today’s post comes to you via bro. dwayne thomas. last week, he posted a comment in which he included the following Crescent submission, which didn’t make the cut. i thought i’d pull it out of the comments and bring it up front and center to share with all. enjoy.
I have witnessed African boys who at the age of 16 were at the top of their class maintaining A averages and excelling outside the classroom in sports, music and other extra curricula activities. While I have seen this up close, many within the African American community have never witnessed boys in their community excel to great heights. Achievement is replaced by despair.
In five years of teaching and mentoring young men in the Sigma Beta Club, the youth affiliate group of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. I have seen young men literally change their lives from one of crime, drug abuse, and an overall menace to society to becoming law abiding young men in college studying education, social work, physics, english and physics.
Although this has been my experience, it would be an understatement to note that most African American boys remain underachievers. This remains a growing and depressing fact. African American boys continue to lead in categories like crime, drug abuse, gun possession, un-fathered, imprisonment, drop-outs, etc…
As an African American man and future university professor, this discussion troubles me. How can a race of people one generation post Jim Crow allow the continued demise and destruction of its young men? One would think nearly 100% of all African American boys age 10 and older would embrace education to elevate their lives which ultimately change their community. Most often, this is not the situation. Rather they are inudated with negative music videos, television programs, movies, print material and men of poor character who give puny and beggared examples of manhood.
What seperates the young men I have witnessed succeed and those that appear lost? One glaring answer is MENTORSHIP.
All young men have the potential to succeed but need guidance. Mentors create an aura of self worth that when matched with inspiration and oness God given talents and abilities bring achievement. Through mentorship these young menbegin to realize their responsibility to God, Family and Community.
We all know the problems but where are the answers? Simple….Participate in and establish Sigma Beta Clubs in your area. Its mission answers the call to stand in the gap and tear down the challenges that come against our young men. We must mold and train our young men to become men of God. As we do the gain will be immense. If we do not the loss is great. And who is to blame? The young men in need of mentorship, or the men who could have given of their time, talent, money, wisdom and experience. Who’s really to blame?
Dwayne Thomas, M.S. MPA
Bro. Thomas,
It is unfortunate that this did not make the Crescent magazine. However, i wish you would have resubmitted it for the currnt issue, which is an education issue. I am not saying it would have made it in simply because Paul might view it as not PC enough. Unfortunately your president takes the magazine, after receiving it from the Editor and edits it to his liking. he did this with the first issue Bro. Lewis put out, and I would almost guarantee will do it to the current issue. By the way, the current issue was handed to him nonths ago, but he has been holding it up, as he did with the last. Bro. Lewis sets deadlines for submissions and your president continues to extend the deadline. Why? He is waiting on RDs to submit regional news, which is like pulling teeth. Bro. Lewis feels you should go with what you have and get it to the Bros., which I agree with. However, Paul continues to hold it up.
This is only one of the areas where your president is trying to control all things while at the same time doing nothing. How many pieces of correspondence has your chapter received from the Board over the last year? How many programs have they seen through to fruition? You finnaly recived a “Call to Action”, after a year. However, as Phil put it, “nothing but fluff”. Think about it, we are about to start state and area meetings in all regions come September/October. This will aslo be campaigning season. So, as brothers try to get your vote to be in office for another term, to do nothing, his “Call to Action” will fall by the waistside. The seeking of office is the ultimate in priority for these cats.
Bro. Lewis has some great ideas for the Crescent. However, paul is in the way of making it what it could and should be. What he needs is the support of the Brotherhood to tell Paul to “BACK OFF”. The magazine is an improvement over the last few years. however, the only way you will get the magazine you deserve and can be proud of is to support Ron in what he is trying to do and the direction he is trying to take the magazine in. We need a publication that is fresh, proactive and thought provocing. It must be palatable to the Bros. and the public at large. It should be a tool, along with the website and other things, we use to inform the public of the good work Sigma is doing. It should also show how Sigma is in tune with the issues importnat to our communities.
PEACE,
Todd
Brother Thomas keep up the good work. I know you are holding up the light in Houston,TX. As you know we (Theta Beta Sigma Chapter) are pursuing charges against the frats former National Director of Sigma Beta Clubs. Pre Katrina we had concluded, he “mis-appropriated” more than 30,000 as the chapters financial secretary. While we cant find the brother, we plan to close the book on this ordeal. Maybe we will at least be able to seek expelling the “brother” from our beloved fraternity.
Brother Todd, thanks for your comments and I will indeed resubmit the previous article along with the following article as well. And yes it also submitted and was not published. BTW check out http://www.brothersingod.org. Its a mentorship program I organized in New Orleans, LA. Anyway…here is the article.
Adam Where Art Thou?
