Jackson Free Press

The New York Times is reporting:

Black men in the United States face a far more dire situation than is portrayed by common employment and education statistics, a flurry of new scholarly studies warn, and it has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul have brought gains to black women and other groups. Focusing more closely than ever on the life patterns of young black men, the new studies, by experts at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions, show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men are becoming ever more disconnected from the mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men.

Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, 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 have declined.

Although the problems afflicting poor black men have been known for decades, the new data paint a more extensive and sobering picture of the challenges they face.

"There's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore," said Ronald B. Mincy, professor of social work at Columbia University and editor of "Black Males Left Behind" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).

"Over the last two decades, the economy did great," Mr. Mincy said, "and low-skilled women, helped by public policy, latched onto it. But young black men were falling farther back."

Many of the new studies go beyond the traditional approaches to looking at the plight of black men, especially when it comes to determining the scope of joblessness. For example, official unemployment rates can be misleading because they do not include those not seeking work or incarcerated.

"If you look at the numbers, the 1990's was a bad decade for young black men, even though it had the best labor market in 30 years," said Harry J. Holzer, an economist at Georgetown University and co-author, with Peter Edelman and Paul Offner, of "Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).

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 they are on teaching job skills.

Previous Commentsshow

Be sure to read the whole story, but here's a bit more: Mr. Holzer of Georgetown and his co-authors cite two factors that have curbed black employment in particular. First, the high rate of incarceration and attendant flood of former offenders into neighborhoods have become major impediments. Men with criminal records tend to be shunned by employers, and young blacks with clean records suffer by association, studies have found. Arrests of black men climbed steeply during the crack epidemic of the 1980's, but since then the political shift toward harsher punishments, more than any trends in crime, has accounted for the continued growth in the prison population, Mr. Western said. By their mid-30's, 30 percent of black men with no more than a high school education have served time in prison, and 60 percent of dropouts have, Mr. Western said. Among black dropouts in their late 20's, more are in prison on a given day — 34 percent — than are working — 30 percent — according to an analysis of 2000 census data by Steven Raphael of the University of California, Berkeley. The second special factor is related to an otherwise successful policy: the stricter enforcement of child support. Improved collection of money from absent fathers has been a pillar of welfare overhaul. But the system can leave young men feeling overwhelmed with debt and deter them from seeking legal work, since a large share of any earnings could be seized. About half of all black men in their late 20's and early 30's who did not go to college are noncustodial fathers, according to Mr. Holzer. From the fathers' viewpoint, support obligations "amount to a tax on earnings," he said.

DonnaLadd

Mar 20 2006

This article is very interesting and points out deep rooted issues facing African American men. As a daughter, sister, girlfriend, and friend of African American men I've seen this plight personally, and it is extremely scary. Many people wonder why the plight of the Black man is getting worse, I don't. I know this is just my oponion and may not be the "right" answer. After all this is a complex issue. Fundamentally this issue is traced back to the times of slavery. Back in the day black people in general were sold, beat, raped, hung (everyone knows the gist of this point and time in history). The result of these horrific acts led to the dissemination of the African American Family. Though time heals all wounds and African Americans have forgiven and gone on with their lives with their rights they so pertinently fought for. The effects of this are evident and still linger. I understand the concepts of joblessness and poor education and recognize the significance they have in a person's ability to achieve the "American Dream," but personally I think that it begins at home. How can a young black boy grow up to be a great black man, or simply a great man, without a Man to show him the way. As youngster, our most important lessons come not from school but from home. The place we lay our heads and dream. The place where self-esteem and confidence develop. It is thought that a mother teaches her daughter how to be a woman and a father teaches a son how to be a man. If no mother/father is present to teach these lessons other sources (of no relation or validty) are sought out to replace what is not there. A contributing factor in the dissementiation of the African American family is the way in which our Black men were made to believe that their worth is of no value. Therefore, black women became the primary force and foundation of the family. And somewhere along the way many black men lost their voice, ambition, and integrity. Because children learn from what they see I can best convey my thoughts about the plight of African American men through an old African Proverb from Guinea: "Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated; it cannot be harvested" "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 they are on teaching job skills." This is were the emphasis needs to take place. Teaching life skills, conflict resolution, character building is the starting point because many young men don't have these essential skills or anyone to teach them. In many instances many young black men are simply imitating what they see in their environment and in the streets: drugs, sex, and violence.

jan2006

Mar 20 2006

And, jan2006, you can't leave out new, present day and more sophisticated racism. It is fantasy to believe or expect that intractable racism against black folks will ever die or not remain a factor in everything. We have to suceed despite it, just like we always have. This is not to say that we condone or accept it. We simply have to remember we're working from a different standard. The great problem among many black males might be the expectation that all is fair, or similarly, nothing is fair. Both extremes are often dangerous, debilitating and self-defeating. For those of us smart and skillful enough to make it past poverty and despair, we have to show others the way, and force the system as best we can to grant us the same opportunity as whites have. This is a complicated situations and I admit I have no real good idea how to fix it. Yet I'm convinced there are thousands rich and powerful people including politicans, judges, preachers and business men who don't want it fixed for personal and racist reason. One writer said "we black folks know Uncle Sam is a deceitful old bigot" but unfortunately he's the only uncle we have known" so for, so, we have to live with him until he's fixed or defeated. One minute I see promise, the next I see hopelessness and despair.

Ray Carter

Mar 20 2006

"The great problem among many black males might be the expectation that all is fair, or similarly, nothing is fair." Right on the money, carter. Finding middle ground between these two extremes is often the dilemma that many black males face. Furthermore, i think the issue of what is fair and unfair is overemphasized without action and without realizing that mere focus on this fairness/unfairness can be "debilitating" I'm with you, Carter, I reallydon't have a one answer solution as how to fix this problem. But I know it requires unity to the fullest.

jan2006

Mar 21 2006

This is why I watch my nephew like a hawk and let him talk to me about anything that's bothering him, but as a female, I know that I don't fully "get it". His parents separated when he was about eight, so I do get concerned about how he will turn out. Fortunately, he spends a lot of time with his uncle, so he does have a male figure in his life on a regular basis.

