Two questions that got me:
Now Jesse, I do not doubt that black men need to be employed. There are jobs out there (albeit low paying, but they pay. The issue of pay is another issue for another blog), but these men can't always be holding out for the job of "rapper" or "baller" and hope that things will fall into place in the meantime. To these men, we need to start saying, "Get in where you fit in, even if you can't stand it, for the sake of your kids, your girlfriend or wife, your family." Until we start saying that, and LOUDLY, we will have more men sitting on the stoop, hoping for that record contract, but not trying to bring in minimum wage, at least, until that comes. We need to focus our boys in school to not concentrate on that jump shot, but that science exam in 2nd period. THAT is our responsibility. I think other communities are saying similar things to their boys and men too, but WE haven't, and have been coasting on this idea that it "isn't our fault, since the massa done done us wrong for a long time." There comes a point (and I think we have reached and surpassed that point in "thinking" black households) that it has to stop being about what the man did to your great great great grandfather, and start being about what YOU need to get doing to get somewhere. The new generation doesn't want to negate the struggles of the past (They helped get us to this point), but we are not as closely linked, and our reality is different. We have to take some personal responsibility for our actions, or else no one is going to want to help. Yes, there are unfair practices in law and sentencing guidelines, but dude, when you sling that rock, you can't say the man put it in your pocket. We can't always depend on the government to fix things, as we can see with the disasters that we have in the US (Katrina, 45 million uninusured) and abroad (Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine...need I go on?)ESSENCE: In Senator Obama’s speech that he gave at a Chicago church this past Father's Day, he urged more Black fathers to be involved in their children’s lives. He received backlash for that—
JACKSON: Well, the message of responsibility should be broadly applied and not appear to be just directed to Blacks. Black men need to be responsible—they also need to be employed.
ESSENCE: So would you say that children without fathers in the home is not that critical an issue in the Black community?JACKSON: Men across the board must be more responsible. But again, in the context of the Black situation, we have a requirement for governmental ntervention. You’ve got a million blacks in jail with three or four kids apiece; that’s a state of emergency. I think that responsibility was aways embraced. But we’ve got some real structural inequality and exploitation that must also be addressed; that’s all.
Why is it that only in the black community do we require "governmental intervention?" And how can Jesse sit there and say that "we have black men in jail with three or four kids a piece" and not think "wow?" If you look at the median age of these men, they shouldn't have so many darn kids, and shouldn't be out there doing bad things (and I don't mean petty theft, I mean MURDER, drug traficking) to get by. There is structural inequality, but man, we are killing ourselves. Address THAT and we will then be able, as one group, to address the outside influences.
Bascially, we have to look at ourselves, and make over ourselves, before we can ask for "intervention" in regards to other things. I guess I just got worked up reading his interview. In the words of Bill Cosby:
Come on black people. WE have gots to do better!
Read the rest here: http://www.essence.com/essence/lifestyle/voices/0,16109,1832452,00.html
Think. Ponder. Have a good weekend.
[Cleaned up a bit for better reading - Trininuyawka]
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8 comments:
Elise, you are so right.Until black people sit up and take responsibility for themselves, the status quo will prevail. I remember some people were not pleased when Bill Cosby made his views known. It is so much easier to always blame someone else. It's happening here too. So much so that when I hear of another shooting, I always pray "Lord don't let it be another black person". And it generally is young black men who are doing the shooting.This is followed by all the attestations of how they were good kids, and, generally nobody knows or sees anything no matter how busy or crowded the place was.
Last time I checked, the government didn't have anything to do with blacks dropping out of high school, blacks killing each other, blacks selling drugs, black men being dead-beat dads, black women having 2 and 3 kids before they are legally able to drink, blacks doing and/or selling drugs, blacks not teaching their kids to respect themselves or get an education, black men not respecting black women...
These are all things that we can do for ourselves without any government aid or intervention. This is what Barack Obama acknowledges and what Jesse Jackson fails to preach. This is why Barack Obama is a stronger leader. He can separate things that we can control from within... without expecting things to change from our society... to immediately make a big impact on blacks as a whole. This is why Barack Obama can be President and why Jesse Jackson can never be President.
To play devil's advocate, Jesse Jackson and others of his era are making the point that economic disadvantages lead to these behaviours. Acknowledge that it feeds into itself through materialism but hundreds and hundreds of years of whites building wealth on the backs of black people can't be dismissed.
Money, all though not the solution to all problems, eases a few pressures. Jesse is trying to say "If I had milk to feed my son, I would not have to sell crack." or something to that effect. How does it feed into itself? Younger black people, disadvantaged economically, look to other black men who have made it. Unfortunately, virtually the only access they have to these blacks who have "made it" is from BET or ESPN.
So as people's role models change, so do their priorities. "I want to be the CEO of a huge marketing corporation therefore I will aspire to do so by going to school and doing what it takes to successfully navigate that career path" vs "I want to sell drugs and be the neighbourhood heavy and then turn that into a successful rap career".
