Friday, June 24, 2011

Why do many young black men refuse to work?

"If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one."


— Carter G. Woodson (The Mis-Education of the Negro)

I am a black America female and the question that consistently plagues me is why so many younger black men refuse to work.  Many Black men from 35 years or younger refuse to do any kind of consistent and meaningful work these days. Of course this is not all. Could hip hop and the drug culture be to blame?

Additionally many of these young black men seem overly preoccupied with sex, smoking weed and laziness in general. They seem to have no idea that they have to make a living to sustain themselves. This goes from some young black men who live in the ghetto to some of those who live in the suburbs but have adopted ghetto thug culture.

This has greater repercussions for the black family. Without a strong male figure who works and helps sustain the family, black families are going to be continue to be headed by single females. Where did the black community drop the ball?

Racism is no longer a valid reason to excuse the actions of these men. Data shows that working black men make more than women. Many jobs are actively recruiting black males. Black men have greater legal recourse these days to fight discrimination. Additionally, gaining a higher degree of education can ensure greater success in the job market.

It now seems sad to me that the rights that many black people fought and died for during the civil rights movement are being casually thrown away by younger black males. The white supremacists no longer have to work hard to keep black men down, black men do it themselves.

Additonally black men cannot blame black women for their own lack of ambition and desire for success.

I think the problem is that too many young black men look at hip hop or sports as a viable way to make money. They look at these as an easy path to success and riches. The reality is that only a small percentage of black men will make it in these fields. Meanwhile fields like medicine, science, business and the social sector continued to see black men underrepresented.

Additionally for many of these young black male's ethics and honor are not high priorities on the top of their lists. Abusing women, selling drugs and being irresponsible seem to be the top priorities.  A lot of these young men are cheating themselves and setting themselves up to be imprisoned, homeless, dependent on the system and only having the potential to achieve a low standard of living. Political forces on both the left and right have made it a platform to put more black men of a lower income and educational level in jail. Many of the parents who are still around for some of these black men
How did things get this way?
It's time for the black community to get out of denial and raise strong, well educated black men that are committed to professional achievment, hard work and building strong communities.

Lazy, drug selling, drug taking black men bring down our communities and stall achievement in the black community. Yes we can be politically correct and keep blaming racism but that is all smoke and mirrors to cover up for the lack of many of the younger black males lack of commitment to hard work and recieving a good education.

1 comment:

  1. Couldn't agree with you more. The young black males I'm associated with, including my own son see achievement as "selling out." Dumbing themselves down with weed, booze, video games or endless hours surfing the web at some others expense. Searching for women of low esteem that they can impregnate only to allow the system to take care of them perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Of course my example is not well received in "our" community or even in my home as my wife relies on my every movement in all aspects of home life taking a laissez faire approach to life as if she's on my welfare. Subtilty mocking and outright defying my authority ( in front of both kids) over the years as I have tried to hold every thing together. I have retired from the Navy, received a technical education from the Navy, achieved a Master's Degree, have my own business and work as a Engineering Consultant for the Navy. I am not seen as an example but rather a "who does he think he is" person that has lost "his place" although outwardly no one sees this, their actions represent their thought. This mentality permeates our community and has been bred out of the no one tells me what to do movement emboldened by woman that seek dominance over weak willed me. Take a look at our churches! Who runs them! Women, and that ain't biblical. This generation of men has been taught and preached to flout authority at all costs even to their own detriment. But wait, its the schools fault right?, No, its my parents fault right?, Its the man's fault right?, Its woman's fault right? It takes too long right? As long as there is an excuse that makes it all better. On the other hand there are black women that do not accept this monologue of excuses. My mother made me the man I am today, while my father provided firm guidance in my formative years. Today, we see many of our young males not maturing at all but rather, living at home or on some woman, till they are in their 30's, 40's, 50's and in some cases never leaving home roosting until Mom passes away awaiting their inheritance.

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