LatashaWillis

Mar 22 2006

Just this week I have been sitting in the courtroom of Jackson Judge Kidd (I'm sorry, I don't know his first name) and he is an African American man. And I can tell you that there is such strong pleasant feelings for me to be in an environment where a black man is running the show. All in the courtroom show him respect & I feel he treats others with respect. It's just a great feeling knowing that a black man can be in a position of power like that right here in Jackson, Mississippi. I hope this doesn't seem stupid that I posted this, I felt I wanted to share it. Thanks.

Izzy

Mar 22 2006

BTW I'm not saying, well, see, now everything is alright. More trying to show how nice it could be if there were more black men enjoying positions of real power in our society.

Izzy

Mar 22 2006

There wuz a further discussion of this issue on News and Notes this morning. It's going to take the help of the government and many millions of dollars and souls to cure this problem. There will be resistance considering the present makeup of government but if the problem child wuz white they would do it without any real hesitation. Certainly, Laurel, we can do all things and do them well. Black and white people both need to see this. We're all victim's of our upbringings and socialization processes. Once we see these kinds of things we no longer can be fooled with the racit bullcrap anymore. When I look around I see my greatest failing in life is not having dedicating my life to trying to save my nearly 10 nephews. They don't want to be anything like me. Only one finished high school. He earned a scholarship in basketball. He wouldn't go to college though. He chose instead to sell drugs which he's in prison for right now. He even told the undercover police officers during the sale of cocaine to be careful because he just heard the police are roaming the streets. They let me hear the tape recording of it.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

Laurel, your posting was far from stupid. I know the feeling well. I;ve heard of Judge Kidd but i didn't know he was an African American. I guess you learn something new everyday! But when you do see African american men in a position of power it gives a sense of hope for the african american community. I know we can't soley depend on the few in higher positions to solve all our problems, but just to know someone of my same culture is available to represent the african american people. Hey carter, i have a tendacy to be a little nosy. If youn't mind me asking. Where are the parents of you 10 nephews?

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

The father of 4 of them was killed in a train wreck when the oldest was about 3. Their mother is my sister who has struggled with a drug addiction for years. The father of 3 or 4 more (not sure of number) got killed in a car accident when the children were 1-5 years old. Their father was my brother. The father of 3 more nephews is alive, disable, and worthless. He won't pay child support, and their mother, my sister, has tried to kill him several times by running over him in her car and so on. There are also 3 or 4 neices with these same families. I was out of state most of their formative years. They looked up to me like I was some kind of giant until they reached their teenaged years. None, to my knowledge, has or is likely finish high school with the oldest being 20. All of these kids needed a father sorely. They saw and heard that their uncle worked like hell to escape poverty and become a lawyer but apparently none were interested or capable of doing anything similarly. I've been told many times to not blame myself in any way, but I don't appreciate failure especially for children sharing my blood and last name.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

I am in aww of your nieces and nephews plight through this life. It's a very sad situation. I understand the blame you place somewhat on yourself, however, i feel compelled to reinerate that point. It is not your fault. Though they are grown and their future looks seemingly bleak, i have always believed that it is Never to late for someone to change their life or for someone to change the life of another. Are you in contact with them at all. Your nieces and nephews might need a little motivation. (I just had to do a reality check on myself; things are always much easier said than done)

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

Yes, I'm in touch with them regularly, directly and indirectly. They're only 80 miles away. I need to make a greater effort to see them more. It's not too late but I have a lot of work to do with this to save some of them. I have had nearly all of the girls and boys at my house for days at a time.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

Ray, you wrote: We can do all things and do them well. Black and white people both need to see this. We're all victim's of our upbringings and socialization processes. Once we see these kinds of things we no longer can be fooled with the racit bullcrap anymore. I agree with this. The more examples we have, the better.

Izzy

Mar 22 2006

I agree with you both, in general it isn't simply a black and white topic, because there's so much more to the world and so much more in between than just black and white. i was wondering what programs does the city of jackson have that caters to african american youth at risk besides the 100 black men of Jackson? Anybody know of any others?

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

I don't know of any more programs in Jackson. This article and discussion have convinced me to take in a couple of the older ones. I alaready know they're going to make me sick with too much rap music, beer drinking, and smoking. I can't stand smoking and drinking alcohol. But I'm going to give it a try anyway. The first sight of any drugs they're out permanently. We had several of my neices at the house recently. They were so boy crazy that we couldn't wait to send them back home. Other than that I enjoyed them. I will cancel cable so I won't have to hear or see MTV or BET.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

I forgot to say I had to check to see if the wife is willing to have her life altered in such a way as taking on 2 nearly grown knucleheads.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

yeah that would be a problem if you just up and took them in without discussing it with your wife. With grown nieces and nephews or children i general it's a little more tricky because of the whole power struggle and them wanting to be independant when they might not be ready or able. Setting up rules and regulations if they agree to stay with you provides them some type of structure, that they desperatly need, whether they themselves know this or. I wish you good luck with what your wanting to do for your family. I hope everything works out.

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

oh yeah i did want to comment on the whole "boy crazy" thing. Growing up I knew alot of girls like this; i probably used to be one. Reasonings behind this boy craziness vary from person to person but it's mainly seeking out attention. You wrote "All of these kids needed a father sorely" and just from what I've heard so far this is probably the underlying factor here. When young girls grow up without a legitimate father figure to love them care for them and teach them that certain kind of confidence and respect a young girl needs to have for herself and others They seek it out in other males who in most instances don't have their best interest. Both parents involvement in a childs life is detrimental but a fathers role or lack thereof can determine so much.

