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African-American males in Detroit between the ages of 15 and 24 are dying at a rate that is roughly seven times higher than the rest of the Detroit population. If they were dying at the same rate as everyone else, there would be one death every three weeks. Instead, there are two black men dying every single week.
This has set off alarm bells within the Detroit Police Department, which has taken heavy criticism for its policing of the black community. Their most recent embarrassment was the shooting of 7-year old Aiyana Jones during a police raid. But the Chief of Police, Ralph Godbee Jr., is concerned about black men killing one another.
A 2009 report by the FBI chronicles the growing national trend of black male homicide. According to the report, a black male was about six times more likely than a white man to be a victim of homicide. Although black males account for only 7 percent of the Detroit population, they constitute 25 percent of the homicides.
Recently, I wrote about how prominent black scholars, such as Dr. Julianne Malveaux, are speaking up on behalf of the suffering of Detroit residents. The point here is that the suffering will not end until we allocate resources to stop the devastation. As of this moment, genocide of black men is contributing to the erosion of the black family. When a black boy is left uneducated by a decaying inner city school system, he is then unemployed and ultimately either the victim of murder or incarceration. Nearly half of all the black men in my family have either been to jail or come close to death.
Both our society and the black family have engaged in a creative partnership for the destruction and death of black boys, and it's time for that partnership to end. Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama, both of whom happen to be black males, have the power to stop this.
Sure, it won't be easy, and it's difficult to care about black males without getting resistance from politicians who've been trained to hate them, but I am hopeful that black elected officials in Washington will gain the moral courage to take a stand on this important issue.
The black boys who choose to kill one another do not start off in the world as demons. The world demonizes us, and we respond accordingly. It makes us angry, bitter, marginalized and violent. When growing up in a world that doesn't accept you, you find yourself doing things you wouldn't normally do and caught up in situations you'd never envisioned for yourself. Believe me, I've been in this theater of life, with a front row seat.
Fix the schools, create youth programs, invest in mentorship. That is how the black male is going to survive.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (326)
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By: BillSchrier on 9/03/2010 12:06PM
This whole article is about victimhood. According to Watkins, the black male is a victim. Society, schools, everyone else is to blame EXCEPT black males themselves. This is the same old whine that blacks always throw out. If blacks want to know the source of their problems, they need to look in the mirror for once.
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By: Eric on 9/03/2010 1:34PM
I have to fully concur with you! It's, always the same cries of victim hood, when in reality it's nothing more than the usual, and predictable aberrant behavior from black people themselves! The very same can also be said of black women, and all those OOW babies being born at 71%, and also why the majority of black communities are in shambles, and will only remain in that state! Nobody cares! But. again it's always someone else's fault! So, as usual only blame the white man for your circumstance.! Its, again nothing but a complete lack of personal responsibility, then wanting a free ride on the tax payer's dime yet again! Black people continue to engage in the same behavioral patterns, and unfortunately with the same results! For example: HIV/AIDS is an epidemic in the black community with African Americans directly responsible for "51%" for all reported cases HIV/AIDS in the US today! But , are only 13% of the US population! With black women being the "highest risk group" with 66% of all cases of aids for all races of women, and the most cases for both males and females nationally! Black women also have the highest statistics for the major STD's ..i.e. gonorrhea, herpes, clymidia, and syphilis in the US today for all races of women. Most black women don't even practice safe sex! So, it's easy to see why the numbers are high, actually they're "staggering"! But, what are they doing about it? Most black refuse to be tested, because they're their already infected! The killings are only the norm, and has been that way for years! Now, it's gotten to the point where it's not even "news worthy"!
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By: pimpinperry2 on 9/05/2010 9:03PM
Bill, Eric, Charles,
I agree with comments. I'm not a native Detroiter but I did graduate from Detroit Mercy University and I lived in the area for 10 tens.
This problem is not just limited to Detroit. It's Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Atlanta and any metro area with a sizeable black population.
