Black Lives matter..unequivocally to God and should to us all!
Hey everyone, Yes God has dropped me right in the middle of black lives, because they do matter to God. Most people think that the "Black Lives Matter" movement is about black leaders and people trying to stir up strife. For me this is not the issue;
I'm a black life that matters who also is loved by God Almighty!
Racism is a Spirit that can only be broken by truth, and that truth is in a person and his name is Jesus. Jesus not only said that He is the Way, the truth and the Life and the only way to our heavenly Father. Police shootings did not begin in 2016, one of them was Arthur McDuffie who was a black man who was shot in Miami in the 80's. we thought that justice was going to prevail, but it didn't the officers where acquitted, and the riots began because of the anger and frustration of the African American people. 20 years after the civil rights movement began and No justice!
So let me begin with Chief Brown and what he had to say recently after the horrific shooting in Dallas 36 yrs after the event in Miami;
First, black lives matter. Unequivocally. The violent terror that people, primarily black people endure in the inner city is appalling and absolutely must be addressed.
Second, there have been horrific shootings involving white police officers and black men. Laquan McDonald in Chicago and Walter Scott Smith in North Charleston come to mind. Both officers involved were indicted. There is a dire problem with some police officers’ behavior, and we want to address and correct that just as much as you do. He was addressing Beyonce, Snoop and Stevie Wonders remarks at several "black lives matters" rallies.
he went on to give some facts; • Fewer than 400 people a year are killed by cops, and 61 percent of them are white.
• Ninety percent of murdered blacks are murdered by other blacks.
• A police officer is 18.5 times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is likely to be killed by a police officer.
• Black males have comprised 40 percent of officer killers in the last decade, even though they make up six percent of the population.
• Four percent of all black homicide victims are killed by police officers.
• More than 6,000 blacks are murdered each year. Even though blacks are only 13 percent of the population, they are dying at a rate more than eight times that of whites and Hispanics combined.
• Up to 75 percent of black children are raised without fathers.
Dallas police chief David Brown mentioned this in a recent press conference, saying that law enforcement is often unfairly expected to deal with many of these "damaged individuals" who turn to crime after growing up without discipline, guidance and role models.
Well let me pickup right here; black men growing up without a father in the home is huge! broken men and women with no guidance or role models, and black on black crime.
This issue, black on black crime, we never hear about in the mainstream media! Why is that?
Our prisons are full of black men and women, why is that? Where are the Black role models to provide guidance, discipline and the mentoring of young men and women? ouch! yes that includes me!
Many of us black leaders are busy making our own lives matter, we are making music, TV programs, movies and money and becoming successful, while a whole generation of Black lives don't really matter to us, unless there is a shooting by a white officer or a white male who shoots innocent black lives in a church! then we are all quick to point the finger and use the race card.
Many pastors and leaders want to hold meetings to discuss the issues, but will we really implement what needs to be done? What are we doing with these angry black men who want help?
let me also say some of them really don't want any help! Why would I say that? Because I was one of them!
I took a survey of 10 young black men asking them three things; 1. Did you grow up in a home without a father? 9 out of 10 said yes. 2. How old were you when you had your first child? 8 out 10 said between 19-21 years old. 3. I asked them what would they tell their children about God, life and how to be a man in their home, community, and state? I asked them to write down their answers and give them to me for a conference that I was to speak at involving dealing with the black community and it's challenges. 10 out of 10 did not write down their answers and give them to me!
So what did that tell me as a leader, 1. they were not committed to accomplish the task asked of them. 2. the lack of having NO father probably intimidated them when asked to tell their children how to behave or act. 3. they probably were never asked questions like that before.
So where do Black Lives that matter to God go to get wisdom? You would think black mentors and black leaders. Some of them do, there are groups out there mentoring! However the majority of black men go to their mama's to learn how to be men because of no fathers! They go to BET (Media), and they go to churches where the sermon is "hooped" and not taught. How are these men taught wisdom, how to act and not react, discipline, and guidance?
Lets not throw stones at black people only! There have been lots of white people at the rallies, protesting and white pastors leading prayer rallies. GREAT! and we need you! However where are you when it comes to mentoring us? helping us with things like how to handle our money? help in becoming a true man of God, helping us to act wisely, giving us some guidance?
It was primarily the white community that mentored me after receiving Christ which is going to be chronicled in a book, being released soon that I wrote. "From the Streets to the Boardroom" However I was also mentored by a black street savory Detroit undercover cop who became homeless and hooked on drugs. While he was clean he taught me "that people are people, and you will find good ones and bad ones in both colors and cultures". That one statement has stuck with me! I treat people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin or their culture. If we all took that advice "all lives would matter, including "Black ones".
The DOJ has found that 85 percent of violence involving a black and a white is black on white.
If you don’t believe these statistics, most from FBI data, maybe you’ll appreciate a Harvard study by a economics professor Roland G. Fryer who happens to be black. His research of more than 1,000 officer-involved shootings revealed that, though there might be racial bias when officers use other types of force (pushing a suspect to the ground, etc.), there was there was no indication of racial bias when officers fired guns. Fryer’s research also revealed that officers were more likely to shoot a white suspect than a black one.
You see, Beyoncé , Stevie and Snoop, the information you share with fans and the world is emotional and reactive, not facts. We need to move beyond our emotions and act not react! And Black Lives Matter would you be willing to create some kind of mentor-ship program that will help us to be better people who operate in truth and not just emotions?
The biggest problem in race relations today is not the cops or racial bias. It’s blacks killing blacks. Why doesn’t Black Lives Matter address that?
We all want the same things for us our children and grandchildren: law, order, respect, and peace. Let’s work together, sit down and discuss truth on both sides of the race card and come up with solutions that will change our country, states, cities and neighborhoods! (Part 1 of a two part series)