My humble perspective as a 50 year old, Black American and Founder of the ‘Unlimited Education’ Project. We have done 7 years of extensive research on the Social and Economic Conditions in our Urban Areas. We also currently conduct Morals, Values & Ethics Workshops across the nation.

There are three primary aspects to attacking any issue:

1. Identify the problem (s)2. Identify the solution to each, individual problem3. Implement the solution

When identifying the problem (s), it is important to also prioritize the problems, so that we know which is causing the biggest problem and is most urgent to address. Let’s identify and prioritize the problems.

In my opinion, 3 of the biggest problems Black People face, that we have the power to impact or change, are as follows:

1. Young Black Men killing young Black Men: The number one cause of death for Black Teens and Men ages 15-34 is Homicide. About 93% of these murders are by other Black Men. In my humble opinion, this is the biggest problem that Black People face, today. I call it Self Genocide, without the intent. There is nothing that ‘The White Man’ is doing to the Black Man worse that what we currently do to ourselves.

2. Mass Incarceration: Approximately 12%-13% of the American population is African-American, but they make up 40% of the almost 2.1 million male inmates in jail or prison

3. There are more Single-Parent Families than any other race, at 67%, followed by the American Indian at 53%, the Hispanic or Latino, at 42%, the White American, at 25% and the Asian at 17%

NOTE: Nothing this young man said addressed either of the three biggest problems that Black People face.

Now that we have identified the problems, let’s identify the solution. Now, when identifying the solution, it is often important to consider the causes, effects and consequences… Let’s take each of these problems one at a time:

1. Black-on-Black Murder: A. First, most Black People attribute this problem to two things

A1. That the White Man put the guns into our community. If this is true, then this is what I say: “Just because a White Man hands you a gun, doesn’t mean you have to point it at your brother and shoot him with it. My mother use to ask me “If someone tells you to jump in a lake, are you going to do it?” Well, if someone hands you a gun and says shoot your brother with it; are you going to do it? Hmmmm…. It seems that we are and it seems that the solution would be obvious; we should just stop killing each other simply because someone

else wants us to. Now, remember, we would still have to implement this solution, so let’s not jump the gun. Implementation is always the tricky part.

B. Secondly, many Black People blame it on the Social and Economic Conditions we find ourselves in, which are the result of hundreds of years of slavery, oppression and psychological manipulation by the White Man, who, to this day, continue to plot and strategize on ways to keep us in our place. My response to this is:

B1. Concerning the Psychological Manipulation that results in our Social Condition: When a woman is being abused by a man and she continues to stay in the abusive relationship; it is because of the low self esteem and/or the mental manipulation and/or the fear and/or a multitude of other similar reasons. In the end, will she not continue to allow her mind to be manipulated until either she is killed or until she decides that she isn’t going to let her mind be manipulated to accept the abuse anymore? In the end; we know the guy isn’t very nice to do her like that; but if he refuses to change, then how will her manipulation ever end, until she refuses to continue being manipulate? Who controls our mind? Someone else or us? Until we stop making excuses about why we must stay (Excuse) Mind F**ked, we will continue to get Mind F**cked.

B2. Concerning our Economic Condition:

B2A. Until we demand Economic, Government Education in our schools, we will continue to fall behind, economically.

B2B. This Education includes understanding that Black Business cannot survive on Black Patronage, only. White People have too much money to spend and if they aren’t spending enough with Black Business, then they will not compete with the White Businesses, which everyone patronizes. And that isn’t going to change. This is against popular belief. However, the fact is that this is Capitalism. Note, that The US doesn’t try to only get business from US Citizens; it markets its products worldwide and everyone’s’ money is welcome here. And Caucasian Businesses (Which are the most successful) do not try to market their products and services to only White People. Everyone’s’ money is welcome. So, why do Black People harp on trying to get all Black People to support their own? I’m not against that idea; but it would be a better idea to get everyone else to buy the Black products and service.

B2C. Black People must also understand that if they are going to market their products and service to everyone who has money to spend, then they must make their neighborhoods clean, safe and well lighted at night. The crime and violence rates must be reduced and the Education standards in their schools must be raised. All these things are within the power of the residents of that community. White and other Races of people enjoy shopping in safe, clean and secure places. Black People must also learn to pool their resources, so that they can have the buying power of the big chains and

cooperate with each other in Partnerships and Joint Ventures, so that they can offer the variety of the big chains. People also like low prices and variety, in one safe location, i.e. Wal-Mart and other similar stores; also Shopping Centers and Malls. They like dealing with one company for multiple services, like Service America and others…

2. Mass Incarceration: Many Black People choose to believe that this was begun as an intentional strategy to hold Black People down. But those Black People who actually pay attention and participate in the political process know that it actually began as a Political stunt. Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, White People were getting tired of the Gang Violence on the streets, which had began to creep into their own neighborhoods and everyone knew it was a result in the increase in Drugs; specifically Crack. President Ronald Reagan (Right Wing Republican), who wanted to shore up his political base (Rich, White People), decided to get tough on drugs. Nancy Regan came out with her slogan “Just Say No” and ‘The War on Drugs’ Began.