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

Thanks, jan2006. I understand.

Ray Carter

Mar 22 2006

Your welcome!

jan2006

Mar 22 2006

Just this week I have been sitting in the courtroom of Jackson Judge Kidd (I'm sorry, I don't know his first name) and he is an African American man. His first name is Winston. I know this because I had to serve on a jury a few years ago (yawn) and he was over the proceedings. Very kind man. Wonder if he has a twin. :-P

LatashaWillis

Mar 23 2006

This atricle really touches home for me too. It is hard enough in life, but when you add in the struggles of being black, it really makes you have to work. I have friends and relatives that are ever willing to go out and produce more children but they think that once these little ones are born that they are on their own. I don't know where this mode of thinking got started but it certainly has to stop. We as adults are the frontline of defense of changing things. Our young black kids must first believe in God, respect themselves, and then earn the respect of others. It is not easy but nothing worthwhile is either. Even at your best it is still never an even fight when you are black. Don't let it make you bitter, let it make you stronger. I promise it's worth it. I read blogs from people like Ray Carter and its so inspiring to me because Mr Carter seems to be a meat-and-potatos man. You may not always like what he says, but read deep into his commentary. You will always pick up on something that's absolutely right.

rufus

Mar 23 2006

L.W. wrote: His first name is Winston. I know this because I had to serve on a jury a few years ago (yawn) and he was over the proceedings. Very kind man. Wonder if he has a twin. :-P Hey L. W. That's right, it is Winston Kidd. The trial is over now. It was kind of boring being on a jury though one thing I actually enjoyed about it was being in a racially mixed group of folks. Seems like I don't get that enough here in Jackson. I lived in Oakland, CA before coming here and my neighborhood was very racially/ethnically mixed and I liked that.

Izzy

Mar 23 2006

Our society does not value poor children, particularly poor black children. We don't invest money in education in poor neighborhoods. We do not invest adequately in early childhood education. Seventy percent of those in the pen are functionally illiterate. If you cannot function legally, you will get out there and try to "get yours". We place too much emphasis on unnecessary incarceration of non-violent small-time drug offenders. In most instances it is a victimless crime. The war on drugs is all too often a war on black and brown people given the disproportionate sentencing on crack versus powder. There are many more white users of cocaine and marijuana than blacks, but it is the young black men who are being disproportionately locked away for long periods of time and dehumanized. Are they getting drug treatment and learning how to read while they are locked away? The system is corrupt. They are able to maintain drug habits while in prison. Richard Pryor was right. Is it justice or "just us"? This country has the highest incarceration rate of any developed country. The only comparative country that rivals us in the harsh nature of our "justice" are South Africa and communist China. This harshness is leveled primarily at blacks, hispanics and poor whites --- the "least of these". If you can afford a really good lawyer then you can afford a break. As someone once said, "we are sowing the wind and we will reap a whirlwind". Is not God a God of the oppressed?

FreeClif

Mar 23 2006

WHIT you wrote: "Are they getting drug treatment and learning how to read while they are locked away?" Drug treatment I don't think so. If mentally ill people are being locked away in prison because many mental facilities are overcrowded, do you think they have a decent detox program, highly unlikely. I'm not saying it ain't so, but highly unlikely. The option of learning to read a getting a GED is readily available for those interested. "unnecessary incarceration" is exactly was it is. In my opinion the whole department of corrections system needs to be reevaluated. Let's think about it............These expensive gigantic facilites where criminals basically live free. They have access to education, healthcare, exercise equipment, etc. etc It's no wonder why criminals go free and wide up in the same place: there is no true rehabilitaion taking place. But I bet if we sent our criminals over to another country (Say Singapore) where capitol punishment is the norm, they'd truly come rehabilitated! I'm not necessarily for cruel punishment I just think drastic changes need to be made.

jan2006

Mar 23 2006

"Education, healthcare, exercise equipment...". It sounds like a health spa :-). I have relatives who have done long terms in Parchman and a friend who served time in Angola (in LA) for a crime for which he was eventually exonerrated and they did not have a good time and do not look forward to returning. The research on the death penalty indicates that it is not a deterrant. It is very expensive to enforce and we end up executing some innocent people. See on the execution of Frances Newton. One of my uncles was murdered, so I am sensitive to the pro deth penaly side; but we need to be more careful about it and aware that it is issued disproportionately against the black, brown and poor.

FreeClif

Mar 23 2006

I miswrote: when I was writing of capitol punishment i was not meaning pro death. (moreso chopping off a finger for thieves/ chopping off a penis for rapist, J/K :) so maybe capitol punishment isn't the correct word because personally, I think that who ever executes a person for a crime is no better than the criminal themselves. I just really feel that the system needs revising. Make criminals earn their keep in prison. They should have to earn every thing they get while in there: from their toothbrushes to their sox. Don't make it easy for them. I know some prisons are harsher than others. All I'm saying is there are poor people in the US who have not committed a crime in their life: they don't get to shower 1-2x's a day, eat three free meals, get free air/heat, workout, etc.etc. See where I'm going? or trying to go with this?

jan2006

Mar 23 2006

Seen.

