"In 2024 you have neo-slave mentality Black men who will argue with each other over who's the richest white man 'Warren Buffet' or 'Elon Musk'? Waste their precious time arguing over the wealth of billionaire white men while they're unemployed, poor, or barely making it financially, what insanity!" - KenRaySun

Whites Accept Black Male Athletes When They Serve Their Interests And Entertains Them

 "Whites want Black men to win Olympic medals for USA, but don't want them to win in the struggle for racial justice in America. Whites want Black male athletes to score touchdowns, dunk and hit 3 pointers, but care nothing about the racist marginalization of Black males in general. Whites can accept Black male athletes talking about sports, but they want them to stay totally 'QUIET', shut-up and dribble when it comes to discussing or exposing racism." - KenRaySun

To My Son on His Birthday: Message of Having Character is Significant

 by Kenny Anderson

"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." – Malcolm X on ‘Character’

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Dr. King on ‘Character’

Cinque my Son, today is your birthday, yes you made another year, a salutation of thankfulness!

Homicides is and has been the leading cause of death for Black males in your age range ‘15 to 44’ for more than half a century. Tragically, every year thousands of young adult Black males die prematurely before their birthdays.

When a conscious Black father has a Black son, we know he faces much greater perils than our daughters; his life is in much greater jeopardy in racist America. Therefore, as a conscious Black father I had to provide you with lessons ‘wisdom’ to navigate this perilous journey.

Son, unfortunately from a dominant one-dimensional ‘limited exterior perspective’ being a so-called successful Black man today is about being a professional, titles, athletic prowess, accomplishments, material possessions, financial assets, etc.

For me, son as a Black boy coming of age in the 1960’s and 70’s under the influential manhood energies of 2 giants ‘Dr. King and Malcolm X’, the emphasis of Black manhood was about having character that was the driving force of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Black Power Movement.

Character refers to a man's 'interior moral and ethical qualities'; it consists of beliefs and moral principles that will guide his actions in the best way. To name some, character is having honesty, integrity, accountability, and courageousness; it means standing for freedom, justice, and equality.

Son, my message to you on your birthday is about character! My oldest Brother, your deceased uncle left a stamp on me about character as a little boy when he returned home from the Viet Nam War, teaching me how to do the DAP, which your generation does by the superficial gesture of ‘bumping fists’.

In contrast, giving DAP origin is fist bumping for character development; it stands for ‘Dignity And Pride’. To carry yourself with ‘Dignity’ as a Black man means having self-worth, self-respect, and self-determination; having ‘Pride’ means being proud of the best in one’s Blackness ‘history and culture’.

Consistently giving DAP greetings is a character development reminder and reinforcer that's necessary to counter the current lack of character development; the common amorphous tendencies and rampant selfism amongst Black Millennials and Generation Z.

Son, for daily symbolic character development give yourself ‘DAP’, bump your own fist together to remind yourself to have ‘Dignity And Pride’; along with this at times raise your clenched fist to the sky to be lofty, inspired, and strong, especially during times of adversities.

Salute again to you Son on your Birthday, appreciate your special day, celebrate yourself, self-reflect, and Much Love!

BLACK MEN RETHINK to REEDUCATE!

"Over the past 5 decades research has shown that more Black men have died to domestic homicides than the total numbers of American troops killed in US wars during the same period. Moreover, studies show that during the same over 50-year period there’s been more Black males in the penal system than were enslaved at the height of slavery." - KenRaySun

"Over the many-many decades millions of Black men's minds have been destroyed by ‘mentacide’ a self-eliminating mindset due to racist education, self-hating propaganda, and corrupt survival education that has led to massive self-disease, self-destruction, and self-defeat. Black men we have a racial future preparation obligation to provide the best countering 'Reeducation' to Black boys and young adult males so they’ll have 'Renewal' thoughts, beliefs, and values that will 'Redirect' lead them to self-healing, self-reconstruction, and self-victory." - KenRaySun

"Re-think ! Re-orientate ! Re-educate ! Re-enforce ! Re-establish ! Re-group ! Re-evaluate ! Re-build ! Re-construct ! Re-analyze ! Re-write ! Re-structure ! Re-invent ! Re-find ! Re-locate !" - Bomani Uhuru Jihad

May is Mental Health Month

 Too Many Black Men Have ‘Titles Power Deception Disorder’ (TPDD)

“Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political, or economic changes.” - Dr. King

Unfortunately, today most Black men don’t subscribe to Dr. King’s definition of power, it is massively misunderstood and is not just a misunderstanding of power, it is a massive Black disempowering mental health problem that I call ‘Titles Power Deception Disorder’ (TPDD).

Black men are the most ‘disempowered’ group in America, lacking the concrete power to control our lives; we’re on the bottom of just about every socioeconomic category.

From my perspective as Black men we can’t rely on the mainstream Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) to assess our unique mental health issues, we have to come up with our own relevant cultural-specific definitional diagnosis.

