CNNs Black in America w/ Soledad O'brien: July 19-27

[I.A.S.K.]

Originally Posted by SummerChild

IASK,
however, I guess it strikes me that, really, what we are facing today, e.g., teenage pregnancy...well, unfortunately, it's really not a new phenom in our community.
They didn't come up with this stuff all by themselves. It is so easy to sit back and say, we were so much better than you guys. But the fact of the matter is that, they come from us. These girls and guys having babies as teens - most of them come from households that are a mess. Guess what, those households come from households that were a mess too. I think that the only solution is to own up to it, we have failed some of these kids, and we need to start fixing our own crap.

SC

I completely agree with everything you said and I cant stand it when people condem my generation (I'm a very late 80's baby).

Bill Cosby had me peeved because he made it seem as if young black people were nothing but ignorant backward pieces of "dirty laundry" that black america does not want to deal with. Although, I understand what he meant with his comments I still can't get with him because of the way he describes my entire generation negatively. To hell with what the few people who do stand up for us try to say the majority opinion about young black people is negative.

My peers and I live with laws that say three or more of us together is a gang! What is this crap? If I went out with my two cousins (god forbid it if we wore similar colors) we'd be harassed and treated like criminals. I have been out with a friend and we were almost arrested for STWB (standing together while black). We are snubbed by ALL other (Africans, Asians, Whites, Latinos) people as well as older black people. Where do young people turn if those we should look to for guidance look back at us with contempt?

I see and have seen how young people get messed up by their parents and then don't know how to fix themselves. I am blessed to have a parent who could expose me to so much, but most of my generation is not as blessed as I have been. And even being as blessed as I am I still deal with more drama and problems than a little bit. (My mom and I just got into an argument because I didnt want to put one of her bills in my name. I know my mom and love her to death, but she never pays any bill on time. This a major utility bill. This means that when she doesn't pay it hurts my credit score and I'm a broke college student with no credit at all. So that means I go from no credit to bad credit, but if the bill is not in my name she doesn't get that essential service) When I do well in school, activism, speaking or whatever I am praised, but I am considered abnormal. Many older black people see me as someone who is beating the odds; not as someone who is realizing her God given potential with the help of strong men and women to guide me. I been to many events where I am the only young person (these are black events) and I get ignored. I remember one reception where I was going around "networking" and 90% of the people I met and told about my work blew me off. At the dinner I made an awesome speech and then all of them wanted to shake my hand and get my card.
God knows and I know that I am NOT that special! Everything that I do each child born is able to do. The difference is in the support system that they (dont) have and the opportunities available to them.
I lived in the hood. So I would come back from trips to UN world conferences to a neighborhood filled with trash. The closest stores sold porno mags, lil debbie cakes, candy, chips, and cheap juice/soda (also known as quarter waters or nutbusters). I used to say that we go from broken homes to broken schools and back day in and day out. If no matter where you go no one believes in and supports you what do you do?
I am motivated by negativity. If you don't believe in me that makes me work so hard that your only choices are to believe in me or turn your back on the truth because that is what I am; The Truth. But every person has their limit. At some point you stop trying to prove people wrong. At some point you just don't care anymore. Young Black People usually get to that point very quickly because they are being pushed and pulled to that point by so many forces.

As much as I know about how we are failing each other as a community and what ways we know of that can fix this......
I honestly don't see the necessary changes happening in the near future (and by near future I mean the next century).
I have faith; I have hope; I have a desire to work, but even with all of this i feel helpless at times!