Underwood Update for 7 Jul 2007

I was going to write about something else this week but today, one of my friends wrote about this particular study and the results are very disturbing. Pittsburgh's Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities is a 154 page study that illustrates the worsening state of African-Americans, not only in the city but in the country as well. This study is more evidence to what we already know: African-Americans are in much worse shape than their White counterparts in every aspect of life. This is because of the failure of the government, the education system, and the African-American community itself. In other words, it’s everyone’s fault. The only way this is going to be fixed is if everyone steps up to the plate. I believe that it has to start with the African-American men. In order for a community to rise, the men must rise up. That means the men must stop playing around and get their lives together. Stop stealing everything you see, killing everyone who makes you mad and destroying everything in sight including yourself. Get away from the drugs. Stop dropping your seed all over the place because you don’t have the means to take proper care of that seed. Get God in your life and take responsibility for your actions. Men are supposed to lead the household but 70% of households in the city and 52% in the country are led by women alone. That is because the men are either in jail, on the streets, or dead. The path most African-Americans are on will lead straight to more death and destruction and eventually hell. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and it would be a waste of precious innocent blood if remain unsaved, die, and go to hell. The education system and the government aren’t going to do anything unless we start to help ourselves. Our voices are not heard because of the things we do. It is our fault we are underrepresented and it is our fault that everyone has turned their backs on us. Take the first step today and accept Jesus Christ into your life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not parish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) The reason why the media stereotypes African-Americans so much is because of the things we do. It needs to stop right here, right now.

I recently purchased and read a book that is not only very inspirational but very truth-telling. I encourage everyone, especially the African-American males to read Letters to Young Black Men by Daniel Whyte III. It provides advice and guidance in your spiritual life, your educational life, and how to get ahead in the world. This is a must read for EVERY African-American. He doesn’t beat around the bush; he tells it like it is. It’s a very easy read and you can either buy it at a bookstore or online for $10.99 or less; I bought mine at CVS for $4. Life is a difficult journey, even more difficult as an African-American. Maybe this will make it a little easier.

I want to bring to mind one other thing my friend said. She said that she cannot live here and try to be successful. As much as it pains me to admit it, she’s right. As a young adult and African-American, I know firsthand that there is nothing going on for me here except my education. I am most likely going to move out of here once I get my degree because there is no reason at all for me to stay here. As my friend said:

“The North Side, the East side/Homewood/Wilkinsburg, McKeesport, Sheraden; all these places are low-income neighborhoods and majority black. All these places are cut off from the best of Pittsburgh: the resources, healthcare, jobs, and education. The schools and jobs available to us are on the lowest rung. I don't think I've met any black man more hopeless and resigned to a hard life than a man from home. I love Pittsburgh so much, I go hard for my hometown, but because of the circumstances of Black people, I know I can't live there. I know I can't bust my a** in college just to end up there. It's not because of the same reasons everyone else doesn't want to go home, because I would love to be near my family, to be where I don't have to look at the street names to know where I'm going. I can't go because I know I would never be anything, at least not anything I could be proud of. For everybody that graduated with me, if you made it this far, that means you're halfway there. Just know that it IS harder for us than it was for most people. Oliver could not prepare us for college. That only means that we made it to where we are by sheer strength of will and determination. When you get your degree, remember that. Remember that you had to fight twice as hard as everyone else.”

Hanging around here will just get me caught up in everything that is going on around here and get me caught up in sin. I have to go where the Lord guides me. I don’t know where that place is, but it’s not here. I will support the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and Panthers until I die but I’ll probably just be watching on DIRECTV or something. To be quite honest, I don’t think things are going to get better. The city is trying to “rewhiten” downtown, the Hill District and the North Side and they are doing so little by little. They are going to try to separate us from them further and then just run us out of town. Between the government trying to weed out African-Americans and our own people wiping ourselves out, I will never make it here.

I have probably gone on too long and it’s time for me to stop talking. I don’t want to bore you to death. I hope you have a plan for your life and that you are following the plan according to God’s will. All I can do at this point is do what I can and keep going. That reminds me….

Theme of the week: Tattoo by Mercy Drive

Quotes of the week:

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” –FDR

“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation for ‘tis better to be alone than in bad company.” –George Washington

“Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.” –Colin Powell

Sometimes I feel as though my words are falling upon deaf ears. I know some people especially African-Americans don’t read, but reading will open so many more doors for you.

Case Closed (Point Made isn’t really catching on and it sounds lame.)