FreeClif

Mar 24 2006

It is refreshing to read a blog that accentuates the positives while not putting rose colored glasses on the problem. I was one the blessed ones to make it. I was just telling a friend that I have outlived people that I admire greatly, i.e. Malcolm X, MLK. Speaking of Malcolm, I think his autobiography should be required reading for every African-American male. It proves that every human has the potential for greatness, even when they initially were told they could not be anything and chose a path of self-destruction. IMHO, his most powerful quote was not, "By any means necessary," but instead, "Education is the passport to our future." As a public servant, I have tried to support and enact policy to change this growing epidemic in our society. The key to solving this problem is for all of us to understand one basic concept: When one fails, we all fail. We are our brother's keeper, and as a father of an African-American male, I am more aware of that now than ever. Government must continue to be the benevolent overseer to address the crisis, but at the same time, we need more of a commitment like those expressed on this blog to give a damn and get personally involved. These young men are part of our community. The community cannot ignore them and hope they go away. I am trying to contain myself from being too emotional or verbose, but it is very hard for me to see our society failing these youth, and to be fair, our youth surrendering to the principalities and powers of darkness. A local business here in Clinton has a saying posted on their store sign, "Fall down seven times, get up eight." That is a lesson that needs to be re-instilled in our culture. I am nobody's victim, and neither should any African-American be one. Racism exists, but just like all things, it wins when we stop fighting it. When people tell me, I can't win an election because I am an African-American, I proclaim, "The Devil is a liar." That is the attitude our young men should be brought up with, so that they are not so easily tempted by the allure of making a quick dollar, or becoming a father when they are not ready, or so ready to accept the lie that they can't do any better than where they may be in life right now. They should not feel that the entertainment industry is their ONLY ticket out of a bad situation or their ONLY road to acceptance by others in our society. Our contributions in science and politics prove otherwise. Low self-esteem is the tool used to make a man quit school, or become part of the drug culture, or quite simply, be less of the man God created him to be. Government can't fix that, that is our burden. I will continue to do what I can in the Capitol and at home and in my community. I pray that others will make that same commitment, for it is really going to take ALL OF US to do it. We, African-Americans, have never had the luxury of giving up on our people. Now is not the time to start.

Rep. Erik Fleming

Mar 26 2006

Nicely said.

DonnaLadd

Mar 26 2006

"The Devil is a liar." And the truth ain't in him, as the saying goes. Thanks for that comment.

LatashaWillis

Mar 26 2006

We must all be careful when speaking on prisons/jails as free rides. True, some prefer jail to the [seemed] impending trials of the outside world, but it is silly of us to think that tax payers are paying to keep these individuals housed and cared for. Prisons are an industry. Okay, federal prisons. (www.unicor.gov) State and local facilities use their available labor also. People act as if they think that the government is sending all of these 'criminals' away for the sole benefit of keeping them from harming the public. For my benefit and the benefit of others, I should learn more about this area, but I encourage all to understand the effects of how we think and talk about various subjects. Aside from that...lol I agree that it is our duty to work with our families, neighbors, friends, others to encourage all that we can work to make differences in our societies. As a young black man, I greatly understand the importance of encouragement, education and confidence. Ray C., I applaud your willingness to be there for your family. Plenty of us do not see the need nor responsibility and even more of us do not understand the reward of perseverance (please understand that I'm talking to myself, also). So hold on, be strong and live by faith that your actions will bring about fruit; not by the sight that nobody is taking it to heart. We are following paths to destruction (or travail) when we don't heed good instruction provided to us in prior years (yes, making biblical/other spiritual reference here). There are no cut-offs for this responsibility to ourselves. Based on the influence of society (to include immediate friends), I could feel that it is my duty to be with every available woman out there. When talking about babies/disease, this is for EVERY man/woman to be concerned about--color is of no consequence. I think that the plight of the black man is the plight of any man, only with the additional load of being black (in America and abroad where it poses a problem). At this point, I see it as a fact of life and I only wish to live with the facts. Another fact is that a lot of mistreatment and misrepresentation is a result of misinformation and other ignorance (redundancy for emphasis) that plagues life. I will agree with fellow blacks that this "additional load" that I speak of can be a back-breaker--it can bring people to their mental limits. I can not fathom this load being heavier than my ancestors nor the millions of people who are "struggling" in another sense. I agree with Rep. Fleming on not taking a victim mentality. I have a good friend that is an ex-con and involved with what is termed "the system" for some other infraction. Baby born late last year. Jobs (for him) are scarce and/or offer menial pay. Catch phrase, "If I didn't have bad luck, then I wouldn't have no luck at all." Personally, I know that he can go and do SOMEthing, regardless of pay, but I can see where he gets this attitude. **just remembered this has a limit, so let me post now**

lilsoulja

Mar 27 2006

A Harvard professor offered his thoughts on this article this past Sunday: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/opinion/26patterson.html?_r=1&oref=slogin If the link does not work, the author's name is Orlando Patterson. Article is "A Poverty of the Mind." You can search that on the NY Times website and get the article.

MAllen

Mar 27 2006

I see where this attitude stems yet I have come to believe (used lightly, because had I had the firm belief I wouldn't be typing this right now...but then again, I AM typing this) that great things are possible with faith. Our nation and world, while going through turmoil, has grown and developed into so much more than where it was. To take the presence of anything negative as a reason to avoid celebrating life would be a serious blow to our mentalities. We all have been--or may in the future be--at a point of dealing with much less. So at what point should one give up? We are given our daily bread. Victims call 911. Victims wait because "help is on the way." I disagree. Help is HERE. It only needs to be realized and the mentality actualized. Yes, education is needed. Yes, jobs are needed. Surely others have made a list of needs that should be addressed. But what do we do with what we have now? Should we look to pointing fingers? No, we've done that enough. Awareness is important, so please don't think that I suggest waiving the need for people to understand that they themselves are causing problems. I am not. To be fair in this paragraph, I also do not suggest waiving the need for the government (federal, state, local) to be aware of its involvement in the spread of problems. Once again, I could go on. We all support one another somehow some way. We should realize this and acknowledge it. Just because my mom raised me alone does not mean that I should leave my dad alone, yet that is the mentality followed (and 'sometimes' strengthened by mothers) by some. In society, those held under by certain powers/issues get to a point where they feel as if they should just leave it alone. Yet, you can only go so far physically before it has to be a change in the mental state. Okay, I may be delving into something unnecessarily. I was trying to offer an analogy. One can choose not to see an individual. One cannot choose to avoid the realities around them. Perhaps a question can help me get that out clearer, so I'll digress. I am constantly encouraged when I see people speaking out on subjects of life that affect us all, because we are all involved regardless of how we see it. Thank you for this opportunity to share.

