http://racismstillexists.tumblr.com/

[Scustin Bieburr]

Just found this tumblr feed. So far it only has two entries but:

 

[It Takes A Nation...]

I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at. The division of success in this country is contributed by many factors, some of our own choosing. Yes, racism is ugly and alive but in some situations more hidden and institutionalized. However, instead of many of us fighting racism by being better educated (not necessarily just school, in all regards), more responsible and better prepared soldiers, we just blame everything on racism. Where are the black fathers in many inner city communities? We need to find them and bring them home because their children need them.

 

[TLOL is back]

This is an oversimplified statistic. We need figures controlling for income level.

In other words, what % of blacks and what % of whites from urban areas are suspended?

I work in a school in Newark, and those kids are horrendous. Black, white, anybody.

 

[Scustin Bieburr]

Guys, the blog is more than just pictures. Please read the entries in their entirety. You will see where and how the information is gathered.
http://racismstillexists.tumblr.com/

 

[Scustin Bieburr]

I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at. The division of success in this country is contributed by many factors, some of our own choosing. Yes, racism is ugly and alive but in some situations more hidden and institutionalized. However, instead of many of us fighting racism by being better educated (not necessarily just school, in all regards), more responsible and better prepared soldiers, we just blame everything on racism. Where are the black fathers in many inner city communities? We need to find them and bring them home because their children need them.

It takes more than education. Is it fair that you have to work twice as hard to be even considered half as good? the system is rigged against you. Where are the fathers? they're being locked up on frivolous charges, and as a result being unable to find jobs because of their criminal records and basically losing their rights as american citizens. He bounces after he has a kid because he knows that he isn't going to be able to find a job that will give him enough income to take care of that child. Another question you should be asking is, why is it that a woman will sleep with a man who clearly doesn't have shyt going on financially in his life and let him go RAW in her? Why is it that the man who devotes years of his life to his company has to just sit and watch as people who he knows aren't as qualified as him get promoted simply because the racist people in charge don't feel comfortable with a person of color in charge?

I feel like people seem to misunderstand what actually happened in the past regarding racism. Racism can't be legislated away by the government stepping in to say you must hire so and so numbers of minorities or you must not refuse service to a person because of their color. People who(in the MILLIONS) held deep seeded racist beliefs didn't just shrug their shoulders after the 1960s and say "well shyt, maybe I'm not inherently better than blacks" they passed these beliefs on to their children and those children are trying to pass those beliefs on because nobody is willing to sit down and have a real conversation about race and who benefits and still continues to benefit today as a result of racism. The feelings of white people typically get in the way whenever people want to take an objective look at how racism has and continues to this day to affect the world, or there is a belief that victims of racism cannot be unbiased.

I agree with you that there IS a level of personal responsibility in the success or failure of other people, but you must understand, people who manage to rise up out of ghettos with subpar schools, hospitals, police, and other facilities as well as food deserts that continue to worsen the health of peoples are extremely rare, and just think how successful would the person in that ghetto who managed to get out despite all the chips stacked against him would be if he was in the suburbs or a middle class area? there are middle class blacks out there who are educated, who have full family homes but STILL can't catch a break. Things like the media are also very important because, will a young black kid be compelled to go out and study when whenever he sees people like him on TV they are usually limited to certain roles? fun fact, when black kids watch TV their self esteem goes down!

 

[Prince Akeem]

 

[It Takes A Nation...]

It takes more than education. Is it fair that you have to work twice as hard to be even considered half as good? the system is rigged against you. Where are the fathers? they're being locked up on frivolous charges, and as a result being unable to find jobs because of their criminal records and basically losing their rights as american citizens. He bounces after he has a kid because he knows that he isn't going to be able to find a job that will give him enough income to take care of that child. Another question you should be asking is, why is it that a woman will sleep with a man who clearly doesn't have shyt going on financially in his life and let him go RAW in her? Why is it that the man who devotes years of his life to his company has to just sit and watch as people who he knows aren't as qualified as him get promoted simply because the racist people in charge don't feel comfortable with a person of color in charge?

