Black men in prison: To fix this problem we must fix the black family

I was reading an article by Earl Ofari Hutchinson entitled, "America's Prison Juggernaut Continues to Crush Black Males." In it, Ofari takes the central stance that "...High joblessness, failing public schools, budget cutbacks in skills training and placement programs, the refusal of employers to hire those with criminal records, and the gaping racial disparity in the drug sentencing laws are the major reasons why far more blacks than whites are behind bars."

Do you agree with this?

I'm not sure I do. Now, while I agree that these factors do play a role in crime for all races, I think other reasons are far more prominent. What about the role of the family? What about the absence of black fathers in the home or a positive role model in the male's life?

Black pastors, how do you feel about the role of family and black male crime?

Now, I don't know about your city, but here in Atlanta, news about black males committing crime doesn't seem to change, in good times and bad. To check out my notional feeling on this, I took the liberty of looking at some Bureau of Justice crime statistics for the years 1993 through 2009. What I found was interesting.

1993 - The incarceration rate of blacks was 7 times that of whites. At year end there were 1,471 black inmates per 100,000 black U.S. residents, compared to 207 white inmates per 100,000 white residents.

2000 - Among the more than 1.3 million sentenced inmates at year end, an estimated 428,300 were black males between the ages of 20 and 39. At year end 2000, 9.7% of black males age 25 to 29 were in prison, compared to 2.9% of Hispanic males and 1.1% of white males in the same age group.

2001 - Among the more than 1.3 million sentenced inmates at year end 2001, an estimated 441,700 were black males between the ages of 20 and 39. At year end 2001, 10.0% of black males age 25 to 29 were in prison, compared to 2.9% of Hispanic males and 1.2% of white males in the same
age group.

2002 - At year end, 10.4 % for black males age 25 to 29 were in prison.

2003 - At year end, 9.3% of black males age 25 to 29 were in prison.

2004 - About 8.4% of black males between ages 25 and 29 were in State or Federal prison

2005 - About 8.1% of black males age 25 to 29 were in State or Federal prison.

2007 - While the imprisonment rates for most groups increased during the past 7 years, the imprisonment rates for black males and black females decreased. At year end 2000, the black male imprisonment rate was 3,188 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents. White men were imprisoned at a rate of 410 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents. By year end 2007, the black male imprisonment rate had decreased to 3,138 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, while the white male imprisonment rate increased to 481 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents. These changes resulted in a decrease in the ratio of imprisoned black men to imprisoned white men. In 2000 the ratio was 8 to 1 and in 2007 the ratio was 7 to 1.

Again, joblessness and failing public schools may explain some crime. However, it falls far from an answer. Many feel that the black economic resurgence occurred when Bill Clinton was in office (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001). If this is true, how would Hutchinson and others explain the rise in black crime rates during this period?

I think it's high time for the black community to seriously examine the core issues affecting crime in our community: absence of black fathers, absence of positive role models in the lives of many young black males, single mothers (may of whom are babies themselves) trying to raise a child, the negative images the media keeps pumping out to our youth, and the lack of personal responsibility and accountability in general.

Black moms, do you really think your kids can listen to much of today's music and watch many of today's videos and not be negatively affected? You tell me.

I tell you, I don't think we're going to fix this problem until we fix the black family.

Now tell me; what do you think? --IamRobert and I'm listening.

Domestic Violence: Dumb, 'cause you can't solve problems with your fists

I originally included a recent Rihanna photo at the beginning of this blog. Because some felt it a bit much, I have removed it. And, although the photo is disconcerting, so is this issue.

Hitting anyone out of anger is not only wrong its wrongheaded. Know why? Because you can't solve your problems with your fists. Therefore, if you're trying to solve a problem or issue in this way, you're dumb.

Did you know that African-American women experience intimate partner violence at rates 35% higher than their White counterparts and 2.5 times the rate of men and other races? It's true. And, according to the Institute on Domestic Violence, "violence affects all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. However, this threat has disproportionately dire consequences for African-American women." Did you also know that domestic violence is not just limited to men? Yeah, women hit too. But no matter which way the fists fly, the behavior is just plain wrong.

The way I see it, you've got two issues going on here: handling the explosive situation and managing your emotions. Following are tips on dong both:

If you're really trying to solve a problem or issue, you need to COMMUNICATE:

Women's media.com offers advice on controlling one's anger:

1. Become Aware of what precipitates your anger--identify what "sets you off."

2. Monitor the feelings and bodily sensations you experience when you're becoming angry.Learn to use these sensations as cues to stop...

