EPISODE I, PART 1- Who’s Your Daddy?

(if you prefer, check-out the re-imagined “lived-out” version below)

The bulk of the following are excerpts from one or more of my writings and published Books being shared for your general edification, reference, reproduction and use as may be appropriate in the circumstances. Part 2 of this episode will be substantially from the Book INSPIRATION, originally published in 2001, but referenced because of its continued resonance. The goal here is to better focus and hopefully enrich the ongoing national conversation about race; class; decades of systemic racism as it may have negatively impacted lives in Urban America; our burgeoning prison industrial complex which in this land of the free, is embarrassingly second to none in the world; and the broader implications of all of these in the context of our criminal and social justice system.

As some have (sometimes paternalistically, or with barely restrained condescension) asserted over the years, much of the unfortunate outcomes in the minority population (specifically in the African American communities) are due to the absence of fathers in the home. I believe even Senator Rand Paul (an apparent advocate for change) was himself recently quoted as suggesting the same. Unfortunately, in far too many quarters the prevalence of single-parent house-holds in these communities has been foisted by some as the main reason for the negative outcomes suffered by these communities. However, to be charitable, this is at best inchoate, An incomplete thought process.

Left unaddressed are potential causal links to the absence of equal opportunities for those in the community who are willing, able and qualified for the same high paying jobs that tend to go to people outside those communities. Instead many find it more convenient to air brush this pertinent and similarly impactful majoritarian sense of racial entitlement by conveniently labelling most minority communities with the insidious libel of being lazy; Hoping that would help wash away the collective guilt of institutional neglect, bias and gross discrimination where leaders continue to feel more inclined to be “tough on crime” by investing in metal detectors and prisons rather than quality educational resources for the increasingly restive population consigned to very decrepit urban schools

Left unmentioned is that while most cops are probably good caring people trying to do a decent job, the culture of cover-up and “omerta” (the blue wall of silence and quiet complicity) remain unchallenged (absent video evidence) even as these practices have become broadly tolerated when inflicted on those in the minority communities where some cops routinely abuse the civil rights of fellow citizens they were hired to ‘serve and protect’. In the meantime, many choose to forget that the syndrome of fatherless homes is more a part of the overall outcome than the primary cause of those negative indicators. Ironically, the causes of fatherless homes are in large part the very things the protesters (in Ferguson; in New York; In Philadelphia; in South Carolina; in Baltimore and in many other communities around the country) have been protesting against! They are decrying the obscenely disproportionate number of minorities typically harassed, “stopped and frisked,” viciously arrested, killed without repercussion, aggressively charged and remorselessly condemned and sent to the ‘gallows’ or longer than average prison sentences. – Systemic injustices worthy of being traduced by any fair-minded believer in equal justice!!!

Surely, the major reason for the disparate social outcomes is not fatherless households. It is the social milieu and the sometimes-unmanaged hostile racial attitudes that cause and further exacerbate the challenges of urban living; Cynical policies that unjustly deprive many minorities the dignity of citizenship, full participation and equal access. Of course, we as people are better than this. We should demand better from elected leaders fashioning public policies of equal application. We should expect better from all those hired to serve and protect us from the few real miscreants, whether on Wall Street, Jump Street, or Main Street. But first, we each must vow to do better.

A Dramatized Version of this piece (PART 1)

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

Austin, before we dive deep into the feature article entitled -REPRESSED ANGER, OPPRESSED POPULATION, AND COMPRESSED PRISON WALLS- STILL I HEAR VOICE, let us first take a moment to discuss the Editorial you wrote in the same publication entitled -OBTUSE OR NOT OBTUSE- THAT IS THE QUESTION. I must say both are very compelling and catchy titles

AUSTIN:

Thanks, Pelebe. Like you said, the editorial is related to the broader theme of the publication- a valuable lesson you and I learnt at Wayne State University’s School of Journalism and Social Ethics. The ULTIMATE goal is to better focus and hopefully enrich the ongoing national conversation about race; class; decades of systemic racism as it may have negatively impacted lives in Urban America, especially here in Michigan; our burgeoning prison industrial complex which in this land of the free, is embarrassingly second to none in the world; and the broader implications of all of these in the context of our criminal and social justice system.

