10 Unacceptable Cycles Black People Have to Change

October 18th, 2010 - By LaShaun Williams

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The world can see the black community in America is failing—miserably. Despite past oppression, we have more opportunity now than ever. Yet, we have found a way to squander the liberties and countless possibilities for which our forefathers sacrificed their lives. As a people we murmur and complain, expecting different results without change. The universe doesn’t work that way.

It takes a combination of renewed thinking and behavior to change the shape of a community, and great strides must be made to break the cycles that ruined it. Yes, some of our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers have perpetuated these cycles. But, change starts with one. There are just some things as individuals we must decide are unacceptable.

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  • DanaF

    And for those who find this article stereotypical, I invite you take a drive through any poor black neighborhood and for all of the young black kids running around, see if you can find a married black father with any of those children, see if the air is not polluted with profanity and cigarette smoke, if someone is not running to the Chinese store for fried processed food. See how many college graduates you can count, how many are slim and not obese or suffering from some ailment. I lived in a neighborhood like this and also almost ALL of my elementary and junior high school friends are unmarried but have multiple children. The truth hurts, yes, but if the article seems stereo typical it is because we see it SO much that it comes to be expected and then accepted. I am starting to think that the liberals employ people to make liberal, foolish and atheistic comments just to keep us from thinking for ourselves about right and wrong, ideal and non-ideal. Sorry not fooled…

    • Caribbean Diva

      AGREED!!! This is the truth right here

  • Robbie

    @Desmond

    "Stereotype" was the first thing that came to my mind, too.

    There've been several articles that I've read with this particular website and I wondered if it was even supposed to be taken seriously.

    Anyway, I'll be filing this in my mental waste basket as well.

  • shalonndramarie

    Yes yes yes I agree totally and if anyone has a negative comment towards this article really needs to examine themselves. I have fallen short on a few of these things and now I know for sure I need to do something about it. Thank you please continue to run this article we truly need it.

  • Desmond

    Very stereotypical. And I actually printed this. I will be sure to place in the garbage in the morning.

  • willie

    What year did men become fascinated with earrings? It is unbecoming of a man to place both hands up to his earlobe like women does when she is getting dress. Men and women need to kill the tattoos. I’m all tattooed out.

  • Jen

    Great article… I hope we can listen and agree on most points instead of arguing about a few.

  • Darron

    I did not have a problem with the list and i see where your heart is. I just saw some problems with the list. It seems to me that you based some of your issues on statistics such as health and children being born to single parents.

    1. I do not believe that the natural African health was self induced. Africans were poisoned with deceases if i dont recall correctly.

    2. African american mariage has dramaticly risen and the statistics i believe you based thison were from the 70s. Thats when the welfare laws were out into place that stated that you could not have men in the house if you were recieving the goverments money.

  • Ms.Esquire

    This article is subpar at best. While it addresses problems that affect the Black community, inevitably these problem affect most all communities. To simply say that these are problems exclusive to and persistent within the Black community perpetuates the stereotypical thought patterns about the Black community; that we stand out as the weakest link in the human chain. This simply isnt true- its just the negative being magnified. Its akin to presenting statistical percentages instead of hard numbers; it paints a tragically warped picture. How about we change this cycle of negative pretext and perception first?

  • Morehouse Kid (20 ye

    Sorry about the Typos.. I'm on my iphone at the moment.

  • Morehouse Kid (20 ye

    Black women cry about skin-tone issues. But these same black women are like "Go go Go get a man of another race"… So basically you are creating a bigger problem why pro-creating more light skin blacks. It's a spiraling problem that will conclude in black genocide. I feel sorry for the little black girls who will be grown in 20 years. They are going to commit suicide it will be so many color problems. I am a black man & my fiance is black.

  • Aquarianquetie

    As far as college education, every one does'nt want to have over $30,000 in student loan debt. So, I guess there's no more respect in going to trade/technical school, huh? To be SOMEBODY & make myself better than those "other" kind of black folks, all I need is a degree from a 4 year university. If that's not the case, why is it when alot of people describe themselves, the 1st word they use is "educated"? Regardless, I don't have a problem with post-secondary education, to gain some new skills towards a new or current career. The type of education should'nt make some black folks think they're better than the rest.

  • Sydney

    No homophobia also!!

  • http://antiintellect.wordpress.com Anti-Intellect

    I'll tell you what one of our biggest problems is, and one that if we don't reject and do away with, we will never "overcome."

    And that is mythical/magical beliefs by way of the Christian belief system.

    I cannot stress enough how toxic this belief system is on the psyche of marginalized bodies, particularly when those bodies are black and poor in this country.

  • mercilious

    YES you got it right a progressive conversation

  • MistaO

    While every aspect of this article is spot on, it is kind of hard to take it from the same forum that consistantly promotes angles counter to promoting intact BLACK families.

    Just saying.

  • Bronze

    I loved the 8 reasons to date a white guy. I hope they write another one called 10 reasons to date a Russian. 10 Reasons to attend a Rock concert. 6 Reasons to go Vegan. 9 reasons to stop saying, "I'm just big boneded,"

  • Bronze

    @ brainsmasher………

    May white God Bless you Robert….

    From The Boondocks…The Exorcist…

    I stopped complaining about the hatred in our community and just made sure that I was being the best I could be.

  • http://yahspeople.weebly.com/ FeLoWaY

    Good article but you can talk as long as you wish you are just analyzing the so call "Black people" curses…We are the Hebrew Israelite of the so rejected Bible… Yah bless you and give y'all understanding 'cause we will never rise without HIM….He is the one and Only God and we are His chosen people….

  • Darkesthourglass

    No matter what you write, you'll never live down that 8 reasons to date…article. It doesn't help that it's always up for people to see either.

    I think that this is decent piece but all of this is good ol' common sense. Black people need to respect themselves, their children and others around them. Put your children's need first, pick up a book once in a while, eat real food, act like you got some sense is what it comes down to.

  • Nicole

    I'm so glad black media is starting to truthfully discuss the issues in the black community. Its about time we stop blaming our problems on "the man" or the government.

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