Category: Black Children
Black Churches In Mobile Teach Parenting Skills to Inner City Parents
Here is some good news.
Churches in Mobile, AL have joined together to develop and conduct a program on black parenting skills. WKRG.com provides details of their efforts:
“Families need help right now. We’re in a crisis”, says Mobile County Juvenile Court Judge Edmond Naman. In a meeting recently with the WKRG News 5 Crime Solutions Task Force, Judge Naman said the county is exploring new ways of reaching out to families before kids get into trouble.
But, local pastors have already implemented a curriculum the judge is very impressed with, Effective Black Parenting. It is a 15 week skill building program that teaches adults how to better communicate with African American Children.
“it’s a culture difference..where in a caucasian family it’s usually time out. But, in an African American family, it’s I’m fixing to get this belt.. and tear you behind up”, says Sherman Tate, a graduate of the Effective Black Parenting program.
The entire article and accompanying video deserve a look, especially from those of you who are looking for ideas to positively impact your communities.
Separate Goodbyes: Segregated Proms in the South
There’s a lot of buzz on the ‘net about a story in The New York Times Magazine titled A Prom Divided. The article is about the continuing practice in the South of having separate high school proms for blacks students and white students.
The article is accompanied by a compelling photo/audio slide show.
It’s definitely worth a read.
The Times article also talks about the documentary, “Prom Night in Mississippi,” which will be shown on HBO in July. The documentary is about actor Morgan Freeman’s offer to pay for a first-of-its-kind integrated prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi, which is his home state. This is an excerpt from the documentary:
Some thoughts on all of this are provided by the blogs Stuff White People Do and Abagond.
Obama as an Icon to Our Youth
People often ask, what does an Obama presidency mean for African Americans?
Black America is but one of many American constituencies that would compete for the attention of an Obama administration. It remains to be seen how African American interests, and those of other constituencies, would be addressed.
But there’s NO doubt about this: even now, Obama is a role model AND a beacon of hope for black youth.
Obama shows black children: if you are willing to work hard, commit to being studious, are not afraid of “sounding white,” and have courage, you too have a chance of being president.
Instead of looking to black athletes, comedians, and actors for career inspiration, now there is Barack Obama.
If the Obama campaign or an Obama presidency causes just 1 out of 1000 black youth to think differently about their future, that would be a great blessing for our children.
Overweight Black Children: How Do We Handle This Crisis?
The percentage of black children who are overweight has sky-rocketed since the 1970s. The Child Trends DataBank website has prepared an alarming analysis of this national health risk. Consider these numbers:
—
|
Percent of Black Children Who Are Overweight |
||||
|
|
1976-80 |
1988-94 |
1999-2002 |
2003-04 |
|
CHILDREN AGES 6-11 |
||||
|
|
6.8 |
12.3 |
17.0 |
17.5 |
|
|
11.2 |
17.0 |
22.8 |
26.5 |
|
CHILDREN AGES 12-19 |
||||
|
|
6.1 |
10.7 |
18.7 |
18.5 |
|
|
10.7 |
16.3 |
23.6 |
25.4 |
—
Source: From Child Trends DataBank, compiled from numerous references.
—
Since the mid-1970s, the number of overweight black boys over the age of six has tripled. And today, one out of four black girls over the age of six is overweight. The ChildTrends Data Bank describes the consequences:
Children who are overweight are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, orthopedic abnormalities, gout, arthritis, and skin problems. Childhood obesity has been linked to the premature onset of puberty. In addition, being overweight can negatively affect children’s social and psychological development. A recent study found bullying and obesity in children to be positively correlated, with physical activity decreasing as victimization increased.
The health threats posed by being an overweight child can be long lasting. Children and adolescents who are overweight are at risk for becoming overweight adults. Overweight adults face many problems due to their weight, such as decreased productivity, social stigmatization, high health care costs, and premature death. In addition, overweight adults are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, elevated blood pressure, stroke, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer.
Furthermore, studies suggest that belly fat is more dangerous than general body weight. The abdominal and visceral fat (found surrounding the internal organs) has been more closely linked with diseases than general body fat. In addition, measuring waist circumference may be a better predictor of a person being unhealthily overweight than body mass index.
Put simply: the overweight black children of today will be the sick, incapacitated, and shorter-lived black adults of the future.
What sparked this crisis? There seems to be a consensus on the following causes:
• Less physical/manual activity (such as walking, sports, housework) by today’s children.
• The increased availability of low cost, high calorie foods.
• The introduction of high fructose corn syrup into the food supply.
• Effective marketing of sweet and fatty foods to youngsters.
• Weak efforts to market healthy eating habits.
This is a crisis that demands immediate attention from us all. So the first step is to identify this as an issue to policy makers and the public.
And the obvious second step is: we adults have got to take control of our children’s eating habits. If we as parents, family, and friends can’t get a handle on this, ultimately, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Two Very Disturbing Videos
These are two disturbing videos. I’m warning you in advance.
One shows stereotypical images from cartoons and movies of the Jim crow era. The other shows young kids imitating modern pop culture.
Which of these is more troubling, and why?
The first video is here: Black Stereotypes.
The second video is here: Children Freak Dancing.
It’s easy for us to blame racism for the first video. But who’s to blame for the second one?
Two Disturbing Videos About Black Stereotypes
These are two disturbing videos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance.
The first is about Black Stereotypes from prior to the 1960s.
The second video, The Children Are Our Future; The Children Are Freak Dancing, looks at pop culture’s effect on the behavior of black children.
Which is more disturbing, and why?
