Tabi Upton Mind Matters

African-American history is complex, filled with tales of trials, triumphs, sudden and smooth forward motion and overall bumpy progress.

At the dawn of our nation, our struggle was one of slavery vs. freedom. Just after freedom was obtained came the struggle for survival vs. the push for progress through hard work and education, preached by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, respectively.

We moved from there to the dissatisfaction of Jim Crow subjugation and the birth and triumph of the civil-rights movement. Before the millennium, blacks wrestled to continue that struggle toward progress through the legal system and the era of multiculturalism.

Today, community leaders still focus on the attainment of economic, political and social equality. Within these issues, however, are key elements that must be addressed. Marriage, formal education, entrepreneurship and the emotional and social development of black boys are millennial concepts I believe must not be lost in the shuffle. Not addressing these issues could result in greater extremes as the socio-economic gap widens within the black community.

First let’s take a look at marriage. Nationally, the marriage movement understands that American marriages are in crisis across the board. However, it may be one of the most critical social issues facing black Americans today. With almost 70 percent of black women categorized as single, no other group in the country is as uncoupled.

The ramifications are without apology. The average black child grows up in a home without a father present. Fragile family units (headed by an unmarried couple, a single parent or stand-in relatives) have usurped the traditional (and statistically most stable) two-parent home.

Strong families create the strongest communities, securer children, lower crime rates, higher educational test scores and a better chance at economic empowerment. Not having strong families, which begin with strong marriages, puts everyone at risk.

The promotion of entrepreneurship reminds me of a career test I took in graduate school that revealed I had an “enterprising personality” that would enjoy starting a business. I was intrigued. I had never thought much about entrepreneurship. Today, I think of it often and have even begun to write out ideas.

To work for a wage is a great blessing, but the sky is the limit when you work for yourself. Showing black youth that they can and should strive to own a small business will be transformative in their lives and the lives of their children.

An emphasis must be placed on fathering, mentoring and nurturing young black males. They face unique challenges. Black men are the most vulnerable victims of murder in this country. According to the 2007 Homicide Report, a series in The Los Angeles Times, a black high school senior bound for college, last fall had a 15 in 10,000 chance of being murdered within the year. His white counterpart had a 1 in 10,000 chance.

Black men are arrested more often and make up about half of the prison rates in the country. As many insightful and self-sacrificing teachers, preachers and concerned citizens and leaders rise to the occasion and speak life to young boys, we can and will continue to stem the tide, one young soul at a time.

Lastly, education continues to be the average person’s ticket into “Club Middle Class” with the average college graduate earning almost double that of a high school graduate. Even if this weren’t true, we should teach children to value education in and of itself. It shapes how we see the world, think and solve problems and interact with others.

The movie “The Great Debaters” provides an excellent depiction of the elegance, dignity and confidence that thinking and speaking well bring an individual.

Michelle Obama recently said at the Trumpet Awards in Atlanta, “We’re going to have to recognize our destiny is in our hands. Let’s build the future we all know is possible.”

We’re poised on the edge of that future right now. Let’s make it beautiful.

Tabi Upton is a therapist at New Beginnings Counseling Center. E-mail her at tabiupton@bellsouth.net.