A Letter to African American Males

INTRODUCTION

I continue to shake my head over the predicament of so many Black youth. It is extremely difficult for adults of my generation to understand what is going on. An astonishing revolution has taken place since the days when I was a young boy in Topeka, Kansas. There can be little doubt that in many ways our Black youth are involved in the kind of protracted struggles that were never even remote possibilities during my teenage years.

The earmarks and burdens of Black survival are readily apparent. Hundreds of thousands of Black youth face the prospect of living their lives in prison, behind bars, and a large segment of society is unsympathetic to their plight. The problems of fractured families, inferior education, unemployment, poverty, poor health, inadequate housing, and racism, all combine to affect their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits in ways, but for the grace of God, may never be undone. All of these factors work against Black youth achieving their full potential.

The constrictions in the lives of so many of our youth are powerful forces that create bitterness, despair and destructive behavior. The contradictions of daily opportunities in some areas and the youth s lack of preparation to compete in an increasingly technological environment only serve to exacerbate a pathology of life that locks many young Black men into a fate over which they have little control.

My reflections represent a desire for positive action and an effort to provide a helping hand to our youth who often do not know what to do. I would hope that my accumulated experiences, observations, and some degree of wisdom will enable those who read this volume to think and re-think about how to reform and transform themselves into better men and women.

It is very easy to assign blame to young people when we see them flounder, fail, and have inappropriate goals and behavior. Perhaps adults need to assume greater responsibility to provide the counsel and conditions that will enable our youth to recognize their worth and potential. Perhaps we need to direct them to those sources and resources that will provide them with the skills to become efficient and professional in their particular endeavors. Perhaps we should demand more of the teachers, schools, churches and civic and social organizations and challenge them to become the internship and role modeling opportunities that can enable youth to become marketable. Perhaps Black leaders, official and unofficial, should seek closer contacts with our youth outside of professional settings so as to inspire and motivate them to assume a sense of 'somebodiness' and to strive for knowledge. Above all, youth must take their lives into there own hands, and shape their lives in ways that will enable them to lead fuller, more satisfying lives.