I feel like people seem to misunderstand what actually happened in the past regarding racism. Racism can't be legislated away by the government stepping in to say you must hire so and so numbers of minorities or you must not refuse service to a person because of their color. People who(in the MILLIONS) held deep seeded racist beliefs didn't just shrug their shoulders after the 1960s and say "well shyt, maybe I'm not inherently better than blacks" they passed these beliefs on to their children and those children are trying to pass those beliefs on because nobody is willing to sit down and have a real conversation about race and who benefits and still continues to benefit today as a result of racism. The feelings of white people typically get in the way whenever people want to take an objective look at how racism has and continues to this day to affect the world, or there is a belief that victims of racism cannot be unbiased.

I agree with you that there IS a level of personal responsibility in the success or failure of other people, but you must understand, people who manage to rise up out of ghettos with subpar schools, hospitals, police, and other facilities as well as food deserts that continue to worsen the health of peoples are extremely rare, and just think how successful would the person in that ghetto who managed to get out despite all the chips stacked against him would be if he was in the suburbs or a middle class area? there are middle class blacks out there who are educated, who have full family homes but STILL can't catch a break. Things like the media are also very important because, will a young black kid be compelled to go out and study when whenever he sees people like him on TV they are usually limited to certain roles? fun fact, when black kids watch TV their self esteem goes down!

I don't disagree with anything you said. However, what is your solution? My solution is we have to understand what we are up against and PREPARE to deal with it. Just blaming the white man for all our problems, whether he is at fault or not, will not solve anything. Will some of us lobby our more successful members to come back to the hood and become role models? If they do, will we follow their lead? Or, will in the year 2189 we will still be saying we are down and out because of the white man. A soldier takes up swords and is prepared to fight. But before you take up that sword, learn how to use it. Btw, education is not relegated to schools. Education can be obtained anywhere and at any time. The smart soldier is the best soldier. It is because man is more intelligent than all other animals that we rule over them, not because we are the strongest.

As far as your comment about a woman sleeping with a man that is going no where in life, I agree with you - she's being triffling. How about the men who created a culture (or at least go along with) that considers black women to be bytches and hoes. Half the rappers that make songs about bytches and hoes are married faithfully, and have been for years. Why don't they ever make songs about the good women out there? You know, the women they wifed up and had children with? If all a black man is looking for is a bytch or a hoe then guess what, black women will become that bytch or hoe so they can get a man. We have to start looking for women. They're out there. But first we must become men!

 

[Serious]

subs....

 

[Brown_Pride]

It takes more than education. Is it fair that you have to work twice as hard to be even considered half as good? the system is rigged against you. Where are the fathers? they're being locked up on frivolous charges, and as a result being unable to find jobs because of their criminal records and basically losing their rights as american citizens. He bounces after he has a kid because he knows that he isn't going to be able to find a job that will give him enough income to take care of that child. Another question you should be asking is, why is it that a woman will sleep with a man who clearly doesn't have shyt going on financially in his life and let him go RAW in her? Why is it that the man who devotes years of his life to his company has to just sit and watch as people who he knows aren't as qualified as him get promoted simply because the racist people in charge don't feel comfortable with a person of color in charge?

I feel like people seem to misunderstand what actually happened in the past regarding racism. Racism can't be legislated away by the government stepping in to say you must hire so and so numbers of minorities or you must not refuse service to a person because of their color. People who(in the MILLIONS) held deep seeded racist beliefs didn't just shrug their shoulders after the 1960s and say "well shyt, maybe I'm not inherently better than blacks" they passed these beliefs on to their children and those children are trying to pass those beliefs on because nobody is willing to sit down and have a real conversation about race and who benefits and still continues to benefit today as a result of racism. The feelings of white people typically get in the way whenever people want to take an objective look at how racism has and continues to this day to affect the world, or there is a belief that victims of racism cannot be unbiased.