lilsoulja

Mar 27 2006

Good piece, Mallen. One caution, though: It would be a mistake if anyone reads Mr. Patterson's comments out of context or with what I like to call the "Cosby approach" (of lifting a few statements out of context to support a preconceived notion). That is, it is vital to understand that Mr. Patterson's sociological work on black "culture" is much deeper than what we layfolk often refer to as "culture" (hip-hop fashion, etc.). It goes back to slavery, which he has called "social death," and has drawn distinctions between slavery and other types of repression -- and has laid out the deep impact it had on African Americans and the "culture" that developed as a result. I.e. it is difficult to understand the plight of the black male without understanding the roots of slavery and its long-term effect on generations followed the people who were enslaved and stripped of all human dignity. Thus, his point about the simplistic approaches to these problems (from both "sides") is very good -- but do not make quick assumptions about what he *is* saying--i.e. don't Cosby him. This paragraph near the end sums it up pretty well: The tragedy unfolding in our inner cities is a time-slice of a deep historical process that runs far back through the cataracts and deluge of our racist past. Most black Americans have by now, miraculously, escaped its consequences. The disconnected fifth languishing in the ghettos is the remains. Too much is at stake for us to fail to understand the plight of these young men. For them, and for the rest of us. This as well: Until the recent rise of behavioral economics, most economists have simply not taken non-market forces seriously. But what about the sociologists and other social scientists who ought to have known better? Three gross misconceptions about culture explain the neglect. First is the pervasive idea that cultural explanations inherently blame the victim; that they focus on internal behavioral factors and, as such, hold people responsible for their poverty, rather than putting the onus on their deprived environment. (It hasn't helped that many conservatives do actually put forth this view.) But this argument is utterly bogus. To hold someone responsible for his behavior is not to exclude any recognition of the environmental factors that may have induced the problematic behavior in the first place. Many victims of child abuse end up behaving in self-destructive ways; to point out the link between their behavior and the destructive acts is in no way to deny the causal role of their earlier victimization and the need to address it. His book: Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study All around, a fine article to kick off good discussion.

DonnaLadd

Mar 27 2006

"to point out the link between their behavior and the destructive acts is in no way to deny the causal role of their earlier victimization and the need to address it." Ladd, I agree with the line above. People MUST still be held personally accountable, but I do not accept that accountability equals long prison terms for non-violent offenders and the elimination of social safety nets. It is this conservative spin on personal accountability that fuels the prison-industrial complex and the resulting distortion in our social priorities.

FreeClif

Mar 27 2006

Cultural factors aside (and I know they're an issue), I can't help but think that if the opportunities were just visibly there, things would change. Free universal college would take care of so many of those 34 percent who are currently languishing in prison instead. I mean, really, when the government starts arresting a huge chunk of a demographic group like that, the problem is obviously institutional. And I suspect most of those 34 percent are arrested for drug possession. Are they getting free treatment? No. They're getting stuck in prison with harder offenders where they can be trained to become lifelong criminals instead of kids who smoke pot. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Mar 27 2006

Free universal college?? Please, High School is free and what's the dropout rate ?

JLYerg

Mar 27 2006

The drop out rate is related to the fact that most of those who drop out arrive in high school unprepared to succeed. Often irreversible damage occurs to children between birth and the age of seven or eight. "Neurons to Neighborhoods" is a good article on this subject. The research shows that if a child is not able to read by the end of third grade you can go ahead and build a prison cell for them. This is actually the method that Louisiana and Arizona use to predict the future need for prison space. Early childhood ed. is the key. As a society, a choice has been made that we would rather imprison certain elements of society than spend the money to provide decent early education.

FreeClif

Mar 27 2006

I can recall when the "war against drugs" started. All thinking people saw right through it. It was obvious. ' since simple overt oppression of black men wasn't politically correct anymore we can portray all black men as criminals, make it wasy for them to have guns, and say we're locking them up for societies protection' It is baffling to me to find anyone questions the damaging effects this has had. I appreciate Donna writing about it as news but it's really just the elephant in the living room no one wants to talk about. Compare the end result of Jim Crow and the "War against Drugs".

Sherman Lee

Mar 27 2006

Sherman Lee, you're right on. It is the elephant in the living room. During my fellowship about the discriminatory effects of school discipline, and the school-to-jail pipeline, I went deep into the history of the drug war and its roots. I don't have time now to expound much, but to suffice it to say that it is totally disingenuous and was from the outset. I agree with you that a primary impetus for it was the need to have a good reason to incarcerate feared young black men, who could no longer be controlled by other means. Of course, it also had a lot to do with the connection with quelling the young protest movement of young people of all races and backgrounds -- who were believed to be less inhibited due to drugs. I'll say two things on that: A new protest and counter-culture to the status quo needs to lose the drug dependence. And, I used to support the drug war wholeheartedly because I've seen what drug abuse does to people, and hate drugs (meaning presciption abuse as well). It was a major issue that Todd and I disagreed on when we met. He was against it. (Of course, he was a Perot fan at the time, so our idiocy balanced out. Sorry, Todd, for revealing that.). Anyway, the more I studied the drug war, and by the time I did the in-depth research, I really saw it for what it is, and what it isn't. And those realities explain why upper-class white men can go do drugs on the weekends while railing against the drug-selling "thugs" during the week. The drug war was never founded on fairness, and it was never meant to apply evenly to everyone. It has always been a tool. And to that end, it is "working" exactly how it was meant to for a lot of people. That, my friends, is tragic. But we likely will never change it until we get educated about it.

