The Community Times Dispatch

If someone had told me the reason or impetus behind the rash of black-on-black crimes and murders lately stemmed from a lack of role models, I’d say, that idea while applicable in some places, it was not the case here in our county. Colleton County can boast of a Black Chief of Police, a Black Sheriff, a Black Superintendent of Schools, and a host of Black School Principals, a Black Clerk of Court, Black lawyers, doctors, and the list goes on-and-on. However, the recent surge in violence stems from a very real lack of responsible parental roles models and children serving as parents to children. I am not implying that I have the conclusive answer to the problems facing our beloved Colleton County, but we cannot continue to permit the proliferation of criminal activities upon the legitimate tax paying citizens by a few who lack or have minimal respect or moral values. It simply must end!

I am beginning to partner with a genuine man of God and his small Church congregation to look constructively at the problem facing young black males in Colleton County. Yes I said it, young Black Males are committing vicious, brutal, and atrocious acts against society and specifically against each other. We must deal with this challenge facing the black community now and we need to address the issue head on! I am in no way saying that I do not or would not accept assistance from any of my friends and Christian brothers and sisters who are of the white race. I would sound like a fool if I tried to ostracize myself in order to help myself.

This article is not a black-white issue. Firstly, there is a very real presence in the white community of criminals who are committing crimes. I am not saying in even the most remote sense that whites are not committing heinous crimes, rather, I am saying that I am keenly aware of some staggering statistics which I will share and clearly point to a tendency or propensity of blacks to attack, put down, assault, or kill other blacks! That is what I am talking about today. I am not excluding other ethnic groups; rather this article is about what I perceive as a definite “black problem”. The statistics quite frankly are alarming and saddening. If I were not a New Testament Christian, I would want to run and hide somewhere. But since I am a Christian, I know how the book ends. The statistics I spoke of consisted of various charts and graphs, but I think it best to put this in plain English. So I’ll be quoting an article by R. Jeneen Jones, titled, The Truth about Black Crime. Ms. Jones also authored a piece titled, who’s Afraid of Black Men; a very worthy read. This is some of what I’ve discovered.

Among men, blacks (28.5%) are about six times more likely than whites (4.4%) to be admitted to prison during their life. Among women, 3.6% of blacks and 0.5% of whites will enter prison at least once. (U.S. Department of Justice) Based on current rates of incarceration, an estimated 7.9% of black males compared to 0.7% of white males will enter State of Federal prison by the time they are age 20 and 21.4% of black males versus 1.4% of white males will be incarcerated by age 30. (U.S. Department of Justice) Some have noted that more black men are in prison in America than are in college. (The Black and White of Justice, Freedom Magazine, Volume 128)

Let me reiterate loudly, in my opinion, there is an equal distribution of criminals (and law abiding citizens) among all racial and ethnic groups and blacks are no more likely to be criminals than are whites. There are members of the white race committing some very horrific crimes; nevertheless, I am not going to drink poison just because some other knot-head drinks it! We cannot go along with whatever the whites are doing just because they are doing something. It is for that reason that I propose we use our intelligence and humanity to look beyond the numbers. Even though it has been shown time and time again that racial discrimination still exists in almost every segment of our society, (Driving While Black, Avis Charged with Discrimination, Bell Atlantic Sued for Discrimination, Boeing Bias Settlement, Black Customers Sue Denny’s), We cannot use that as a “reason’ to do dumb things. We MUST teach our children about Emotional Intelligence, or the correct manner one should respond to issues concerned with our emotions. These are but a few instances where discrimination clearly exists in our society. Now I dare not comment on the racist behavior of many of our churches on Sunday mornings. I am strongly considering returning to law school because some of us maybe under the impression these United States’ judicial process is fair and equitable to all! It is obvious in the above instances, this is not the case.

In 1997, the American Bar Association observed that quite often public defenders, which are most likely to be assigned to poor and largely minority defendants, are inexperienced, underpaid, overworked, and largely indifferent to their client’s plight. (Philadelphia Bar Association Calls for Moratorium on Death, A-Info News Service, 12/19/97) and as I write this piece, I think we need an awakening from the lethargic morose of information being spewed out by the visual and print media. We as New Testament Christian should rise up and proclaim, we are not going to take it anymore! If a child commits a crime and he or she is too young for accountability, then we should hold the parents accountable! No crime or criminal act should go unanswered or unaccounted. First the awakening, then the healing.