by Kenray Sunyaru
The topic of this article was drawn from two sources: first, about a month ago a 7 year-old Black boy in Detroit committed suicide – he hung himself. One report from a white ‘gay-rights’ source said the little boy killed himself because he was constantly teased and bullied by boys because he was the only boy in the home of 8 females. The ‘gay-rights’ group attempted to paint their agenda on the Black boy’s death – he was depressed due to being viewed as a ‘sissy’, took his own life to end the torment.
However, according to the boy’s Mother, she had told her pastor that her son had been depressed due to her recent separation from his Father. To the ‘gay-rights’ group, why would a Black boy become despondent over being separated from his Father, a Black man – what child could love and miss a ‘no-good’ Black man.
The other source of my speech was a conversation I had with 2 young Black women who were in a ‘same-sex’ relationship. I struck up a conversation with them and asked why a growing number of young Black ladies are in same-sex relationships. One responded by saying, ‘Black men are no good, they’re dogs, and sperm donors’.
My response was, ‘if Black men are so bad why are you dealing with a woman who looks just like a man? If you despise Black men so much why don’t you deal with a woman who looks like a woman? ‘ Looking confused, the young lady could not give me an answer. What she was ‘clear on’ is that Black men are ‘no good’ and that she prefers to be with a symbolic woman-man.
With racism significantly hampering their lives and living under the hardships of a white financial emergency manager, these 2 young Black ladies can only focus in on blaming Black men. These 2 sources of my speech this evening represent the ‘love to hate Black men syndrome’ that originated on slave plantations – devised by white male plantation owners.
To destroy Black men through character assassination by scapegoating; singling out Black men by projecting them with debasing and distorted images of ‘Blame’ that would lead to them being despised by whites as well as Blacks. Scapegoating Black men was a means of distraction by which white men through transference, transferred their evilness on to Black men.
Historically take sex for example, white men raped hundreds of thousands of Black women. Then white men would project that Black men wanted to rape white women, they created a false hysteria where white women lied on thousands of Black men whom they said tried to rape them resulting in the barbaric lynching of Black men. This scape-goating, transference, and projection continue to this day.
Let us take a more recent look at sex scandals, ex-president Bill Clinton – a white man committed adultery with Monica Lewinsky in the White House and lied about the affair. Clinton was never impeached nor faced jail time and his affair has been primarily overlooked. Now contrast Bill Clinton with a Black man, ex-mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick. The white controlled media portrayed Kwame 24/7 as the vilest, immoral, and most corrupt politician on the face of the earth; although Kwame’s actions were no different from Bill Clinton’s. Today Bill Clinton is one of America’s most popular presidents ever, especially among Blacks.
While Black men continue to be portrayed as hypersexual and immoral, it is white men who are the main sexual deviants. Look at all the white male catholic priests who are pedophiles; look at Jerry Sandusky at Penn State. Regarding crime, the white news media constantly focuses on Black male crime – Black men stealing and robbing, yet white men, white-collar criminals, can embezzle and steal billions of dollars on Wall Street, throw this economy into its worst economic depression ever. But they have been forgiven, these CEO’s of banks and investment firms continue to get money from the federal government; still getting multi-million dollar annual bonuses.
Take a look at murders, the main focus is on Black male killers who are constantly ‘demonized’, yet it is white men who commit most of your mass murders in the workplace, colleges, and restaurants. Look at the recent white male mass murderer James Holmes who killed 12 and wounded 59 in Aurora, Colorado.
Immediately after Holmes mass murder, this cold-blooded white male killing machine was portrayed by the white corporate controlled media from a psycho-therapeutic perspective. The media discourse has gone to great lengths to ‘humanize’ and rationalize Holmes’s actions, describing him in sympathetic terms. Then you had Wade Michael Page the avowed white supremacist killer in Wisconsin who murdered 6 Sikhs. Whether it’s George Bush, Jr. lying about Weapons of Mass Destruction, the lie that justified the war against Iraq, or white male mass murderers like Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols terrorist bombers who killed 168 people and injured over 800 in Oklahoma City white men can do no wrong even when they do wrong!
No matter how many horrendous murders and tremendous wrongdoings white men commit, it is eventually forgiven and overlooked. They get the love and have caused the most hate because their hate is overshadowed by the love to hate Black man syndrome propaganda they’ve created.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
BLACK MEN LIVING LONGER IN PRISON
by Kenray Sunyaru
From 1987 thru 2008, I was a volunteer teacher at the Michigan Department of Corrections. Over this 20-plus year period teaching fatherhood and male responsibility. Often some Black males attending my classes would comment to me that I could not relate to the stressors and challenges of them being incarcerated.
I would immediately respond to them by saying that I face more daily stressors than they did; that they did not have to worry about mortgages, rent, or utilities. They did not have to worry about foreclosures, evictions, or homelessness; they did not have to worry about food costs or going without eating, they did not have to worry about not being able to afford health care – because it is provided for them. They did not have to deal with the daily stress of women and children. While incarcerated they did not have to stress about child support payments.
Indeed, I would highlight to them that Black males not incarcerated faced much more stress than they did. Black men not in prison face daily ‘cost to live’ pressure; the stress of racism, job discrimination, high levels of unemployment, and poverty that drives many Black men into crime and prison. Though I’ve been saying for years that non-incarcerated Black men face more challenges and stress than Black men who are in prison, a recent study substantiates my claim.
According to a recent report by the University of North Carolina, authored by Dr. David Rosen; found that Black men live longer in prison than Black men who are not in prison. Indeed, the report reveals the survival rate of Black males is actually improved by prison. The report cites that Black men who are in prison are less likely to die of diabetes, alcohol and drug related causes, airway diseases, accidents, suicide, and murder – that Black men not in prison.
One of the major findings of the report was health care, Black men in prison have health coverage while most Black men not in prison don’t have health coverage. Because of having no health care coverage, Black men outside of prison don’t seek it when they really need it; Black men outside of prison generally see a doctor in the emergency room when their health problems become acute.
