Voice of Black Expression Forum Problems Within the Black Comm..

I most certainly agree with your notions that less-education and violence play a major role in our community. I feel two other problems in our community is our financial values and the fact we do not stick together as a community.Both of those problems are spawns from the problems of uneducation and violence. In society we have contributed to every other races' wealth. As soon as we accumulate higher means of income, we buy things of no such value I.E. cars, rims, fancy clothes, jewelry. None of these expensive luxuries are in companies owned by black people. We contribute to other peoples success without really adding to our own. How about investing our money into a business? A trade? Or a market that you spend majority of your money into. Buy a night club, to have other money coming in besides the financial upstart you have just gained. However, we somehow adopted the "get it so I can spend it" way of thinking. I definitely feel that you should enjoy your money, but It is very essential that we keep or make our buisnesses black owned and extend our money within the black community.

The next problem within our community is that we stand divided amongst one another. It has become a class issue. African americans that are rich against us that are poor. Us young black men have yet to recieve support and respect from the older generation and vice versa. (IE Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Oprah against Hip-Hop music.) Then our own exploitation and demeaning of our women has definitely set us back. And something Black people, particularly black women, have really lacked to acknowledge, the lack of care and support for us young black men in America. Higher percentages of black women than men are being accepted for high price jobs into white firms and companies, based upon their fear to accept black men amongst their own (not to mention white men fascination with black women a la' Thomas Jefferson lol). I say that because I have quite of few friends whom are going through that same problem not being accepted into high paying careers out of college amongst white fortune 500 companies, that have allowed our women into the playing field in secretary positions straight out of school or not neccessarily a degree. We must stand with one another. In our community we are taught to shine on our own and how to be a superstar, but we do not learn the importance of teamwork or helping one another.In all honesty none of our problems are problems that we have made upon ourselves ( I won't start naming names), however we have accepted it so it is our responsibility to clean it up.      

I also have to point out that within the back communities we put a lot of racial pressures onto the interracial couples and there children being that I am black and ect.. I have found that even within my family and others I do get treated differently whether it being that I am not black enough or I’m too black for others there is no common ground.

I think that both of you have made excellent points, and within the same arenas education is a crucial point there are certain predominately Black schools that are held to lesser standards than predominately Hispanic and Caucasian schools. Why? Mainly because we as Blacks have not realized the true potential of what we can really do as a community if we put more of a fight as a whole instead of as an individual. There is more power in numbers but when it comes down to it majority of black would rather be in gangs and killing other blacks because of a block they live on, a color they are wearing, or someone staring for too long..(which I have to admit I hate when people stare it’s just rude). I can see where parenting or lack there of, can play it’s role also but I also have to say that most of the parenting is not only coming from the home and to be quite honest I do believe that this is the only role that we as a community need to consider most of the violence aspects and education (most of the reason parents can truly say "I don’t know where this comes from") comes from what kids see and learn when they are out at parks, sidewalks, ect.. "Parenting" comes from all around not just in house.

I would go on but then I’d just be in a rant and I don’t want to take up all of your time.

~~Theta

These are from a couple pieces I wrote in my myspace blog, I felt it was appropriate for this topic! Lack of "Unity" is the foremost problem within our community. Here are some of it's faces.

In my opinion one of the major problems in our community is the lack of true community oriented leadership

It is time for new leaders to step to the forefront & lead by example. The everlasting fight has been for UNITY amongst the  people, our people. The Reverends Jesse & Al ( & many others, these two are the most prominent right now) have already sold there souls for fame. As a people we have to reclaim our souls, our hearts, our minds. The issue of negative imagery in Hip Hop is and should be in of the forefront of issues right along with all the injustices that we as a people are still facing to this day because the pictures portrayed (purposely & with destructive intent by the majority"nonblack" ran media base) by our children through music is one that is damaging our future as much if not more than the physical manifestations that we have endured since our arrival to this portion of the planet. The full picture is and always has been "divide & conquer" in the minds of the powers that be. As long as our minds are distracted by 1) the chase of superficial happiness through shiny objects (ie. rims, jewelry etc). And 2) mere animalistic gratification (ie. the degredation of our women as merely sexual objects for not only our amusements but the whole male population). And 3) the media (the same media mind you profiting greatly from the aforementioned imagery) fanning the flames of dicontent within the minds of the elders whose sensibilities are completely ran through by the irreverent voice of the youth that they unwittingly cultivated by not being in the home raising their sons & daughters instead of leting the TV & the streets do their job, we will remain unable to see to that true need for UNITY!!! Unity starts in the home, mothers & fathers being mothers & fathers! Guiding, teaching, disciplining (correctly disciplining) & loving their children. Only then will we be able to bring about the unity needed as a whole to change this evil that we live in today.

It's time now for true leaders to lead by example of action, we as artists, writers, performers, journalists must make special effort to promote within our own avenues, the Positivity of our race, we have to actively saturate the world with the goodness, the greatness that is the Black man/women. It is up to us to begin to counteract the negative propaganda that is unfortunately being serve on a Silver or should I say Gold & Diamond encrusted platter by many of our own. Remember the "house n****r V field n****r" game pushed by master during slavery? Think about this, the new house n***a has no idea that that is what he is because he is dressed in the guise of a thug "speaking for the streets" & "keepin it real", while all the while too ignorant to see that his/her constant glamourization of the s**t in our lives paint an irrevocable picture of loss of humanity not only in the minds of others but our own as well, thus making it easier to show us as deserving neither respect nor equality as human beings.

It Is Time Now for real leaders to stand up and lead by example of Action!!!!

The chase of wealth versus the chase of true freedom makes us blind to the fact that we have not truly progressed in this white man ruled world!

The depictions recently, of the vast number of recorded instances (imagine the amount that have gone unrecorded) of ungodly & savage treatment to black people (as well as other people of color) nation wide, is an  unfortunate result of the lack of unity we as a people, as a family, as a community have for too long allowed to bury our worth & our existence. As a people we must realize that we are hated & feared because of what we represent both presently & potentially. We are in this country because we where brought here to be burden bearers of the overall toils of building the nation that we see before us today. Just like the horses & oxen that pulled the plows & carriages we where merely animals, tools to an entire race of people who to this day still control (even though that control is getting more and more fragile) the civilized world! The effort that it took to maintain the subjucation over us that still rules our mentality (if not our actual physical selves) was inbred into their current mentalities as well. There are a few (just as there where during slavery times, Quakers, Abolishionists & such) who see & wish to be a part of real change, but for the majority, the status quo will be in their minds (as well as ours) & actions until we as a people unify truly and take our destiny into our own hands. Our continued pursuit of possessions, so called wealth (so called because the majority of us have a ludicrous fantasy image of wealth) and wanton lust has us distracted from the reality of what made this nation the mighty (while disproportionately evil) power it is today, "UNITY"! It is right there in our faces to see but we continue to be distracted by glittery, shiny things like moths to a flame. And we are burning up! Will we ever awaken? I pray so, I hope so, I strive for it to be so! Who will stand up and be counted amongst those who seek true change? I WILL!!!
I too feel your pain sister/brother truly & I know the answer. The task is to awaken the entire race of sleeping Black people from out of this "Matrix" that we have been cocooned in for an eternity. It will be painfull (physically & mentally), it will be costly but it will & is necessary in order for us, for the world to truly be whole!!!

P.S. Remember, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem!!
Peace to you,
6 Deep the Messenger