Genesis 3:9 records God asking the question – Adam Where Art Thou? God knew where Adam was but wanted to know where was his heart. Where was his commitment? Where was he in relationship with Him? Today thousands of years later God is asking the same question to the men of this nation, state, city and certainly the men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Adam where art thou? Many of us have asked a similar question of ourselves. If not this question many of us have silently asked these questions: What is manhood? Chronologically I am what society says is a man but –What is a man? No man ever took time to teach me anything about manhood therefore I find myself a boy trapped in an oversized body. The little boy in me wants to grow up but doesn’t know how. Now I am married but – What is marriage? What I saw in my family was certainly dysfunctional and as a result most of the marriages ended in divorce. I now have children but ask myself – What is a father? Dad was never home. He was always in the street and/or working long hours to “ameliorate??? my life. I am told now I have to provide for my children, but What is a provider? Through all of these questions and the chaos of life I find God. I join the local church and as a member of the church I am told it is perfectly okay to show emotion but isn’t that a sign of weakness? Moreover I am now called a Man of God but I am still struggling with the original question of What is a Man. My brother, I feel your pain. Certainly, these and many other questions I have had. What about our boys and young men? Do we allow them to have these same questions?
[It came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Isreal strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. Now the eyes of Isreal were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them. And Isreal stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head. (Genesis 48: 1-14)]. These scriptures note the passing of the blessing from a father to his son. Jacob was on his death bed when Joseph came to him with his sons so that Jacob might bless them. In doing so he prophesied their identity – Father to son. Men who grow up without their father grow up not knowing their name thus their identity is often lost. Every man needs an identity and although mothers can encourage, its dad who gives identity. Jacob refused to die until he could lay his hands on his sons and grandsons and tell them who they were and destined to do.
A few years ago I read a column about Elephants in Africa. The writer noted an over crowding problem in South Africa’s National Park. As a result the managers of the park decided to kill some of the elephants while relocating most of the fathers. In doing so violence and chaos became the norm as too many of the baby elephants were left to fend for themselves. In conclusion without the nurturing guidance and love of their father many did not know what to do, who they were and where they were going. After noticing the chaos the managers returned all of the separated elephants and peace was restored.
Boys raised without fathers or some kind of positive manhood example according to most psychiatrist, are far more likely to express their masculinity and frustrations violently. They further become the victims to negative webs of street culture. Because no one has taught them appropriate ways to communicate their pain it is therefore medicated with sin. Sins like spousal abuse, crime, drug abuse, etc. Although negative, these are forms of communication that often go unchallenged.
The plight of African American boys in our country is a real one. It is one often ignored and unfortunately repeated as men duplicate the sins of their father. The problems in our city (drug abuse, drug trafficking, escalating murder rate, etc.) stem from the absence of God fearing fathers and mentors to our boys and young men. In order to change a generation we must start with and mentor the next generation. Adam Where Art Thou? Adam is too often missing in action and those men who could assist often spend their time talking about the problem ad infinitum.
Are we in need of another march? Maybe another crusade? Or Maybe another revival? We have marched until marching has become a dance. What happens after the march? If there is no real commitment on the part of the marchers then it becomes just another long walk around the corner. What happens after the crusade? Do we simply crusade to another city pre-maturely without giving birth to a safe city, & erasing the escalating murder rate? And what is a revival if it does not impact the community or maybe the congregants were revived momentarily and upon leaving the cathedral lost their drive and commitment to the call for action. While these efforts are noble without an ensuing plan are often fruitless.
Given the gambit number of articles written in newspapers across the country highlighting the criminal activity of African American boys, one wonders, where are the men who care? Why aren’t they committed to changing the next generation? Now is the time for African American men to stand up for their children as father, mentor, teacher, provider, protector and as living positive God fearing images of manhood. It is time out for being players, pimps and punks and stand up as providers, protectors, prophets and priest. If we do not save our boys who will? More African American Men must move beyond marches and simple rhetoric and like the adult elephants move back into their community and restore order and peace, guiding their males from boyhood to responsible manhood. Adam Where Art Thou?
Become apart of your local Sigma Beta Club Today!
Dwayne Thomas, M.S. MPA
djthomas@mail.com
Brother please resubmit these articles. What are we doing??? These articles should definately be published in the Crescent. Is it true about our former National Director of Sigma Beta?? I did hear about the incidents of theft from the frat but did not what to jump to conclusions.
It is shocking that these articles did not make the current issue of the Cresent Magazine. I dont know Brother Thomas but knew of his work in New Orleans with the undergraduate chapters. At least one of these should have made our magazine. I hope he resends both.
I agree, this article deserved to be in the cresent magazine. Maybe next time; meanwhile please keep writing. The article is a real wake up call for brothers to get more involved.
Please re submit this article. I am sure it will make the next issue.
Tim is right and thank you for encouraging brothers to get involved.
Brother when was this article in the Crescent Magazine? Both are awesome. Are they going to be in the upcoming issue?