The problem with Jesse's argument is that it becomes less and less valid with every year that passes.....or does it? More and more images of successful blacks come everyday via BET and ESPN.
What upsets me is that people like Bob Johnson also make millions of the backs of black people.
I guess we can complain about what is wrong with black people but we are very blessed not to be economically disadvantaged and have to wonder where the food is coming from. N'est-ce pas?
Did anybody see the recent CNN special "Black In America"? Now THAT was an eye-opening special! I think Obama's point is that even though blacks in general are economically disadvantaged in this society, that disadvantage is never an excuse to disregard personal responsibility or morality. And the vast majority of blakcs doing illegal stuff are NOT doing it for some altruistic reason like "feeding my kids".
Being economically disadvantaged does not make it okay to drop out of school...the one and only way to get out of being economically disadvantaged in the first place unless your name is Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Jay-Z etc. Being economically disadvantaged does not make it okay to be a dead-beat dad and make single mothers become EVEN MORE economically disadvantaged. And being economically disadvantaged doesn't make it okay to kill other economically disadvantaged blacks, espeically for dumb stuff like an argument, road rage or because your girl left you for being a dead-beat in the first place (domestic violence).
Even if you make the argument that women have kids out of wedlock and so young because they don't have sex education or access to birth control... or that blacks turn to a life of crime to feed their kids, that argument only works for ONE GENERATION. Because after that, we as parents have the responsibilty to teach our children that these choices are never the answer to the problem of being economically disadvantaged. Those of us who spent time in jail should teach our children that crime never pays and that you will end up in jail or dead. Those of us who grow up as a single mother/father should teach our sons and daughters about birth control and not just rely on what they teach them in school. We should teach them that if they do have a child, it's up to them to take care of that child and how difficult it is when you do it by yourself.
Barack Obama is placing the mirror exactly where it should be placed. Because for every black that uses economic disadvantages as an excuse for doing something illegal or immoral, there is another disadvantaged black who stays in school, studies hard, supports his/her family, gets a job, works hard, pays the bills, raises his/her kids, stays out of trouble, and goes on to live a modest but happy life. All without "government intervention", as Jackson puts it.
If I were Jesse - and I do not support his position - I would ask the following: How do we explain the disproportionalte amouont of blacks in jail or involved in crime? Are we genetically flawed as a people (white supremacist position)? Are we being influenced by an external force somewhere?
Jesse would also argue that the disadvantage actively flows from generation to generation. It does this by the lack of role models. Many white kids watch their parents and their parents become their role models. That is missing in the black community and that is a cycle that repeats itself.
Jesse would also argue that social disadvantages when intermingling with other races contributes to the problem. Blacks are more apt to be discriminated against because of their race versus whites - therefore job comptetitions will more than likely go to the white candidate if there is a contest between identically qualified blacks versus whites.
I don't agree with Jesse's position - but it is valid...to Jesse and those of Jesse's generation.
Not that I have a Phd in African American sociology or anything, but I would argue that your second point directly affects your first point...all to a far greater degree then any government intervention. When you say that white kids have their parents as role models and black kids don't have their's, who's fault is that? Well, according to Jesse, the government has something to do with that. That's not a valid argument. That is 100% our own fault. You don't have to be financially successful to be a good role model for your kids. Teaching your kid to work hard, get an education and do what's right and legal has nothing to do with being poor. As I mentioned before, there may be reasons why there are a disproportionate amount of blacks incarcerated. But any solution to the problem must first start with a look at how the other percentage of blacks avoid being incarcerated in the first place, NOT with government intervention. There are many poor blacks from broken families that grow up to be respectful law-abiding citizens. Government intervention does no good if we're not being good role models as parents for our kids and breaking the cycle from within our own families.
And for your third point, I would ask Jesse what impact has government intervention done (in the form of affirmative action) to reduce the numbers of black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, incarceration, and the drop out rate amongst blacks? If we don't raise our kids properly, they're not even going to get to a point where affirmative action is going to do them any good. (i.e. finishing high school, learning proper English, being able to express one's ideas, learning to dress properly... all stuff that needs to be taken care of before you even have an interview for a job where affirmative action can have an impact.)
To make a car analogy, you can have a perfect race track surface, perfect weather conditions, low humidity and even a great driver. But if the car is not built, equipped, maintained and prepped to race, no amount of outside intervention is going to make that car succeed and finish, much less win the race.
It all starts from within... personal responsibilty in raising our kids to break the cycle of dependency, failure, no work ethic, and lack of self-esteem and pride. Only then will any government intervention have a substantial impact. This is the message I'm hearing from Barack Obama and Bill Cosby.... and missing from Jesse Jackson.
Elise;
Weigh in on this one....
Does Jesse have a valid arguement?
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