And, yes, I am compelled to add that many of these ills are moral in nature, be it the absence of values that produces children born out of wedlock or the seeming lack of respect for education as a tool for not only the liberation and transformation of the mind but for the economic and body politic as well.
Our children have to be equipped to think critically so as to have the ability to ask the right questions and proffer the right solutions and they must enthusiastically embrace the new reality of life-long learning and reinvention. Our adults must hold schools and themselves accountable for participating in their children’s lives, holding their schools accountable, and holding political and civic leaders accountable for their acts of commission and omission.
Fifty years after Selma, the minority of citizens of races and creeds who participated in and led the various freedom campaigns for black social and economic equity would be utterly amazed by what has happened in 50 years and utterly confounded at the same time.
Russell is director of education, family services and housing for the Indianapolis Urban League. Contact him at yourvoiceforindystar@gmail.com and at Mark A. Russell @IURuss on Twitter.
Article Appeared @http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/02/10/mark-russell-sobering-news-black-males/23193011/