Youth’s Responsibility to the Future

Black History Month is always a good time to develop a greater appreciation for the African contribution to world culture and civilization. It offers an excellent opportunity to relish and glorify the accomplishments of our ancestors, but time should definitely be set aside to make a careful assessment of the status of our youth. After all, Black History Month is specifically designed to provide positive information for black children.

As personal observations, along with published research articles, have disclosed a serious deficiency in our young and their assessment of their history.

1. While lecturing at a junior high school, I was quite disturbed to see a minimum of 12 students ejected for disorderly conduct within a 30-minute period.
2. A survey at Boston University showed that 35 percent of the students thought the Late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was either a former entertainer or a basketball player.
3. A black history speaker in New York was approached by a student and asked “Just who is this Malcolm 10, and what happened to the other nine?”

These three examples represent just the tip of the iceberg. They reflect a frightening trend that is currently sweeping the nation. Maybe Black History Month has become so trivialized that it just isn’t taken seriously anymore.

Personally, I think the problem is complacency. Many parents and adults are not fulfilling the obligations of their heritage by seeing to it that our history is preserved and passed on to the next generation.

The disciplinary problems that currently exist within our school systems are not the fault of the teachers but the parents. I remember, as a grade school student, a student wouldn’t dare talk back to the teacher, let alone get out of line. Today, this type of student is the exception, not the rule.

A child’s behavior reflects his or her upbringing in the home, in the schools or in the streets. The fact so many of our youth disrespect authority figures indicate that they disrespect themselves. Self-respect is a trait which must be initiated and reinforced at home.

For whatever reason, many parents have forfeited their obligations to raise their children along specific guidelines.

While watching a recent segment of Eyes on the Prize concerning Dr. King’s use of children at the forefront of the demonstrations, I learned that as many as 2,000 youth filled the jails within one week. Parents were willing not only to put their lives on the line but also the lives of their children.

This was 30 years ago, but we still find the same strategy being used in South Africans protests today.

I wonder how many parents in America today would be willing to put their necks on the line for the human rights struggle. I also wonder how many youth would be willing to sacrifice their gold chains, designer clothes, and stereos for the same struggle.

Our youth today are not living up to their potential. It is our responsibility as adults to see to it that they get back on the right track. Our youth have the responsibility to see to it that our legacy is carried on. Every generation has the privilege of standing on the shoulders of the generation that preceded it—but it has no right to pick their pockets.