And then came Sunday...

So, I love most Sundays. For me, Sunday is the day of rest, relaxation, and refreshment, but on occasion I find myself quite discouraged when I get home from worship service. This is not because the Pastor has preached a bad sermon, rather, it's because I realize that I have spent an entire mornin/afternoon with a group of young people who have no desire to improve themselves. Perhaps, this comment is exaggerated, but it pains me to see the demise of the African-American race.

Last week, the African-American community laid to rest the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks. While reflecting on Ms. Parks and others who were part of the Civil Rights Movement, I am reminded of the generations who came before me who strived to overcome the labels that were placed on them by society. I am reminded of a generation who stood tall and fought racism head-on. I am reminded of a generation who wanted to see a better life for their children and grandchildren. Yet...after I finished reflecting, I found myself simply looking at a generation of people who don't care about the suffering of their forefathers. A generation that has lost its sense of community. A generation that wants to get rich quick. I find myself asking a simple question, that has a complex answer. The questions is simply, "What happened?" Where did we, as African-Americans, where did we, as Black people, go wrong?

Well...if I can, I'd like to suggest a few answers to this question.

1) Somewhere along the way, the African-American community lost its strong belief in family.

I'm young myself, but I've always said that I had old school parents. I'm talking about parents who didn't play. When Mom and Dad said come to the dinner table, you went. When they said get up for church, you started moving. It amazes me that this is no longer the case in Black families. I look at my little cousins and the siblings of my friends and find myself in awe when they tell their parents what they are going to do, and are not disciplined in return. You see...my parents let me skip church, or so I thought, but then I also had to skip afterschool events during the week. In my house, there was a clear distinction between the parent and the child. What has happened? Why do parents no longer feel like they have the final say in their own home? Perhaps, you can tell me because this is something that I don't quite understand.

2) We no longer encourage each other and believe in ourselves.

I remember growing up was difficult for me. I lived in a Black neighborhood, yet I went to a majority White school. At school, I was often the only Black student in my class. I always took Honors and Advanced Placement courses. While in high school, the one thing that was always strange to me was the lack of support/encouragement from my Black peers. My fellow Black students always told me, "You think you're better than everybody else" or "You're so White". That was very painful for me, but more than my pain, these comments reflect the attitude of the new generation of Black folk. The mindset that exists among this new generation of Black people is "If I can't have it, then I don't want anyone else to have it either". Can you believe this? People hate on others because they made different decisions. The truth is, everyone has a choice to make. Some people will make good decisions, others will make bad decisions, but irregardless of the decisions that have been made, we need to support each other. Help your brothah or sistah if they're down, encourage them if they're up, but under no circumstances should you (we) tear our brothah or sistah down.

3) Parents no longer want to raise their children.

This is probably the most alarming answer to the question of what happened to the African-American race. Increasingly, I am finding parents who do not want to raise their children. They'd rather give their children some money for dinner and go out to the club and no longer be bothered. Perhaps my view is a bit biased because my parents never just gave my brother and I money and told us to get something to eat. If/When they went out, we had a babysitter, and my Mom always fixed our dinner. My parents never left us all night, and they recognized that being a parent was far more important than living it up in the clubs or doing whatver parents do these days. I am amazed by the number of parents that I encounter who treat their children like adults. (The first sign that a child is too grown - THE CELL PHONE. What's up with elementary school students needing to carry a cell phone? Parents no longer regulate the phone calls that their middle and high school children receive or send.)

These are just some of my thoughts about what has gone wrong in the African-American community. Sadly, as we mourn the loss of one who sparked the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, we find ourselves going backwards. Yes, we have the right to vote, but how many of us actually go to the polls and cast our ballot on election day. Yes, we are free to ride public transportation, but how many of us get on the bus or subway and act like we have absolutely no home training while riding. The truth is, Black people are still ENSLAVED. How? We are a divided people. Those who have found success (or are finding success) are ostracized by their counterparts who have made different choices in life. Those who are poor are looked down on by the rich. We are enslaved because we are divided. Divided we will fall, but together we can have a major impact on the society we live in.

Let me hear what you have to say...
D