3. Change the thoughts that trigger anger, interpreting the situation from a different (less provocative) point of view. Often, this involves looking at the situation from the other person's perspective.

4. Write down angry thoughts. Once you have them on paper, challenge and reappraise them. Or write a letter to the person you're angry with and then tear it into a hundred pieces. But be careful: The longer you dwell on what made you angry, the more reasons and self-justifications you can find for being angry. Try not to fan your own fire.

5. Identify and express the feelings that precede anger. Anger is often a secondary emotion, erupting in the wake of other feelings, like frustration, resentment, humiliation, or fear. Try to become aware of the underlying emotion and express that feeling instead of anger.

6. Respond assertively.The goal isn't to suppress anger, but to express it in non-aggressive ways. Blaming, accusations, threats and name-calling are aggressive responses. Calmly and assertively stating your thoughts and feelings about a situation, without blaming, is a far more powerful way to respond in conflict.

7. Relax.Anger is a high-arousal state, so one of the most helpful things you can do is engage in an activity that lowers blood pressure and heart rate, like yoga, stretching, deep breathing, massage, visualization, guided imagery or meditation. Activities like gardening, painting, and woodworking may also be very helpful. Running, walking, dancing, swimming and other forms of aerobic exercise "work off" anger and leave you feeling relaxed.

8. Relinquish your anger.If angry feelings about a particular person or situation are eating at you and none of the above techniques proves helpful, try doing what may be the most courageous and difficult thing of all: Just let it go. If the anger is based on some old wound deep inside, letting go starts a healing process. Consider enlisting the support of a professional counselor or therapist.

A technique I've found helpful is keeping the conversation constructive and on the issue: no name calling. Remember, words can hit like a fist. My Mom has a saying, "you can withdraw your fist, but you can't withdraw a spoken word." Think about it.
But what if despite your best efforts, you're in a heated discussion?

Associated Content printed a great article on dealing with arguments and offer the following tips:

"...the only real ways to end an argument on good terms are walk away, let down your viewpoint or find a way to change the argument into a calm discussion." The best way to attempt [to get to a calm discussion] ...without conceding your viewpoint is to use repair attempts. Make the other person aware that you understand their concerns and assure them we will discuss this when we are both calm. Another option is to turn away from anger and towards love, use affection and say something like "we do not need to do this now, just come and hug me”. Talk about issues before they become real issues and discuss things calmly before they become arguments."

Remember, never hit or insult--those two actions just won't solve your problem.

How about you? Share your story, tell me what's worked for you.

No Daddy = Broken Child: On The Absence Of Black Fathers

Today was a day like any other day. Mom and I got up, got dressed, and prepared our children for school. Mornings are always special for me because spend a few moments alone with my little “Spud” before dropping her off to school. She came into my life at the ripe old age of, well, let’s just say ripe. Anyway, she has added a joy and meaning like nothing else ever has, or will. So, you can imagine my glee when someone asked that I write a post on black fatherhood.

Oh yes, there are lots of statistics out there that point out what black fathers aren’t doing and lots of theories as to why—but I’m not interested in them (safe to say that one missing dad is one too many). And, as practical people, I don’t believe you are either. What I think you really want to know is: How is this issue affecting our community; Why are some black fathers “missing in action”; What is the role of a black father; What makes a good dad; What can be done to help more black men assume their role as dads; and What’s being done to right this issue.

First, here’s a public service announcement: for those of you who don’t know, not all black men are absent from their kid’s lives. Second, not all absent dads are “deadbeat dads”. Finally, not all absent dads are poor. Hey, just thought you should know.

No Dad = Broken Child

Bill Cosby has said that the absence of black fathers in the house is the root cause of black America’s problems. But it’s not just him, so don’t hate. Thirty-five years ago, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D.-N.Y.)…called black fatherlessness, ``the fundamental weakness of the Negro community…" (which dispels one myth, that the “absence” of black fathers is a new phenomenon). President Barack Obama, having grown up without a father, said in an address to the Apostolic Church of Chicago:

The absence of fathers is important because "children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison."

William Raspberry agrees and also noted that in addition to poverty, crime, and school failure, “Father absence…predisposes our children to an intergenerational repetition of the grim cycle.”

It also takes two to tango, and there are many that feel children that grow up without a father figure in their life miss important socialization dynamics—discipline, role modeling, common male behavior, male female interaction, etc. Basically, the absence of a dad risks a child that is a little incomplete. Suffice it to say that the absence of a man in the house is not the only factor for poor school performance, poverty, or crime. It is also important to note that not every child growing up in a single parent household will suffer these maladies. Yet, the evidence is clear, two-parent families and their children often do better.

