Endangered Black Male

As I listened to Judge Greg Mathis talk about his prior existence as an “endangered black male,” a situation that tha famed Judge freely admits he was partially responsible for, my mind drifted to tha issues that envelope so many of us regardless of age. Although I am sure that Charles Dickens did not have African American males in mind when he penned tha classic phrase “It was tha best of times, it was tha worst of times.” There are occasions when it appears that African-American males are tha focus of Dickens reverberating phrase. As an African-American Male, there is no more sobering realization that it is tha best of times and the worst of times than when African American professor can standing in front of a classroom that is increasingly devoid of black male collegians...... 

Now While it is impossible to refute that tha opportunities available to African American males are far greater than they were twenty years ago, it is equally unreasonable to argue that there are fewer black males positioned to access such opportunities. Tha above failings are attributable to a host of issues ranging from personal inadequacies through racial bigotry and institutional racism. Now of days each encounter with young men leaves me with a host of questions. However, there is possibly no more pressing one than 

“Young brother, I ask you what tha hell happened to you during your brief time on Earth?”

Tha question is a particularly important one that seeks to understand why so many youth males have become convinced that a drug infested, vulgar, disrespectful, misogynist lyfestyle and worldview is tha personification of what a 

“Black Youth man ought to be and ought to do.”