I agree with you that there IS a level of personal responsibility in the success or failure of other people, but you must understand, people who manage to rise up out of ghettos with subpar schools, hospitals, police, and other facilities as well as food deserts that continue to worsen the health of peoples are extremely rare, and just think how successful would the person in that ghetto who managed to get out despite all the chips stacked against him would be if he was in the suburbs or a middle class area? there are middle class blacks out there who are educated, who have full family homes but STILL can't catch a break. Things like the media are also very important because, will a young black kid be compelled to go out and study when whenever he sees people like him on TV they are usually limited to certain roles? fun fact, when black kids watch TV their self esteem goes down!

where's the "partial dap" button when i need it. The issue is multi faceted and has to be addressed at all levels, not just one. It's MORE than just racism, racism definitely plays into it, so does self responsibility often left out though is COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY. It takes a village as they say and when you're village is full of fools well you are going to have a village of fools.

I've really given serious thought to creating some type of "each one teach one" foundation or something where succesful folks literally take 1 or 2 extra kids under their wings (think big brother big sister). Somethings has to change and the legislature ain't gonna do it. Honestly if we, minorities, want to see change we are going to have to affect it on a personal level first.

 

[It Takes A Nation...]

where's the "partial dap" button when i need it. The issue is multi faceted and has to be addressed at all levels, not just one. It's MORE than just racism, racism definitely plays into it, so does self responsibility often left out though is COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY. It takes a village as they say and when you're village is full of fools well you are going to have a village of fools.

I've really given serious thought to creating some type of "each one teach one" foundation or something where succesful folks literally take 1 or 2 extra kids under their wings (think big brother big sister). Somethings has to change and the legislature ain't gonna do it. Honestly if we, minorities, want to see change we are going to have to affect it on a personal level first.

Look at this dude. He just came through and said what I was basically trying to say, only he said it more eloquently. Not only that, he's willing to put his own blood, sweat, and tears in to back up his words. I need to follow in this soldier's footsteps.

 

[Scustin Bieburr]

I don't disagree with anything you said. However, what is your solution? My solution is we have to understand what we are up against and PREPARE to deal with it. Just blaming the white man for all our problems, whether he is at fault or not, will not solve anything. Will some of us lobby our more successful members to come back to the hood and become role models? If they do, will we follow their lead? Or, will in the year 2189 we will still be saying we are down and out because of the white man. A soldier takes up swords and is prepared to fight. But before you take up that sword, learn how to use it. Btw, education is not relegated to schools. Education can be obtained anywhere and at any time. The smart soldier is the best soldier. It is because man is more intelligent than all other animals that we rule over them, not because we are the strongest.

As far as your comment about a woman sleeping with a man that is going no where in life, I agree with you - she's being triffling. How about the men who created a culture (or at least go along with) that considers black women to be bytches and hoes. Half the rappers that make songs about bytches and hoes are married faithfully, and have been for years. Why don't they ever make songs about the good women out there? You know, the women they wifed up and had children with? If all a black man is looking for is a bytch or a hoe then guess what, black women will become that bytch or hoe so they can get a man. We have to start looking for women. They're out there. But first we must become men!

Like I said, there is definitely an element of personal responsibility. Rather than spending $300 on Jordans, individuals can pool their resources together and set up black businesses and employ people, but you must understand, obtaining a business license is not easy. A bank may not give you a loan if you have a criminal record or because you have not been employed for a substantial amount of time or you don't have credit because you never used credit cards to buy shyt. There are several obstacles, but people can and DO own and operate businesses that hire blacks(best example is the black owned barber shop). Nobody here is trying to "blame the white man" the white man is the main beneficiary of racism in America whether he knows it or not, but there are some that are cognizant of this fact and use their time to encourage white people to realize how racism has historically hurt the country financially and how it continues to hold people back white AND black. I'm not blaming the white man, I'm blaming his system of white supremacy that basically says you don't deserve a fair shot.

The ghetto needs to be destroyed, not through gentrification, but through the government actually spending money to make sure building safety codes are enforced, people get decent food, people can get business licenses, and that convicted felons can still vote. Is it fair that a brother that goes to prison and spends all his time reading and educating himself can be released only to find that he can't vote because of his criminal record? or that he can't get a job because he didn't graduate from an accredited post-secondary institution? Black unity is something that is necessary as the community needs to be able to lift up this man and let him bring his talents to use. However, divisiveness among the black community is a useful tactic for maintaining white supremacy in the United States

But you must understand, the media is controlled by the white majority and that has a huge effect on how people will behave. Specifically in regards to your point here

How about the men who created a culture (or at least go along with) that considers black women to be bytches and hoes. Half the rappers that make songs about bytches and hoes are married faithfully, and have been for years.

