“To the single women, make sure to have male role models in [your son’s] lives. If your children were born out of wedlock you have an obligation to get your boys around some real men. Not a thug, not a drug dealer, not your boyfriend, get your boys to see a real man. There are examples of real men everywhere.”Chef Jeff [Henderson] spoke of “the pipeline from the inner city to the prison.” “Many young Black men were taught to “man-up” at a young age,” he said. “Our mothers tell us, ‘You’re the man of the house,’ but how are we gonna be the men of the house when we don’t have an example of what a real man is?” he asked. “The key to breaking the cycle is getting the parents to buy in. We can have many seminars like these all the time, but until we start holding parents accountable for managing and teaching their own children we will continue to have this problem year after year.” In all, what parents could take away from the panelists is a call to be more involved in their children’s educational life and, as Morehouse’s Dr. Franklin put it, to reduce the negative “images and messaging” Black boys are getting from the world by surrounding them with positive Black role models.
EMF 2010: 'Saving Our Black Boys'
This past Saturday during the African-American Educational Summit held at the ESSENCE Music Festival, ESSENCE Magazine's Patrik Henry Bass moderated a panel on Black youth called "Saving our Black Boys: What Parents Should Know." Panelists included Morehouse College's Dr. Robert Michael Franklin, Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, U.S. Army General Ward, educator Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, and drug dealer-turned-celeb cook, Chef Jeff... Here's what you had to say: Missy commented: "I get so disappointed when I see our young Black men walking down the streets pants sagging, disrespecting, and killing each other. I agree with these professionals in this article." Anonymous wrote: "I went to this seminar. It was powerful indeed. Judge Penny Brown almost turned preacher on us. It was truly moving and insightful."