From my perspective of why Black men in prison live longer than Black men outside of prison is they are healthier as they engage in much more daily physical activity, they run, walk, and exercise. Though Black men outside of prison are under much more psycho-socioeconomic stress; they rarely run, walk, or exercise – moreover they have poor diets, smoke, drink, and use drugs. It’s a shame that it takes imprisonment for Black men to take up healthy habits. Look at all the weight Kwame Kilpatrick ex mayor of Detroit has lost while he was in prison, he looks good – healthier!
The University of North Carolina report found that Black men are the only group in America that live longer in prison. For me the report’s findings are grim, but not surprising as I mentioned in the beginning of my speech. Not only does racism keep us broke, it causes Black men to be sick.
Regarding ‘sick finances’ and no jobs, Black men’s current unemployment rate is close to 20 percent. There are over 1.4 million Black men currently out of work nationally. Sadly, as more and more Black men are being incarcerated, they will live longer and receive health care. According to Ohio State law Professor Michelle Alexander: “There are more Black men now in prison or jail, on probation or parole, than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began”.
To say Black men live longer and healthier in prison is ‘sick’ to say. Black men, we need a healing - internal reparation movement.
From 1987 thru 2008, I was a volunteer teacher at the Michigan Department of Corrections. Over this 20-plus year period teaching fatherhood and male responsibility. Often some Black males attending my classes would comment to me that I could not relate to the stressors and challenges of them being incarcerated.
I would immediately respond to them by saying that I face more daily stressors than they did; that they did not have to worry about mortgages, rent, or utilities. They did not have to worry about foreclosures, evictions, or homelessness; they did not have to worry about food costs or going without eating, they did not have to worry about not being able to afford health care – because it is provided for them. They did not have to deal with the daily stress of women and children. While incarcerated they did not have to stress about child support payments.
Indeed, I would highlight to them that Black males not incarcerated faced much more stress than they did. Black men not in prison face daily ‘cost to live’ pressure; the stress of racism, job discrimination, high levels of unemployment, and poverty that drives many Black men into crime and prison. Though I’ve been saying for years that non-incarcerated Black men face more challenges and stress than Black men who are in prison, a recent study substantiates my claim.
According to a recent report by the University of North Carolina, authored by Dr. David Rosen; found that Black men live longer in prison than Black men who are not in prison. Indeed, the report reveals the survival rate of Black males is actually improved by prison. The report cites that Black men who are in prison are less likely to die of diabetes, alcohol and drug related causes, airway diseases, accidents, suicide, and murder – that Black men not in prison.
One of the major findings of the report was health care, Black men in prison have health coverage while most Black men not in prison don’t have health coverage. Because of having no health care coverage, Black men outside of prison don’t seek it when they really need it; Black men outside of prison generally see a doctor in the emergency room when their health problems become acute.
From my perspective of why Black men in prison live longer than Black men outside of prison is they are healthier as they engage in much more daily physical activity, they run, walk, and exercise. Though Black men outside of prison are under much more psycho-socioeconomic stress; they rarely run, walk, or exercise – moreover they have poor diets, smoke, drink, and use drugs. It’s a shame that it takes imprisonment for Black men to take up healthy habits. Look at all the weight Kwame Kilpatrick ex mayor of Detroit has lost while he was in prison, he looks good – healthier!
The University of North Carolina report found that Black men are the only group in America that live longer in prison. For me the report’s findings are grim, but not surprising as I mentioned in the beginning of my speech. Not only does racism keep us broke, it causes Black men to be sick.
Regarding ‘sick finances’ and no jobs, Black men’s current unemployment rate is close to 20 percent. There are over 1.4 million Black men currently out of work nationally. Sadly, as more and more Black men are being incarcerated, they will live longer and receive health care. According to Ohio State law Professor Michelle Alexander: “There are more Black men now in prison or jail, on probation or parole, than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began”.
To say Black men live longer and healthier in prison is ‘sick’ to say. Black men, we need a healing - internal reparation movement.
RACIST BLACK MALE MURDERS BEYOND TRAYVON MARTIN
by Kenray Sunyaru
Over the years I’ve understood that any time there is a series of racist murders and attacks against Black people, the white controlled – corporate media will single out one white-racist murder like the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. Along now with the arrest and second-degree murder charge against George Zimmerman, Trayvon’s murderer - blow this case up with constant 24/7 coverage to isolate and over-shadow that there have been several recent racist murders of Black men.
This media ‘hype’ is done so Blacks won’t see the bigger picture of the upsurge in white-racist violence against Black people, specifically targeting Black men. Two recent murders of Black men come to my mind, last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 2 white supremacists shot 5 Black men and murdered 3 of them. On March 29th, an unarmed 19 year-old Black man was murdered by Pasadena, California police.
Since the beginning of the year – January 2012, besides the cases I’ve mentioned; 28 Black people, 27 men and 1 female, have been murdered by police official’s security guards, and self-appointed law enforcement. Of the 28 Black people killed 18 were unarmed, 2 had guns, and 8 were alleged to have non-lethal weapons. Of the 28 Black people killed, 11 were innocent of any illegal behavior or behavior that involved a threat to anyone – 7 were emotionally disturbed, displaying strange behavior.
Have we forgotten about the racist serial murder of Black men in this state, in Flint 18 months ago, where 13 were brutally stabbed to death? Indeed, the white propaganda media wants Blacks to simply focus on the murder of Trayvon Martin while many other Black male victims of racist murders go uncovered – no media attention. Racist murders of Black men go uncovered because normally the media keeps us focusing on ‘Black on Black’ male violence. In other words, don’t focus on, or worry about, white on Black violence.
Every year many Black men are killed by white – racist violence. Every year since the enslavement of Black people here in 1619, hundreds of thousands of Black men have been murdered by white racist violence over this 400-year period. To paraphrase Malcolm X: “Never be shocked when white men kill Black men, as long as they have been killing Black men they are experts at it.” As Black people what we don’t realize is that the rise of Black-on-Black male violence in a major way began in the 1970s and has been consistent through today.
