Parental
Malpractice © 2015
Is this the number one
problem facing Blacks?
“All virtues and vices
start in the home.”
Maya Angelou
Black leaders are very good at talking about the problems affecting the black community. When you listen to them, they will blame society, the government, Republicans, the Tea Party, the police, and the bogeyman of the month. The way some of them see it, unemployment, poor schools, low achievement, failing cities, and crime are all the result of external factors visited upon us.
To be fair, there’s a smidgen of truth in what they say. But just a smidgen. Black “leaders” have been making that argument for over 50 years, but how well has that argument been working for us? Not very well.
If our race is going to advance beyond where we are, it’s time we stopped focusing on the symptoms and start looking at the roots of the problems we face. This should have been done decades ago—but late is better than never.
In every urban city in America, you see the same social and economic ills. Some of those ills can be attributed to structural inequalities--yes. However, it would be self-deceiving and a disservice to the truth to attribute most of those ills to society itself. Just as immigrants can come to the United States, often speaking little or no English, and yet realize the American dream in short order, African Americans can do the same thing.
In fact, back in the day, thousands of African Americans migrated from the South to the North, and they excelled. But, unlike the 1960s and before, most black leaders today have focused on portraying us as pitiful victims. As a result, we’ve been conditioned to believe we’re so socially disadvantaged, we simply cannot succeed. They’re making us believe we are permanent victims.
African Americans are as capable as anyone else. The same people who produced Martin Luther King, Jr., Berry Gordy, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, Colin Powell, Stevie Wonder, Mae Jemison, Alex Haley, Sidney Poitier, Maya Angelou, Maynard Jackson, Kathy Hughes, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Neil de Grasse Tyson, and others, can produce future greats and near greats.
Each of those African Americans was raised during a time when character mattered and black parents made sure character and a premium on education were taught.
Today, too many black parents, single parents or two parents, act more like friends or homies to their children than parents. This is “Parental Malpractice.” Let’s look at some examples of Parental Malpractice.
Failure to teach their children:
• A passion for learning
• Respect for others
• Not to take what doesn’t belong to you
• How to manage their anger
• Respect for human life.
• The virtues of delayed gratification and the perils of instant gratification.
• They must work for something if they want it.
• Any male can make a baby, but taking care of a baby is what makes a man.
• Choose your lovers carefully. If he’s not taking care of other children, he won’t take care of yours.
In most urban areas you see too many reminders of how parents are failing their children. You see children hanging out into the wee hours of the morning often committing crimes, and the parent doesn’t seem to have a clue.
Parents, whether it’s a single parent or two parents, seem to no longer teach morality and values to their children. As a result, the black community, in particular, bears the brunt of this parental malpractice. But many parents can be muleheaded, and you can’t tell them anything.
Malpractice © 2015
Is this the number one
problem facing Blacks?
“All virtues and vices
start in the home.”
Maya Angelou
Black leaders are very good at talking about the problems affecting the black community. When you listen to them, they will blame society, the government, Republicans, the Tea Party, the police, and the bogeyman of the month. The way some of them see it, unemployment, poor schools, low achievement, failing cities, and crime are all the result of external factors visited upon us.
To be fair, there’s a smidgen of truth in what they say. But just a smidgen. Black “leaders” have been making that argument for over 50 years, but how well has that argument been working for us? Not very well.
If our race is going to advance beyond where we are, it’s time we stopped focusing on the symptoms and start looking at the roots of the problems we face. This should have been done decades ago—but late is better than never.
In every urban city in America, you see the same social and economic ills. Some of those ills can be attributed to structural inequalities--yes. However, it would be self-deceiving and a disservice to the truth to attribute most of those ills to society itself. Just as immigrants can come to the United States, often speaking little or no English, and yet realize the American dream in short order, African Americans can do the same thing.
In fact, back in the day, thousands of African Americans migrated from the South to the North, and they excelled. But, unlike the 1960s and before, most black leaders today have focused on portraying us as pitiful victims. As a result, we’ve been conditioned to believe we’re so socially disadvantaged, we simply cannot succeed. They’re making us believe we are permanent victims.
African Americans are as capable as anyone else. The same people who produced Martin Luther King, Jr., Berry Gordy, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, Colin Powell, Stevie Wonder, Mae Jemison, Alex Haley, Sidney Poitier, Maya Angelou, Maynard Jackson, Kathy Hughes, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Neil de Grasse Tyson, and others, can produce future greats and near greats.
Each of those African Americans was raised during a time when character mattered and black parents made sure character and a premium on education were taught.
Today, too many black parents, single parents or two parents, act more like friends or homies to their children than parents. This is “Parental Malpractice.” Let’s look at some examples of Parental Malpractice.
Failure to teach their children:
• A passion for learning
• Respect for others
• Not to take what doesn’t belong to you
• How to manage their anger
• Respect for human life.
• The virtues of delayed gratification and the perils of instant gratification.
• They must work for something if they want it.
• Any male can make a baby, but taking care of a baby is what makes a man.
• Choose your lovers carefully. If he’s not taking care of other children, he won’t take care of yours.
In most urban areas you see too many reminders of how parents are failing their children. You see children hanging out into the wee hours of the morning often committing crimes, and the parent doesn’t seem to have a clue.
Parents, whether it’s a single parent or two parents, seem to no longer teach morality and values to their children. As a result, the black community, in particular, bears the brunt of this parental malpractice. But many parents can be muleheaded, and you can’t tell them anything.