You have to understand that the culture of disrespect to women and the materialism of hip hop isn't 100% a black creation. Check this out
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_0Zb-_yqFc&feature=player_detailpage#t=137s]The N Word 5/8 (The Documentary) - YouTube[/ame]

These people out here are trying to eat so if it means they have to play up these images, they will. White people want a narrative of black people fighting each other, disrespecting their women etc. who do you think buys the most hip hop albums? Blacks are only around 12% of the population, so unless there are way more wealthy and middle class blacks or white people are the main audience for hip hop and hip hop culture. They're comfortable with the idea of blackmen harming each other and not being responsible, that image spreads and then blacks soak it up and assume that's cool and something that life is what they should emulate. It is an image of themselves that has been created by other people and then sold back to them which results in all sorts of fukkery that destroys the community.

And think about how children are educated in school. You can go to a class titled "history" and most of what you will learn about is the history of America and Europe specifically white Americans and Europeans. You can go to a university and get a degree that says "Philosophy" on it without EVER having studied the work of Eastern philosophers whose ideas were just as if not MORE advanced than that of the European philosophers who in turn got their info from the greeks who in turn got their info from the Egyptians who in american media are still not depicted as black when anyone who has ever even seen a hieroglyphic knows that they were a multiracial society which was mostly black. The images of black people as powerful, intelligent and so on are important in getting blacks to work towards improving the community. White supremacists know this, which is why they avoid showing you information that will encourage you to work with your black brothers and sisters. Its the same system that sanitizes Martin Luther King to seem like someone who did not have a strong pro-black philosophy

People are resisting, and that is part of the reason why I post this tumblr feed, so that people can realize just what they need to be aware of. Those people who can vote, and who do have resources(I'm assuming most of us here are middle class or higher) can use them to make changes and to support black businesses(such as the-coli ) and to be cognizant of where we're being discriminated against so we can fight it and not just buy into this myth that a lot of white americans(and sadly black ones) that racism and the time of racist government policies is somehow magically over.

Knowing it is important but how can we change things? well to put it simply
-voting for candidates who represent our own interests(if we still can)
-contributing to black businesses
-Lobbying local government officials
-Supporting black artists who want to tell the story of black people from their own point of view.

 

[Brown_Pride]

Like I said, there is definitely an element of personal responsibility. Rather than spending $300 on Jordans, individuals can pool their resources together and set up black businesses and employ people, but you must understand, obtaining a business license is not easy. A bank may not give you a loan if you have a criminal record or because you have not been employed for a substantial amount of time or you don't have credit because you never used credit cards to buy shyt. There are several obstacles, but people can and DO own and operate businesses that hire blacks(best example is the black owned barber shop). Nobody here is trying to "blame the white man" the white man is the main beneficiary of racism in America whether he knows it or not, but there are some that are cognizant of this fact and use their time to encourage white people to realize how racism has historically hurt the country financially and how it continues to hold people back white AND black. I'm not blaming the white man, I'm blaming his system of white supremacy that basically says you don't deserve a fair shot.

The ghetto needs to be destroyed, not through gentrification, but through the government actually spending money to make sure building safety codes are enforced, people get decent food, people can get business licenses, and that convicted felons can still vote. Is it fair that a brother that goes to prison and spends all his time reading and educating himself can be released only to find that he can't vote because of his criminal record? or that he can't get a job because he didn't graduate from an accredited post-secondary institution? Black unity is something that is necessary as the community needs to be able to lift up this man and let him bring his talents to use. However, divisiveness among the black community is a useful tactic for maintaining white supremacy in the United States

But you must understand, the media is controlled by the white majority and that has a huge effect on how people will behave. Specifically in regards to your point here

How about the men who created a culture (or at least go along with) that considers black women to be bytches and hoes. Half the rappers that make songs about bytches and hoes are married faithfully, and have been for years.