But what we don’t consider as Black people is that much of this Black-on-Black male violence has been manufactured, engineered, and fostered by the politics of white male supremacy. It was the politics of white male supremacy that flooded heroin in Black communities in the 1970s. It was the politics of white male supremacy that flooded crack-cocaine in Black communities in the 1980s.
It was the politics of white male supremacy – the FBI – that destroyed Black organizations like the Black Panthers and others; killing and jailing them; clearing the landscape that left a void for the emergence of defacto Black gangs and drug wars. The murder of Black men is sending out a clear message, get armed and be vigilant of white male supremacy. This upcoming presidential election, Obama and Romney, is going to escalate racist tensions and violence.
Black men get prepared, if you ain’t, get ready, as Malcolm X said: “The only justice – equality in racist murders is ‘even stevens’ when there are funerals on both sides.”
Over the years I’ve understood that any time there is a series of racist murders and attacks against Black people, the white controlled – corporate media will single out one white-racist murder like the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. Along now with the arrest and second-degree murder charge against George Zimmerman, Trayvon’s murderer - blow this case up with constant 24/7 coverage to isolate and over-shadow that there have been several recent racist murders of Black men.
This media ‘hype’ is done so Blacks won’t see the bigger picture of the upsurge in white-racist violence against Black people, specifically targeting Black men. Two recent murders of Black men come to my mind, last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 2 white supremacists shot 5 Black men and murdered 3 of them. On March 29th, an unarmed 19 year-old Black man was murdered by Pasadena, California police.
Since the beginning of the year – January 2012, besides the cases I’ve mentioned; 28 Black people, 27 men and 1 female, have been murdered by police official’s security guards, and self-appointed law enforcement. Of the 28 Black people killed 18 were unarmed, 2 had guns, and 8 were alleged to have non-lethal weapons. Of the 28 Black people killed, 11 were innocent of any illegal behavior or behavior that involved a threat to anyone – 7 were emotionally disturbed, displaying strange behavior.
Have we forgotten about the racist serial murder of Black men in this state, in Flint 18 months ago, where 13 were brutally stabbed to death? Indeed, the white propaganda media wants Blacks to simply focus on the murder of Trayvon Martin while many other Black male victims of racist murders go uncovered – no media attention. Racist murders of Black men go uncovered because normally the media keeps us focusing on ‘Black on Black’ male violence. In other words, don’t focus on, or worry about, white on Black violence.
Every year many Black men are killed by white – racist violence. Every year since the enslavement of Black people here in 1619, hundreds of thousands of Black men have been murdered by white racist violence over this 400-year period. To paraphrase Malcolm X: “Never be shocked when white men kill Black men, as long as they have been killing Black men they are experts at it.” As Black people what we don’t realize is that the rise of Black-on-Black male violence in a major way began in the 1970s and has been consistent through today.
But what we don’t consider as Black people is that much of this Black-on-Black male violence has been manufactured, engineered, and fostered by the politics of white male supremacy. It was the politics of white male supremacy that flooded heroin in Black communities in the 1970s. It was the politics of white male supremacy that flooded crack-cocaine in Black communities in the 1980s.
It was the politics of white male supremacy – the FBI – that destroyed Black organizations like the Black Panthers and others; killing and jailing them; clearing the landscape that left a void for the emergence of defacto Black gangs and drug wars. The murder of Black men is sending out a clear message, get armed and be vigilant of white male supremacy. This upcoming presidential election, Obama and Romney, is going to escalate racist tensions and violence.
Black men get prepared, if you ain’t, get ready, as Malcolm X said: “The only justice – equality in racist murders is ‘even stevens’ when there are funerals on both sides.”
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Three Psychological Wounds
by Kenny Anderson
As a Black man I’ve learned that I was born into the world as a ‘Male-gender'. First, being a ‘Man-child’ (dependent boy) in the process of becoming a ‘Man’ (a responsible choice), further struggling to advance to the higher level of ‘Manhood’ to gain mastery and victory (through principled living).
Indeed, the process of male-gender to Black Manhood in a racist society designed for us to never reach this station begins with many internal wounds. From my experience and perspective there are 3 major early psychological wounds inflicted through socialization in the psyches of the Black Man-child:
1. Niggas aint shit; this constitutes the early conceptual framework inferiority complex of having little self-worth, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, self-hatred, and self-harm.
2. Niggas can’t be trusted; this belief, self-hatred and self-harm projected outlook drives Black-on-Black male violence; having doubt and disbelief towards most Black men; being constantly suspicious of each other and promoting sectarian strife; always being in the preemptive strike mode.
3. Niggas aint gone never stick together; this belief results in an attitude of ‘me, myself, and I’ – rationalizing individualism and justifying never attempting to really unite with other Black men to collectively come together to address common socioeconomic problems stemming from racial oppression.
These 3 psychological wounds create a ‘sick’ self-sabotaging Black mindset. These 3 ‘mentacidal’ wounds must be healed cognitively before any significant Black manhood can be realized and any real self-determined success can be achieved.
Healing Affirmation: I am a worthy Black man, I can trust Black men, Black men will unite!
HOTEP - Heal to Win
As a Black man I’ve learned that I was born into the world as a ‘Male-gender'. First, being a ‘Man-child’ (dependent boy) in the process of becoming a ‘Man’ (a responsible choice), further struggling to advance to the higher level of ‘Manhood’ to gain mastery and victory (through principled living).
Indeed, the process of male-gender to Black Manhood in a racist society designed for us to never reach this station begins with many internal wounds. From my experience and perspective there are 3 major early psychological wounds inflicted through socialization in the psyches of the Black Man-child:
1. Niggas aint shit; this constitutes the early conceptual framework inferiority complex of having little self-worth, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, self-hatred, and self-harm.
