GENERATIONAL SUICIDE AMONG BLACK PEOPLE IS WHAT I REFER TO AS A SELF DESTRUCTIVE MENTALITY WHICH HAS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF MY PEOPLE  SUBMERGED  IN A STATE OF MENTAL AND ECONOMICAL PARALYSIS. WE HAVE BECOME PERVASIVELY MALIGNED BY OUR OWN LACK OF EDUCATION, MISINFORMATION AND IGNORANCE.

 

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT A PERIOD IN TIME WHERE THE WORLD HAS TRANSITIONED INTO A PLACE THAT IS RIFE WITH TERRORISTS ATTACKS , CONFLICTS, WARRING FACTIONS, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL CONTROVERSY, GLOBAL WARMING, SOCIAL UNREST, ECONOMICAL IMBALANCE, CLASS WARFARE, DISEASE, HOMELESSNESS, SELF DESTRUCTION OF HUMANKIND, ABSENCE OF INTEGRITY, MORALS, SELF IDENTITY, KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION.

WE ARE ENCAPSULATED IN IGNORANCE, MASS CONFUSION AND POSSESS VERY LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE. CONSEQUENTIALLY THIS HAS GIVEN RISE TO SO MANY OF US BEING VOID OF ANY REAL SENSE OF PURPOSE OR DIRECTION AND TO WHICH A LOT HAVE FALLEN PREY TO AN INDUSTRY THAT SELLS THEM ON GANGSTERISM, THUG-ISM AND GLAMORIZES THE DEGRADATION OF WOMEN AND MURDER. WE HAVE BEEN SO CONDITIONED THAT WE LACK ANY SEMBLANCE OF SELF RESPECT OR RESPECT FOR OTHERS. SO I ASK THE QUESTION, HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO COMMAND ANY RESPECT IF RESPECT IS NOT GIVEN?.

WE ENGAGE IN UNLAWFUL ACTS OF VIOLENCE, DRUGS, THIEVERY, CHICANERY AND CONDUCT OURSELVES WITH UTTER BUFFOONERY FOR THE WORLD TO WITNESS. WE ARE MURDERING EACH OTHER WITH A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE. WE HAVE SLIPPED INTO AN ABYSS OF BOTTOM FEEDERS WITH NO CLEAR SENSE OF DIRECTION. THIS DEBILITATING AND DESTRUCTIVE CONDITION HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO PROLIFERATE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. NOW, A LARGE SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION HAVE BECOME SELF APATHETIC DARKNESS DWELLERS  AFFLICTED WITH IGNORANCE. THEY ARE  ABSOLUTELY VOID OF ILLUMINATION AND ARE PRODUCING CHILDREN WHO WILL BECOME IMMERSED IN THE SAME CYCLE OF MADNESS.. HOW IS IT THAT SO MANY OF US HAVE DESCENDED INTO A STATE OF DISCONNECT, POVERTY AND WRETCHEDNESS AFTER THE  GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 60’s AND 70’s?

HISTORICALLY OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALMOST TWICE THAT OF WHITES.

OUR  PER CAPITA INCOME HOUSEHOLD IS THE LOWEST AMONG ANY ETHNIC GROUP

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUT RATE WHICH IS TWICE THAT OF WHITES

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FAMILIES LIVING JUST ABOVE OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.

WE ARE INCARCERATED AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE. APPROXIMATELY 40% OF 2.5 MILLION MALE INMATES ARE BLACK. FORTY PERCENT, THAT’S ALMOST HALF THE MALE INMATE POPULATION

