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"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside cannot hurt you."
-African Proverb-
Picture this fictional scenario, if you dare: Rev. Al Sharpton is addressing a huge crowd, on the state of Blacks in America. Among the people in attendance are celebrities, politicians and folks of every socio-economic status.
Cheerfully acknowledging the masses, the New York native walks briskly to the podium and greets the audience. “I am here to talk about the atrocities African-Americans have suffered in this country. You know what they are….slavery, racism, lynching, inequality, injustice and every heinous act under the sun,” Sharpton says emphatically. And don’t forget the Jena Six, someone reminded the charismatic minister.
“Oh yeah,” says Sharpton adjusting his tie. “How could we forget the Six young Black men from Jena, Louisiana, who were wrongfully charged with attempted murder, after assaulting a White youth." (Log onto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six to read more about the case that resulted in a protest rally on September 20, 2007, with over 50,000 marchers, mostly African-Americans participating).
Spurred on by Sharpton’s suggestion that Blacks continue to play the race card, the crowd shouted Amen. Suddenly from out of nowhere came a lone voice. “What about Black-on-Black crime Mr. Sharpton?” The voice continued, “You and other well-known Blacks such as Jesse Jackson and popular talk radio host Tom Joyner, protest and take to the streets when Blacks are unjustly treated by people of European origin, but you can’t be found when Blacks kill each other. Why is that?”
Taken aback by the comments, everyone in the crowd including Al Sharpton, turned to see who had the audacity to bring up a topic, that many African-Americans refuse to talk about.
But there she stood, an attractive Black woman in her mid 40s, dressed elegantly in a pinstripe suit, who was visibly aware of the controversy her question incited.
Looking Al Sharpton straight in the eye, the regally dressed stranger, again asked the question. “Why is it that when Blacks kill other Blacks, no one in the African-American community blinks an eye?” And since you obviously have all the answers Mr. Sharpton, can you answer that?”
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Peering angrily at the woman, Sharpton mumbled, “You know Black folks don’t air their dirty laundry.” “Yeah”, proclaimed the woman, clenching her arm. “And therein lies the problem. Perhaps, if we spent less time blaming others, and concentrate on how we treat each other, the number of Black- on Black crimes that occur annually could be drastically reduced . But that doesn’t interest you does it Mr. Sharpton, because you are too busy playing the blame game.”
Stunned by the dialogue, for once in his life, Al Sharpton was speechless as he looked down at the podium.
Not surprisingly, speechless seems to be the common reaction of African-Americas when discussing Black-on-Black crime. It is a subject no one wants to talk about, but I do, and I will.
Stop Pointing Fingers!
Do you know who is responsible for the high homicide ratio among Blacks? Take a guess. If you say Caucasians you’d better guess again. No, the # 1 group primarily responsible for killing Blacks are Blacks. According to the Justice Department, Black males age 15 to 19 are the leading victims of murder by firearms at the hands of other Blacks. Similarly, a 1995 FBI report revealed that approximately 49 percent of U.S. murder victims killed that year were Black. That is a staggering statistic. More puzzling is the fact that more than 95 percent of the murders were committed by other Blacks.
Other statistics worth noting:
In a 22-year span (1976-1998), 94% of Black victims were murdered by African-Americans.
Among the victims of violence ages 12 to 24, 82% of the victimizations of Black males involved an offender or offenders of the same race. These figures plainly indicate that instead of trying to live peacefully, people of color are shooting, stabbing and beating each other. Yet, we continue to ignore these facts and close our eyes.
Speak Up Now!
Black leaders eagerly address racism and police brutality. But how many times have they given a candid discussion on Black-on-Black violence? Moreover, can you recall the last time this issue appeared on a race relations forum? To further emphasize this problem, we screamed bloody murder in 1998, when James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old Black Texan was chained to a pickup truck and drug to his death by three White men. But where was that outcry four years later, when Charlie Young Jr., of Milwaukee, was killed by 16 boys when he was beaten with rakes, shovels and broomsticks?
