by Dr. J. Alva Scruggs – Guest Columnist
Today I was reading a very interesting and revealing article in the “Gantt Report!” It was providing some insight into this generation of young people. The article called them “The Me Generation.” This generation, which followed the era of active rights demonstrations, appear to take little notice or interest in things other than those of a personal quality.
The “Me Generation” spend their time chilling, “X boxing,” shopping for such personal things as sneakers (costing $200 to $400 a pair/pop), mobile/cell phones, making “booty” calls, and being caught up in “Black Boy” round-ups. When asked about discrimination (i.e. sex, race, ethnic) or civil and political issues, they look at you as if you are some alien force taking up their valuable time! They may say, “That is old-time. There is none of that now.” Some of them are college graduates, most unemployed and many have never had more than a temporary job without benefits.
I began to look for factors that have brought our children to this point. It seems that several come to mind:
- Although our generation was having its problems over discrimination in education, getting jobs, promotion on the job, and just living while Black, we kept this from our children in order to spare them the stress of such a condition. We thought that the next generation would have it somewhat better.
- This bit of living history was essentially kept from our children in our integrated institutions of education. Among the four families I know personally that had children (there were at least 12 children) who finished college, not one Black male had found permanent employment. They had all the ambitions and needs of any mature male, but none of the working privileges to support their needs.
- Too many Black Religious Leaders have become “Predatory Vulture Capitalists” or “Civil Rights Pimps” using the beliefs of Religion as leverage to good living and wealth, while suppressing the facts!
I recall the incident when a cross was burned on my front lawn in Connecticut in the 1960s. Instead of calling my family to witness it, I sent them to the basement and took a garden hose, put out the fire and placed the cross in the trash. What I should he done is involved the whole family in dealing with the cross burning, followed by a complete explanation as to why the cross was burning on our property.
At the school my children attended, no Black student had ever graduated and attended college. In fact all the college bound courses were held on the third floor of the High School and no Black student was allowed to go on that floor. I decided to get on the Board of Education to try to change this situation. I was successful and all my daughters attended the college bound courses, graduated with honors and attended Yale, Brandice, FAMU, and Talladega. But again, I never explained this to my family and today, I am hearing that this disparate treatment is old-time and no longer important. They say this even as they returned to their room in their family’s home!!
A clean, non-violent (submissive) view of disparate (racist) treatment is the mind-set that the white institutions have provided our youth. They can ride the bus and sit anywhere, buy things of pleasure, but presently they do not have the resources to participate because of the continual lack of access to resources! Currently, 40% of Black boys are on lock down or probation, 70% have only temporary employment and they are not even aware of why this is the case. The facts suggest that Black “Me Generation” males are still subject to discrimination because of plain old ignorance.
This “Me Generation” of Black boys might well be viewed as willing members of a classic “Cult!” They will have to be de-programmed followed by a re-programming, using aggressive douses of truth and good information.
As long as a people allow their oppressors to provide them their history, they will always be slaves. Yes, the conditions of oppression remain today, however, it is disguised and institutionalized for the consumption of the disenfranchised!
Dr. J. Alva Scruggs is an author, journalist and former Superintendent of Schools. He can be reached at: #850-385-5750 or [email protected]
