SteveYi
You hear it in the home, on the streets, and in school environments across the county: Insensitive communication among African American youths is an unbridled epidemic. The indifferent opinion is that teenagers will be teenagers, or they are just being playful, but the impact of insensitive communication goes beyond what is seen and even heard.
This article will explore the reasons, implications, and potential solutions for addressing this unethical behavior.
Insensitive communication directed toward another has a way of degrading or diminishing the self-esteem, honor, or dignity of another person, even if that communication is less than serious. Calling one another the N-word or the B-word is an unethical expression in any cultural group. Using these insensitive words, not only occasionally, but on a constant basis, as well as others, will eventually destroy a person’s sense of esteem and self-dignity.
My Story
As a youth growing up in the Deep South, I remember being targeted by disempowering words coming from my peers. Although many of these words were playfully expressed, I felt the negative influence of them later in life, causing me to question my personal ability and worthiness to achieve the quality of life I had envisioned.
One event evolving insensitive communication occurred in a high school drama class in which I volunteered to get up and do an expression of a character we were studying that day. After a surprisingly good portrayer of that character, a peer of mine who I deeply admired, instead of directed toward me words of inspiration, suddenly shouted out, “Glenn, who do you think you are,” followed by mockery and laughter.
Because the mockery came from someone I admired, my self-esteem and initiative had unknowingly suffered a blow. I volunteered less and less to get up before the classroom or participate in front of groups during my high school year. This behavior eventually followed me into my adult life.
But my incident was not on the lever insensitive communication is used today among African American youth. The corrupt words, like scorpions ready to strike, keep coming throughout the day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.
Once Practiced Good Values, historically.
Historically, however, the African American youth didn’t always use disrespectful language toward one another. Before the early eighties and before the influence of gangster rap music, Black youth practiced decent values that helped the Black culture sustain a sense of unity and strength.
I, and my peers grew up watching TV shows like leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith, and the Grady Bunch. Shows that emphasized good values. These programs will stand the test of time against the filth that is seen and heard in the entertainment business today.
Impact of Insensitive Communication
Because of the insensitive communication rampant among African American youth today, homes, schools, and communities must bear the consequences of such wayward behavior. The impact is significant:
Many parents are discouraged and don’t know what to do about the disrespectful attitudes around the home. Siblings calling each other derogatory names and expressing all types of corrupt thoughts toward authority and systems designed to enhance the quality of their lives.
Teachers must endure the onslaught of corrupt language in the classroom throughout the school day, putting out potential fires that could flare up at the moment. Because of this many educators experience burnout and quit mid semester or complete retire from the profession.
Black communities are filled with disrespectful youths hurling insults toward each other, developing attitudes that, in many situations, create danger and divisions when taking seriously. Consequently, we all can agree that using corrupt communication will not do anything to eliminate Black on Black crime and gang activities that are rampant in the African American community.
Moreover, Black communities are filled with the practice of unethical values and cannot thrive. Profitable businesses move away, and jobs disappear.
Residents of the community lose hope in progressiveness and trust among one another diminish until suspicion becomes the prevailing attitude.
Root Causes of Insensitive Communication among African Amirian Youth
As a African American growing up in the late seventies and early eighties, I can say, to a certain degree, that the Avant black exploitation moves such as Supper Fly, the Mack, and arrival of gangster rap music had a lot to do with shaping the negative attitudes of black youth in today’s society.
The glorification of treating women like less than intelligent weaklings only designed to satisfy the physical cravings of men and then tossed aside was the purpose for these derogatory movies and rap songs.
Gangster rap songs whose lyrics were designed to separate and divide the potential unity of Black youth were accepted as a form of serious art. As a result, the idea of a thug nation became attractive. Gang formation and violence begin to spread across American, resulting in the deaths of such highly celebrated gangster rappers such as Tupac and Biggie smalls. This type of destructive lifestyle among the African American youth continues until this day.
Strategies for Addressing the Unethical Language of Black Youth
The only way to gain back the dignity of Black Youth in American is through the power of the Black community itself. It is first a spiritual matter. We cannot rely on any other race, neither can we rely on outside systems. The Black church and its leaders must take center stage by praying for the communities and by endeavoring to answer the needs of today’s African American youth.
Next, a policy allowing schools to incorporate character education in the main curriculum will go a long way in tackling the communication issue. Once Black youth understand who they are and the importance of using empowering words toward one another, their lives will change for the better. They will understand that it is much more profitable to possess an attitude of positivity to advance the progressiveness of their homes and community.
Some people have unwisely expressed that church and character education doesn’t believe in schools. They believe that these entities should remain separate from the American school system. However, if you look at the state of the United States Schools system and the violence that has plague educational systems over the past few years, something must change. No other programs have been able to prevent the tragedies that have befallen our schools.
Many schools, especially religious schools, have minimum violence and hardly any corrupt language plaguing their schools. Students I know who have graduated from these schools have extraordinary characters and care deeply about their communities. Their communication values help enhance instead of destroying the safety and security of the environment.
The bottom line is that all aspects of the community must be willing to help wake up the African American Youth from disempowering themselves via corrupt communication. Parents and teachers can model the types of attitudes and perspectives that attract honor and praise. Business and organizations can emphasize the value of honor, character, and productivity.
The sooner the better. Our youth will be in possession of the future. They must be able to think and talk and act in the interest of empowerment and progressiveness if the Black community is to survive and have a part in creating a greater world.
