Well it has finally reared its ugly head we digress to America in black and white. It seems the historic democratic primary has digressed. We now find ourselves mired in a name calling race based circus. This process started with so much promise and potential to be a defining moment in American political history. But the democrats, in particular the Clinton’s and their surrogates are now playing the race card. CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC all the major news networks have run with the story. We now find ourselves mired in an emotional quagmire and the issue be dammed.
I find this whole situation deplorable. Why do we in 2008 find ourselves returning to the tactics of fear and segregation? When our backs are against the wall, play the race card. Play to the fears and the lowest common denominator the color of ones skin. But that is exactly what it is skin it covers all the essentials that all of share. We all have hearts, lungs Kidneys and the other essential items that make us human.
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that”
I implore the Clinton’s and their surrogates to abandon the politics of fear and division and take the high ground.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Black Holocaust
As we go through this political season, I find it interesting that there has not been much of a discourse from the candidates on the epidemic of AIDS in the black community. In particular the rate of AIDS in black women is growing at an alarming rate. I understand that personal responsibility plays a significant role in steming the tide; however, our leaders should lead and have some type of plan to address this growing issue.
Without question, there is a higher percentage of HIV and AIDS in the black female population in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year looked at data from 1999 to 2002 reported by 29 states that track HIV infections. The data is somewhat skewed because several states that have serious AIDS problems—including California, New York, and Illinois—did not at that time tally HIV infections. The study found that black women accounted for nearly 72 percent of the female cases, whites made up 18 percent and Hispanics 8.5 percent. Given that only 13 percent of Americans are black, you don't need a statistician to see the scale of the problem. (Encouragingly, the number of new HIV cases reported in women, regardless of race, did not increase during the four years of the study.)
So in this season when the front runners are claiming to be agents of change. Will they change this Nation’s current indifference to the plight of the black community and the growing pandemic of AIDS?
Without question, there is a higher percentage of HIV and AIDS in the black female population in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year looked at data from 1999 to 2002 reported by 29 states that track HIV infections. The data is somewhat skewed because several states that have serious AIDS problems—including California, New York, and Illinois—did not at that time tally HIV infections. The study found that black women accounted for nearly 72 percent of the female cases, whites made up 18 percent and Hispanics 8.5 percent. Given that only 13 percent of Americans are black, you don't need a statistician to see the scale of the problem. (Encouragingly, the number of new HIV cases reported in women, regardless of race, did not increase during the four years of the study.)
So in this season when the front runners are claiming to be agents of change. Will they change this Nation’s current indifference to the plight of the black community and the growing pandemic of AIDS?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Dream
I have a dream; these are the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King and on this day when we celebrate his life. This my friends is an exciting time to be a live. We are witness to the fruition of the dream. Senator’s Obama and Clinton are causing a revival of sorts in the electorate. I must add that in my life time, when I first voted for Jimmy Carter. I have never been so excited about our political process.
Yes, America for the first time in this nations long political history we have a black man and a white woman who are viable candidates for the highest office in the land. But of course we now see race rearing its ugly head and I pray, this tactic will be short lived by all involved. I am not going to place blame. But I will say this to the Democratic Party. You have an opportunity to fulfill the dream that Dr. King eluded to back in 1963. Don’t allow that racial divide to destroy this amazing moment in history.
I remember back in 1966 when Dr, King came to Louisville, to Quinn Chapel and my father took me to see Dr. King. I would be lying if I said I remember what he said because I was only nine years old. The most memorable moment to me was when my father put me on his shoulders so I could see Dr. King. He did however make an indelible impression on my life in that is a father son moment I will never forget.
But that moment stayed with me and has shaped my life and my views of the world. Before he passed my father imparted this prophetic statement to me “in your life time there will be a black president.” I don’t know if senator Obama is the one, but he is showing us that the dream is at hand. That Dr. King’s dream of a man being judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin is closer than we thought.
Happy Birthday Dr. King and thank you for your DREAM.
Yes, America for the first time in this nations long political history we have a black man and a white woman who are viable candidates for the highest office in the land. But of course we now see race rearing its ugly head and I pray, this tactic will be short lived by all involved. I am not going to place blame. But I will say this to the Democratic Party. You have an opportunity to fulfill the dream that Dr. King eluded to back in 1963. Don’t allow that racial divide to destroy this amazing moment in history.
I remember back in 1966 when Dr, King came to Louisville, to Quinn Chapel and my father took me to see Dr. King. I would be lying if I said I remember what he said because I was only nine years old. The most memorable moment to me was when my father put me on his shoulders so I could see Dr. King. He did however make an indelible impression on my life in that is a father son moment I will never forget.
But that moment stayed with me and has shaped my life and my views of the world. Before he passed my father imparted this prophetic statement to me “in your life time there will be a black president.” I don’t know if senator Obama is the one, but he is showing us that the dream is at hand. That Dr. King’s dream of a man being judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin is closer than we thought.
Happy Birthday Dr. King and thank you for your DREAM.
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Plight of Black Men
Louisville, KY – The plight of black men in the United States is far more dire than is portrayed by common employment and education statistics, new scholarly studies warn, and it has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul brought gains to black women and many other groups.
The studies, by experts at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions, show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men is becoming ever more disconnected from mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men. Especially in the country's inner cities, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates declined
Although the deep problems afflicting poor black men have been known for decades, the new data paint the most alarming picture yet of ravaged lives, the scholars say.
“There's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore,” said Ronald B. Mincy, a professor of social work at Columbia University and editor of “Black Males Left Behind.”
Many of the new studies go beyond the traditional approaches to looking at the issue. For example, official unemployment rates can be misleading because they do not include those not seeking work or incarcerated.
Terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue-collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work have all been cited as causes of the deepening ruin of black youths.
In response to the worsening situation for young black men, a growing number of programs are placing as much importance on teaching life skills – like parenting, conflict resolution and character building – as teaching job skills.
Among the findings:
The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly, with only a slight pause during the economic peak of the late 1990s. In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20s were jobless – that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white dropouts and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts.
Incarceration rates reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20s who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30s, six in 10 black men who have dropped out of school have done time.
In the inner cities, more than half of all black men do not finish high school.
The studies, by experts at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions, show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men is becoming ever more disconnected from mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men. Especially in the country's inner cities, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates declined
Although the deep problems afflicting poor black men have been known for decades, the new data paint the most alarming picture yet of ravaged lives, the scholars say.
“There's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore,” said Ronald B. Mincy, a professor of social work at Columbia University and editor of “Black Males Left Behind.”
Many of the new studies go beyond the traditional approaches to looking at the issue. For example, official unemployment rates can be misleading because they do not include those not seeking work or incarcerated.
Terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue-collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work have all been cited as causes of the deepening ruin of black youths.
In response to the worsening situation for young black men, a growing number of programs are placing as much importance on teaching life skills – like parenting, conflict resolution and character building – as teaching job skills.
Among the findings:
The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly, with only a slight pause during the economic peak of the late 1990s. In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20s were jobless – that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white dropouts and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts.
Incarceration rates reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20s who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30s, six in 10 black men who have dropped out of school have done time.
In the inner cities, more than half of all black men do not finish high school.
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