Titles Power Deception Disorder (TPDD)

Titles Power Deception Disorder (TPDD) is a Black male mental health problem where too many Black men believe having titles, and degrees alone give us as Black men power ‘control’ over our lives - a ‘mind projection delusion’.

Many religious ‘Christian’ Black men believe that having titles alone such as Bishop, Pastor, Minister, and Preacher gives them power; many religious ‘Muslim’ Black men believe that having titles alone such as Mufti, Grand-Sheikh, Sheikh, and Imam gives them power.

Too many Black men believe that having bachelors’, masters’, and PhDs’ degrees alone gives them power; too many Black males believe being elected officials (mayor, city councilman, county commissioner, etc.) gives them power; too many Black males in the streets believe titles such as original gangsters (double and triple OGs) and shot-callers gives them power.

Most Black men limitedly believe that having power is just what they think it is, with this conclusion they’re only psychologically fooling themselves; they don’t know what concrete socioeconomic power really is!

Marcus Garvey said to us that the ‘criteria’ for real concrete power in racist America and internationally is based on Political, Industrial, Scientific, and Military power. It is clear and obvious that the titles and degrees that Black men have don’t meet Garvey’s criteria for power.

Titles Power Deception Disorder (TPDD) is the main psychological mental health factor that prevents Black men from developing Political, Industrial, Scientific, and Military power. Black men’s belief that subjectively ‘deceptively’ having titles and degrees alone is power equating it with ‘objective’ concrete power is a cognitive unequal compensation disorder.

Titles Power Deception Disorder (TPDD) causes Black men to brag, boast, and beef; engage in jealousy and rivalry that’s divisive; causes too many Black men to self-righteously debate religion; arguing who’s the most gangsterous. TPDD causes too many Black men to ego-trip; tripping, falling, and failing to develop concrete power that provides and protects.

The result of having very little ‘insignificant’ concrete power Black men are the most marginalized, disorganized, attacked, removed, and murdered group in America. Hundreds of thousands of Black male gangbangers around the country delusionary believe in their minds that they have power ‘regulate’ their hoods, yet daily they are driven out of their neighborhoods by real white gentrification power.

Regarding a lack of organized self-defense power, at any time any white supremacist individuals or groups can ride through our communities and massacre us. Let us not forget the goofy white supremacist ‘Dylan Roof’ mass killed 9 Blacks in a church in Charleston (SC); another goofy white supremacist ‘Payton Gendron’ mass killed 10 Blacks in Buffalo (NY).

The most recent FBI data shows that of the more than 8,500 hate crimes reported nationwide between 2020 and 2022, Black people were four times more likely to be targeted than the overall U.S. non-Hispanic Black population. Black people were targeted in 52.3% of the offenses and Black men were targeted the most!

What Black men must understand that ‘Titles Power Deception Disorder’ is an internal psycho ‘power underminer’ that’s driven by insecurity, being disempowered and dependent in racist America. The treatment ‘correction’ for ‘TPDD’ is first self-honesty that we don’t have concrete power, then committing ourselves to struggle and develop concrete power.

Black men our failure to adequately address ‘Titles Power Deception Disorder’ will only perpetuate our powerlessness.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 365

*Frances Cress Welsing Quotes on Black Men in America:

“The destruction of Black males now is indirect, so that the Black male victims themselves can be led to participate in and then be blamed for their own mass deaths.” - Frances Cress Welsing

“The chain of events begins with the denial of full-scale employment and advancement to Black males so that they cannot adequately support themselves, their wives and their children.” - Frances Cress Welsing

“We do not realize that the massive deaths of Black males constitute the genocide of Black people as it takes Black males to make Black babies and ensure future Black generations.” - Frances Cress Welsing

“The destruction of Black males for the purpose of white genetic survival is the reason behind the ever-increasing disparity between the number of Black females entering and graduating from high schools and institutions of higher education compared to the far lesser number of Black males.” - Frances Cress Welsing

“Most important, Black males must help one another to understand that they are being led by the dynamic of white supremacy to inflict extreme damage upon themselves, one another and ultimately the Black race. Black males must understand that contrary to what is said, the war being conducted in urban centers is not against drugs but against Black males for the purpose of white genetic survival.” – Frances Cress Welsing

My Thoughts on Cornelius Jones Senseless Murder

 by Kenny Anderson

“Damn another funeral, Lord knows, Lord knows, Lord knows.” – Tupac Skakur

"Working together, we can put an end to this cycle that creates deep pain in the hearts of our mothers, our fathers, and our people, who have lost loved ones to this senseless violence." - Stanley 'Tookie' Williams

As a Black male elder, I can recall back in the day a Black man killing another Black man because of being spat on, but a Black man being murdered by another Black man because he was told not to spit in the sink as in the case of Cornelius Jones tragic death is a descent into extreme lowliness.

My son knew Mr. Jones since elementary, he said ‘Corn’ as he was known was one of the coolest dudes he’s ever met; always just wanted to make jokes and keep people laughing.