DonnaLadd

Mar 28 2006

Love the synopsis ladd. Makes me think of the stories of Enrique Camarena (only recently learned of his misfortune) and Celerino Castillo.

lilsoulja

Mar 28 2006

This is what stood out to me from the article posted by MAllen An anecdote helps explain why: Several years ago, one of my students went back to her high school to find out why it was that almost all the black girls graduated and went to college whereas nearly all the black boys either failed to graduate or did not go on to college. Distressingly, she found that all the black boys knew the consequences of not graduating and going on to college ("We're not stupid!" they told her indignantly). SO why were they flunking out? Their candid answer was that what sociologists call the "cool-pose culture" of young black men was simply too gratifying to give up. For these young men, it was almost like a drug, hanging out on the street after school, shopping and dressing sharply, sexual conquests, party drugs, hip-hop music and culture, the fact that almost all the superstar athletes and a great many of the nation's best entertainers were black. Not only was living this subculture immensely fulfilling, the boys said, it also brought them a great deal of respect from white youths. This also explains the otherwise puzzling finding by social psychologists that young black men and women tend to have the highest levels of self-esteem of all ethnic groups, and that their self-image is independent of how badly they were doing in school. I can relate to that and have seen it time and time again and there were only a few that could walk that fine line from being the Coolest and also the Smartest. For some in The Black Community Cool and Smart are polar opposites, but there are many of us who embrace the Hip/Cool/Street and also the vast amount of Smart Knowledge that can be obtained from this world too. And it gets much deeper than just being COOL it goes to the heart of the racist court system and how it is designed to lock Black males up as was touched upon in this thread.....it gets into the psyche of some Black males that want to buck or go against the system by not educating themselves and that is sometimes derived out of sheer laziness and not wanting to take the time out to learn how to educate them/ourselves....so they in turn blame the system and choose other avenues in life..... lilsoulja --I think I am understanding what you are trying to say Bro.

JAC

Mar 28 2006

JAC I got ya. I remember dropping grades in efforts of fitting in (da hell was I thinking?). Glad I tightened that up. In speaking about laziness, I don't think that some realize the long-term effects of missing out on this education. Simple certifications or classes/tests turn into huge obstacles, even if the job does not require school education. Living teenage/young adult lives as if there's no anticipated changes to come plagues us. I never realized the importance of the adage: "A man who stands for nothing falls for anything" (or something like that).

lilsoulja

Mar 28 2006

Wonderful and enlightening comments, everybody. I agree that the drug war is ia bunch of bullcrap although I'm one of those totally against the use of illegal drugs. I say this althought I could probably vote to legalize drugs to possibly stop some of the violence and criminal aspects of it. It hurts me to no end that young black males can't see that dropping out of high school, failing to learn the master's craft (system) even if you know it's corrupt, and engaging in destructive behavior such as drugs, pimpinig, et al, are playing right into the traps of the bigots, racist and profiteers. How could we see it but the youths of today can't. No need to answer. I think I understand. I saw some hope two days ago at my father's funeral. One of my nephews who lost a basketball college scholarship due to selling drugs instead of going to school, showed up at the funeral in prison attire, took the microphone, and told the entire church congregation that his grandfather talked to him about being responsible and making good decisions when he was a young boy. He went on to say he failed to take heed before going to prison, but had learned his lesson and in the future would make the family proud. This was a heartfelt and serious commentary without any shame or pursuit of sympathy. He did it like a man. He will get out in 2 to 3 months, and we will make sure he doesn't fail this time.

Ray Carter

Mar 29 2006

That is deep Ray. We must support the brothers (and an increasing number of sisters) after incarceration to redeem as many as possible (if they show sincere efforts to reform) -- especially the non-violent offenders. We are supposed to be the Bible Belt, but how many of us really believe in redemption and will reach out to ex-convicts with the remembrance that at one point Paul (of the Bible) was a bad man (picture how Ali used to say it :-)...Malcolm was once a bad man and we all have our moments. Did the Physician come to cure those who are not ill?

FreeClif

Mar 29 2006

Where would JFP be without the NY Times?? Young Black Males take many ques from the like of 50 cent, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and the like, people who aren't pushing the right kind of solutions. Bill Cosby was on to something, as well as others such as Tavis Smiley, and Tyler Perry. Everyone has the power to overcome, but many "artists" have romanticized poverty and promiscuity that young black men are actually breaking from the mainstream by being pro-family, pro-marriage, and pro-college.

ReadsomeKierkegaard

Mar 29 2006

Where would JFP be without the NY Times?? Uh, in Fondren. No one here is romanticizing poverty. Catch up, Dude, before you start acting like a jerk. No one likes a jerk.

DonnaLadd

Mar 29 2006

Your're certainly right in some ways, Readsomekierkegaard. Cosby was mostly right. Tavis is a genius and God-send who has put his mouth, heart, soul and money into trying to help and save us. I have mixed feeling about Tyle Perry so far, but I wish him well. It's easy to see what our problems are. They're blatant. We need some solutions and help to deal with them. Donna has written numerous article about race and racism without the New york Times being the impetus for it. No other white owned paper I know of in Mississippi has the guts or concerns to write what she has written or covered on many occasions, and our biggest daily has a black person as the boss man. You can't cover and write what she has written numerous times without offending countless people of her race and unfortunately people of our race, too, who want the past to die (as if that's possible by doing nothing). I applud all papers, especially the black papers for their coverage of these issues with so little money, by subscribibg and supporting them in any way I can. I applaude and support Donna, too. If her heart wasn't in it, she would have fled by now. No one I know of is bragging or loving on poverty. I'm hopeful younsters will soon see Rap and Hip-Hop as temporary fun or escapism instead of the way life is. But I might be preching to the choir. I can take you to ghettos all over the world and show you countless people who don't have the power to overcome, but I undersatand what you mean. People have to try, and we have to help.

