Anyone thinking old white men are a big danger for young black males [or blacks in general] is nuts. Or more likely, just a racist liar.
Most dangerous group for young black males is young black males.
MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER by Nathan McCall [born 1955] [Prof Afro Am studies - Emory U] Published 1994 page 410
"...... At work, I constantly got visions of some gang member approaching my son, asking for money or his clothing,
then pointing a gun to his head and firing, just for the hell of it. I came up with strategies to minimize the risks:
I made sure he came nowhere near to being sharply dressed in school.
No expensive sneakers or flashy clothes that might entice jealous dudes to go after him. I drilled him on ways to
handle different street scenarios and coached him on how to respond if approached by hoods.
"If somebody asks you for your coat, don't put up a fuss. Just take it off and hand it to them without a word. We can always get you another coat," I said.
Although I schooled him on practically every potential situation that came to mind, it still wasn't enough to calm my nerves.
Every time I read a news story about some teenage boy being gunned down over some senseless shit,
I got visions of my son in subway encounters or neighborhood brawls.
My fears about his safety forced me to come to grips with a troubling reality:
As much as I ranted about white folks' messing with us, I felt more threatened physically by my own people and the powerful self hatred driving them...........
Many people are puzzled about the
culture of violence pervading black communities; it's so foreign to them.
Some wonder if there is something innately wrong with black males. And when all else fails, they reach for the easy responses:
Broken homes. Misplaced values. Impoverished backgrounds.
I can answer with certainty only about myself.
My background and those of my running partners don't fit all the convenient theories,
and the problems among us are more complex than something we can throw jobs, social programs, or more policemen at. ..................
"For those who'd like answers, I have no pithy social formulas to end black on black violence.
But I do know that I see a younger, meaner generation out there now- more lost and alienated than we were, and placing even less value on life.
We were at least touched by role models; this new bunch is totally estranged from the black mainstream.
Crack has taken the drug game to a more lethal level and given young blacks far more economic incentive to opt for the streets.
I've come to fear that of the many things a black man can die from, the first may be rage- his own or someone else's.
For that reason, I seldom stick around when I stop on the block. One day not long ago, I spotted a few familiar faces hanging out at the old haunt, the 7 Eleven. I wheeled into the parking lot, strode over, and high fived the guys I knew.
Within moments, I sensed that I was in danger. I felt hostile stares from those I didn't know.
I was frightened by these younger guys, who now controlled my former turf.
I eased back to my car and left, because I knew this: that if they saw the world as I once did,
they believed they had nothing to lose, including life itself.
It made me wanna holler and throw up both my hands.
MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER by Nathan McCall [born 1955] [Prof Afro Am studies - Emory U] Published 1994 page 416
http://www.amazon.com/Makes-Me-Wanna-Holler-America/dp/0679740708&tag=ff0d01-20?tag=usmb-20
http://www.nathanmccall.net/