So, 2011 is finally here where so many look forward to new beginnings. In retrospect, 2010 made for a horrid time in many African American and other minority communities, particularly related to the tremendous amount of youth violence that can be attributed to gang activity. Since efforts to stem the tide have largely failed, are we misdiagnosing the problem?
I recently interviewed Dick Gregory and through the discussion realized it’s not black on black crime or violent black youth crime. Rather, its just crime. Unfortunately, against each other, albeit simply put, it’s just crime. When white people kill, 95 percent of the time they kill one another too. Why don’t we call it white on white crime? Or white youth crime? This is not to minimize the abhorrent act of murder, but rather to make the point that they kill each other too, but those instances are observed and evaluated differently, without prejudice.
Yes, 2011 is here but will we finally have an answer to the burning question that plagues our communities each and every year, which is: What is the solution to the youth violence and senseless slaughtering of our young black men?
Experts across the country and throughout the world, including United States Attorney General Eric Holder who personally made a trip to Chicago earlier this year to address the epidemic, are still scrambling to come up with the antidote. The so-called gang chiefs are either locked up or dead. The streets are no longer respecting law enforcement, and based on the history of racial profiling and police brutality, it’s arguably for good reason. Now, even older generations are scared and have all but washed their hands of the situation, without a feasible or tangible resolve. We continue to fool ourselves into thinking that change is coming, while accepting the behavior and making excuses for individuals who are non-educated and have given up on themselves.
Yes, many systems are broken, however, we need to discontinue using this excuse for a crutch. Moreover, we don’t need to look to one individual or one political party to solve the plight in our village. It will take the village and cross-generational collaboration to heal our land. We must take our heads out of the sand. We must begin to listen to our youth and truly engage them with tangible options. We must regain the trust of the generations that represent our future.
It’s a daunting endeavor coupled with the problem of consistent high unemployment and a recession. But be that as it may, the quest for a resolution still presents itself. We have a lot to tackle in 2011, most poignantly youth violence. We must truly get to the root of the problems by addressing the mental, psychological, physiological and spiritual with our youth. Let’s get them the help they so desperately need while simultaneously working and praying for a speedy recovery. –kendall moore