2. Niggas can’t be trusted; this belief, self-hatred and self-harm projected outlook drives Black-on-Black male violence; having doubt and disbelief towards most Black men; being constantly suspicious of each other and promoting sectarian strife; always being in the preemptive strike mode.
3. Niggas aint gone never stick together; this belief results in an attitude of ‘me, myself, and I’ – rationalizing individualism and justifying never attempting to really unite with other Black men to collectively come together to address common socioeconomic problems stemming from racial oppression.
These 3 psychological wounds create a ‘sick’ self-sabotaging Black mindset. These 3 ‘mentacidal’ wounds must be healed cognitively before any significant Black manhood can be realized and any real self-determined success can be achieved.
Healing Affirmation: I am a worthy Black man, I can trust Black men, Black men will unite!
HOTEP - Heal to Win
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Black Man’s Religion: Ourselves
by Cinque Kofi Kinaya
Recently I had a conversation with my son about religion; I told him that Black men suffer from religious ignorance, confusion, and manipulation. I explained to him that all religions are ‘cultural specific’ - there is no universal religion, only the specific practice of religions are universal. In most instances particular cultural-specific religions became universal through the conquests of ‘lands’ and ‘spirits’.
All religions have their particular prophets, priests, sages, shamans, and wise-men that are representative of that specific culture. Crusader Christianity came out of Europe this is why the image of Jesus is white, Islam came out of the Middle East this is why Prophet Muhammad was an Arab, and so on. These prophets, priests, sages, shamans, and wise-men are honored, teachings followed, and sometimes they are deified through anthropomorphism (gods with human characteristics).
The religious problem of Black men in America is that we are believing, following, promoting, and perpetuating the religions, stories, traditions, and worship of non-Black men who either enslaved us in the name of his religion, or who have benefited from the after-effects of our enslavement. We graphically see the ‘psycho-economic effects’ this religious problem has on us – White, Jewish, Arab, Asian, and East Indian men totally dominate the businesses in our communities directly or indirectly super-exploiting us.
As Black men we take our money/tithes – offerings to their businesses religiously and enrich them; we view the clothes, shoes, jewelry, and vehicles they sell and manufacture as ‘sacred’; constantly giving-up and risking our lives and freedom for their symbols.
The reason why Black men have a religious problem in America is we don’t know the definition of religion that comes from the Latin root ‘religare’ which means to bind back. So religion means to go back and connect to its cultural-specific origins; our religious origins is Ancient Kemet /Africa.
In Ancient Kemet religion was a way of life based on ‘Divinity’ - becoming gods (gaining one’s divine self) to reflect GOD (Greatest of Divinity). Being religious meant the sacredness of self – ‘Know Thyself’, respecting yourself, developing your virtues – subduing your vices, honoring your culture, and venerating your best Ancestors.
The two-headed religious monster that is destroying Black men is the religious worship of non-Black men and the worshipping of our own compensatory false arrogant-egos.
Until Black men realize that religion is ‘ourselves’ – the sacredness of our ‘Black Manhood’, we will continue to suffer from self-hatred, self-doubt, self-loathing, self-deception, self-destruction, self-defeat, and will continue to self-perpetuate non-Black men’s oppression and exploitation of us.
Hotep – Health & Peace Black Men
Recently I had a conversation with my son about religion; I told him that Black men suffer from religious ignorance, confusion, and manipulation. I explained to him that all religions are ‘cultural specific’ - there is no universal religion, only the specific practice of religions are universal. In most instances particular cultural-specific religions became universal through the conquests of ‘lands’ and ‘spirits’.
All religions have their particular prophets, priests, sages, shamans, and wise-men that are representative of that specific culture. Crusader Christianity came out of Europe this is why the image of Jesus is white, Islam came out of the Middle East this is why Prophet Muhammad was an Arab, and so on. These prophets, priests, sages, shamans, and wise-men are honored, teachings followed, and sometimes they are deified through anthropomorphism (gods with human characteristics).
The religious problem of Black men in America is that we are believing, following, promoting, and perpetuating the religions, stories, traditions, and worship of non-Black men who either enslaved us in the name of his religion, or who have benefited from the after-effects of our enslavement. We graphically see the ‘psycho-economic effects’ this religious problem has on us – White, Jewish, Arab, Asian, and East Indian men totally dominate the businesses in our communities directly or indirectly super-exploiting us.
As Black men we take our money/tithes – offerings to their businesses religiously and enrich them; we view the clothes, shoes, jewelry, and vehicles they sell and manufacture as ‘sacred’; constantly giving-up and risking our lives and freedom for their symbols.
The reason why Black men have a religious problem in America is we don’t know the definition of religion that comes from the Latin root ‘religare’ which means to bind back. So religion means to go back and connect to its cultural-specific origins; our religious origins is Ancient Kemet /Africa.
In Ancient Kemet religion was a way of life based on ‘Divinity’ - becoming gods (gaining one’s divine self) to reflect GOD (Greatest of Divinity). Being religious meant the sacredness of self – ‘Know Thyself’, respecting yourself, developing your virtues – subduing your vices, honoring your culture, and venerating your best Ancestors.
The two-headed religious monster that is destroying Black men is the religious worship of non-Black men and the worshipping of our own compensatory false arrogant-egos.
Until Black men realize that religion is ‘ourselves’ – the sacredness of our ‘Black Manhood’, we will continue to suffer from self-hatred, self-doubt, self-loathing, self-deception, self-destruction, self-defeat, and will continue to self-perpetuate non-Black men’s oppression and exploitation of us.
Hotep – Health & Peace Black Men
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Psycho-Slavery: Black Boys, White Female Teachers & the Rise of ADHD
By Umar R. Abdullah-Johnson, Nationally Certified School Psychologist & Kinsman to Frederick Douglass
It has become a travesty of epic proportions; Black boys are being sent in record numbers to the psychiatrist for mind-altering medications that come with a plethora of side effects. At the heart of the issue are allegations by classrooms teachers, many of them poorly trained at managing trivial off-task behaviors in the classroom, who assert that these African-American boys exude a level of inattention, hyperactivity and/or disruptive behavior that significantly interfere with their ability to learn.