WE HAVE DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY THAN WHITES

THIS UNDOUBTEDLY IS NOT A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS BUT MORE OF A PATH THAT MOST ASSUREDLY WILL LEAD TO FAILURE AND SELF DESTRUCTION. THE LIST OF NEGATIVE COMPONENTS IS EXTENSIVE AND YET WE EITHER CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE NOTICE OR WE NOTICE AND CHOOSE NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. EITHER WAY THE DISEASE WILL MALIGN US FOR GENERATIONS AS IT GOES UNABATED AND CONTINUES TO REMAIN A PREVALENT AND DESTRUCTIVE ORGANISM WITHIN US, OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE WORLD IF LEFT UNABATED. THESE STATS ARE SHAMEFUL AND UNACCEPTABLE AS IT  ILLUSTRATES THAT WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES. THE LIVES SACRIFICED DURING THE PERIODS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS  AND VOTER RIGHTS REGISTRATION ERA ALONG WITH THE BLACK POWER  MOVEMENTS HAVE BECOME A DISTANT MEMORY. 

AS THE OCEANS OF TURMOIL, INACTION, DISCOURAGEMENT AND DISCONTENT CONTINUES TO GROW, WE FIND OURSELVES HAVING DIFFICULTY NAVIGATING THE WAVES TO CLEAR PASSAGE. OUR VESSELS ARE WEAK, ILL CONSTRUCTED AND THE CREWS LACK THE KNOWLEDGE AND LEADERSHIP NEEDED TO MAKE THIS JOURNEY.  ONCE WE EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY OUR VESSEL ( Movement ) MUST BE CONSTRUCTED OF GREAT STRENGTH ,ENDURANCE AND INTEGRITY.  IT MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE CONSTANT ONSLAUGHT FROM THE BATTERING WAVES OF THE ENEMY, THE DISCONTENTED AND THE NAYSAYERS.  WE MUST HAVE AN EDUCATED, KNOWLEDGEABLE, COURAGEOUS CREW WITH UNWAVERING QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT.

WE MUST ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT CHANGE IS INEVITABLE AND UNDOUBTEDLY WILL COME. HOWEVER, FOR THE TYPE OF CHANGE THAT WE ENVISION REQUIRES US TO POSITION OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY AND SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECT THAT CHANGE.  WE CAN NOT RELY ON THE EFFORTS OF OTHERS OR SOME NOTION OF BEING FORTUNATE (LUCKY). OUR DESTINY IS SHAPED BY OUR DECISIONS AND WHAT WE DO MOVING FORWARD AND LUCK ONLY OCCURS WHEN OPPORTUNITY MEETS PREPAREDNESS. YOU CAN PLAY THE LOTTERY, HIT THE JACKPOT, AND STRIKE A FORTUNE.  HOWEVER IF YOU DO NOT POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO MANAGE YOUR NEW FOUND WEALTH, YOU WILL SURELY SQUANDER IT.

WE MUST FIRST AND FOREMOST TAKE A LOOK AT OURSELVES AND DECIDE THAT IF WE WANT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, WE MUST UNDERGO A TRANSFORMATION OF OUR MIND, BODY, PHYSICAL, AND SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENTS. WE CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE TO FUNCTION IN A MANNER THAT IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO OUR SUCCESS. THE TIME HAS ARRIVED FOR US TO BE RELEVANT BUT JUST HOW RELEVANT, DEPENDS ON OUR OWN TRANSFORMATION. WE MUST ERADICATE OURSELVES OF THE SELF DEFEATIST ATTITUDES AND MINDSETS THAT HAVE PLAGUED OUR UPWARD MOBILITY AND WE MUST DISCONTINUE GRAVITATING TOWARDS THAT WHICH IS DESTRUCTIVE TO OUR WELL BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE.  SUCCESS WILL BE PREDICATED ON HOW MUCH WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE PROCESS. 

DEDICATION, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE AND DILIGENCE IS WHAT WE’LL NEED TO PERSEVERE .

WE  MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE AND WHAT ARE WE PREPARED TO SACRIFICE  IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS MILESTONE.  THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WILL DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF SUCCESS  REALIZED NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES  BUT OUR CHILDREN. ANYTHING OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE REQUIRES GREAT EFFORT…To Be Continued….

Written By: Al DeVeaux Jr. Africafifth