Why Don’t You Want To Be My Daddy?

Some blame fatherlessness and out-of-wedlock births on cultural breakdown and moral failure. Others believe the problem is caused by a poor father's inability to support a family—poor education, no jobs or low paying jobs. Many black men often site untrustworthy, or bossy, or disrespectful women as the reason for their absence. Religious leaders point out the demise of the family in general. Some call to question the role of the media. I accept and reject all of them. Like the folks at Morehouse (Turning the Corner on Father Absence in Black America, a recent conference paper on African-American fathers and families—American Values.org), I don’t think there is any one cause for black fathers' absence. But, if I had to pick one cause, I would say disdain for ones self and the mother of the child. Don’t agree? Why do you feel someone would abandon their own flesh and blood? Have any of you out there felt you have been put in a position to do so? If so, please let me know.

Who Am I?

What makes a good dad? Is it being able to buy your children the things they need? Is it being sure they have a roof over their heads? Providing food for them to eat? Is it paying for their college education? Is it listening to their thoughts? Is it guiding/disciplining them? Is it being a loving partner? Is it providing a stable, calm, drama-free environment? Perhaps being a good dad is about being a good role model. Or, maybe it’s being a friend. Possibly it might entail taking them to your local church, synagogue, or mosque. I say, it’s all of these things. To me being a good dad means GIVING WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO GIVE—ALL OF IT; ALL THE TIME. To render being a dad to any one, or several, of these things runs the risk of making all black men poor dads because we all have different gifts, abilities, and circumstances. That’s why the “bad dad” causal theories don’t work for me. By focusing on what the man doesn’t have, we [society] forget to nourish and praise him for what he can give.

Anyone can be a good dad. Not sure you're the father? Demand a paternity test. Divorced? Pay your child support, spend time with your kids, and respect their mother. Thug? Do your duty, don’t raise one: that’s “gangsta.” Jobless? Spend time with your kids, guide them, discipline them, support their mother, be their friend. Addicted? Seek help, and in the meantime, see your kids. Single? Protect yourself and avoid having kids out of wedlock. Fed up? Respect yourself and the mother of your kids, even if she doesn’t respect herself or you. Incarcerated? Call your kids, write to them, tell them to avoid what you have done, and think of them to gain strength to do right when you do get out. And when you get out, go see them. Got too many kids? Give each and every one of them as much time, money, and energy as you can spare. Got money? Got a good job? A house on the hill? Pay your child support, buy them the little extras (without being asked), and start them a college fund, spend time with them, teach them how you got where you are. Bottom line is you’ve got something to give! Black fathers the world ‘round, know this: you are a father by virtue of having functional sperm. You become a dad when you exhibit, teach, and share your virtue.

It’s Barack-o-Daddy!

My wife has taught my two year old daughter just about everything there is to know about President Obama. She screams his name each time she sees a picture of him and when asked who her President is, she screams, Barack Obama! Well, sometimes daddy gets just a little jealous and shouts, Barack-o-Daddy! But, upon reflection, there’s something to this. I don’t think the country has seen a more poised, dignified, hardworking, loving and intelligent public figure (who also appears to be a great dad) in some time. He makes you want to do better, brings out the best in others, works hard, tries his best, and learns from his mistakes. He gives whatever he has. That’s what makes a good dad. And guess what, you can be one too. We all have a God-given capacity—use it for your kids.

Helping Fathers Become Dads

The Center for Marriage and Family has ten recommendations.

1. Urge African American fathers and mothers to recognize their obligations to each other and to work to build stronger parenting partnerships for the benefit of their children.

2. Urge the Black church to help build a powerful new movement aimed at gender and family healing. This movement should include the following aspects: initiatives designed to improve the quality of relationships between Black men and Black women; and programs aimed at preparing men and women for marriage.

3. Churches and other organizations [should] support families by taking a much more active role in the education of Black children through the development of alternative community-based and values-oriented educational systems…

4. Civil rights organizations and professional, civic, fraternal and philanthropic groups within the African American community [should] make the issue of reuniting fathers and children a top priority for at least the next decade through programs of advocacy, family reconciliation, and community mobilization.

5. [The] media…especially Black media, to use their power for at least the next decade to promote positive images of men and fatherhood in Black America.

6. [The] United States Congress [should] pass, and the President sign, legislation this fiscal year authorizing at least $2 billion over the next five years to support community-based fatherhood programs aimed at reversing the trend of father absence in our nation.