Ray Carter

Mar 29 2006

The National Urban League reports very little progress, socially and economically, has been made over the last year for blacks. The economic status of blacks is 56% of whites; the median net worth of blacks is 10 times less than whites; two times as many blacks live below the poverty lines as their white counterparts. One writer of the report implies overcrowding lower-earning occupations helps maintian this intrinsic problem of growing poverty.

Ray Carter

Mar 30 2006

Nice words, Mr. Carter. Miss Ladd, lay-off the name calling (way too juvenile) and I didn't claim anyone HERE was romanticizing poverty. By "artists" I mean rappers who seem to discredit you as a black man if you were raised in a Middle to Upper-Class family. I have witnessed young black men numerous times being labeled as "too white" because they came from families who had money and were more articulate than their peers. They get ridiculed because they don't fit the picture of a "Real" black male, a picture put forth by pop culture. Don't we all remember the episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire where Carrolton was ostracized because his father was a successful judge. Imagine what Mrs. Blackmon's boy would face if he weren't sheltered at Saint Andrews. Oppression as a concept can oppress by stealing confidence and hope, as long as young black males are told they can't make it on the straight and narrow, they usually don't try.

ReadsomeKierkegaard

Mar 30 2006

Okay, Donna, I'm about to start some sh1t. I'm asking for permission. ;)

Lori G

Mar 30 2006

lay-off the name calling (way too juvenile) Uh, Reak, you have clearly mistaken yourself as someone who has some clout in these parts. Are you really, truly trying to tell me what to do on this site? I didn't think so. I didn't call you a name; I characterized your own jerk-esque behavior. Keep up. Ali, start your engines, girlfriend.

DonnaLadd

Mar 30 2006

Ladd, he used an episode of the Fresh Prince to make his point about young black males....he might be doing well enough on his own here. Did you see the one where Will had this totally hidden copy of this Tom Jones CD (the one with "What's New Pussycat") and Carlton, like, totally blackmailed him about it. Then Jeffery got invovled and everything went to sh1t? Because I like, totally did, and then I thought Tom Jones was cool and proceeded to great all black men with the phrase "What's New Pussycat?" and I, like, totally didn't get it when they all got mad and slapped me. Like, totally.

Lori G

Mar 30 2006

I agree Read.... A black kid struggling to make it has to develop the power to stand alone if need be to make it beyond poverty. All of us have to learn to do this to succeed at personal goal. It called loking-beyond-the-moment. I was very good at it. I didn't care what they called me and still don't. You make many good points, and could possibly persuade others to your views when you learn you have to do it with cool reason, facts, data, articulation, and love. Anger and fussing won't work with adults or intelligent people. Probably won't even work with children.

Ray Carter

Mar 31 2006

I meant to say, it's called.... What the hell. Y'all know what I meant.

Ray Carter

Mar 31 2006

I wanted to make one more comment on this. Too often when the so-called experts come up with programs to help the poor, needy, or down-trotten, they leave out the concerns, ideas, and issues of the people they're allegedly trying to help. Then when the programs fail the experts, government and the likes again blame the victims. Isn't this stupid? Some of the problem with this approach might lie in a George Bernard Shaw quote: If a man can not look evil in the eye without illusion, he will never know what it really is, or combat it effectively.

Ray Carter

Mar 31 2006

I'm not sure how to respond to the quote below. I do know that only in America would we seriously talk about the financial effects of having a child and how that might have racial implications (and somehow excuse the father). Some would think that some people would think about those financial effects before having a child. Furthermore, some people would expect that African-American men can figure out all of the above and below on their own, which is not what the tone of this board suggests. A fair read of this board is that black men (1) cannot or (2) will not make the responsible decisions and mature decisions (by overwhelming community standards) that they need to. I will not accept that proposition. Here is the article: "The second special factor is related to an otherwise successful policy: the stricter enforcement of child support. Improved collection of money from absent fathers has been a pillar of welfare overhaul. But the system can leave young men feeling overwhelmed with debt and deter them from seeking legal work, since a large share of any earnings could be seized. About half of all black men in their late 20's and early 30's who did not go to college are noncustodial fathers, according to Mr. Holzer. From the fathers' viewpoint, support obligations "amount to a tax on earnings," he said." Give me a break.

MAllen

Apr 1 2006

Given the last batch of statistics I read about American sexual behavior, I'd wager that the only reason that half of all non-college-educated white men in their late 20's and early 30's aren't noncustodial parents is because of economic factors affecting availability of contraception and abortion. All the more reason to support the pro-choice movement, with all that entails--not just abortion legalization, but also full and free access to up-to-date birth control technology, including emergency contraception. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Apr 1 2006

First of all, this is the usual: completely ignore the points raised. Completely ignore the racial angle that is obvious on these posts. Secondly, Tom, if only my principal would have offered me a condom. Then I would be good to go. They should probably have condoms hanging in the hallways. Give me a break. Tell that to a high school kid that has to go a gas station. And even if they did, ask me to feel sorry for them. Much, much easier than asking your high school principle for one for a weekend night? Who is someone more afraid of: they're principal, or the local gas station attendant?

