AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN JEOPARDY

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN JEOPARDY

The State of African Americans Today                                                         By Uriah J. Fields

While fear is a constant for most African Americans sometimes without basis, the apparent danger they face daily is undeniable, unavoidable and not just a threat but a present reality. What happened to African Americans, beginning in the 1980s, that included the unprecenented incarceration of black men on the prison plantation and the browning of America resulting from a recent influx of twelve to fifteen million immigrants, both legal and illegal, in America accout for Latino surpassing African Americans in population to become the largest minority in the United States, have factored greatly to catapult African Americans in  jeopardy.

In the first decade of the twenty-first century African Americans for the first time since they were brought to Jamestown in 1619, (12 years after the Europeans landed there) to become the first slaves in North America, (enslaved 244 years) subjected for nearly a 100 years to segregation, discrimination, jimcrowism, and disfranchisement, now face jeopardy to a greater degree than at any time since they have been in America. Waht appears to be on the horizon for African Americans during the next few decades is frightening.

Following the first generation after the Civil Rights Movement, roughly beginning with the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, regtrogression in black life began and from a race-wide perspective progress was abated. This is reminiscent of what happened to end the Black Reconstruction:  disranchisement and the lost of other rightrs Blacks had enjoyed following slavery. Again, in many ways blacks are going backward rather than forward. And that process continues with no end in sight. At least, no remedy has been offered. Three indicators of the pesent state of African Americans and whta they portend for them in the future. They are: (1) incarceration of black males, (2) education (and miseduction) of black people and (3) economics of black people.

Society leaders, governmental and non-govemenal, including most African American leaders, have refused to call  attention to, let alone, address the incarceration of black men, which may very well be the most serious problem blak peope face. It is more important than education and economics because of the tremendous ramifications and the impact it has on education, economics and other aspects of black life, including politics and religion.

African Americans are disproportionally represented in the criminal justice system on all levels, including as adjudicators. Incarceration is not an equal opportunity punishment. In considering a preponderance of data on the criminal justice system and the incarceration of Africn Americans,
it is clear that race is the major factor that accounts for Blacks being incarcerated in much larger numbers than Whties and Latinos. In 2004 when there was a prison population of 2,131,1880 in the United States, a rise of more than 2.3 per cent during the previous twelves months and a rise of 2.5 percent the following year, per 100,000 population, Whites 393, Latinos 957, Blacks 2,531.
When incarceration of only males by race per 100,000 population, Whties 717, Latinos 1,717, Blacks 4,919. Young males incarcerated, ages 25-29 per 100,000,Whites 1,668, Latinos 3,606, Blacks 12,803. (The incarceration of young Black men is more than 7 times that of young White men). Internationally speaking, it is worth noting that the United States, holds the unenvious distinction of bering the world's number one jailer. As of June 30, 2006 there were more than 2.3 million people incarceated. About 1 out of every 136 U.S.residents was incarceated in prison or jail. Black adult men per 100,000 population in South Africa under apartheid (1993) was 851; the United States under Geroge Bush (2004) 4,919 (5.5 times higher in the United States than in South Africa. It should be stated, in this regard, that Bush just continued what William Clinton had promoted during his eight years as President. Capial punishment ends the lives of some prisoners and others die prematurely for the lack of medical care.

One reason for the high number of people being incarceated is because it is a big money-making deal for a lot of people. That's why we hear that it takes as mcuh money to keep a person in prison as it does to send a person to Harvard University or the University of Virginia. But even before a person is sentenced just think of how many people have profited from him being processed in the criminal justice system. Included, but not limited to, are judges, prosecuting attorneys, lawyers, security people, and a host of others. Those operating private prisons are making big money. Enough said.  Take the money, i.e., proftit out of the incarceration operation and the ratio of people incarcerated would decrease by 50 percent. Add to these things, the fact that prisoners are providing labor that amonts to tens of millions of dollars annually for people who are profiting from the free and slave-like labor prisoners are forced to render. This is another reason why, in many cases, prisoners are serving unreasonably long sentences, especially in private prisons.

The disproportionally hight rate of incarceration of Blacks is a serious matter. At deprives wives of being with their husbands, children of being with their fathers, contributes to the high rate of divorces, increases the single parent popoulation, and makes it more difficult, and for some impossible, to find meaningful employment because they have a prison record that causes many employers to not hire them and contributes to a high rate of recidivism and  black on black crime that includes community homicides. In many states, even after prisoners have served time, they are  barred from voting. Yer, they are required to pay taxes. Ex-prisonres should  be among the first in line to vote. That is one way for them to demonstrate that they are responsible citizens. 

Male adults under thirty are the prime force and perpetuators of society. That's why they are called upon to fight wars, something that society holds to be one of the most honorable things that a person can do. It is during these years between twenty and thirty that most men get married, have children become gainfully employed and play a role in building community. In the black community, during the last generation, these things have happened far less than is desirable for a community to advance and be viable. Should this default continue at its present level for another generation, certainly for two more generatins, the Black race will become effete, approach and likely dangle on the brink of genocide. Black women cannot carry on the black race and black boys born our of wed lock without the presnce of fathers in their homes will be "mamas's boys" with stifled lmasculinity who will continue the cyhcle of being disfunctional pesons filling the ranks of those incarcerated. Let me, categorically state that black women who have the responsibility of rearing children udner adverse circumstances, especially, single parents are to be honored and commended for being responsible parents. I salute them. It is not parents nearly as much as it is society, that is, the political policies of society, that are codified and enforced by the Government that is beholden to corporations and other controllers, rather than the people, certianly not to African Americans that account for the failing of black people. Espousing family values without valuing the family, as some politicians do, is a mockery.

Blacks  (to be continued, page 5)