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This Black History Month, Let's Make History
Townhall.com ^ | February 24, 2022 | Armstrong Williams

Posted on 02/24/2022 7:07:35 AM PST by Kaslin

As we celebrate Black History Month and the great accomplishments of African Americans to the United States since its founding, I wanted to take a different perspective -- one that focuses on what Black Americans must do to achieve economic and generational prosperity.

We must be concerned about the plight of many Black communities in the United States, which are plagued by high poverty, high crime and dismal educational systems. We must first recognize that these issues are neither ordained nor inevitable but rather require significant transformation. This is accomplished by emphasizing faith, family and education as key ingredients in lowering crime, reducing poverty, and developing individuals who are ready to compete aggressively in the complicated and tough global economy.

We all know that acquiring a decent education is directly linked to lower crime rates. We also know that the family unit is an important framework for providing the necessary support and balance for children to thrive. These are the issues that must be addressed during Black History Month and beyond.

It is no longer sufficient to invest in initiatives that do nothing to alleviate poverty or provide young men with a better and more productive way to channel their energy that does not result in the disintegration of their communities through violence, crime and drugs. We must consider how we might provide opportunities, conditions and incentives to help many poor Black communities escape poverty and succeed.

One primary area that lawmakers and community leaders should focus on is that of education. Education has, for millennia, been the primary means of lifting people out of poverty. When a Black child is equipped with the skills and knowledge that a proper education provides, boundless opportunities will actualize, and he will inevitably do good for both his community and the world. When our Black youths can learn to turn to words instead of violence, and a book instead of a gun, it will be then that we will see what the future for these children has in store. Statistics show that poor education plagues Black youths, and it is precisely this issue that we must address first in order to lift future generations within the Black community out of poverty.

Facilitating these opportunities will demonstrate that Black Americans can achieve economic empowerment and development with the correct leadership and assistance, and it will aid in the recovery of many distressed communities across the United States. A large majority of Black Americans need and desire positive and significant change. However, we must accept that some people are oblivious to the options available to them because they have been exposed to a recurrent cycle of terrible examples of what not to do to be successful.

And, with such a strong focus on racial injustice, we must consider what other injustices we are oblivious to that cause incongruence in our ostensibly righteous actions. We all know that injustice doesn't just happen in one place or among one group of people. If there is a systemic problem, it will eventually affect everyone; the thinking, conscientious individuals among us are well aware of this.

Some people are going to disagree with my solutions to some of these problems, and that's fine. Acceptance does not necessarily imply agreement; that is, we can accept problems because they are directly in front of us, but that does not mean we must always agree on how to solve them. It is precisely this notion that so frequently divides us, and now is the moment to work together, not apart, so that we may reflect on the past during Black History Month and take the necessary steps in the present to change the future.

Black people must never think of themselves as victims, but rather as champions. To move the needle forward, we need fresh ideas nurtured by a new generation of thinking leaders. People must trust in themselves and understand that their circumstances do not determine their fate. There is also a need to recognize the value of working together as a society to uplift everybody rather than fighting against one another in a tribal manner for personal greed and selfishness. Whether we recognize it or not, our joint success is contingent on society elevating and empowering those who are in need. When this occurs, people cease being victimized, and everyone gets the potential to prosper as a result of our shared ideals of success.

I am convinced that the Black community can progress and live up to the standards set by so many former Black icons. But that transformation must begin with each of us as individuals, regardless of skin color. As the old adage goes, we are our brother's keeper.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: blackhistorymonth; education; schoolchoice

1 posted on 02/24/2022 7:07:35 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“the great accomplishments of African Americans”

Notice how blacks and liberals tend to celebrate only “activists”.

Meanwhile, they often neglect the doers, black Americans who ACTUALLY did something to improve everything.

So while you’ve probably heard of Booker T. Washington and his employee George Washington Carver (heavens, named for evil white slave owner), and maybe Benjamin Banneker, you won’t hear too much about them compared to Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas or W.E.B DuBois. (Never mind MLK - different era.)