MAllen

Apr 1 2006

MAllen, what racial angle--other than multigenerational variation in socioeconomic status attributable to institutional racism--do you see? Enlighten me, please. I thought that was the racial angle. Agreed on condoms hanging in the hallways. I think that would be a great idea. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Apr 1 2006

I'm all for blaming the fathers for their screw-ups. I talk about black fathers so badly that some black folks question whether I hate black folks. I'm all for child-support collections to the extent possible. I'm all for helping the children even if the fathers don't do their parts. After all, we spend billions on Iraq and countless other places, issues, and things the citizens don't know about for inhumane reasons often hidden in a phrase called National Security. Conservatives rarely complain about any of this. And, I'd bet my last dollar, that if black folks problems were those of white folks instead, there would be greater understanding and never-before-seen-efforts to cure the problems. I made the qoute simply for the reason of showing, or at least arguing, that outsiders, people-so-removed, rich people, highly-educated people, and the likes, often never even know what the real problems are because they can't view them without the illusions they bring to the tables. I know they bring a lot of data, facts, education, and research; but often it's skewed by bias, racism, hatred, etc.. I don't see why this is hard to fathom or accept.

Ray Carter

Apr 1 2006

Ray writes: I'm all for helping the children even if the fathers don't do their parts. After all, we spend billions on Iraq and countless other places, issues, and things the citizens don't know about for inhumane reasons often hidden in a phrase called National Security. So true--and two or three times that much on tax cuts that primarily benefit the rich. Where the hell are our priorities? I am beginning to think that Gore deserved to lose in 2000 for not saying "I will use the budget surplus to give every child who needs it adequate health care, educational opportunities, and social services." That was a failure of imagination. No matter what people might want to say about "those people" or "bootstraps," only the coldest, most hardcore racists can say that kids should suffer just because their parents are poor or absent. Lord. Supreme Court juvenile law is based, as you no doubt know, on a concept called in loco parentis--the idea that, in extreme cases, the government has parental responsibilities. I think the government is a deadbeat dad, and I think it's high time it started paying out its own child support. Which is not to say that all these frolicking horndogs don't also need to do their share. Just that because so many can't or won't, it's time for Uncle Sam to do his part for the rest of the family. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

Apr 1 2006

In Orlando Patterson's article (in the NYT) he seems to ignore the research that shows that there is a high positive correlation between joblessness and crime and that recent research shows that when young blacks and whites present the same level of education and are trained to speak in a similar manner and use similar mannerisms that employers will prefer the white applicant. At one point, in my twenties, I had a hard time finding jobs and I had a degree. I imagine it must be a lot more tough if you are functionally illiterate. Mr. Patterson states the case as though black men in the underclass just do not want to work. I doubt that is true for the majority. I bet that if we did something on the front end to decrease the drop out rate from the educational system and have good after school programs, then the teen pregnancy rate would also go down. No one variable exists in total isolation. There are models for successfully reducing teen pregnancy, but they probably involve some money.

FreeClif

Apr 3 2006

The plight of black men is not only worsening; it's also baffling and frustrating. I probably should leave the issue along so I can be happy for a moment. On one hand, there seems to be a simple solution to stopping the trend. I wonder what would happen if we tried this: staying out of trouble (being particularly sure to not get a felony conviction); graduating from high school; going to college or somewhere and learning a career skill; obtaining advanced college degrees in all endeavors of learning, getting a job and distinguishing ourselves despite racism, friction, or other imperfections at the job sight (one or all happens everywhere); if clearly mistreated where we are, sought and found another more fulfilling job; found a suitable mate and married (if desired), provided for, educated, and protected our family; safeguarded our mental and physical health; paid our bills timely and acquired as much wealth as possible without taking advantage of others; and believed is something larger and stronger than ourselves, the job, or the country. Didn't we try this before? What happened? I think we should try it again. But, this time for personal survival and satisfaction.

Ray Carter

Apr 3 2006

The epilogue and synposes. Somebody was quoted recently saying "In the last 130 something years, blacks have lurched or existed from Slavery to Emacipation to Repression to benign neglect to the Civil-Rights movement to white backlash to quota and affirmitive action and back again to benign neglect in their attempts to fit into the social fabric of America." In the process of all this black folks have survived and a few even thrived. Presently, there is a sizable black middle class in America that everyone can point to as evidence that everything is now possible for black folks, and Jim Crow has changed, died or gotten out of the way. But some would argue the black middle class is worthless to poor black folks for their failure to hang around and their derelict at attempting uplift other blacks. And worse, there is a growing black Republican constituent who hates poor blacks as much as Jim Crow or his sons ever did. In fact, Mr. Crow can stay at home now and send the black Republican to do his dirty work against the black majority. (Not all black republicans are like this but too many are). The good news is that we Blacks have survived everything thrown or dealt us so far. Even those things thrown or dealt us by us like the present situation mostly is. We made many of our greatest moral, familiar, and unifying strides during some of our most repressed and depressed times. "We may not have a cent to pay the rent but we gonna make" stated one song writer. Faith, courage, and an undying will lead us on.

Ray Carter

Apr 4 2006

"In the last 130 something years, blacks have lurched or existed from Slavery to Emacipation to Repression to benign neglect to the Civil-Rights movement to white backlash to quota and affirmitive action and back again to benign neglect in their attempts to fit into the social fabric of America." I love this quote! Who said it?

LatashaWillis

Apr 4 2006

Mansfield B. Frazier, a prisioner, doing time for credit card fraud.

Ray Carter

Apr 4 2006

Wow. Sounds like prison has done wonders for him. :-)

LatashaWillis

Apr 4 2006

LW. Apparently Mansfield was well-educated before going to prison. According to him, he worked years for a company until he reached the glass ceiling. I think I remember him saying he spent 20 years on one job. He then got angry and started doing criminal thing. He always wanted to be a writer and started practicing his craft while in prison. You can imagine a person with his ability being practically forced to become a jailhouse writ writer. He tells a story of editing other inmate's petitions before typing and sending them on to federal courts. He said after being threatened ass-whupping more times than he could count by young thugs, he started typing and writing petitions just as given him by illiterate inmates. He's a good writer and is apparently very intuitive and smart.

Ray Carter

Apr 4 2006

Yes, I could tell he was intelligent befor he got in trouble. I hope things work out for him when they let him go.

LatashaWillis

Apr 4 2006