black in America....

Kunjufu · (#1 (**permalink**))

Celebrities, leaders share their experience as black Americans - CNN.com

MzTeacher · (#2 (**permalink**))

I am so glad they are showing this. it appears to be a good show. however, i wonder what positive affect will it have on us as a people???

LadyDay · (#3 (**permalink**))

great link
gonna watch when i am more awake
may even add a link of it to my blog

Kunjufu · (#4 (**permalink**))

I watched most of the links thuis far..some really interesting views...I found Whoopi Goldbergs interesting considering some of her choices?

BrooklynGal · (#5 (**permalink**))

I really liked what T.D. Jakes and Joseph C. Phillips had to say about fathers, family and excelling.

I grew up in a borough that was/is predominantly African American and I now live in a section of the same borough that is predominantly Caribbean and African, mostly Haitian. Though my childhood friends and I were lucky to come from two-parent professional homes with strong extended family ties, a lot of our friends and neighbours weren't. It's amazing to see how those of us who had these concrete family units turned out, as opposed to our friends who didn't. We are largely 'succesfull' and have less drama in our lives. The sisters and fellas that grew up like me are in stable marriages and/or relationships and just seem to have more confidence in general etc. But I can't say the same for those friends who weren't lucky to have what we had. One of my closest male friends who didn't grow up with a father now has seven (7) kids with four different women and barely sees his kids, though he does pay child support. He is very intelligent, college educated and has a good job, is a homeowner etc. but for whatever reason, he can't get it together where relationships are concerned. And he is completely mentally detached from the notion of 'fatherhood'. With him, this disconnect is truly some kind of mental ish.

My girlfriends who grew up fatherless always have male drama in their lives. They're either waiting for some cat to come 'rescue' them, are shacking up with the wrong guy or are caught up in some romantic jive that has them expecting men to behave a certain way that makes no sense. Or worse, are bitter or raising some straight jacked namby-pamby sons.

It's interesting too, when I look at my African (from the continent) and Caribbean friends. Every one of them grew up in a solid two-family 'traditional' home and every one of them is just so super-confident and successfull. My Nigerian sisterfriend is just dynamite and amazes me with her self-esteem and self-respect.

This is not to say that every African American who grew up in a single parent home has relationship issues or drama. It's just sad that really, so many of us don't know the healthiness of a two-parent drama-free home, and haven't known it for generations.

MzTeacher · (#6 (**permalink**))

brooklyngirl, you are soooo right. i find that a great majority of the people i come in contact with have grown up without a father and have constant relationship drama. they appear dislluisioned and expect to get a mate that will cater to their needs. it seems as though they are looking for someone to get over on.

i, too, grew up with both my parents and i find that the guys i have dated in the past seem to be resentful and was a problem in the relationship, always being paranoid and having to have their friends all in the relationship. i since then have not given a so-called "thug" the time of day.

i am now, just starting a new relationship with a brother who was raised by both parents and is truly a loving black man. he experienced very similiar things i have with the past women he has dated. i am so glad we have gotten together. he doesn't want to be a thug nor am i looking for some money man to buy me all kinds of things, so i can brag to my friends.

it seems like a great deal of black folks in the community have that distorted way of thinking.

DSP · (#7 (**permalink**))

Brooklyn Gal and Mz Teacher,

Not to say you're wrong, but I've seen just as many screwed up people who come from a 2 parent household and people who came from 1 parent household in successful relationships. Everyone's reality is different. There are positive and negatives on both sides of this coin.

The majority of the worlds population was not raised by 2 parents.

Shemsi en Tehuti · (#8 (**permalink**))

Tomorrow (Sunday) is supposed to be a special show on CNN called "Daughters of Legacy" for their Black in America series. After it shows, I will definitely be posting a thread to discuss it.

That show will have all the daughters of the Afrikan men who made a legacy in America including the daughters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Hope everyone gets to see it.

astmartins · (#9 (**permalink**))

What I enjoyed was what someone pointed out that Black people were pre-occupied with Political freedom as opposed to Economic freedom..with hindsight we know what we should have attacked first..but guess mixing with YT people despite their opposition was our PRIMARY concern...Good points really enjoyed the Dude from Cosby...C.Phillips