Imagine how different discussion of race, social issues, and politics would be if the following fact was widely acknowledged: today’s generation of black youth and young adults is the least crime-prone, least arrested, least homicidal, least rapist, least assaultive, least violent toward women, least inclined to theft or robbery, least endangered by violent death and injury, least self-destructive, least inclined to pregnancy and early childbearing, and least drug-abusing as well as the happiest, most social, most community-oriented, most likely to volunteer, and the most likely to graduate from high school, obtain high reading and math scores, attend college, and graduate in many decades and (for most behaviors) that ever existed—and that black teens are the only group in society to show a decline in imprisonment over the last 15 years.
That is, by a variety of solid crime, health, education, and social measures, today’s younger African Americans are the best black generation ever, despite continuing to suffer persistently high rates of poverty, low incomes and education debt caused by defunding of schools and universities. Further, assume it was common knowledge that it is really middle-aged African Americans (like middle-aged whites), the Baby-Boom “sixties generation,” that now suffers the fastest-growing epidemics of drug abuse, arrest, imprisonment, AIDS, family breakup, and other ills, despite enjoying the highest incomes of any black generation ever.
If these realities became common knowledge—that is, if the myth of “generational deterioration” disappeared—political discussion would change radically. Older blacks, instead of constantly disparaging the young (like Sharpton, Cosby, Juan Williams, Poussaint, Jackson, et. al.) as one of declining values, deteriorating standards, and greater violence and crime, would actually become proud of the young and optimistic about the future. Instead of resurrecting lynching-language lies once associated with white supremacists that young black men are rapist thugs and young black women are dumb, promiscuous baby machines, older African Americans could explore what has gone right over the last 40 years to improve the morals, attitudes, behaviors, and potential of young people.
So, the question highly relevant to discussion of the hip-hop generation’s politics and prospects becomes: why would so many older African Americans, like Baby-Boom whites, rather chew ground glass than give up their self-flatteries and disparaging bigotries against their own young people? Sorry for the long post, but today’s rampant anti-youth (and especially, anti-black-youth) fear and bigotry is a devastating barrier that needs to be torn down. – Mike Males, http://www.YouthFacts.org
I enjoyed your recent update on CNN. Whoever wins the current presidential election will end up having to work with Congress and the two candidates who did not win the election. In a sense this is similar to the everyday work and household experiences of many Americans. The choice is working together towards common goals or fighting against each other while nothing gets done. The one republican and two democratic candidates will play a significant role regarding the future of our international relationships and the U.S economy. All three talk about the love they have for our country. The three of them working together as a TEAM after the election is needed.
Imagine how different discussion of race, social issues, and politics would be if the following fact was widely acknowledged: today’s generation of black youth and young adults is the least crime-prone, least arrested, least homicidal, least rapist, least assaultive, least violent toward women, least inclined to theft or robbery, least endangered by violent death and injury, least self-destructive, least inclined to pregnancy and early childbearing, and least drug-abusing as well as the happiest, most social, most community-oriented, most likely to volunteer, and the most likely to graduate from high school, obtain high reading and math scores, attend college, and graduate in many decades and (for most behaviors) that ever existed—and that black teens are the only group in society to show a decline in imprisonment over the last 15 years.
That is, by a variety of solid crime, health, education, and social measures, today’s younger African Americans are the best black generation ever, despite continuing to suffer persistently high rates of poverty, low incomes and education debt caused by defunding of schools and universities. Further, assume it was common knowledge that it is really middle-aged African Americans (like middle-aged whites), the Baby-Boom “sixties generation,” that now suffers the fastest-growing epidemics of drug abuse, arrest, imprisonment, AIDS, family breakup, and other ills, despite enjoying the highest incomes of any black generation ever.
If these realities became common knowledge—that is, if the myth of “generational deterioration” disappeared—political discussion would change radically. Older blacks, instead of constantly disparaging the young (like Sharpton, Cosby, Juan Williams, Poussaint, Jackson, et. al.) as one of declining values, deteriorating standards, and greater violence and crime, would actually become proud of the young and optimistic about the future. Instead of resurrecting lynching-language lies once associated with white supremacists that young black men are rapist thugs and young black women are dumb, promiscuous baby machines, older African Americans could explore what has gone right over the last 40 years to improve the morals, attitudes, behaviors, and potential of young people.
So, the question highly relevant to discussion of the hip-hop generation’s politics and prospects becomes: why would so many older African Americans, like Baby-Boom whites, rather chew ground glass than give up their self-flatteries and disparaging bigotries against their own young people? Sorry for the long post, but today’s rampant anti-youth (and especially, anti-black-youth) fear and bigotry is a devastating barrier that needs to be torn down. – Mike Males, http://www.YouthFacts.org
Dear Ms. Goff,
I enjoyed your recent update on CNN. Whoever wins the current presidential election will end up having to work with Congress and the two candidates who did not win the election. In a sense this is similar to the everyday work and household experiences of many Americans. The choice is working together towards common goals or fighting against each other while nothing gets done. The one republican and two democratic candidates will play a significant role regarding the future of our international relationships and the U.S economy. All three talk about the love they have for our country. The three of them working together as a TEAM after the election is needed.
Sincerely,
Kenneth McGhee – Author
Teamwork – Moving Beyond Teambuilding Exercises