Restoring The African American Family
Jesus said the poor will always be among us, but did he say they had to be African American?
It is ironic that as Barack Obama becomes president of the United States the African American family continues to implode.
I visit the Chicago Public Schools quite often and give a quasi motivational speech. During my presentation I practically beg students not to have any children until they are 25 or 30 years old. Most of my assertions are vigorously denigrated. Most of the young women want to have children before they become “old”. The young men are hormonally motivated and cannot see a future of baby mama drama, and child support payments. These are the students in the old racially segregated neighborhoods of Chicago. There are not enough positive role models in these neighborhoods to positively influence their life decisions.
Is it the responsibility of the African American elite and upper class to positively influence the children of the underclass?
Class divisions in the African American community are nothing new but we should be ashamed of the crime and murders that plague low income African American neighborhoods. The election of Barack Obama to the highest political office the USA should remind African Americans that “all things are possible”. There should be no more excuses for this intense ignorance and hopelessness. We have so many examples successful African Americans for this dysfunction and despair to be the norm. With an aggressive effort we can solve our urban ills in just a few years.
The goal is to reduce African American crime and poverty buy reducing the number of out of wed lock births. Also encouraging African American teens not to have any children until they are at least 25 years old.
The Obama family should be our foundational role model. Barack and Michelle Obama were married in 1992, Barack was 31 years old. Their first daughter was born in 1998, and the second daughter born in 2001. Barack and Michelle Obama‘s children will greatly benefit from their parents education and wisdom. This is the message we have to inculcate in the brains of African American teens!
Please visit a few high schools in “the hood” and get a very real feel of a mindset that has been influenced by sexed up, thugged up, Hip-Hop. Most of these teens will be parents before the Obama’s leave the White House.
When you talk with them you will see they do not even have a vague plan for properly raising their children. They are not thinking about the best grammar school to send their children. They are not thinking about having positive male and female role models in the lives of their children. They are not thinking about how many baby mamas and baby daddies they want to really deal with. They need to thoroughly understand that no education and too many children usually mean a life in poverty.
I hope Michelle Obama, the civil rights organizations, Greek Fraternities, Greek Sororities and anyone else will start a commission on restoring the African American family.
Marc Sims
Chicago
marcsimschicago@gmail.com
Marc Sims is the host of VIEWPOINT, a cable TV show that provides a forum for ordinary citizens to discuss political and social issues. Marc has entertained and enlighten Chicagoans for seventeen years.
