Yes a lot of ME own shops and stores in the inner city. They are not universally liked or trusted and are often victimized by crime, even more so than the average. Yet they tend to be well entrenched in the neighborhoods.
Islam is a way for blacks in prison to survive. Sometimes it indeed "takes" for the longterm. However the levels I teach are "street" veterans. I don't care how hardcore they may be, how cold, how distant. At some level they have roots. Some have nuclear families who may not be able to control their behavior, but there is a deeply instilled (believe it or not) respect for certain family members. Mamma and GRANDmama hold some mystical "clout" over young black men. Doesn't even have to be their own mama or grandmama. What do all these mama's and grandmama's have in common for the most part? Christianity. Church is deep running river through the black community. I think they'll know the enemy when he moves and I think they'll know what to do. In any case I have no doubt that their "marching orders" will come from the Lord.
Mother Abigail...
Good points, and I know from whence you speak. I am well-acquainted with this segment of the black community also. Most are grounded in/influenced by roots of Christianity that run deep.
The guys I'm seeing convert to Islam have either spent time in jail or have been exposed to it at the universities they attend. The latter are educated, well-read and verbose. And several of the ones I am acquainted with (we go to the same spoken-word/poetry venues) hold great sway over their audiences.
I hope and pray that it does not come to a situation where we will see who lines up with whom.
And thank you for all you do as a teacher. You are personally addressing the sad situation in many of our inner-cities:
"Too many children don't know what 4 + 5 is, but they know a nine when they see one." --from one of my favorite def poets, liszen