Welcome Black Moms, African American Parents, Mothers of Color, Single Moms,Dads
Who's Really Raising Your Child?
Often when we hear about a terrible crime committed by a young person, we frequently ask where are the parents? The state of parenting is such that our automatic belief or stereotype regarding a child that commits these type of crimes is that he comes from a dysfunctional, fatherless home.
In many of the cases, this stereotype holds true. But what about the cases where this isn’t the case? Take the case last week in Hammond, Illinois where police charged Gregory Brooks, Jr. 18, along with another teen, of murder in connection with the killing of a couple. The teens also faced charges of robbery, burglary, confinement and auto theft in that case as well. By all accounts, Gregory came from a two parent, church going home, where his parents were very active in his life. Yet, he still fell victim to the streets. Such case reminds us that even kids from “good” families can fall prey to the streets.
The streets can be a mighty lure especially when so many youth are constantly bombarded with the images of wealth they see on MTV, BET and other television shows or hear about in music. But their lives are relegated to neighborhoods of abandoned buildings, poverty and strife. It’s easy to become disillusioned especially when there is a lack of jobs, pervasive poverty and no community institutions willing to advocate and invest in these youth. The bottom line: too many of our youth, especially our young black men, are succumbing to the lure of the streets and are being raised by them.
We know it takes an enormous and almost heroic efforts to keep a child born to parents who aren’t vested in them on the right track but this case highlights the enormous amount of effort that it may also take to keep even a child from a good family on the right track especially when the lure of the street is the competitor of the parent.
Just ask Gregory Books parents, who by all accounts, did everything right in terms of parenting, but who still lost their son to the streets. As a mom, it's heartbreaking to say the least but it also shows the gravity of the battle we're engaged in for the hearts and souls of our children, especially our sons.
So what are your thoughts about what we can do to give these youth a fighting chance or to assist parents with at risk children before they turn violent?
Kim Crouch
http://mothertoson.blogspot.com
In many of the cases, this stereotype holds true. But what about the cases where this isn’t the case? Take the case last week in Hammond, Illinois where police charged Gregory Brooks, Jr. 18, along with another teen, of murder in connection with the killing of a couple. The teens also faced charges of robbery, burglary, confinement and auto theft in that case as well. By all accounts, Gregory came from a two parent, church going home, where his parents were very active in his life. Yet, he still fell victim to the streets. Such case reminds us that even kids from “good” families can fall prey to the streets.
The streets can be a mighty lure especially when so many youth are constantly bombarded with the images of wealth they see on MTV, BET and other television shows or hear about in music. But their lives are relegated to neighborhoods of abandoned buildings, poverty and strife. It’s easy to become disillusioned especially when there is a lack of jobs, pervasive poverty and no community institutions willing to advocate and invest in these youth. The bottom line: too many of our youth, especially our young black men, are succumbing to the lure of the streets and are being raised by them.
We know it takes an enormous and almost heroic efforts to keep a child born to parents who aren’t vested in them on the right track but this case highlights the enormous amount of effort that it may also take to keep even a child from a good family on the right track especially when the lure of the street is the competitor of the parent.
Just ask Gregory Books parents, who by all accounts, did everything right in terms of parenting, but who still lost their son to the streets. As a mom, it's heartbreaking to say the least but it also shows the gravity of the battle we're engaged in for the hearts and souls of our children, especially our sons.
So what are your thoughts about what we can do to give these youth a fighting chance or to assist parents with at risk children before they turn violent?
Kim Crouch
http://mothertoson.blogspot.com
About
BlackGirlClick.com
   |
Black Mom Club Picks ...
Groups
-
Ghetto RawMoms
9 members
-
Chicago Moms
15 members
-
Moms That Blog!
30 members
-
N.Y.C MOMS
52 members
-
Single Mothers
20 members
© 2009 Created by Mahogany Momma on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
