Race relations in Chicago: The role of the media (home, safe neighborhoods)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MaryMary2012

There are strength in numbers. They can band together as a community and take their streets back. They simply need to work together.

In a perfect world, it would be that easy to do. It's not as easy as you think it is sometimes. It DOES start with the community, but just because you tell someone they'd be safe with strength in numbers doesn't mean they're still going to do it.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by MaryMary2012

Where are the professional black men? Why are they not mentoring these young black inner-city boys in greater numbers?

I'm not sure it's fair to suggest that professional black men have the capacity to both be good family men while also shouldering the burden of essentially raising some other deadbeat's kids. Also, it's not like professional white men have this expectation placed upon them, so I can see why a guy who plays the rules his whole life and graduates from college would be looking to experience what other college grads get to.

The professional black men I know are largely in the creative and financial fields, and don't have job hiring capabilities the way the owner of a supermarket or restaurant does.

From my short stint teaching in the public schools I would say a healthy start would be getting black girls empowered to tell guys either they use birth control or no sex. Can't say I have a whole lot of genius ideas on how to do that, but it's terrible to see how reckless teen boys are, which of course they can be as they aren't the ones who will be giving birth and primary care providers.

It's a huge problem as it is unsustainable to have resource-strapped CPS high schools providing day care for teen mothers as part of their mission. In the suburbs those resources (and space) get allocated to arts, sports, technology classes, and other things that give their kids a big leg up on us. I'm not saying we just hang these teen parents out to dry, but I never got the sense there was a serious stigma about being a teen parent. Frankly, there needs to be. It isn't a smart decision (at least not for anyone who isn't independently wealthy), period.

[Chi-town Native]

Along those lines, this is a friend from high school:

Makes Me Wanna Holler.com | Fatherhood, Relationships And Lifestyle

He lived in NYC for a while and lives in Atlanta now simply due to the job market. He writes extensively about the challenges of raising a family and is definitely a professional black man who cares a ton about Chicago and his community. But he has to go where he can work, you know?

[JacksonPanther]

High-Larious!

Just stand up and take back your community - it's easy! Yet, let one black family move into a white neighborhood, do the white people stand up and ensure that family is well-integrated into the neighborhood norms? Nope. They move out as quickly as possible.

So just stop with the crap double-standards. If it was easy to "take back a neighborhood" or not give it away in the first place, then Austin would still be majority white, for example.

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

From my short stint teaching in the public schools I would say a healthy start would be getting black girls empowered to tell guys either they use birth control or no sex. Can't say I have a whole lot of genius ideas on how to do that, but it's terrible to see how reckless teen boys are, which of course they can be as they aren't the ones who will be giving birth and primary care providers.

I would start with cutting off all welfare for unmarried mothers. The state should provide an abortion or an orphanage but should not pay for an unmarried woman to have children on the public dime. I think that would change some people's behavior.

[JacksonPanther]

Teen birth rates are high for ALL races, especially in more rural areas. Yet all we do is tell them to use condoms.

Barrier methods of birth control require a certain amount of self-control, which teens tend to not have. So asking teens to get themselves heated up, and then have the intestinal fortitude to stop things and put on a condom, is a recipe for a certain amount of failure.

I wish males had a chemical birth control available, but we don't. If you want to have a major change in teen birth rates, then ALL girls need to be on a chemical birth control from the age of 12 until 25. That way no girls would have children until she's at least had the opportunity to finish high school and try to make her way in the world.

But our society isn't willing to make that kind of a statement. So it's the girls who continue to get pregnant early, and catch all the hell that results.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

High-Larious!

Just stand up and take back your community - it's easy! Yet, let one black family move into a white neighborhood, do the white people stand up and ensure that family is well-integrated into the neighborhood norms? Nope. They move out as quickly as possible.

So just stop with the crap double-standards. If it was easy to "take back a neighborhood" or not give it away in the first place, then Austin would still be majority white, for example.

Right on. It's really not that easy..it takes effort yes, but it takes time too if what you're trying to make better is already broken badly. Definitely not easy to do in the least.

[MaryMary2012]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I'm not sure it's fair to suggest that professional black men have the capacity to both be good family men while also shouldering the burden of essentially raising some other deadbeat's kids. Also, it's not like professional white men have this expectation placed upon them, so I can see why a guy who plays the rules his whole life and graduates from college would be looking to experience what other college grads get to.

The professional black men I know are largely in the creative and financial fields, and don't have job hiring capabilities the way the owner of a supermarket or restaurant does.

From my short stint teaching in the public schools I would say a healthy start would be getting black girls empowered to tell guys either they use birth control or no sex. Can't say I have a whole lot of genius ideas on how to do that, but it's terrible to see how reckless teen boys are, which of course they can be as they aren't the ones who will be giving birth and primary care providers.

It's a huge problem as it is unsustainable to have resource-strapped CPS high schools providing day care for teen mothers as part of their mission. In the suburbs those resources (and space) get allocated to arts, sports, technology classes, and other things that give their kids a big leg up on us. I'm not saying we just hang these teen parents out to dry, but I never got the sense there was a serious stigma about being a teen parent. Frankly, there needs to be. It isn't a smart decision (at least not for anyone who isn't independently wealthy), period.

In truth, the teen births (especially amongst black girls) are down throughout the country. Yes, there's still a sizable number of black girls who have out of wedlock children, but the numbers are not akin to the 70's/90's time period.

Also, it goes without stating, by and large, black girls are not responsible for the gang violence or the crime that exist throughout much of the South & West sides of Chicago. Since black boys/teens are primarily the main culprits, the community needs to focus their efforts on establishing a solid positive network of professional black men who are willing to mentor and support these young black inner city boys.

I presently mentor a number of inner city black girls. I just wish that more professional black men invested just an hour or so out of their 'busy' day to help develop the mind, soul and spirit of an inner city black boy.

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by Aleking

wow...I'm really starting to sour on Chicago the more I encounter people like the above poster. Wow

Unfortunately, this is one of those statements where the truth hurts. In black society right now, there's not a focus on getting married, there's no focus of making sure a male role model is in a child's life, there's no shame in being a teenage mother or having several children with several men.
Those are all contributing factors to many of the problems in the black community.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Don't frame it as "black thugs versus innocent white people."

I didn't say that, you did. But, the fact remains that if the majority of the people watching the evening news or reading the paper are white (80% of the population or something like that) and all they see is crime committed 'mostly' by black people, then what do you think the perception is going to be? It's going to be that young black kids from the hood are dangerous. Obviously there are plenty of young black kids from the hood who aren't dangerous but they probably have better things to do with their time than to congregate downtown on the street looking for something to do.

Chicago's MSA is about 56% white. The city may be 35% white. Surely you're smart enough to realize that this area doesn't mirror the country's racial make-up. Then again, you obviously are not.