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Older blacks seem absent from many of these demonstrations - and they are terrified of the younger blacks that do show up.

From 1985 to 1993, I managed a pecan orchard in the so-called Black Belt of Central Alabama.

The work force was, of course, rural blacks. I provided steady, year-round work for five people and we peaked at around 20-25 during the initial planting seasons, then the later harvest seasons.

While unemployment was high -- around 20% in the county -- it wasn't easy to find laborers. In particular, good laborers. I probably ran through twenty to get my five year-round people. And I ran through over a hundred to get the twenty for seasonal peaks.

And, with that experience, I can generalize about the age groups. The older third was by far the most reliable and willing to work. The middle third was generally ureliable and feckless in their work habits. The younger third was usually adversarial -- didn't want the job, didn't want to do it if hired...and could get nasty about it. Over eight years, I found only two young blacks that I could count on...or would even let through the gate.

Furthering the "demographic survey" of Lowndes County blacks; as a rule, the women were more reliable than the men.

Accordingly, out of my experience, I can confirm your observation. And, by now, many of my older third has died out...and the characteristics of the younger third are ow representative of the younger half.

The reason for all this: a cultural dependency, dependency on government programs. At lunch, that was the standard topic of conversation -- generally speaking, which woman had what program(s). Who one lived with (marriage was a rarity) was usually determined by "programs". Almost all of the younger third were raised without a father in the home (there may have been a man, but he was not the father...nor would the next man be).

It's hard to raise good kids in this kind of environmment.