collect child support from irresponsible dads. Let’s also help those same dads when they are denied access to their sons and let’s encourage dads to want access"
Sounds like Judge Joe Turner's theory in child custody court,
the keywords are male role models, irresponsible and help those same dads,encourage those dads
hello, do you hear yourself?
you should read my blog, just click my user name....
-the links on the left on imperitive to complete understanding
I'm not black, but I'm sure it's happened to blacks as well as whites in the "No Civil Rights"
Guilford County Courts
and you tell me, when those two boys grow up and fully understand what happened...well maybe they'll be OK , cause Grandma is teaching them with every breath..not to hate..and that God is in control...
but if those boys explode..whose fault will it be?
read the blog and answer..whose fault would it be ?
and the Guilford County School system for allowing a predominently black school like Rankin Elementary to be so far behind in their curriculum, that two little boys couldn't go a few miles away to a better place in the country and hold their own at Level Cross Elementary.
Immediately placed back a year and that's grounds for losing your kids in Judge Teresa Vincent's book. That is an indication of unstable family life...
here's the complete article..
http://www.helium.com/items/570885-should-america-abandon-racial-integration-in-public-schools
The Courts, the lawyers, it's all a money making gimmick for them and they could care less what they do these children..they even steal that child support money once they finally catch up with those dads..and let those children be evicted from their homes
http://www.helium.com/items/561961-critique-of-americas-justice-system
the system is as guilty for our wayward youth, black kids lagging behind,
and those angry explosive incidents as anyone else
like the one writer said said to RB2dye- he'd have called on Smith & Wesson if Guilford County had put his child through what she says hers has been through.
One has to have much self restraint, more than a child could have possibly cumed up in so few years
Get rid of all the corrupt NC officials and give a kids a fighting chance
Make Guilford County courts follow the law..not rule by Judge Joe Turner's personal opinions, bias' and assumptions
Impeach Michael Easley and recoup that money he just blew by saving that six months of his salary- we wouldn't miss him..
his wife is making enough money now to take care of both of them-since the State gave her an 80% raise
replace Attorney General Roy Cooper for allowing all this corruption while he was too busy dealing with "bothersome telemarketers"
and Bev Perdue ..what is her stand in all this? where has she been while Richrd Moore was supposedly robbing us blind and as Lt. Governor why didn't she address it then?
myspace.com/jobo1163
http://www.helium.com/items/622152-preparing-for-child-custody-battles
Posted on July 14, 2008 10:56 PM