Who has failed black youth?

The mayor of Seattle recently made a public apology to African-Americans.

I believe, however, that the answer to the question

Who has failed black youth?

is

Black parents.


This is not meant as a sweeping condemnation of all black parents, as I have known black men and women who have raised caring, intelligent, decent children.   The statement is meant to point to an attitude whose prevalence among African-Americans I have observed and which amounts to spending inordinate amounts of time blaming others (including other racial/ethnic groups); skewing their own children's minds to see societal racism in every crack, tree, word, hesitation, frown, smile, or raised eyebrow, thus condemning their offspring to a lifetime of despair; and spending insufficient time and effort modelling  positive behaviors.

My kindergarten and third-grade teachers--in Seattle--were both African-Americans, both well-adjusted and not inclined to self-pity or making rationalizations.  I don't think they raised their children to use the excuse of racism to say it was O.K. for them to punch, slap, shove, or kick other children of any race or color, as I--a puny kid who did not know how to fight--was repeatedly during the late sixties by black kids.

As someone of my generation, a white woman who teaches in the Seattle Public School system, remarked, "I [she] is teaching the kids of people who beat me up when I was a kid."

That was half a century ago.

Slavery and racism are no excuse for the behavior above.

My opinion.

Is the justice that the demonstrators, black and white, want?

President Obama must speak out on these frequent incidents of racist violence committed by some African-Americans.  Otherwise, he cedes the ground to the conservatives.

Democrats and progressives, speak out.  Fear is our worst enemy.