Educate Black Youth

Why is it that our black youth no longer have goals, dreams, or hope? Is it because America has lost all hope for the black youth? Is it because half of our youth don't have both parents at home? Are all the good role models gone? Or is it because the people our black youth are looking up to are feeding them a non-realistic, unhealthy life styles?.ALL of the Above!!!.Has America given up on us YES!! They have given up on our youth because they have given up on themselves. They have lost respect for their parents, their teachers, their elders, their pastors, their family, their friends, their country, and most of all their selves.

As you see when Katrina hit New Orleans, a predominately black city the government officials (including black mayors!!!) threw us in a cage with the lions and gave the lions no food so, they had to eat us. I live in Florida and have been hit by many hurricanes and have seen the aftermath, so don't tell me that NOT A SOUL knew what was going to happen. America needs to remember that we are here and we have unlimited potential, we also need to show America that we believe in our selves. We need better schools, more funding and more acknowledgements of the problems that our black youth are facing.Two positive parents are better than one, but it is not impossible to raise a child being a single parent.

I believe that if we teach our children from a early age that we love them, that they are special, that we are proud in them in all they do (good and bad), that they can conquer the world if they believe in themselves and all things are possible thru GOD, then they will be strong as they grow old to handle being raised by one parent. But, if we do not let them know that we love them and that they are special then they will go and seek out someone or something (gangs, drugs) to make them feel loved and needed. If we don't let them know that we are proud of them for getting good grades and show them that we are interested in their schooling, they will go out and find someone or something that other people are interested in (stripping, drug dealing). If they do not understand their full potential then they will never understand themselves and again they will get lost in the system.The good role models are still here but are youth are not looking up to them because their life style is not classy enough. Who wants to be like Sidney Poitier who, who?? the youth ask, who? No, not me I want to be a dope boy like Young Jeezy or a hot boy like Lil' Wayne.

This is who are youth is looking up to.Come on Please someone help me!!!.I am not saying that these artists are bad, because they're not but they are just teaching our youth a non-realistic, unhealthy life style. See most of the youth don't understand they might rap about their life, this might have been what they went thru but this doesn't have to be your life, there are other choices out there for you to make, choices that can overcome all your obstacles. As artist they have to start letting their fans know that this is what they endured and they have learn from those mistakes and there are better choices to be made. You don't have to rob, kill or hurts so one to gain respect.

You don't have to prove that you are real. You don't have to smoke weed to be part of the click. You don't have to have a big butt, big breast and a small waist to be sexy. You don't have to walk, talk, act, sound, smell, like me to be respected. Be you, Be positive, find a way out of your situation and learn how to overcome your circumstances.So, why is it that our black youth no longer have goals, dreams, or hope?.

How can you grasp your goal if you don't know what one is, how can you dream if gun fire keeps you up at night, how can you hope when there is nothing to hope for?.We as a people, as mothers, as fathers, as artist, as role models don't take the time out to look at the bigger picture, we don't look at who's is looking at us and who's looking up to us. We don't stress to our youth that there are better CHOICES and those CHOICE can make or break our whole life. We have to continually everyday let our youth know that ALL things are possible thru GOD, over extend your goals, dream bigger, set your hopes higher and stop at nothing and let know one get in your way!.

By: Melissa Irby