Of course the Black community could argue that if that were the case, then why can't these teachers demonstrate why they haven't improved outcomes for students who do not exude such challenges? However, upon closer examination we find that in many instances, an occurrence which increases with the decrease in the boy's socioeconomic status, 50% of the Black male student population in many classrooms are being sent to the psychiatrist for medication.
Even by the most liberal of estimates, psychopathology should be limited to 15-20% of a given population. Thusly, how can we explain the excessively high rates of Black boys being referred and recommended for dangerous psychiatric substances that will not "cure" their challenging behaviors, but simply "sedate" these behaviors long enough for him to be mis-educated.
Still further, there is no concrete evidence that suggests medication improves the learning outcomes for Black boys who are given these brain drugs. As an African-American male school psychologist, who travels the country evaluating Black boys and supporting parents/teachers who serve them, it is amazing how enormous the percentages of Black boys who are not only prescribed one of these " ‘Kiddie Crack’ substances, but at how many are prescribed more than one of these dangerous substances.
Most shocking, from a psychological perspective, is how often I find that Black boys diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD) and/or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) do not actually meet the full criteria for the condition as delineated in the American Psychiatric Association's (APA)Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). How many of us know boys who rebel against taking these legal addictive substances due to the side effects that they often always cause. These side effects include stroke, heart attack, ticks, tremors, diarrhea, hallucinations, delusions, brain cell death, anxiety, suicidal/homicidal tendencies, diabetes, stunted growth the body & brain, sexual dysfunction and the list goes on!
How many of these victims of ineffective teachers & psychiatry for profit do not, in fact, have a problem with their quality of life but rather were hooked on drugs, at the teachers request, when they should have been getting hooked on phonics!
The great irony of child psychological/psychiatric care is that children are not self-referred for medication. That is to say that rarely will you find a child who requests to see the psychiatrist because they feel they need medicine. Rather it is the adults in the child's life who feel they would be much better served, not the child, with the young man being drugged so the adults can lead a more "peaceful" life.
It is frightening how we in the Black community allow outsiders to dictate what is in the best interest of our children, while we passively stand by agreeing with everything they have to say. The failure of Black boys is a very lucrative industry. With psychotropic drugs profits on Wall Street exceeding $45 Billion last year, this REFER-DIAGNOSE-PRESCRIBE & DRUG culture that functions much like a visit at the local drive thru at the fast food restaurant.
In fact, I know of children who were "evaluated," diagnosed and prescribed in less than 5minutes; a much quicker time that what it takes to get your Happy Meal at the pick-up window. How hypocritical is it for a society that has DECLARED WAR ONDRUGS to be so busy in the act of drugging an entire generation of Black boys to substances many of which are certain to serve a gateway drugs for far stronger illegal drug use later in their lives.
Although the "experts" may not admit it, this problem is not as difficult to solve as the "educational and psychological authorities" would have you believe. In fact, we can begin to solve this problem by mandating that the following (5) five processes take place in each and every public and charter school in the Unites States.
1) No Black boy is referred to a psychiatrist until an effective Functional Behavioral Assessment & Positive Behavior Plan has been created by an African-American Male Psychologist or Behavioral Specialist who is QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED to conduct them. Far too many credentialed professionals are working in the world of behavioral modification but are ineffective and under-trained.
2) Every White Public School Teacher MUST undergo 25 hours of FBA/PBP and classroom management training which includes successful modification of at least one "real world" Black boy's challenging behavior in their classroom.
3) A quality assurance and oversight committee should be created in every city/town that reviews EVERY clinical psychological evaluation and referral for psychotropic medication to ensure "pay-to-play" rules are being dismantled and that bogus referrals are not being forwarded.
4) Principals of schools where more than 15% of Black boys are being referred for clinical evaluations and pharmacotherapy are also mandated to undergo the same FBA/PBP training as their teachers.
5) Teachers and principals who consistently utilize the "complain-refer-drug" model of coercing parents to expose their children to brain drugs unjustifiably will receive reprimands for practicing outside their realm of expertise and ultimately discharged for EDUCATIONAL ABUSE.
Umar R.Abdullah-Johnson is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Political Scientist, Educator and Orator. He can be reached at umarabdullahjohnson@yahoo.com. He is the founder and president of the National Movement to Save Black Boys (NMSBB).
It has become a travesty of epic proportions; Black boys are being sent in record numbers to the psychiatrist for mind-altering medications that come with a plethora of side effects. At the heart of the issue are allegations by classrooms teachers, many of them poorly trained at managing trivial off-task behaviors in the classroom, who assert that these African-American boys exude a level of inattention, hyperactivity and/or disruptive behavior that significantly interfere with their ability to learn.
Of course the Black community could argue that if that were the case, then why can't these teachers demonstrate why they haven't improved outcomes for students who do not exude such challenges? However, upon closer examination we find that in many instances, an occurrence which increases with the decrease in the boy's socioeconomic status, 50% of the Black male student population in many classrooms are being sent to the psychiatrist for medication.
Even by the most liberal of estimates, psychopathology should be limited to 15-20% of a given population. Thusly, how can we explain the excessively high rates of Black boys being referred and recommended for dangerous psychiatric substances that will not "cure" their challenging behaviors, but simply "sedate" these behaviors long enough for him to be mis-educated.
Still further, there is no concrete evidence that suggests medication improves the learning outcomes for Black boys who are given these brain drugs. As an African-American male school psychologist, who travels the country evaluating Black boys and supporting parents/teachers who serve them, it is amazing how enormous the percentages of Black boys who are not only prescribed one of these " ‘Kiddie Crack’ substances, but at how many are prescribed more than one of these dangerous substances.
