Commentary

COMMENTARY: When they take our Black boys

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER — Growing up in America can be a very risky business for Black males. Too many—perhaps a majority—of young Black males get mentally “scarred” from a court system that targets them for eternal struggle. It’s called the United States Penal System. It can be a very evil system designed to target Blacks and keep them under control. Why? Perhaps it is a method of keeping economic control of a population. People with criminal records normally cannot find economic success in our society. A criminal record equates to designed failure and poverty.

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2019

Courier Editor

By Harry C. Alford & Kay DeBow

Growing up in America can be a very risky business for Black males. Too many—perhaps a majority—of young Black males get mentally “scarred” from a court system that targets them for eternal struggle. It’s called the United States Penal System. It can be a very evil system designed to target Blacks and keep them under control. Why? Perhaps it is a method of keeping economic control of a population. People with criminal records normally cannot find economic success in our society. A criminal record equates to designed failure and poverty.

As we evolve America has been improving in how it treats its minority population. President Trump has taken a leadership position in Penal Reform. This is a very big “game changer” in the social arena of our culture. We should embrace it and allow it to flourish and succeed. A prosecution process that leads to no cure or rehabilitation is perpetual hell for offenders. They are doomed to fail at rehabilitation and become “lost” in a societal “wilderness.”

A great book about this is written by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu and is entitled “Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys.” We highly recommend this book for all parents. It is important for Black parents to be alert to the fact that one of the components of early Black slavery was to break up the family unit. The system did this by attacking the male component of any Black family or group. The effects of this multi-century old practice still linger on in American society. In fact, not just America but wherever people of color live in a society that is majority White—Brazil, Columbia, Puerto Rico, England, Italy, wherever. Times are improving. We are getting closer to justice but still have a long way to go.

One of the best things Harry’s mother, Christine Brown Alford, ever did for him was to have him feel the evilness of segregation. She would send him to Jim Crow Louisiana to spend summer with his relatives. She wanted him to know his “roots” and to be able to compare the opportunities afforded by integration versus the “roadblocks erected in the name of segregation. They were two of the best summers a young Black boy could have. My cousins and friends were genuine people with good hearts. Despite the segregated facilities and “evil White people” who despised the appearance of us within their environment, life was good. We just had to stay away from “them”. The friendships that were made were meant to last a normal lifetime. Unbeknownst to us, many of us would not live a normal lifetime. The summers of skinny dipping, jug fishing, snake hunting, horseback riding, etc. are fond memories now—never to return.

Decades later, his parents retired and left California to return to lovely rural Bossier Parish, Louisiana. During one visit Harry sat with his cousin and asked for an update on what the “fellas” were now doing. “How is John Roy”, he asked. His reply: “He stole a car and got into a car chase with the state police. He ran the car into a tree and was killed.” Next question: “What is ‘Po (Napoleon) doing?” His reply: “Po got into a fight in a Ft. Worth bar and was shot dead.” Next question: “What about Linnell?” His reply: “Linnell tried to rob a drug store and was shot dead by the police.” One more time: “we hear Webster (world class sprinter for Southern University) was now with the Los Angeles Police Department.” His reply: “You heard about that Ramparts dirty cops’ scandal?” “Well, Webster was caught up in it. He is now sitting in the wrong side of a police cell.”

It went on and on. Ninety percent of Harry’s male Southern childhood friends had ill-fated futures waiting for them. That racist, Jim Crow society was there to catch them. It seems the big difference between them and Harry was a father looking over him demanding discipline. Without a loving father, a Black male has a slim chance for success. Without a loving male figure, a Black boy is prey for a system that is designed to catch him and scar him for life. It is a matter of economic domination. According to the Census Bureau, “The percentage of White children under 18 who live with both parents almost doubles that of Black children, according to the data. While 74.3 percent of all White children below the age of 18 live with both parents, only 38.7 percent of Black minors can say the same. A father’s absence leads to anti-social behavior.

As an example, the state of California has built more prisons in the last 30 years than colleges. Those prisons are predominantly filled with Blacks and Hispanics. It doesn’t take “rocket science” to figure this game out. Success is so hard to attain without a strong family unit. Don’t let them take your Black boys.

(Harry Alford is the co-founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce ®. Kay DeBow is the co-founder, executive vice president of the Chamber.)

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This article originally appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org