You have to understand that the culture of disrespect to women and the materialism of hip hop isn't 100% a black creation. Check this out
The N Word 5/8 (The Documentary) - YouTube

These people out here are trying to eat so if it means they have to play up these images, they will. White people want a narrative of black people fighting each other, disrespecting their women etc. who do you think buys the most hip hop albums? Blacks are only around 12% of the population, so unless there are way more wealthy and middle class blacks or white people are the main audience for hip hop and hip hop culture. They're comfortable with the idea of blackmen harming each other and not being responsible, that image spreads and then blacks soak it up and assume that's cool and something that life is what they should emulate. It is an image of themselves that has been created by other people and then sold back to them which results in all sorts of fukkery that destroys the community.

And think about how children are educated in school. You can go to a class titled "history" and most of what you will learn about is the history of America and Europe specifically white Americans and Europeans. You can go to a university and get a degree that says "Philosophy" on it without EVER having studied the work of Eastern philosophers whose ideas were just as if not MORE advanced than that of the European philosophers who in turn got their info from the greeks who in turn got their info from the Egyptians who in american media are still not depicted as black when anyone who has ever even seen a hieroglyphic knows that they were a multiracial society which was mostly black. The images of black people as powerful, intelligent and so on are important in getting blacks to work towards improving the community. White supremacists know this, which is why they avoid showing you information that will encourage you to work with your black brothers and sisters. Its the same system that sanitizes Martin Luther King to seem like someone who did not have a strong pro-black philosophy

People are resisting, and that is part of the reason why I post this tumblr feed, so that people can realize just what they need to be aware of. Those people who can vote, and who do have resources(I'm assuming most of us here are middle class or higher) can use them to make changes and to support black businesses(such as the-coli ) and to be cognizant of where we're being discriminated against so we can fight it and not just buy into this myth that a lot of white americans(and sadly black ones) that racism and the time of racist government policies is somehow magically over.

At this point honestly I think, as I said we know the problems.
- Government
- Self
- Community

Real talk how do you fix that? How do you tell a kid to change how he thinks and sees, while at the same time getting a system to change how it thinks and sees, while getting all racial communities to change too?

Most of the time I go down this road you really run into a chicken and the egg scenario. The kid can’t change because his community does not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down. The community doesn’t change because the system has built in road block AND it’s filled with the previous generation of kids who didn’t change. The system doesn’t change because the people who need to change it can’t get a cohesive voice together and the people who comprise the system really just don’t care because they see the kid and recognize he ain’t changing…because the kid can’t change as his community doesn’t not support him, while at the same time the system holds him down.


Looks like we’ll have to break up into 3 teams, I suggest we shoot free throws for captains then let the captains pick the teams.

 

[Brown_Pride]

Knowing it is important but how can we change things? well to put it simply
-voting for candidates who represent our own interests(if we still can)

even those who can vote don't HOW do we fix this

-contributing to black businesses

how if we don't have money and the money we do have needs to stretch so we spend it at walmart

-Lobbying local government officials

how if most people don't even know when an election is occuring yet alone WHO to lobby for their interests. How when the people shun the education to recognize that this is even possible?

-Supporting black artists who want to tell the story of black people from their own point of view.

...so that record companies and movie companies make a buck off of them?

i guess what i'm getting at is if we have an issue:
Minority kids don't do well in school.
And our solution is
Get minority kids to do well in school.


well we need a little more follow through is what i'm getting at and details.

 

[Scustin Bieburr]

even those who can vote don't HOW do we fix this


how if we don't have money and the money we do have needs to stretch so we spend it at walmart

how if most people don't even know when an election is occuring yet alone WHO to lobby for their interests. How when the people shun the education to recognize that this is even possible?
...so that record companies and movie companies make a buck off of them?

i guess what i'm getting at is if we have an issue:
Minority kids don't do well in school.
And our solution is
Get minority kids to do well in school.


well we need a little more follow through is what i'm getting at and details.

For point 1:
By spreading this information around, tweeting, facebook, instagram, whatever. Bringing it up at your local barbershop and actually getting people to care about politics by telling them to go out and vote. Getting like minded individuals to work together to encourage those who can vote to go out and register to vote. It happened in 2008 when people were trying to get Obama elected.