A. Now, this unintentionally led to the harassment of inner city Blacks, because the Whites had left the cities, running to the suburbs for relief from the inner city crime, violence and corresponding dilapidation. From this was born the growth of our Prison Systems, Prison Privatization and so on. It became big business. And Black People became the Cash Cow for this industry. My response is simple: “If Black People using and selling drugs to each other and killing each other over them; then there would be no ‘War on Drugs’…” That’s right… I’m resting this square on our own shoulders. Who would they have to conduct a War on Drugs on…? Now, I’m sure many will go back to the idea that they put these drugs in our community. Well, my response is: “Just because someone hands you a Crack Rock, a Crack Pipe and a lighter, doesn’t mean you have to fire it up and smoke it. And it doesn’t mean you have to sell it to your brother and sister. It certainly doesn’t mean you have to kill your brother over it. Again, it seems that by solving our own ‘Self Genocide’ Problem, we can also eliminate the War on Drugs, which hands down, is the fuel that keeps the Mass Incarceration inferno going.

B. Obviously, this isn’t the only cure for our Mass Incarceration Problem. There are certainly some Racial and Bias Issues, as well as some institutional Injustices. But common sense is common sense. It is much more difficult to wage a war on drugs, against people who aren’t using and selling illegal drugs. One could argue that they may find some other reason to lock us up. My response is: “Then let them…” But they wouldn’t have that reason.

3. The Single Black Parent:

A. Well, of-course there is our old standby excuse of the repercussions of the Social and Economic Conditions that we find ourselves in, due to hundreds of years of slavery, bondage and oppression.... Blah… Blah…. Blah… But what it comes down to is that way too many of our young Black Men are having unprotected sex with young Black Women and then not

fathering their children. We can point our finger at the White Man all we want; but my response is still the same: We must take responsibility for how we conduct ourselves. We cannot continue to suffer the bad repercussions of Single Parenting and blame it on another race. What they did to us decades ago or even centuries ago, cannot be an excuse of our failure to do the right thing for our own selves, today. Enough said on that…

To summarize all that I just said:

This commentary is not intended to diminish the impact our plight has had on our people. But when someone pushes you into a whole; sooner or later, you have to start trying to climb out of that whole. Or you will sit there, whine, cry and point your finger at the person who is standing outside of that whole and screaming “NO FAIR!”

I am sure that many, if not most Black People watch this video and cheer or clap, the way the people who were actually there did. I listen to this video and hear a whining, finger pointing and complaining child. This may sound a bit disrespectful and I apologize, if it does; however, I wanted to stress a few points.

1. Out of all that he said, he never mentioned one single solution. 2. Out of all that he said, it was all history. It was about how we were treated in the past and why

Hip Hop changed, back then. But nothing about what we need to do in the future3. Out of all he said, he never mentioned anything that Black People should take responsibility for.

Now, someone will say that I haven’t mentioned anything that White People should take responsibility for. Well, that is because I don’t give them control over our destiny. Rather they take responsibility or not is beside the point. The point is what will we do to uplift ourselves. Why must they be the key to our ability to stop killing ourselves and not fathering our own children and selling each other drugs?

My perspective is a little different. I’m not for making White People improve things for us. I’m for improving things for ourselves. How can we be respected, if we don’t respect ourselves? How can we ask for love, when we don’t love ourselves? We want justice… But when Justice is not served; our response isn’t an intelligent one, where we utilize the Constitution; our solutions is to burn down our neighborhood. It’s like being wrongfully fired from your job and saying “I’ll show them; I’m going to go home and burn my house down!” We look like immature children…

In Ferguson, some of those people worked their entire lives to build businesses to support their families, just so another Black Man could burn it down to the grown. Someone worked at that business and no longer has a job to go to and that person may have kids. The city isn’t going to be so quick to clean up their mess. Why? Because they shouldn’t have burned it down! And the money to clean up that mess isn’t in the budget. So, what new business will want to move to that community and create jobs? Not any business I would own; they might burn it down! We don’t think. We act based on emotion, instead of knowledge and understanding.

Instead of burning down the community, imagine if they had simply boycotted something, the way Black People brought the bus company to its knees in Alabama? Imagine if they collected enough signatures on a petition to hold a Special Election to remove select politicians from their jobs. Oh yes, they have that power to do so… It is occasionally done across this nation on a regular basis. But Black People, as a whole, are not aware we have that power. I guarantee that when someone is threatened to lose their lucrative, prestigious and powerful job, changes will be made. But what change will come from destroying your community. Doesn’t this actually serve to help insure things stay the same? Isn’t it possible that some of the powers that be are looking at this all and saying “Look at those Monkeys”?

Consider a solution for the future: