Seventy-two percent of black babies are born to unwed mothers. High school and college graduation rates for black males are at an all-time low. Black-on-black crime appears to be soaring. Young males seemingly can’t go to a house party without someone getting shot or killed. Much of what is happening in the black community is absolutely disgraceful and inexcusable.
Some blame these current ills on slavery, and readily excuse the actions of uneducated and criminally minded blacks as if they don’t have a choice in how they conduct their lives. It’s 2013. They do.
Meanwhile, whites also have ills. Some white males commit mass murders. Whites generally use methamphetamine, commit suicide or die from anorexia or the “choking game.” While some blacks cry racism too often, most whites don’t acknowledge it enough.
But too many blacks eagerly embrace what I call “Black Slack.” They take the path of least resistance: Proper attire has lost out to “thug wear”; biomedical engineering to basketball; romantic lyrics to vile rap music; civility to criminality. Learning proper English is trumped by “ebonics.”
A black person who encourages education and personal responsibility is often called a traitor. That’s nonsensical, irresponsible and ignorant. The foolishness adopted by many black youth needs to stop. It’s inexcusable.
As a black female ob-gyn, I say with certainty that the primary issue is that there are simply too many black children born out of wedlock, too many absentee fathers. There must be a restoration of intact black families, of married mothers and fathers.
Civil rights leaders fought, and some died, so blacks could have their rightful, fair chance at the American dream. Many honored those efforts and became dedicated company employees, professionals with degrees and entrepreneurs. But in recent decades, too many have squandered previous advances, and the black community is in free fall.
Today, there appears to be no insistence on education, proper language skills, proper attire, morality, decency or respect for life — one’s own or anyone else’s. Black women need to respect themselves. Stop having babies without the benefit of marriage. There are too many (poorly raised) children having children. Likewise, black girls need in-home, responsible fathers so they don’t seek “love” from sex-crazed boys, get pregnant, and likely continue the cycle of fatherless, undisciplined and poor-achieving offspring.
The black family needs men who know how to lead, read, respect and protect. But there is a serious crisis in the community when, yes, even Morehouse “men” are either victims or perpetrators of crimes on campus.
The black community has self-inflicted internal bleeding. Hemorrhage. The prescription is one of tough love. But without remedying the above-mentioned ills, the patient — the black community — will remain in grave condition.
Dr. Melody T. McCloud, an obstetrician-gynecologist and media consultant, is the author of “Living Well: The Black Woman’s Guide to Health, Sex and Happiness.”
