generalspeaking

Father-Abandoned Families

It's odd how curious it is that among black populations anywhere in the world one outstanding cultural feature distinguishes them. The high proportion of young black women who become mothers outside marriage. The high proportion of young black men who have no intention whatever of becoming caring, responsible fathers to their offspring. The high proportion of single-parent black families where women raise their children without the assistance of a male parental counterpart.

This peculiar fact alone accounts in large part for young black men in particular having few role models within a certain quite extensive strata of society, and scant values to which they can cling to, to assist them in identifying and striving to achieve a reasonable lifestyle. With few male role models who impress upon young boys the need to value education, to aspire to living a socially-sound lifestyle, it is hardly surprising that young black males adopt a dysfunctional lifestyle.

From that simple fact arises social disaffection and dysfunction, a dissonance in society with a class of black youth who turn to crime and violence as an expression of their anti-social attitudes. Young people who see no value in pursuing an education and from there a place within society with reliable and legal employment opportunities, complemented by an acknowledgement of their responsibilities toward the families they help to produce.

Within Africa, the Caribbean, Haiti, the United States, there exists a like situation, with black males eschewing responsibility toward their offspring. Leaving the women with whom they have intimate relations to bear children and to raise them on their own. What, exactly, is there in the genetic code of black men that so singularly impairs them and inures them to the need to become integrally involved, to help raise their families?

It is not as though there are no role models within the black community that can be looked upon with admiration and whose behaviours can be emulated. There are more than ample successful, intelligent and well educated black men who live exemplary social lives and who embrace the responsibility of adulthood by helping their women raise their children, jointly.

There is no lack whatever of prominent, successful black men whose lives and accomplishments bring glory to the black identity. They are represented in all the professions and they achieve high esteem in those professions. The big question is why is this upper strata of esteemed and highly educated and motivated men who bring much to society, not held in sufficient respect to stimulate a general uplifting of black men's aspirations?

The United States has a black president. Who has himself made mention of the need for young American black men to assume familial responsibility. There was a much-publicized movement to bring black men to the realization that they are not really so much men as they are men in arrested juvenile status as long as they abandon the women and the children they should be responsible for. What has it accomplished?

Young black men disproportionately represent the imprisoned in the United States. Committing all manner of crimes, mostly against one another. Yet the wife of the current President of the United States has launched a campaign to encourage black mothers to become familiar with basic, unadulterated foods and focus on nutrition for their growing young families.

Important enough to be sure, but hardly the foundational imperative they most urgently require.

It is a curious thing. A peculiar social/cultural anomaly. An exceedingly harmful one, both to individuals, the larger community and humankind itself.

Labels: Environment, Human Relations, Societal Failures, World Crises

posted by Pieface @ Monday, July 19, 2010