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After
a few years of seeming progress, there appears to be an increase in the
number of young black men committing and falling victim to murder.
Despite being masked for years by a falling crime rate in the U.S.,
African American teenagers are killing each other in ever-increasing
numbers, according to a study by Northeastern University.
The study showed an increase in upwards of 39 percent in the number of
black males between the ages of 14 and 17 killed between 2000 and 2007
and an increase of approximately 34 percent in the number of blacks in
the same demographic who committed homicide; more than double the
increase of white males in the 14-17 age group. The report noted that
guns are used in almost 85% of the homicides committed by young black
offenders. It can be argued that much of the funds that were once used
for government-sponsored mentor, sports, after school and summer
programs deteriorated after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The federal
government’s focus began to shift as funds were redirected from cities
to homeland security.
The nation’s overall violent crime statistics had shown improvement
since the early 1990s when the crack cocaine epidemic gripped many
inner cities and crime spiked as a result. The Northeastern report
further noted that in 1993, about 225 out of every 100,000 blacks age
14-17 committed homicide compared with 81 out of 100,000 in 2007.
As pundits continue to discuss the state of the young black
male, and as the ‘generational divide’ in the African American
community continues to be dissected, leaders and elders cannot afford
to ignore the struggles of young men trying to find their way. The
symptoms are all there (lack of education, economic stagnation, lack of
fathers) for a generation to slip into a malaise and lose any hope for
a prosperous future. There must be a genuine, sincere connection made
between the young people and the older generation. If we don’t continue
to work on the problem, it will only resurface—again and again.- todd williams
