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All these problems not being addressed; not even being acknowledged except to blame White racism. And the shouting of "Racist!" was still being applied while a growing number of Whites were at first bewildered because there were laws in place and it was against the laws to exhibit racist behaviors. What more could Whites do? These current problems of the Black community had to be addressed by Blacks themselves. No White individuals or group or organization could go into the Black community and tell the fathers of babies to marry the mothers and support the family they had made together. Even as studies and evidence piled up that children raised in a one parent family without the presence of a father figure were more likely to fail in school, more likely to get into trouble and the young men were more likely to end up in prison while the young women of these one parent families were more likely to follow in the footsteps of their mothers and have babies out of wedlock. (70+% of all Black children born today will be without a father in their home.)

The NAACP and the Black leaders however are still today 45 years after the Civil Rights Movement began and 25 years after laws were enacted to stop racist behavior, were still convinced And convincing the Black community that they were victims of White Racism!

This is why when Bruce Gordon, a former Verizon executive and a brilliant BLACK man with the ideas and energy and a grasp of the real issues took over as President of the NAACP I had renewed hope for the first time in years. Well, he stayed for a little over 18 months until the old guard and old ideas won out. Now I wonder when the problems that are rampant in the Black community will be addressed before another generation of young Black men bleed out their lives on the streets or spend them behind bars. This while the young Black women raise their babies alone without father's thus almost assuring their sons and daughters will follow in the path of the parents.

Though I wrote about Greensboro in my two September posts, the issues are nationwide. It is a new day with new issues and the Black communities need new leaders! Think about that the next time you go to the polls to vote, the next time one of the Black leaders tosses out the race card, the next time the test scores are posted for schools like Dudley and Smith. And ask yourself how your White neighbor is to blame. THEN maybe when the real issues are recognized all Americans Black, White, Red and Brown can come together with solutions. This will not happen however until the old guard is gone and the enlightenment of a new leadership is allowed to grow. So many lives have been lost because of the old guard in the NAACP were allowed to push Bruce Gordon out.

Dear Lord, again I ask: When will we learn?

Learn more about this author, Brenda Bowers.
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