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Tears of a
Village
By Anthony Bouyer, PhD
Guest Column
As we venture into the 21st century the most
persistent and urgent question African Americans are asking
today is “Why Are So Many Black Males Killing Each Other.”
Sociology, psychology and the rest of the social sciences
involve the
study of society and social behavior by examining the
groups, cultures, organizations, social institutions and
processes that develop when people interact and work
together.
It is incontestable and deplorable that young black men are
killing, beating, and maiming each other. When these young
men are caught they are prosecuted, not only are the
victims’ families forever destroyed, but so also are the
families of the young men who do the killings.
Some statistics put a sobering spin on the conversation. If
you are the parent, grandparent or relative of a young black
male, you live with the constant fear of receiving that
call: “Your son has been killed or has killed another young
black male.”
Many of us think that are black males are immune to
subsuming to homicide, but statistics show that a young
black male has a greater chance of becoming a victim to
killings, beatings, maimings or being a perpetrator then he
does of getting into college.
It should be noted that guns are the weapon of choice in
most of the killings. So how has the black community come to
find itself in such a crisis? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,
stated “All progress is precarious, and the solution of one
problem brings us face to face with another problem.”
All across America in urban areas, we are witnessing
genocide that is being committed by young black men upon
each other. There is no other group in America that is
witnessing generations of their young men being lost to
violence like the black community – what a terrible
situation. Now, we can and should debate about the causes,
but let us just say that it’s hard to believe that racism is
the root of it.
For many who grew up prior to the 1980s, this type of
violence was unknown. The title of this article is tears of
a village. What is the origin of the phrase “It Takes a
Village to Raise a Child?” It reflects the emphasis African
cultures place on family and community and may have its
origins in a biblical worldview. The proverb is so widely
used in Africa that there are equivalent statements in most
African languages, including “One knee does not bring up a
child” in Sukuma and “One hand does not nurse a child” in
Swahili.
There was a time when the community as a whole took
responsibility for all of the young people. When a child
misbehaved, he was corrected by a neighbor and then when he
got home he was corrected by his parents. In today’s
society, if you correct a child for misbehaving you can be
assured that you will receive a visit from that child’s
parents who will confront you about correcting their child.
Other variables contributing to violence among young black
men is that 72 percent of children in the black community
are born out-of-wedlock. That means absentee fathers.
Research shows that lack of a male role model is an express
train right to prison and the cycle continues.
According to Jenkins, (2006), the main vehicle used in
restorative justice is the technique commonly referred to as
alternative dispute resolution. The primary focus is the
repairing of the relationship between individuals prior to
the escalation of violence.
Jenkins continues to proclaim that there has been very
little research on dispute resolution and social control
strategies in communities of color in the United States.
Other contributing factors to the violence that is being
committed by young black men is that many of them have lost
hope and nihilism has set in – a view that traditional
values and beliefs no longer hold sway.
Dr. King said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where
he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where
he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
For the black community this is a time of challenge and
controversy, so let’s all stand and address this crisis,
there have been too many tears in the village.
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