Now what get me is we see the results of our actions yet we continue to do the same thing. You have a large % of children being born as bastards with a bleak future. Yet women are still having more then one baby when they can't support the first one. I'm not trying to blame black women however they are at the center of a lot of problems in the community especially when it comes to domestic incident. Most killings, robberies are drug related but the ones that isn't usually there a woman at the center starting some sh*t.
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By: blue on 9/06/2010 3:28PM
@pimpinperry2 Nope wrong! the problem in the communities are Black men not the women. The men are the ones who are supposed to be leaders in their communities as in most cultures, but instead they can't even finish high school. They're too busy hanging out on the street corner and shooting each other to get an education. The women are guilty of wasting time with these useless fools and having children with them.
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By: Robert Brooklyn, NY on 9/07/2010 10:57AM
Bill,
Either you are ignorant or wicked. I excuse you if you are ignorant, but if the latter describes you by the words you wrote pertaining to the American crisis occurring in MI, then read these words. The system does not benefit all Americans and it is well known by now. If the Americans described in this article had the opportunity to an education which allowed them to analyze their situation as you do, they will be able to resist the forces that work against them. If that were to occur the social programs in effect that profits off of their blood would cease to exist causing an employment meltdown in our judicial system. If our people (Americans) continue to remain silent either by design or from fear of losing their positions, we will be liable for the negligent actions and non-actions burdened upon us. Bill, I will conclude by stating that we are strong as a country when we are together and weak as a country when we are divisible.
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By: Freedom on 9/07/2010 9:37AM
This guy (BillSchrier) is a known Nazi racist....typical insight.
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By: Michael on 9/07/2010 9:40AM
Bill - I see where you're having a problem understanding black people. It's simple. The TransAtlantic Slave trade, which existed for 4 centuries running, targetted Africans and deemed them slaves. They were treated barbarically and a tradition/custom of oppression was created and still exists today.
Oppressing black people is central to the US system, Bill. You've been taught to "hate black people" since birth. You express your hate by lying about them. You've got it all assbackwards.
Black people are dealing with entrenched, structural, institutional anti-black (not other races as they weren't part of the TAST which birthed the USA) system forces which AUTOMATICALLY target them for economic exploitation and all manner of physical violence. Do you think the CR and VR Acts of 64/65 reversed 350 yrs of entrenched anti-black, govt-sanctioned oppression?
Bill - grow up. You're acting like a kid with his hands over his eyes refusing to see the truth. Here's a clue: black people are very early in our freedom/redemption struggle. 350 yr of govt sanctioned oppression is not reversed in 50 yrs.
Bill - you're only attempting to hurt black people but I'm gonna beat back your bs.
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By: Okay on 9/07/2010 10:21AM
Bill, you have a point. However, I don't think you fully appreciate the magnitude of the problem in inner city communities. I was raised in a similar environment, but thank God I had a church, a mother and siblings who expected much more from me. My point is, if an individual doesn’t have someone to tell them otherwise they almost inevitably will go in the wrong direction. Society does make things worse b/c the message we hear every day is how bad black men are. We are bad, untrustworthy, stupid, dangerous etc. There becomes a point when you may actually believe it subconsciously. The blame is widespread, it really does take a village to raise a child, unfortunately the "village" is nowhere to be found in these communities. Personally, I believe it starts at home, there are always examples of those who defy the odds, unfortunately we make up the minority. Most of these young black males have no one to turn to.
I work with these communities and it is shocking to discover that the opportunity everyone talks about is nonexistent to some of these individuals. It really is a world within itself and until you actually move from the sidelines and experience it for yourself (perhaps volunteer) you opinion means nothing. I have decided a while ago to actually be of service and help whomever I can.
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By: Kenneth Powers on 9/07/2010 12:34PM
Bill, this is extremely racist. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Why are you stereotyping all "Black people." Do you even know any, personally?
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By: nianqing3h on 9/07/2010 1:01PM
Sure, it won't be easy, and it's difficult to care about black males without getting resistance from politicians who've been trained to hate them, but I am hopeful that black elected officials in Washington will gain the moral courage to take a stand on this important issue. My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at agelessmat e.c om a nice and free place for younger women and older men, or older women and younger men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or tell your friends.
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