2. Guess that question is also sort of answered in part 1. People need to know that an election is happening, and if they don't trust either of the two parties then they can just ignore FEDERAL politics and focus more on State and municipal politics. Local government tends to be underestimated. Detroit would be a better city for example if much of the corruption was being exposed by concerned citizens.

3.Black owned everything . Look at Tyler Perry or Spike lee. They have their own means of distributing their products, they hire black actors, and for all the flak that Tyler Perry gets, he at least tries to portray black people in a positive light(ex. how did I get married 1 and 2) and he spends much of the money he gets towards improving the lives of less fortunate black youth. There are black owned record labels who don't cosign acts that portray blacks as thugs 24/7. Those need to be supported. There are black actors out there on the web that make pretty interesting content. Well known example is Awkward Black girl

The middle and upper class black people can use their $ to help change how blacks are seen and to influence their local government to make changes which will allow people in ghettos to get out of their situation. Most people who are poor just want work. Work=dignity and a means of survival.

 

[Brown_Pride]

For point 1:
By spreading this information around, tweeting, facebook, instagram, whatever. Bringing it up at your local barbershop and actually getting people to care about politics by telling them to go out and vote. Getting like minded individuals to work together to encourage those who can vote to go out and register to vote. It happened in 2008 when people were trying to get Obama elected.

I think this is a VERY good idea and do most of this myself, 2008 is a perfect example of the POTENTIAL that is there. Again we just need ideas and follow through on how to change things.

2. Guess that question is also sort of answered in part 1. People need to know that an election is happening, and if they don't trust either of the two parties then they can just ignore FEDERAL politics and focus more on State and municipal politics. Local government tends to be underestimated. Detroit would be a better city for example if much of the corruption was being exposed by concerned citizens.

again agreed. It best starts local. The reality is we don't even affect the presidential election during an election year, the real power of the people is in voting for local people. The issue, at least as i see it in AZ, is getting people engaged. People just don't give a fuk in most cases.) IMHO if someone could figure this out, this would be one of the biggest changes to our country. I for one would welcome MANDATORY voting...:shrug:

3.Black owned everything . Look at Tyler Perry or Spike lee. They have their own means of distributing their products, they hire black actors, and for all the flak that Tyler Perry gets, he at least tries to portray black people in a positive light(ex. how did I get married 1 and 2) and he spends much of the money he gets towards improving the lives of less fortunate black youth. There are black owned record labels who don't cosign acts that portray blacks as thugs 24/7. Those need to be supported. There are black actors out there on the web that make pretty interesting content. Well known example is Awkward Black girl

yeah i used to hate Tyler but can't fault him for many a thing at least he's trying to do some good for the IMAGE. IMHO though there needs to somehow be a refocus on idolization from "stars" to community leaders.

As i've seen the issue with this is kids having kids. Here's why.
an 18 year old has a son. By the time his son is impressionable ages 2-8, the dad is only 26 years old. Now you have an "irresponsible" 26 year old trying to teach an 8 year old about responsibility. I see this all the damn time when i coach my sons basketball teams. Kids with some of the most uncouth parents i could imagine. Horrible to the point where the discipline i apply in my practices in games comes as such a shock to the ENTIRE FAMILY that i've had parents pull their kids out. The "smart ones" area all for the extra discipline and i've found on more than one occasion that a single mother will cling to the basketball team because sometimes they have no damn clue how to reach their sons. It's sad really. This is where my each one teach one idea comes from. I KNOW i affect some of these kids, not all, but some and I know that between me and other people like me some of these kids can change and IF, just IF MAYBE i can create in my own little sphere of influence a positive force on 2 kids to the point there they will each take two kids and do the same then math kicks in and change happens...granted slowly

The middle and upper class black people can use their $ to help change how blacks are seen and to influence their local government to make changes which will allow people in ghettos to get out of their situation. Most people who are poor just want work. Work=dignity and a means of survival.

excellent point but it IS settling. Work = dignity is on some "brain wash" tip. There's more to dignity than just being able to provide, not to say it's not a HUGE portion of it, but there has to be more.