Recently, I have been reflecting on the news about the plight of the Black community. From the news that I read, the direction of our social and economic progress seems mostly backward.
I have learned not to over-react to anecdotal accounts of alarm or joy. I have learned not to believe the hype. However, the noise levels of bad news continue to rise and drown out the good news.
Is that the new normal? Or, is there actually more positive news than bad?
Here are some examples of bad news:
- Black unemployment is nearly double the national average -- 15% vs. 8%.
- Black homicides are 6 times higher than whites and 4 times the national average per 100,00 population.
- Black fathers continue to be absent from their children's lives.
- Single Black mothers send 70% of our children to schools every day.
- Black divorce rates are 50% higher than the national average.
- The number of Black women who never marry continues to rise.
- Blacks make up nearly 50% of federal inmates.
- Black dropout rates are as high as 50% in some urban high schools.
- Home foreclosure have dumped thousands of Black families out of the middle class, and the gains of the 20th century are at risk of reversal.
- African American wealth dropped 53% from 2004 to 2009.
- HIV/AIDS, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease kill Blacks at higher rates than the general population.
And here is some good news:
- Black enrollments in higher education are at an all-time high.
- The number of Black elected officials has increased from 1,469 in 1970 to over 10,500 today -- including over 600 mayors, more than 650 state legislators, 39 congressional representatives, and the President of the USA.
- As of 2007, African Americans owned 1.9 million businesses, an increse of 60% over five years earlier.
- For three years in a row, 100% of the Black male graduates of Urban Prep Academy in Chicago have been accepted into 4-year colleges.
- The number of African-American households earning $75,000 or higher grew by almost 64%, a rate close to 12% greater than the change in the overall population?s earning between 2000 and 2009. This continued growth in affluence, social influence and household income will continue to impact the community's economic power.
No matter how hard I look, the aggregate news about the Black condition is overwhelmingly negative. What is alarming is that the news has always been worse for Blacks than wihites. Howver, during the latter half of the 20th century, the gains of the Civil Rights movement gave us hope that conditions were improving -- in education, employment, politics, and business. What happened?
Here are important questions we must address going forward:
- Are we approaching a downward slope from which there is no return?
- Will future progress be limited to a small number of elites within the Black community while the masses continue to decline?
- How can we increase the positive indicators enough to produce a positive trend for most Blacks?
I have more questions than answers.
I am in search of indicators that we can turn around the declines of the past 10 years. The declines have been so precipitous that it appears that future generatoins will be worse off than their parents and grandparents. I fear that it is increasingly less likely that a resurgence of Black solidarity, or even collaboration is possible.
I see a trend of individual assimilation into the general population by those with the best opportunities. There is less identification with the clarion call of the 70's "Say it loud. I'm Black and I'm proud."
Studies suggest that there is an incresing identification with class as opposed to race. The result is a few highly visible Blacks at every class level within our society that suggests progress. But those who are not upwardly mobile are actually decliing at an increasing rate.
The recent recession has been like a dagger in the heart of the Black middle class. The resulting gaps in wealth, income, education, and employment are actually widening.
This new normal is starting to settle in.
I see more dysfunctional families, chronic unemployment, disproportionate exposure to the criminal justice system. The result is a permanent underclass.
While I am concerned about this new reality, I feel powerless to reverse the decline for all but a few. I feel empowered when I am spending time with a my 14 year-old mentee. But I feel helpless when talking with my ex-felon relative.
I still hold out hope for a more positive trend. But I fear that the new normal has reached a point of no return. What do you think?
Please share your comments below.
Roger Madison, CEO
iZania, LLC
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
I have lived in Africa, and it is NOT African Americans that native Africans envy, it is the opportunities available in the USA that are not available to them. Their cultural and social values better equip them to take advantage of these opportunities if they get a chance to come here. Where is the turn around for African Americans who are not taking advantage of all the opportunities available? Immigrants are making better progress. Will we continue to decline in social and economic progress?
I am amazed at the constant struggle among African Americans with self-esteem. What is the philosophy of life that anchors most African Americans? Sadly, we are still borrowing other philosophies -- even philosophies from the motherland. The 400 year effort by our oppressors has robbed many of us of our true identity -- whatever it is. Many simply prefer to be called "Black." They refuse to embrace their African heritage.
Unity among Blacks declined significantly with the Civil Rights movement. I view this as a second Diaspora within the USA. The best and brightest among us were scattered to the suburbs and the mainstream of our society -- leaving behind the less fortunate among us. This second Diaspora resulted in the urban decline we see today. A large plurality of African Americans are more a*sociated with economic cla*s than race when identifying their place in US society.
Unless more African Americans embrace the concepts you identify, these are not indicators of a turnaround, but markers that indicate the severity of the decline when contrasted with the actions of African Americans. I am looking for indicators of stronger families headed by fathers and mothers working together; I am looking for Black entrepreneurs creating economic development zones in our communities; I am looking for stronger performance in education (sadly, yesterday Rahm Emmanuel, the mayor of Chicago announced that urban high school graduation is "up to 60%" -- The graduation rate was 95% in the suburban community where I live); I am looking for Blacks to help create more job opportunities for ourselves. These indicators seem to be drifting farther away. I am still hopeful and working to achieve a "new normal" that has more positive indicators.
(1) Cultural and Social Values
(2) General Philosophy of Life
(3) Unity amongst Black Folks
These are the 3 indicators that could be used to turn around the situation.
Cultural and Social Values - It should be apparent that other Blacks not living in the US envy African-Americans, deemed to be blessed by being born in a country with so many possibilities. However, it seems that African-Americans are reluctant to make use of the opportunities presented to them by such a huge economy as the US - the urge to participate and benefit from the economy isn't there. It's not cool to acquired an education in order to fit in the US economy. If this attitude can be changed, miracles are bound to occur.
General Philosophy of Life - What does the African-American think he/she is? What is the relationship between them and other people on this planet? Where did African-Americans come from, who are they really? True knowledge of themselves and others around them is the only source for change in behavior and values.
Unity amongst Black Folks- how are Blacks generally united in the US? Do they look out for each? What are those who are economically and intellectually gifted doing to support their weaker brethren? Unity cannot be forced upon a people; a well-grounded philosophic life will immediately incite interest in some sense of unity, not only amongst African-Americans, but even with others. Without an adequate philosophic framework, the code of conduct can only be rude, disorganized and ultimately divisive (every man for himself mentality)
Self-awareness through ancient history and philosophy is the key. Ancient Philosophy is the main factor that exalted the first African tribe to such intellectual and spiritual heights hitherto unsurpa*sed, which ruled and educated humanity at the commencement of ancient history. Only when this philosophy is resurrected and reinvigorated amongst African-Americans, and only when the accept this philosophy as their ancient divine heritage, can there be some hope at the end of the tunnel.