Conversation Starter-Our Greatest Challenges PLEASE COMMENT
April 18, 2008So I was glancing around on Essence’s Website, and they have a piece where they asked a number of current “Great Black Thinkers” “what is the greatest challenge facing African Americans in 2008?”
So often we are expected to vote for other people’s causes and told that it “lines up” with ours. Democrats tell us we need more social liberal policies and Republicans often play on our moral conservative beliefs (abortion, gay marriage etc), but what do we need and want in order for our people to progress? What challenges are tearing us down? PLEASE Comment!!
Shannon the Tampa Diva
mrkeyz
Some of us need to embrace what Bill Cosby said and do some self-reflecting and self-correcting. Stop blaming “THE MAN” for all our problems. We need to teach the youth of today to get beyond all this superficial/materialistic crap and get that education. Not everyone can rap, play ball or sing. There’s nothing wrong with being the smartest in the class. Speaking properly (not white) is the correct thing to do.How about we take the same zeal we use to protest cell phones in the class room to protesting for better educators and better curriculums. Parents can start with that good ole HOME training. Teachers and outside mentors can only do so much, the sticking point is the follow-up in the home.
What challenges are tearing us down? US! that’s what!
We’re our own worst enemy.
So True! Another challenge that plagues our community is the lack of sound financial advice being passed down. I read somewhere that wealthy people plan for future generations while poor people plan for next Saturday. We need to be teaching our children how to save, delay gratification, etc. Not go out and get the latest and the freshest… and be the brokest in the grand scheme of things. Financial responsibility is a learned behavior- and it is imperative that we train the next generation RIGHT!
I can agree with what you’re saying. But I also think a large portion of our problems is that “I Got mine” mentality. So many of us that have some clas, a little money, an education or just some sense. we run and and hide from other black people and keep them further dienfranshiesd, thinking “I got mine, they need to get themselves together.”
Home training is lacking and part of that is the idea that it’s cute to be stupid, so you’ve got parents that are young enough to be their kid’s siblings encouraging foolishness in their children. We as black people need to reach out to each other and ask what’s really good. so many of us don’t know what life is like beyond our block and that needs to change. WE need to change how we teach kids starting at kindergarten. the early years can make or break our kids and we don’t seem to get it, stop expecting the public schools to raise and teach your kids about things they need to know like black history, how to tie a tie, how to behave like a classy black person. You teach them that. I think Every black church in America needs to teach black history to our members, we need to start teaching business, etiquette, economics all of that in the church so that kids really get a chance to grow into something better.
thanks for your comment keep ‘em coming
YOU SAID “So many of us that have some clas, a little money, an education or just some sense. we run and and hide from other black people and keep them further dienfranshiesd, thinking “I got mine, they need to get themselves together.”
In all fairness, how do you NOT move? How do you remain, try to maintain and grow - when you’re in an environment that is not condusive in what you’re trying to achieve? That’s a HARD choice to make.Quite honestly, you’d be talking to folk like ME, because frankly, I hate living in an all black - mixed income -community - it’s the pits. Living amongst people who are HAPPY to dwell mediocrity is not easy.I am by no means Emily Post (I cuss too much), but to ask me to stay and fight for change for a people who DON’T want to change…renders me speechless everytime. Give me a plan/blueprint and maybe I’ll rethink moving.
I never mentioned moving out or staying in the hood, that’s too simplistic to me. running and hiding doesn’t just mean in the physical sense. I know it’s hard to be around people that we don’t like but some people don’t want to change because they don’t know it’s possible. That means that those of us with the sense and the know how to move to “higher ground” have to do some things to reach out. my emphasis is with younger people, so maybe that means we need to protest problems in schools instead of protesting their treatment in jail. lets get to people early before they get it in their minds that it’s normal to underacheive. we need to go to the hood schools, ymca’s and volunteer. We gotta reach out and mentor these young people before they get old and set in their ways. now the grown ones. I’m still trying to figure that out. Sorry hun =) but I don’t think any of us should be fighting for change for our people, but fighting for change in our people.there’s a differnce