7. Federal-state child support enforcement program to institute basic reforms to encourage fathers active participation in the lives in the lives of their children by promoting self-sufficiency for fathers, encouraging marriage, and engaging faith-based and other community organizations in promoting responsible fatherhood.

8. We urge government at all levels, the business community, and the entire civil society to take concerted action for at least the next decade to reverse inequities in the treatment of fathers in public and private sector policy and to improve the economic prospects and marriageability of poor men.

9. We urge the criminal justice system at all levels of government to develop creative strategies aimed at reconnecting fathers and children where there is a desire to do so on the part of family members.

10. We urge every governmental or community-based program that has a relationship with unwed parents to help connect interested parents with faith-based marriage education and marriage mentoring programs.

MSNBC — A Push For Positive Change

This Sunday, February 8 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, MSNBC will air “A Father’s Promise,” which coincides with Black History Month. According to MSNBC, A Father’s Promise is an attempt to understand this issue through round-table discussion. Discussion panelist include a cross-section of African-Americans including Al Roker; Tiki Barber; Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey; Rev. Eugene Rivers, a Boston pastor and MSNBC analyst; Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Princeton University professor of Politics and African American Studies; and Marni McKoy, Heru’s Principal at Lind Community School in Newark. I've included the video trailer. You may also click the link below to see the clip.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28896095#28896095

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Share Your Thoughts

Fathers, what do you need to get you involved in your child's life?

Mothers, what is your biggest frustration with your child's father?

Mothers, why do you feel your child's father is not in their lives?

Does anyone out there feel the other parent uses the child as a pawn?

If you could tell the other parent one thing, what would it be?

Black-on-Black Violence Study: Not Just Causing African-Americans More Harm Than Good (Part II)

In my previous article we reviewed an interesting abstract by James F. Anderson on the causes of crime in urban areas [1]. We concluded that one of the main problems with studying community crime the way Anderson did and how many others are doing now is that it fosters separatism and fragmentation at all levels and out right denial by the white community. We found that this “us” and “them” mentality results not only in fragmented societies but fragmented public policy—which has caused many of America’s communities to become dysfunctional. It has also resulted in lethargy and misunderstanding from whites.

Yet, there are commonalities in Mr. Anderson’s treatise that offers hope for a solution. I noticed two common threads ran through each of the “classical” approaches to dealing with crime: the crime-ridden communities were broken by policies and attitudes of the greater community at large and the young black males were struggling to achieve economic and social prominence. What I gathered from this is that the system is broken, both in and around these communities, at every level (individual, family, local, county, state, federal, and industry). In addition, we have young black men wanting the same things all Americans have been encouraged to want, it’s just that the system that allows so many non-black Americans to achieve these ends have failed the young men black of the community.

So, to me, we’ve got to fix the system as a whole. We’ve got to fix our urban areas to be sure. Oh by the way, we’ve also got to fix the communities next to them—the ones with the million dollar homes who’s residents are either providing the drugs in bulk for our young men to sell, buying their drugs “in the hood”, running brothels from their homes, fostering hate in their homes, or are simply being victimized. They also have a problem. You see, we’re all interconnected and it really is “a small, small world.”

Now, how? Anderson favored what he called a Public Health Approach. Basically, he wanted to treat crime in “the hood” the same as a doctor would treat a patient to “change attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of offenders and victims of violence.” But for me, this was still to singularly dimensional. After all, what doctor would treat your pain without also trying to figure out how you injured yourself or ascertain what roles your environment plays in your illness? While Anderson’s was a good start, more is needed.

Since the system is broken down and must be fixed, it is only logical that comprehensive, INTERELLATED, and SYMBIOTIC measures must be taken to fix it. Government (at all levels), schools, the correctional system, industry, individuals, parents, and kids up to the date of this writing have largely been working to different ends—we must now all work together. To do this, we must all understand what is expected of us, what we need from each other, and how working together will benefit us. We must also do a better job of selling our ideas. For instance, schools and industry should be partnering together: industry must let all schools, in all “hoods” know what type of employee they require in the future, and kick in a little money and equipment to get them! Ever heard of Bill Gates? Gave schools money and his computers—they got great computers and educations; he got good employees and loyal users of his systems for years to come. Schools must then educate our children in a way that they can compete for the high-paying jobs of the future. Until know, we haven’t done this. America has relied on imports (Asians, Indians, Russians, etc.) for its talent. Now I ask you, how can the “leader” of the free world call itself a leader if it can’t even produce thinkers and creators? That’s why I believe we need someone who can help pull all these little fiefdoms together.