Most shocking, from a psychological perspective, is how often I find that Black boys diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD) and/or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) do not actually meet the full criteria for the condition as delineated in the American Psychiatric Association's (APA)Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). How many of us know boys who rebel against taking these legal addictive substances due to the side effects that they often always cause. These side effects include stroke, heart attack, ticks, tremors, diarrhea, hallucinations, delusions, brain cell death, anxiety, suicidal/homicidal tendencies, diabetes, stunted growth the body & brain, sexual dysfunction and the list goes on!
How many of these victims of ineffective teachers & psychiatry for profit do not, in fact, have a problem with their quality of life but rather were hooked on drugs, at the teachers request, when they should have been getting hooked on phonics!
The great irony of child psychological/psychiatric care is that children are not self-referred for medication. That is to say that rarely will you find a child who requests to see the psychiatrist because they feel they need medicine. Rather it is the adults in the child's life who feel they would be much better served, not the child, with the young man being drugged so the adults can lead a more "peaceful" life.
It is frightening how we in the Black community allow outsiders to dictate what is in the best interest of our children, while we passively stand by agreeing with everything they have to say. The failure of Black boys is a very lucrative industry. With psychotropic drugs profits on Wall Street exceeding $45 Billion last year, this REFER-DIAGNOSE-PRESCRIBE & DRUG culture that functions much like a visit at the local drive thru at the fast food restaurant.
In fact, I know of children who were "evaluated," diagnosed and prescribed in less than 5minutes; a much quicker time that what it takes to get your Happy Meal at the pick-up window. How hypocritical is it for a society that has DECLARED WAR ONDRUGS to be so busy in the act of drugging an entire generation of Black boys to substances many of which are certain to serve a gateway drugs for far stronger illegal drug use later in their lives.
Although the "experts" may not admit it, this problem is not as difficult to solve as the "educational and psychological authorities" would have you believe. In fact, we can begin to solve this problem by mandating that the following (5) five processes take place in each and every public and charter school in the Unites States.
1) No Black boy is referred to a psychiatrist until an effective Functional Behavioral Assessment & Positive Behavior Plan has been created by an African-American Male Psychologist or Behavioral Specialist who is QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED to conduct them. Far too many credentialed professionals are working in the world of behavioral modification but are ineffective and under-trained.
2) Every White Public School Teacher MUST undergo 25 hours of FBA/PBP and classroom management training which includes successful modification of at least one "real world" Black boy's challenging behavior in their classroom.
3) A quality assurance and oversight committee should be created in every city/town that reviews EVERY clinical psychological evaluation and referral for psychotropic medication to ensure "pay-to-play" rules are being dismantled and that bogus referrals are not being forwarded.
4) Principals of schools where more than 15% of Black boys are being referred for clinical evaluations and pharmacotherapy are also mandated to undergo the same FBA/PBP training as their teachers.
5) Teachers and principals who consistently utilize the "complain-refer-drug" model of coercing parents to expose their children to brain drugs unjustifiably will receive reprimands for practicing outside their realm of expertise and ultimately discharged for EDUCATIONAL ABUSE.
Umar R.Abdullah-Johnson is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Political Scientist, Educator and Orator. He can be reached at umarabdullahjohnson@yahoo.com. He is the founder and president of the National Movement to Save Black Boys (NMSBB).
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Weathering the Storm: Black Male Unemployment in the Recession
by Alexandra Cawthorne
The recession is taking a toll on most Americans and has resulted in job losses not seen in almost 25 years, but black men have felt its effects particularly hard.
Black men have long faced limited employment prospects and disproportionately high rates of unemployment. Even as the economy thrived and the participation of low-skilled women in the labor force increased over the last two decades, many black men remained largely disconnected from the labor market.
While the unemployment rate among black men has declined dramatically over the last few decades, the level of workforce participation among African-American men has not increased and remains stagnant. The current degree of job loss among black men is particularly alarming. These losses will likely only increase as the economic crisis deepens.
To address this crisis, policymakers must address the root causes of black men’s difficulties in the labor market, including high rates of incarceration, limited education, child support arrearages, and discrimination.
Policymakers can take several steps to ensure that all communities have fair access to jobs, and that particular communities do not suffer more than others as a result of mounting and widespread job losses. The policies we propose will reduce inequities and promote equal opportunity in the labor market and promote access to meaningful employment opportunities for black men.
Racial equity and equal opportunity must be at the forefront of policies that will promote economic recovery and create jobs. Policymakers should not only assess the actual and anticipated effects of policies and budgets on disadvantaged communities like low-skilled black men, but also identify ways to maximize equity and inclusion—especially in the context of the economic recovery.
Soaring Unemployment Among Black Men
In good times and in bad, the African-American unemployment rate tends to be about double that of whites, and in tough economic times, it rises higher and faster. In this recession, as in previous economic downturns, the effects on the labor force are not evenly distributed among the different demographic groups.
In fact, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that African Americans had a higher rate of job loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 than did whites, Hispanics, or the catch-all category “other.”
What’s more, the recession overall has hit men much harder than women—so far, four out of every five jobs lost has been held by a male worker. Black men lead the unemployment surge, with an unemployment rate of 15.4 percent.
This comes as a result of a range of barriers to employment, including disproportionate employment in vulnerable industries and labor market discrimination. Over a third of young black men ages 16 to 19 in the labor market are unemployed. In fact, a recent report found that 8 percent of black men have lost their jobs since November 2007.
March was one of the worst months for layoffs on record. The current recession has been particularly difficult for the manufacturing and construction industries—two industries in which black men are disproportionately employed.
Many workplaces have also implemented hiring freezes, a more important and less acknowledged contribution to sharply rising rates of unemployment. Black men’s unemployment rate of 15.4 percent in March 2009 was more than twice that of white men and up almost 7 percentage points from a year earlier.
One recent study called African Americans’ economic situation “a silent economic depression,” in which soaring levels of unemployment impose significant social costs on black families and entire communities.
Unemployment insurance, or UI, helps cushion the impact of the economic downturn for workers and their families, and brings economic stability to entire communities. African Americans are less likely to receive UI than whites when they lose their jobs.
