 I began mentoring Black young men during
pastoral ministry in the seminary. I taught at St. Augustine High School, an
all black boys' school in New Orleans. I noticed how things had changed from
the days of my youth. I encountered some young men that did not trust the
future and dream of a future beyond today. For them, the temporary is good
enough; long term expectations were fading into the twilight of despair and
false promises of racial and social inequality. There were marked
differences between those that grew up to plan for the future and those that
lived from day to day. Priorities began to change as they sought "to own
something on their own," whether it was a car or pair of tennis shoes.
Socially, individualism diminished things and broke down good corrective
behavioral environments where everyone cared for everybody. For some guys,
everything they owned was on their backs. To step on their shoes, take their
coat or damage their car was a violation of their person. This gave rise to
an unstoppable rage, which rang out violence with the fist, the knife or the
gun.
In the academic arena, it began to be okay to be
unintelligent, just be a good athlete, a good singer, an artist. Academics
take a back seat. No one is reminding young men that less than 2% of the
athletes make it to the pros, less than 2% of the singers become the next
American Idol or big time rapper. Teachers and coaches are afraid to raise
the bar of excellence of academic discipline that must erase the stereotypes
of dumb jocks and sloth that are pinned on the shoulders of too many black
youth.
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