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

You noted in the editorial, and I quote- “As some have, sometimes paternalistically, or with barely restrained condescension asserted over the years, much of the unfortunate outcomes in the minority population -specifically in the African American communities, are due to the absence of fathers in the home.” I take it you were referring to the recent comments made during a recent congressional hearing-

AUSTIN:

I believe even THAT KENTUCKY SENATOR -an apparent advocate for some kind of change, was himself recently quoted as suggesting the same. Unfortunately, in far too many quarters the prevalence of single-parent house-holds in these communities has been foisted by some as the main reason for the negative outcomes suffered by these communities. However, to be charitable, this is at best inchoate- An incomplete thought process.

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

Your editorial went on to say that- and I quote- “Left unaddressed are potential causal links to the absence of equal opportunities for very qualified folks in the community who are willing, able and available for the same high paying jobs that PREDICTABLY tend to go to people outside those communities. Instead, many find it more convenient to air brush this pertinent and similarly impactful majoritarian sense of racial entitlement by conveniently labelling most minority communities with the insidious libel of being lazy.”

AUSTIN:

Absolutely. They peddle this nonsense, hoping that would help wash away the collective guilt of institutional neglect, bias and gross discrimination, where leaders continue to feel more inclined to be “tough on crime” by investing in metal detectors and prisons rather than quality educational resources, and equal employment and investment loan opportunities for the increasingly restive population consigned to very decrepit urban schools and neighborhoods

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

The editorial also referenced the recent killing of another unarmed black man in DETROIT. Quoting again from your editorial- “Left unmentioned is that, while most cops are probably good caring people trying to do a decent job, the culture of cover-up and “omerta” -the blue wall of silence and quiet complicity, remain unchallenged, even as these practices have become broadly tolerated and painfully discounted when inflicted on those in the minority communities where some cops routinely abuse the civil rights of fellow citizens they were hired to serve and protect.” So true!

AUSTIN:

In the meantime, as we noted in the editorial, many choose to forget that the syndrome of fatherless homes is more a part of the overall outcome than the primary cause of those negative indicators.

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

Ironically, it is this officially sanctioned brutality against our community, which is one of the main causes of fatherless homes, in large part the very things the protesters -in Detroit; in New York; In Philadelphia; in South Carolina; in Baltimore and in many other communities around the country have been protesting against!

AUSTIN:

They are decrying the obscenely disproportionate number of minorities typically harassed, “stopped and frisked,” viciously arrested, killed without repercussion, aggressively charged and remorselessly condemned and sent to the ‘gallows’ for longer than average prison sentences. – Systemic injustices worthy of being traduced by any fair-minded believer in equal justice!!!

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

And you closed the editorial by submitting that- and I quote-“Surely, the major reason for the disparate social outcomes is not fatherless households. It is the social milieu and the sometimes-unmanaged hostile racial attitudes that cause and further exacerbate the challenges of urban living. Cynical policies that unjustly deprive many minorities of the DIGNITY OF CITIZENSHIP, FULL PARTICIPATION and EQUAL ACCESS. Of course, we as a-people are better than this. We should demand better from elected leaders fashioning public policies of equal application.”

AUSTIN:

We should expect better from all those hired to serve and protect us from the few real miscreants, whether on Wall Street, Jump Street, or Main Street. But first, we each must vow to do better.

PELEBE TEMI-KINDLE:

Before we turn to our discussion of the main article, again, for the benefit of viewers just joining us here in the US and around the world, my guest today is normally reclusive MILLIONAIRE Austin Words-Worthy, businessman, philanthropist, publisher and editor-in-Chief of TORCH INTERNATIONAL and THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATE QUARTERLY. Thanks again for doing this.

We just completed our discussion of the featured editorial in the latest edition of your publications which is title- OBTUSE OR NOT OBTUSE- THAT IS THE QUESTION.

Now let’s do a deeper dive and discuss this edition’s featured article entitled- REPRESSED ANGER, OPPRESSED POPULATION AND COMPRESSED PRISON WALLS- STILL I HEAR VOICES.

AUSTIN:

(He nods)

Glad to

PART 2 WILL BE RELEASED SAME TIME NEXT WEEK IN OUR NEXT WEEKLY EPISODE