Restrictive state UI policies that exclude many part-time and low-wage workers place black workers at a particular disadvantage. And many African Americans are still looking for employment long after UI benefits run out. A study from the National Employment Law Project found that black workers make up 25 percent of the long-term unemployed.
Black Men Face Exacerbated Labor Market Turmoil
The current recession is exacerbating long-term trends in black men’s employment. Black men’s ability to access high-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector played a significant role in building the black middle class after World War II. Yet those jobs have steadily declined in the past several decades.
A study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research estimated that the share of African Americans in manufacturing jobs fell from 23.9 percent in 1979 to 9.8 percent in 2007. Blacks were actually 15 percent less likely than other groups in 2007 to have a job in manufacturing. These jobs have also been among the first cut in this recession, accelerating the decline of available positions with decent pay for black men.
Black men have also been disproportionately affected by the instability in the automotive industry. A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that African Americans have above average employment and earn much higher wages in auto industry jobs than in other industries.
If one or more domestic automakers were to file for bankruptcy, more than 3 million jobs could be lost within the next year, a result that would be especially devastating for African Americans.
Black workers have not only suffered from a severe decline in decent employment opportunities, but they have also faced decreasing rates of unionization related to the shrinking manufacturing industry. Unionized African-American workers on average earn higher wages than nonunion black workers with similar characteristics.
From 2004 to 2007, the median unionized black worker earned about $17.51 per hour, compared to $12.57 per hour for the median nonunion black worker. Unionized black workers were also more likely to have health insurance and pension plans than nonunion black workers.
Black men have traditionally held the highest union memberships rates of all demographic groups. In 2008, 15.9 percent of black men were members of unions, the greatest participation of all groups and higher than the national average of 12.4 percent. However, black union membership has been declining at a faster rate than membership among whites since the 1980s.
The employment rates of African-American men remained stagnant even during the economic booms in the 1980s and 1990s. The group’s continued high unemployment rates and inability to achieve prior employment peaks even after many years of a strong economy are influenced by multiple factors, including high rates of incarceration, limited education, child support arrearages, and discrimination.
What’s more, persistent racial discrimination has enhanced the effects of various factors that have limited the employment opportunities available to black men over time. A cross-sectional analysis of employers by Harry J. Holzer of Georgetown University found that employers are generally more averse to hiring black males than those from any other racial and gender group, especially in jobs that require social or verbal skills and in service occupations.
Another study from Princeton University of nearly 1,500 employers in New York City found that black applicants without criminal records are no more likely to get a job than white applicants just out of prison. The statistics from the study also suggested that employer discrimination against people of color and ex-offenders has significantly undermined the job opportunities for young black men with little education and training.
Social Costs of High Black Male Unemployment
Soaring unemployment rates among black men mean that increases in the number of black households in poverty are sure to follow, and poverty will only deepen for those households that are already poor. Some estimates, such as Mark Zandi’s on Moody’s Economy.com, forecasted a rise in the unemployment rate to upward of 11 percent in 2010, meaning that several million more Americans will be living in poverty in the coming years.
The marginal and faltering ties that many black men have to the labor market are devastating entire families and communities. Rising unemployment adds to the difficulties already affecting vulnerable families that live in communities plagued by poor educational outcomes, declining neighborhood quality, and high rates of incarceration.
A study from the Economic Policy Institute found that during the strong economy of the 1990s, falling crime rates were in part attributable to the decrease in unemployment and rising underemployment. Some research suggests that many communities are likely to see an uptick in crime—if they have not already—as joblessness grows.
Incarceration is a factor that is often overlooked in research on employment inequality, and it is even more important now that incarceration rates have reached record high levels.
When taken into account, it significantly reduces estimated employment rates for African Americans—especially younger and less educated males. Black men are about seven times more likely to be incarcerated than white men, and they serve sentences that are about 10 months longer on average than those of white men.
A study from the National Urban League linked these higher rates of incarceration of young black males to increasing urban crime rates, and other recent studies have found that by their mid-30s, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of high school had spent time in jail.
Now, with many states facing major budget crises, state governments are releasing thousands of prisoners to save taxpayer dollars. The potential surge of ex-offenders re-entering society in addition to the more than 700,000 who return each year will pose major challenges not only for communities already lacking sufficient jobs and resources, but also for cash-strapped government and nonprofit agencies tasked with preventing recidivism.
These ex-offenders, many of whom are low-income men of color, re-enter their communities and face significant barriers to successful returns. CAP’s Poverty Task Force report observed that for ex-offenders, “Lower levels of employment before incarceration and lack of job experience and skills acquisition during incarceration compound employment barriers.”
The recession is taking a toll on most Americans and has resulted in job losses not seen in almost 25 years, but black men have felt its effects particularly hard.
Black men have long faced limited employment prospects and disproportionately high rates of unemployment. Even as the economy thrived and the participation of low-skilled women in the labor force increased over the last two decades, many black men remained largely disconnected from the labor market.
While the unemployment rate among black men has declined dramatically over the last few decades, the level of workforce participation among African-American men has not increased and remains stagnant. The current degree of job loss among black men is particularly alarming. These losses will likely only increase as the economic crisis deepens.
To address this crisis, policymakers must address the root causes of black men’s difficulties in the labor market, including high rates of incarceration, limited education, child support arrearages, and discrimination.
Policymakers can take several steps to ensure that all communities have fair access to jobs, and that particular communities do not suffer more than others as a result of mounting and widespread job losses. The policies we propose will reduce inequities and promote equal opportunity in the labor market and promote access to meaningful employment opportunities for black men.
Racial equity and equal opportunity must be at the forefront of policies that will promote economic recovery and create jobs. Policymakers should not only assess the actual and anticipated effects of policies and budgets on disadvantaged communities like low-skilled black men, but also identify ways to maximize equity and inclusion—especially in the context of the economic recovery.
Soaring Unemployment Among Black Men
In good times and in bad, the African-American unemployment rate tends to be about double that of whites, and in tough economic times, it rises higher and faster. In this recession, as in previous economic downturns, the effects on the labor force are not evenly distributed among the different demographic groups.
