TheLoop21.com

By: Crystal P. Smith (Add to your loop)
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 01:00

Young Black boys need an extra push to make them successful.

There's no mistaking it. Young Black boys are in a state of crisis and have been for quite some time. Not only do they have less access to education, but they also are more likely to drop out of school, less likely to attend college and, as a result, tend to earn less money over their lifetime than men of other races.

Why does this matter? Well, in the long run, all this makes them more likely to end up in jail and unable to provide stable, two-parent homes for their children, which, of course, creates a whole other set of problems.

The issues facing Black boys were created by the system, but in some instances, they could be corrected with personal responsibility and tenacity. It's not like we haven't risen above our circumstances before.

"There seems to be a very little margin of error for young Black boys these days," says the Rev. John Vaughn, director of the 21st Century Foundation, which works for positive change in the Black community. "I think one of the things we're seeing is a slow criminalization when we actually look at the numbers and data of men in prison. Once kids get put into special education classes or have other altercations at school, teachers don't know what to do with them. They often times get deemed as being a problem, which then leads them down another path."

But the 21st Century Foundation, in conjunction with director Melvin Van Peebles, is doing more than hoping things will change. Their film, Bring Your 'A' Game, targets 14 year old Black teenage boys and encourages them to take responsibility for their actions and work harder in school.

Vaughn wants to validate the systematic oppression Black men face while also placing responsibility on the younger generation of kids, who can still make the decision to fight against that system.

"Yes, we understand the system is rigged and that schools aren't perfect," Vaughn says, "but the way we break the cycle is by taking responsibility for ourselves."

TheLoop21.com did an entire special report on the ills facing Black men and boys, but I'd argue Black women and girls are facing the same type of crisis. Black women also will be stronger with better father figures and husbands alongside them.

"There are some conversations we need to have in our communities about what it means to be a man," Vaughn says. "We need a much broader understanding and definition of manhood, which means respecting who people are."

The 21st Century Foundation's film speaks directly to 14-year-old boys, although it's a good video for people of any age. The film was meant to address the concerns of Black male teens, such as peer pressure, hoop dreams, gender roles and the overall societal messages that encourage limits on who and what Black boys and men can become.

Read more about the video and watch a clip at www.21cf.org/agame.

Crystal P.