I believe we need more community organizers. I personally like the setup of many of the old cities up North have with the Aldermen system. But it doesn’t have to be a government official, it could be you! Interested? Here’s my job description for a community organizer: (1) Must know the people and communities, (2) The people know must know you, (3) Must be trusted by all stakeholders, (4) Must be an accomplished salesperson, (5) Must have superior people skills, (6) Organizational skills a must, and (7) High-energy, workaholic, extrovert, highly desired.

Know anyone like that?


1. Anderson, James F. “African-Americans, Violence, Disabilities, and Public Policy: A Call For A Workable Approach to Alleviating the Pains of Inner-City Life.” Western Journal of Black Studies Summer 1998
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2877/is_/ai_n28718913?tag=artBody;col1

Jena Six teen shoots himself: Is this the REAL story? No!

The latest news on the infamous Jena Six case is the story of Mychal Bell. According to EURweb, [Bell] "one of six black teens charged with beating a white classmate at Jena High School in December 2006 shot himself in the chest with a .22 caliber firearm and was taken to a hospital in Monroe, La., on Dec. 29." Apparently, Bell was upset over recent coverage of an arrest during Christmas. According to the article, "His [Bell's] arrest came less than one month after he completed a sentence for his role in the beating of a fellow classmate, Justin Barker, at Jena High School in 2006."

But is this, the story of a young man upset over an arrest and shooting himself, the real story? Or, is the real story that this young man, indeed, young black males in general, are out of control? Could it be that issues facing the black community: babies being born out of wedlock, single parenthood, poverty, drugs, and gangs, are the real story? I say no and I think we, the American public, have missed the real problem reflected in this incident. The REAL problem is the BIAS and fear that STILL governs what we HEAR and subsequently accept about ourselves and our children.

While there are countless news stories out there about the problems of black youth and the plight of the black male in general, I would have you know that ALL of our children are at risk. According to Newsmax, the federal Centers for Disease Control reports that "a white adolescent male is four times more likely than his African-American classmate to be a regular cocaine user. Whites are 66 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds, and yet they are 70 percent of drug users in that age group. Blacks are 13.5 percent of persons in that age group and only 13 percent of young adult drug users, while Hispanics are nearly 15 percent of that age group, but yet comprise only 12 percent of drug users 18-25. [And], approximately 9 out of 10 serial killers are white males between the ages of 20 and 35. Yet we never hear these statistics repeated over and over again in the mainstream press, making these crimes synonymous with one particular race as is the case with blacks." Thus, the real problem is not that young black men are out of control; the problem is that the American public has failed to realize that ALL of our youth are making life-threatening mistakes. Yes, young black males do have their problems, but so do white youth, or any other youth for that matter. You know, Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In parallel I say that a for every child in trouble in an inner city, borough, or hood, there is another in trouble in a suburb, country, or Beverly Hills. The preference of the media to cover only the negative aspects of black societal behavior, and our (both black and white) willingness to buy into this distortion, is the REAL problem. The twisted view we Americans have of our children is preventing us from helping them. As long as African-Americans have these views, which are perpetuated by media, we as blacks cannot possibly understand our children, yet alone steer their behavior in a positive direction. Conversely, with the "all is well" media stories, whites will not even try to change the behavior of their children, yet alone try to understand the issues black youth face each day.

As a republic, we cannot continue to think that crime in one place simply reflects the norms and morays of "those people." We must see ourselves as one nation, one people, one planet. We must see the problem of our youth for what it is--an epidemic of national proportions.

What Can You Do About Juvenile Vandalism? Plenty!

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice, in 1997, law enforcement agencies made approximately 136,500 arrests of persons under age 18 for vandalism. These juvenile arrests represented 44% of all vandalism arrests.

As many of us know, vandalism is a real problem in many communities, but there is something we can do:

• Ensure property is well lit at all times. Be sure that property throughout the community, especially common areas, is well lit.
• Start and get involved in a neighborhood watch program. Even if your community does not have a neighborhood watch, be the nosy neighbor. Take the time to peak out your window or door. Look around and if you see something suspicious--call the cops!
• Clean up graffiti as soon as possible.
• Report all crime to local police.
• Use unbreakable glass and fixtures.
• Put up and lock away all tools, machinery, and lawn furniture.
• Report teens engaging in anti-social behavior (speeding, loud music, in common areas after they close, etc.). Complete log sheets to keep a record of anti-social behavior.
• Contact local youth workers to find out what activities are available for young people.
• And, if all else fails: Prosecute--if not the juvenile, the parent.