Should more successful black men & women be mentoring black teenagers?

[Memorial Stadium Piru]

We all care about the community right? The epidemic of deadbeat dads is kinda getting better from its peak in the 90s, but it's still at atrocious levels. As a result, these fatherless children are responsible for the majority of the crimes being committed in the inner city, the teenage pregnancy and abortion rates, their lack of accountability & sticktoitiveness and are a general nuisance.

When me & my dad are out somewhere, somewhere as simple as Walmart or the park playing basketball, I see young brehs looking at us and the shyt is super disheartening. You can tell they're longing for a fatherly bond or and older cat to spend time with and drop jewels on them, something they never had and likely never will

We see them as no good, but behind the manic depression and violence they're still mental toddlers crying out for love and attention. If "woke" successful black men & women began mentoring more heavily and showing the kids some fly shyt and letting them see the fruits of success from something other than sports, hip-hop and drug dealing, would that rub off on the kids, seeing positive examples of education, healthy love & affection, masculinity/femininity and integrity? Would it help turn around the devastating free fall that has been affecting the black community? Your thoughts?

 

[Yinny]

Yes.

edit: Some successful people are shytty human beings though (I know a few dozen) so you know, make sure they're people who actually do positive shyt.

 

[Raava]

Yes.

 

[TheGreatMTB]

I had a solid family growing up.

But I've noticed successful black people aren't always "eager" to associate with young black people period. When I graduated and joined corporate America, there were times when I felt the more experienced black people were sizing me up more than the white people in the building. There were 1-2 people who really talked to me, gave me career advice, and helped teach me how to handle the transition. The rest of them almost considered me to be a threat or a nuisance to deal with. Hitting people up on Linkedin, black people are always the slowest to get back to me with advice. Even if I ask something simple like "that's an interesting job you have, what tips do you have for someone interested in transitioning that direction in 2-3 years?".

An individual of a different race is more likely to swiftly respond to me.

 

[TL15]

It's not about showing them "success" and fruits of success. They see that on a much larger scale than you or your dad could ever show them just by opening their IG account

They need discipline
Love
Acceptance
Compassion
A sense of "good" belonging (because many of these same kids get a sense of belonging from gangs)

I've mentored a kid playing pop warner football for a few years and plan on continuing doing that. We need to get involved at a very young age and we need to stay involved. People think that giving a kid a backpack and a high 5 one time is going to change their life when in reality it's just a band-aid gesture. We need educational overhaul so that their teachers are paid more and care more. Teachers spend 8 hours per day with kids, they need to know the signs and help the community reclaim their children.

 

[BlackJesus]

Even if every successful black person mentored 5 kids each that still wouldn't solve the problem. There are not enough successes and the problem is structural, the problem is not the lack of mentoring.

They need better parents and you get better parents by changing the culture itself. A better idea would be agressively fighting for change in the schools and firing shytty teachers. Only then would we have a chance at something.

 

[K.Dot]

We all care about the community right? The epidemic of deadbeat dads is kinda getting better from its peak in the 90s, but it's still at atrocious levels. As a result, these fatherless children are responsible for the majority of the crimes being committed in the inner city, the teenage pregnancy and abortion rates, their lack of accountability & sticktoitiveness and are a general nuisance.

When me & my dad are out somewhere, somewhere as simple as Walmart or the park playing basketball, I see young brehs looking at us and the shyt is super disheartening. You can tell they're longing for a fatherly bond or and older cat to spend time with and drop jewels on them, something they never had and likely never will

We see them as no good, but behind the manic depression and violence they're still mental toddlers crying out for love and attention. If "woke" successful black men & women began mentoring more heavily and showing the kids some fly shyt and letting them see the fruits of success from something other than sports, hip-hop and drug dealing, would that rub off on the kids, seeing positive examples of education, healthy love & affection, masculinity/femininity and integrity? Would it help turn around the devastating free fall that has been affecting the black community? Your thoughts?

Yes, I plan on joining my local NAACP soon. They do dope shyt

 

[Primetime21]

I had a solid family growing up.

But I've noticed successful black people aren't always "eager" to associate with young black people period. When I graduated and joined corporate America, there were times when I felt the more experienced black people were sizing me up more than the white people in the building. There were 1-2 people who really talked to me, gave me career advice, and helped teach me how to handle the transition. The rest of them almost considered me to be a threat or a nuisance to deal with. Hitting people up on Linkedin, black people are always the slowest to get back to me with advice. Even if I ask something simple like "that's an interesting job you have, what tips do you have for someone interested in transitioning that direction in 2-3 years?".

An individual of a different race is more likely to swiftly respond to me.

Interesting, I had the opposite experience with older Black folks working in corporate America after college but I guess that varies person to person.

 

[YouMadd?]

It takes more than mentorship, although mentorship is a huge part of being successful. Successful black folks need more enterprises so these mentored kids can have jobs eventually...

 

[the bossman]

It's one good solution to a much larger problem. Like other Brehs said it's more than just giving them pep talks coming from a male figure. These mothafukkas need job opportunities. The problem has to be attacked from many angles and mentoring is just one

 

[Hoodoo Child]

Yes. Pass the knowledge around.

 

[Ya' Cousin Cleon]

Yes, I plan on joining my local NAACP soon. They do dope shyt

NAACP gets a bad rap tho, why is that?

Salute tho breh

 

[K.Dot]

NAACP gets a bad rap tho, why is that?

Salute tho breh

Jewish involved in the founding, they soft on whites. They still do things for my community so IDGAF.

 

[Heafcliffe]

Yes. Absolutely. All takes is a seed and opening the circumference of their knowledge.

Earlier this year, i had 2 of my most difficult students come up to me at the end of the last class for the year and tell me that they learned so much and thankful that I stuck with them.

The hope is they'll reciprocate and pay it forward.

Edit: Shyt almost made a nikka crumble up and .

Worth it!

 

[skeetsinternal]

No....how did these successful blacks obtain their success would be the first thing to come to mind