According to reports; the deadly altercation began when a 10-year-old hit Young with an egg. In retaliation, Young, 36, punched another youth in the mouth, drawing blood. Subsequently he was pummeled by the youthful mob, who beat Young so severely he later died from his wounds.
Or what about Jack Moore and Anthony Stuckey? In August 2002, seven thugs were charged in the death of two men, who were dragged from a van after it accidentally plowed into three women, as they sat on a stoop in an Oakland, Illinois neighborhood.
According to reports; as Moore, 62, and Stuckey, 49, lay injured on the ground, they were pummeled with feet, hands, bricks and stones as dozens of spectators looked on. Sadly, the victims and perpetrators in both cases were African-American .
So where was the outcry from Black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson denouncing these murders? Where was the anger of the African-American community? Where was the furor of civil rights organizations that foster humane tactics? Not surprisingly, their voices were eerily quiet. And why is that? Why do Blacks become angry when killed by members of other races, but remain unaffected when we kill each other? Have we become so predisposed to violence in our community that we simply don’t care?
In assessing this issue, it’s difficult to acknowledge who is the real enemy? Is it the White Establishment that held our fore parents in captivity for hundreds of years? Or is my enemy the Black person who greets me on the street with a smile on his/her face and hate in their heart?
Hence, with my fingers furiously typing on the keyboard, my eyes scan the TV screen. Glimpsing the weather man’s plaid suit, I wonder what the average person will say when another Black person meets their death at the hands of another African-American today, tomorrow, or whenever it happens. Unfortunately, the answer is simple. They will shake their head and say with a sigh, “So what?”
For too long we’ve been thinking that our enemy was the other race; but if they were our enemy then, who is the enemy now? Sadly, our enemy has changed his color to Black. Or is that the way it’s always been? Yes we have met the enemy, and unfortunately IT IS US.
How to Combat Black-on-Black Violence?
It is the responsibility of African Americans to eradicate this plague, and I urge everyone to join in. Thus, we have an obligation to start where we are—in our schools, families, churches, neighborhoods and community organizations. Don’t ignore the facts. Arm yourself with information on Black-on-Black violence, so that you can discuss with others the legal, mental and cultural ramifications of this epidemic.
Leaders, politicians and ministers should have an on-going forum to address this issue in depth. They spend hours talking about injustice, why not spend equal time on a topic that for too long has been placed on the back burner of the African-American agenda.
Stop denying that the problem exists. The truth is, the longer we ignore it, the more it prevails.
When an African-American is killed by another Black, show as much outrage as you would if the situation was reversed. Honestly, have you given much thought to the message we send out when we detest White-on-Black violence, yet look the other way when we kill each other?
Start placing more value on the future of our children. By every measure the odds are against our youth, particularly young Black men who are more likely to die, be the perpetrator or victim of a violent crime and are less likely to attend college or finish high school. We all hope that our kids can thrive in a harsh world. Hence, we must use strategies to equip them with the value of their existence. Moreover, we must teach them the value of honor, character, love, laughter, purpose and pride.
And lastly we should instill in ourselves that violence is never the answer, and that everyone’s life is valuable. So let’s put the knives and guns away and put our heads together and work toward a better life, not just for ourselves but for future generations. We know the problem, now let’s find a solution.
Sources:
http://www.hhscenter.org/bonbstat.html
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=255584
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Midwest/10/02/milwaukee.beating/index.html
Biography:
Peggy Butler is a freelance writer based in North Central Florida. She has written for various magazines and Internet publications including Africana.com., TimBook Tu, and Emerging Minds ( a popular ezine based in Atlanta).
To view this native Floridian’s writing, log onto her website at http://www.peggysbutler.com And to see more of her work, go to http://www.searchwarp.com/Author34462.htm
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