Perhaps because they break the narrative that blacks couldn’t possibly do ANYTHING in America before the ‘60s.


2 posted on 02/24/2022 7:16:03 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVd)
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To: Kaslin

I know one-way they can “lift themselves up”. Stop playing the race card. Cut the crap with your own history, your own magazines, your own holidays, your own TV networks and only fixating on your “lives mattering” while destroying others’ lives.

Be Americans and cut the victim routine. Take advantage of the opportunity afforded you by being an American. Raise your kids with a Mom AND a Dad. Work. Stop stealing and breaking other people’s property. Whatever. Article is worthless as it won’t change a thing. Democrats won’t allow it to change.


3 posted on 02/24/2022 7:20:48 AM PST by albie
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To: Kaslin

“ We all know that acquiring a decent education is directly linked to lower crime rates. We also know that the family unit is an important framework for providing the necessary support and balance for children to thrive. These are the issues that must be addressed during Black History Month and beyond. “

If education is the way to fight crime then why, oh why would you rely on government schools?

These days they seem to teach plenty (if they teach anything at all) about being entitled, cultural sensitivity (what to be offended by), faggotry of all sorts (including, of course, transgenderism), Marxist racism (aka Critical Race Theory) and Socialistic ideology … but that’s not education, it’s indoctrination.

And as for crime, whilst hyperviolent street gangs are pretty much the arbitrators of cool in a certain sub-culture do not expect any amount of education to make a difference.


4 posted on 02/24/2022 7:27:17 AM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Kaslin

How about media and political propagandists stop fueling the ‘racist’ moniker. How about government policies stop causing black families to disintegrate leaving fatherless children. As to MLK’s famous quote why don’t we focus much more on the ‘content of character’ instead of pandering to the victimhood mentality of skin color. How about modern pop culture, Black and others, stop glorifying immoral sewage and violence. How about Black Americans stop voting in huge majorities for Democrats who only harvest their votes in return for crappy outcomes. ????


5 posted on 02/24/2022 7:28:34 AM PST by tflabo (Truth or tyranny )
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To: Kaslin

Blah...Blah...Blah...

Blacks need to put their own house in order.


6 posted on 02/24/2022 7:49:02 AM PST by super7man (Madam Defarge, knitting, knitting, always knitting.)
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To: Kaslin

During Black History Month they ought to teach how no Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act, that Democrats were the Ku Klux Klan, and that Democrats created the intense welfare program that kept Blacks in poverty living in slums with no hope for a future.


7 posted on 02/24/2022 8:40:58 AM PST by From The Deer Stand
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To: albie

Blame the faulse prophet MLK


8 posted on 02/24/2022 9:11:34 AM PST by cowboyusa (America Cowboy up! )
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To: Kaslin
Statistics show that poor education plagues Black youths, and it is precisely this issue that we must address first in order to lift future generations within the Black community out of poverty.

This statement is misleading IMHO. The question to ask is WHY are black youth disproportionately not being educated? WHY do black youth disproportionately turn to violence?

Let me be blunt. The blind cannot lead the blind. If your parent(s) and the adults in your life embrace black thug culture, blame whitey for all their problems and see education as "acting white" - then the offspring of that culture will not be helped by "whitey" education, regardless of how much is spent per child.

Our choices in life have consequences. Our values have consequences. Our worldview has consequences.

Until a person or people understand cause and effect as it applies to their personal life - that person or people will not understand what is required to make meaningful and positive change in their life.

Christianity is all about coming to the end of oneself - understanding that we are weak, broken and sinful and in need of a Savior. So long as we blame others or believe we are god and refuse to see that the person in the mirror is in need of a Savior (Jesus) - we will never understand truth and life.

9 posted on 02/24/2022 9:33:15 AM PST by JesusIsLord
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To: Kaslin
Don't get a education, that be actin white, man
Don't be doin nuffin to be actin like the white man
Sell some crack, run some ho's, you be doin right, man
If you actin white then we gonna fight, man
10 posted on 02/24/2022 12:11:40 PM PST by sima_yi ( Reporting live from the far North)
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