Black and White

That incident made my whole family aware of how young Black children might be jealous of their White counterparts because Blacks don’t have all the things that Whites have, including the nice stories also. That was years ago but it was an eye-opener for my family nonetheless. We have learned a lot more about young Black behavior over the years and we have been trying to deal with it in our family especially.

I know I prepared my kids for their first day in school and every other day after that. I sat with them and made sure they understood their homework and I never did it for them like some families do.

That made me realize from an early age how jealousy affects Black people in general. I believe that’s where the term “living like the Joneses” must have originated, but I’m not sure about that. But I made sure my kids graduated knowing something. I feel that kids nowadays don’t know half as much as they should because parents are too busy trying to keep a roof over their heads than helping them with homework. We have become too neglectful and have left our children to fend for themselves. That’s why so many Black youngsters are graduating with no education to speak of. Some can’t even read. Imagine trying to get a job.

The point is the education Blacks get through school is not adequate enough to prepare them for the work force. And I wonder how teachers can allow this to happen and then blame the child for not being able to learn.

And to top it all off, Black fathers don’t take enough interest in their families to be role models and heads of households. They run from their responsibilities instead of facing them. So, young Black boys do the same thing. Young Black boys make babies and do not take care of them because most didn’t have a father to take care of them either. Black mothers have been the Black family’s backbone for years, so fathers usually leave home to find a woman who will take care of them instead of kids.

So, being born Black is a strike against our race in America because if you’re not properly educated, you go nowhere. You live paycheck to paycheck and don’t let anything serious happen during those paychecks because then you get in a hole that you’ll never get out of. Most Black families need their children to help with family expenses when they get out of high school anyway, so college is not much of a thought most of the time. I was the first in my immediate family to graduate high school. They were so happy about that, they never even mentioned college to me. And that’s what happens in most Black families. They need their children’s help.

So, unless you were born Black, you will never understand the system of Black life. You can say what you want about Blacks being lazy, uneducated, unreliable, untrustworthy, and so on, and you might be right for a few. But you can’t categorize every Black under those labels. And unless you can walk a mile in a Black man’s shoes, you can’t imagine what that man has to deal with in his life.

I’ve also learned over the years that our Black women need to instill more pride in our Black men and help them do better for their families. If your man lacks in education, help educate him. Or, back him up by allowing him to go take a trade that will help him feed the family. The more the family backs the father, the more the father will take have in himself and act like a father.

Also, other people need to know that if you see a man down, help bring him up in some way. Never kick him when he’s down there because he might kick you back one day and this world doesn’t need anymore anger in it.

We have got to help each other, White, Black, Blue, or Green. Color is only a shade outside, inside we all have blood red hearts. We have got to stop hurting each other, treating each other badly, and showing our ignorance. If we want to live forever in peace one day, we’ve got to help each other. That’s God’s way.