The African American Community
The African American community and divorce rates have something in common: they are both struggling. The African American community is facing many problems, because of the divorces that split families and leave mothers to raise kids all alone. The African American community has become a community where fathers are absent and the mothers are forced to act as the mother and the father. Kids are being affected by this issue and are turning to a life of crime to channel their energy. The African American community issues are complex and there is not one solution that will solve all of the problems that we face.
The lack of male role models in our households could be a big part of this problem. The only role models that our kids have are either sports figures or drug dealers. Our kids are buying and selling drugs in schools, on play grounds and on the streets. Drugs are one of the main reasons that the African American community is suffering. Every city that I have visited has problems with crack. This drug has a very addictive nature and causes the addict to crave a high that can never be attained again. It is sad to say that most of our kids are looking for money that can be made fast and are not willing to work a nine to five. Selling drugs quickly becomes the favored choice for making money because there is such a high demand for drugs.
The drug problem in the African American community is fueled by the greed and desires of the seller to live a rich lifestyle. In my book, The Marks Left behind, the story called The Cocaine Experience takes you through the life of a cocaine addict, and it also will put you face to face with one of our greatest problems in the African American community.
One of the other stories that I tell is called Please Don’t Die. This is a story about my dealings with the youth in Oakland, California. It shows how I tried to mentor teens to turn them away from a lifestyle of crime. There are several groups that are trying to put an end to the drugs in the African American community, but the group that stands out here in Jacksonville is Mad Dads. Mad Dads has been trying to break the code of silience in the Jacksonville crime and slow down the number of murders that are happening. Drugs in the African American community will continually be on the rise until we find a way to slow it down.
For more about The African American Community, you can get your own copy of The Marks Left Behind.
