Urban Black Culture
I had a vision from God. In my vision I saw whites and blacks together in one place. They were laughing together, clapping for each other and rooting one another on. There was no racism of any kind in this place. All were put on the same level and had the same chance to succeed. The color of a person's skin didn't matter at all. No one even thought about it.
All at once there was a booming voice that called a name. An excited black woman ran forward to meet the one who's hair was as white as wool - being cheered on by everyone else, both black and white. Some grabbed her to wish her well as she ran by. Others made it a point to high five as she ran by them. The color of skin meant nothing here. Everyone was too busy thinking about helping this woman succeed. This woman was bound to succeed and through the help and support of the crowd she did indeed succeed!
This black lady had never felt like this before. She was so excited that she couldn't contain herself and ran all around the one who's hair was as white as wool. Life was good for the moment. No one cared about color or race. And she was the big winner! But then I heard the man with the white hair say, "Be sure to have your pets spayed or neutered. Good bye everybody." Wait a minute! This wasn't a vision from God. I had been watching "The Price is Right"! My mistake.
Wouldn't it be great if life was like "The Price is Right" television program? Everybody has a fair chance to succeed. But life is not like that, is it? The real world is hard and filled with all types of problems. Racial problems are among those that have always been ongoing, and not just in our country. But if we really wanted to eliminate them we could. Unlike the fair chance to win and the support of others like the black lady had on "The Price is Right" television program, the young blacks being raised within urban black culture do not have a fair chance at the "American dream". That's because the culture in which they live has broken down. And it's getting worse every year.
I know that I will take a lot of flack for even addressing this topic, seeing how I didn't have to. But please notice the title of this page very carefully. The title is "Black Urban Culture". Not "All Black Americans". Please don't pull the race card on me. This issue does not concern blacks who assimilate into American culture. Black urban culture is a sub-culture within a culture (American culture). It has become a cause for concern. Despite the need for white people to tiptoe around this issue, it needs to be addressed.
The reason that I am even addressing this issue is because the problems within urban black culture need to be addressed for the good of American culture in general. A while back Bill Cosby tried to bring these problems up because he was concerned and he got blasted from all sides. So I imagine a white guy bringing up these problems will not go over real big - especially among those within urban black culture. Nevertheless, if I become president in 2008, the problems within this sub-culture will be addressed. But not by me. I will appoint a committee of concerned black leaders to deal with it and to correct it's course. This is way past due but the problem has not been addressed by previous presidents because it is so touchy.
A basic understanding of how a culture/society prospers or disintegrates always begins with the family unit. A strong, vibrant, prosperous culture/society cannot be accomplished when the family unit has broken down. And this indeed is the foundational problem within urban black culture. The family unit is almost completely broken down. Men, who are responsible for the welfare of the culture, go about impregnating women at will, refusing to take responsibility for their actions. It is to the point now that it has become accepted that children are going to be raised without their fathers. This has become the "norm", and everyone is afraid to address it lest they be labeled a racist. This is a tragedy. And the children are paying a heavy price. So is American society.
It is normal for boys who are forced to grow up without their fathers to struggle with two dominant issues - sexual immorality and anger. These problems typically start manifesting themselves in the early teen years. Overcoming them will be a life long issue. Angry young men who exhibit a lack of sexual restraint is exactly what we see within urban black culture. We also see young women who attempt to find the love and esteem that they need (from their fathers) in sexual relationships with males who are more than glad to accommodate them. It is to be expected. Color of the skin has no bearing. The white kids who grow up without the love of their father exhibit the same behavior. Few of these "victims" overcome their problems in time to keep from making life altering mistakes. And few of them have the social skills to raise normal families. The cycle of fatherless children perpetuates itself from one generation to the next, getting a little worse each generation. The children are the ones who suffer the most.
In 2001 I finished a book that I had been working on for several years about urban black culture that I titled "Black Unlike Me". [The title was a play on the title of a book that I had read when I was a kid in the 1960's titled "Black Like Me". For some reason it had quite an affect on me. It was written by a white guy who dyed his skin black because he wanted to see what life was really like when you are a black person. The book chronicles his exploits and experiences.]
When I tried to get my book published I wanted to use a black literary agent to represent me, but the few that I could find were not interested in the book. [Finding black literary agents is like "pulling hens teeth", but I wasn't really interested in hiring a white one, for obvious reasons.] During that time our nation was attacked (9/11) and I quit looking for literary representation because I didn't think that it was a good time for the book to come out. So there it sits, still unpublished.
The attitude that I got from the black literary agents that I had contacted was that black people really don't care what I think about urban black culture. And they really don't care about any proposed solutions that I have for bringing urban black culture out of the low state that it has found itself in. That was the message that I picked up, and I can live with that. I might feel the same way if I was black. But what are we doing about the children that are being affected and who end up leading a much lower quality existence than if they had been given a fair chance in life? Should our adult pride get in the way of giving the next generation a better chance - or do we just keep turning our heads the other way generation by generation?
Since the problems within urban black culture ultimately affect American culture in general, I think it is important for it to be dealt with for the good of everyone. And so I will make it a point to address this issue. To be honest I'm not only concerned about the children involved, but being the cheap skate that I am, I am always concerned about what all of this has been costing the American Taxpayers in social upkeep. I'm sure it has been in the billions of dollars over the last few decades.
To address this topic I will put out the call for black leaders who are concerned about the plight of urban black culture. I'm not talking about the big names who have used their positions to obtain wealth for themselves, while doing little to help the people trapped within urban black culture. I will be looking for those who have proven their desire to change things by their current work within the culture. This will not include any whites. The committee will be made up only of blacks who understand the problems and who are passionate about seeing change. I would love to see Bill Cosby on this committee since he has proven that he cares.
I will set goals for the committee and then turn them loose to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it - as long as they understand the goals. No white people or people of any other race will be involved from that point on. If these black leaders want televised meetings, I will get them televised meetings. Whatever I can do to help, I will. But I will stay out of their way and let them do their job. They will report to me monthly.
By the way, it is no secret that the family unit has been breaking down in American society in general for the last 40 years. Our nation is crumbling from the inside and it too is getting worse little by little. We, as a nation, will make it a point to address this problem in nationally televised open forum meetings. See "Family" in Index 2 for more information.
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