I am sure that there are some that are wondering how I arrived at the title for this posting. Was it the 1990's book written by the rehabilitated Nathan McCall or the hit 1970's conscious groove hit tune written by the late great Marvin Gaye? It was neither! While the aforementioned were creative acts demonstrated by two different black men who probably had a similar plan and wish for black people, my version of Makes Me Wanna Holler came on a rainy late fall night while watching the local news in metro Atlanta, GA. On this particular night, I listened to the report of an 18-year old young black man who was shot and killed to death at a house party. I think that for a brief second I zoned out - largely based upon the report which I had received via the same news outlet seven days earlier. On the previous Sunday, there was a report of an 18 year old young black man who was beaten to death at a house party where a fight had gotten out of hand and the assailants candidly stated "I 'm gonna beat the s*%t out of the next Ni$$a that walk past." Three young men followed through on the one young man's pronouncement and beat an 18 year old high school senior to death.
At one point my thoughts were directed to the mother who naturally assumed that she would see her baby boy at the end of the night when he returned from the party and the pain and anguish which must have been felt as local law enforcement knocked on her door or called her in the wee morning hours to offer such tragic news. I normally consider myself a pretty rational and reasonable man, but for a brief second I found myself baffled, frustrated, without answers and certainly without solutions. I asked myself why are black men increasingly becoming an extinct demographic? There is a war clearly going on, yet black men seem to lack the mental and emotional fortitude necessary to fight this war in a positive and victorious way.
In trying to sum up my very mixed emotions regarding the directions and fate of black men, I could not help but revert back to this theme of VIOLENCE which has become not only a systemic way of life for young black men everywhere, but also a traumatic crutch, which further disables an already troubled and wounded group. Why are young black men angry, violent and operating with a total lack of love for their people and an even greater disregard for life?
I am of the opinion that our young brothers are bound by what might seem like some inoperable chains which cannot be broken. These are chains of an unconnected past to absent fathers, chains of poverty, chains rooted in a lack of vision and hope, chains of depression and subsequent fear, chains that romanticize lifestyles which are in direct contrast to the life which God has created for us, and chains which discourage and not encourage the development and enhancement of a comprehensive relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. The deck appears to be stacked and the boat has sailed into a stormy see of misfortune , which just might be headed for trouble. This just might be the unfortunate plight of the contemporary black man. While I am in no way a betting man, I am wise enough to know that those odds do not look very promising. So how do we as black men create a new day, wherein those shackles and chains are being broke daily?
My remedy, while it might seem like a cliche', begins with and ends with God. I stand firm on the rock of faith and with my hopes in a God like no other. It is my prayer and hope that as we begin to know and understand Him, we enlighten other brothers and begin to build an airtight army of prayer warriors that now seeks guidance from the WORD and not the world. I believe that we must work our many hang ups and address the emotional distress caused by broken and fatherless homes. One of the things that I have never understood is when brothas who grew up without a father procreate and fail to play any role of substance in the life of the children which they produced. I believe that there must be an enhanced sense of accountability wherein black men must answer the alarm at the gate. It is time for brothas to be not just manufacturers of DNA, but the must also be the providers of that DNA.
It is time to intensify our training of young brothas wherein we begin a knowledge transfer capsulizing role responsibilities in the home, manifesting careers and businesses and setting goals individually and communally. We must no longer accept negative stereotypes as complimentary in nature, but rather place a premium value on high academic and social experiences/achievements. We must bridge the gap through mentoring efforts (i.e. youth league sports, big brothers, etc), which conceptualize the framework of black male motivation, love and leadership.
In the late 1980's famed Hollywood film director/actor and Morehouse College Graduate Spike Lee made a film called School Daze. This film was a great depiction of black college life during that particular time, and some of the inner workings such as fraternity life, relationships, student protest, etc. At the very end of the movie, we experience a scene when Laurence Fishburn (then Larry, lol) continually screams, "WAKE UP!" My brothers and sisters, we must, without fail or trepidation, WAKE UP and we must do it now. As a black man, I am heartbroken at the direction I see my demographic headed and while it is nice to want the system, law enforcement and other factions to fix this problem, it is time to get in the trenches and save our young men ourselves. Under Armour said it best "We Must Protect This House." I encourage each one of you to reflect on what you are doing to protect "this" house and how your contributions can be maximized moving forward.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
I'm Back
It is with great regret that I am now just getting back to you , after some substantial delays. I am a bit embarrassed that my last post was on July 29, however I have been on a wild and crazy work/travel schedule , and really wanted to take some time to reflect over the direction of my writings and what I hope to accomplish. I have elected to now begin Bi-weekly writings which , like the past, will cover a variety of issues, both contemporary and historical. I look for your feedback , energy and support. Please feel free to email me directly at anytime at dyoung1911@yahoo.com with suggestions or feedback.
God Bless & Happy Holidays,
Donrich L. Young
God Bless & Happy Holidays,
Donrich L. Young
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