Though I did not know Corn his death has touched me; this 33 year-old Yak-Town Black father had so much more to live for and accomplish; so much more to offer his children and community; his life was taken down by a reckless young Black man out here too ‘sensitive’ and ‘vicious’ driven by a twisted sense of being disrespected.

Distorted Sense of Respect and Thin-Skinned an Impetus for Murder

Unfortunately, too many young Black males like Corn’s murderer who felt some kind of way ‘slighted’ being told not to spit in the sink walk around with a simple and twisted retaliation definition of ‘respect’, as John Rich & Courtney Grey state:

“Respect, defined as receiving the deference that one deserves, is a central part of how young urban men make their way through the dangerous world in which they live. Anderson identified respect as a central component of the code of the street whereby urban young Black men protect themselves physically while also safeguarding their fragile personal identities. The code of the street dictates that when someone disrespects you, whether physically, emotionally, or materially, you must respond aggressively to regain your respect.”

Too many young Black males distorted sense of respect coupled with emotional impairment ’too sensitive’ often is a death producing cocktail. Indeed, as a community we have socialized and allowed way too many young Black males to be ‘caught-up in their feelings’, they have ‘emotional dysregulation’, the inability to control or regulate their negative emotional responses.

Being easily slighted and full of negative feelings too many young Black males like the killer of Corn are always in the ‘conflict-creating’ mode, that’s increased by their low frustration tolerance, unable to tolerate unpleasant feelings or stressful situations.

These emotional provocative young Black males view conflict-resolution as being a ‘punk’ or ‘sucker’; they don’t believe in resolving conflicts non-violently; they subscribe to conflict-extermination ‘murder’; any encounter with them has the potential to be deadly.

Black-on-Black Male Violence is a Public Health Problem

Since the 1980's, past 4 decades, massive Black-on-Black violence and homicides have been primarily viewed and addressed through the lenses of law enforcement: arresting, trying, sentencing, and incarcerating offenders on the assumption that this will deter future violent acts.

This limited law enforcement approach has failed to curb Black-on-Black male violence and homicides, this violence and homicides rages on; this limited police and legal approach has led to the mass incarceration of Black men.

In contrast, a public health approach to addressing Black-on-Black male violence and homicides is more interested in understanding the causes and determinants of violent behavior.

Violence becomes a public health problem when it has a significant negative impact on the public (communities, neighborhoods). Indeed, violence causes many more injuries than deaths in Black communities. For Black males ages 15-34 their health problems are unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide, not chronic diseases.

Though Black boys and men account for just six percent of the total population, they comprise more than half of all gun homicide victims. The disparities in Black and white homicide rates are particularly stark in large cities and counties.

Research suggests that roughly half of all gun homicides take place in just 127 cities, driving the elevated rates of homicides in these geographies. In the nation’s 20 largest counties, Black men ages 18 to 25 die from gun homicides at a rate nearly 19 times that of white residents.

This disparity means that while five out of every 100,000 young white people in these counties die from gun homicides, more than one in every 10,000 young Black people are killed in such incidents.

According to the National Violent Death Reporting System, violence is preventable; that supportive relationships can decrease violent behaviors and disrupt a 'cycle of violence'; that education on life skills and social-emotional development at an early age can also prevent violence.

Over the years many Black leaders, scholars, health professionals, and violent offenders have stated that what drives Black-on-Black male violence and homicides internally and what needs to be addressed and intervened is self-hatred, low-self-esteem, lack of self-worth, disrespect, and distrust.

During my over 40 years as a Black community leader and over 30 years as a social worker now retired, I committed my efforts to saving Black men and boys both professionally and in the community as a top priority.

As a Black male development specialist, I recommend to this generation of Black male mentors like Maurice Mahone ‘Coach Dollar’ and ‘Max Maine’ when engaging Black boys and young adults to stress the basic 5Rs:

*Rationality – Thinking before acting

*Respect – Value self and others

*Responsibility – Being accountable

*Resilience – Positively responding to setbacks

*Righteousness – Choosing the ‘right’ way

To the rest of the Black community (parents, grandparents, pastors, teachers, coaches, etc.) when engaging Black boys and young adults develop in them:

*Respect Clarification – that a sense of respect is beyond a low-level ‘get back’ of feeling slighted. That a higher sense of respect is listening to others thoughts and feelings even if you don't necessarily agree with them; valuing and giving them the same consideration you would expect for yourself.

*Emotional Management - is the ability to be aware of the range of your emotions both positive and negative and to deal constructively with those emotions in different situations; helps you manage situations that make you feel angry or sad, and better understand your emotions.

*Conflict-Resolution Skills - the ability to seek compromise and avoid aggressiveness and violence; to at least say ‘my bad’ when you’re wrong; a readiness to forgive and forget, and to move past the conflict without holding resentments or anger.

*I give my sincere condolences to Cornelius Jones family!