In fact, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that African Americans had a higher rate of job loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 than did whites, Hispanics, or the catch-all category “other.”
What’s more, the recession overall has hit men much harder than women—so far, four out of every five jobs lost has been held by a male worker. Black men lead the unemployment surge, with an unemployment rate of 15.4 percent.
This comes as a result of a range of barriers to employment, including disproportionate employment in vulnerable industries and labor market discrimination. Over a third of young black men ages 16 to 19 in the labor market are unemployed. In fact, a recent report found that 8 percent of black men have lost their jobs since November 2007.
March was one of the worst months for layoffs on record. The current recession has been particularly difficult for the manufacturing and construction industries—two industries in which black men are disproportionately employed.
Many workplaces have also implemented hiring freezes, a more important and less acknowledged contribution to sharply rising rates of unemployment. Black men’s unemployment rate of 15.4 percent in March 2009 was more than twice that of white men and up almost 7 percentage points from a year earlier.
One recent study called African Americans’ economic situation “a silent economic depression,” in which soaring levels of unemployment impose significant social costs on black families and entire communities.
Unemployment insurance, or UI, helps cushion the impact of the economic downturn for workers and their families, and brings economic stability to entire communities. African Americans are less likely to receive UI than whites when they lose their jobs.
Restrictive state UI policies that exclude many part-time and low-wage workers place black workers at a particular disadvantage. And many African Americans are still looking for employment long after UI benefits run out. A study from the National Employment Law Project found that black workers make up 25 percent of the long-term unemployed.
Black Men Face Exacerbated Labor Market Turmoil
The current recession is exacerbating long-term trends in black men’s employment. Black men’s ability to access high-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector played a significant role in building the black middle class after World War II. Yet those jobs have steadily declined in the past several decades.
A study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research estimated that the share of African Americans in manufacturing jobs fell from 23.9 percent in 1979 to 9.8 percent in 2007. Blacks were actually 15 percent less likely than other groups in 2007 to have a job in manufacturing. These jobs have also been among the first cut in this recession, accelerating the decline of available positions with decent pay for black men.
Black men have also been disproportionately affected by the instability in the automotive industry. A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that African Americans have above average employment and earn much higher wages in auto industry jobs than in other industries.
If one or more domestic automakers were to file for bankruptcy, more than 3 million jobs could be lost within the next year, a result that would be especially devastating for African Americans.
Black workers have not only suffered from a severe decline in decent employment opportunities, but they have also faced decreasing rates of unionization related to the shrinking manufacturing industry. Unionized African-American workers on average earn higher wages than nonunion black workers with similar characteristics.
From 2004 to 2007, the median unionized black worker earned about $17.51 per hour, compared to $12.57 per hour for the median nonunion black worker. Unionized black workers were also more likely to have health insurance and pension plans than nonunion black workers.
Black men have traditionally held the highest union memberships rates of all demographic groups. In 2008, 15.9 percent of black men were members of unions, the greatest participation of all groups and higher than the national average of 12.4 percent. However, black union membership has been declining at a faster rate than membership among whites since the 1980s.
The employment rates of African-American men remained stagnant even during the economic booms in the 1980s and 1990s. The group’s continued high unemployment rates and inability to achieve prior employment peaks even after many years of a strong economy are influenced by multiple factors, including high rates of incarceration, limited education, child support arrearages, and discrimination.
What’s more, persistent racial discrimination has enhanced the effects of various factors that have limited the employment opportunities available to black men over time. A cross-sectional analysis of employers by Harry J. Holzer of Georgetown University found that employers are generally more averse to hiring black males than those from any other racial and gender group, especially in jobs that require social or verbal skills and in service occupations.
Another study from Princeton University of nearly 1,500 employers in New York City found that black applicants without criminal records are no more likely to get a job than white applicants just out of prison. The statistics from the study also suggested that employer discrimination against people of color and ex-offenders has significantly undermined the job opportunities for young black men with little education and training.
Social Costs of High Black Male Unemployment
Soaring unemployment rates among black men mean that increases in the number of black households in poverty are sure to follow, and poverty will only deepen for those households that are already poor. Some estimates, such as Mark Zandi’s on Moody’s Economy.com, forecasted a rise in the unemployment rate to upward of 11 percent in 2010, meaning that several million more Americans will be living in poverty in the coming years.
The marginal and faltering ties that many black men have to the labor market are devastating entire families and communities. Rising unemployment adds to the difficulties already affecting vulnerable families that live in communities plagued by poor educational outcomes, declining neighborhood quality, and high rates of incarceration.
A study from the Economic Policy Institute found that during the strong economy of the 1990s, falling crime rates were in part attributable to the decrease in unemployment and rising underemployment. Some research suggests that many communities are likely to see an uptick in crime—if they have not already—as joblessness grows.
Incarceration is a factor that is often overlooked in research on employment inequality, and it is even more important now that incarceration rates have reached record high levels.
When taken into account, it significantly reduces estimated employment rates for African Americans—especially younger and less educated males. Black men are about seven times more likely to be incarcerated than white men, and they serve sentences that are about 10 months longer on average than those of white men.
A study from the National Urban League linked these higher rates of incarceration of young black males to increasing urban crime rates, and other recent studies have found that by their mid-30s, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of high school had spent time in jail.
Now, with many states facing major budget crises, state governments are releasing thousands of prisoners to save taxpayer dollars. The potential surge of ex-offenders re-entering society in addition to the more than 700,000 who return each year will pose major challenges not only for communities already lacking sufficient jobs and resources, but also for cash-strapped government and nonprofit agencies tasked with preventing recidivism.
These ex-offenders, many of whom are low-income men of color, re-enter their communities and face significant barriers to successful returns. CAP’s Poverty Task Force report observed that for ex-offenders, “Lower levels of employment before incarceration and lack of job experience and skills acquisition during incarceration compound employment barriers.”
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