The War on Drugs just helped facilitate the destruction of African American "families".
Slavery - you never knew from one day to the next whether your "spouse" would be sold or killed. One might be forced to "mate" to produce particular offspring. Parents and children separated at will.
Post-Slavery - African Americans were FREE to work, but wtf would hire them? The women continued working as "house slaves - er maids" - and the men went off to the big cities where they could get jobs as porters and kitchen help and other menial jobs. - if they were really lucky - factory. Again - separation of the family.
Enter Welfare: All able-bodied adults without children and two-parent families were disqualified from obtaining it. Et voila - incentive to have CHILDREN OUT OF WEDLOCK. AA's were getting shit for pay, the safety net for the poor was being pulled out from under them, so a solution was found. Have more kids. Don't get married. Younger and younger "moms" because then they'd get 'the welfare', too. Men started sleeping around because they COULD.
The law changed again because the "deserving poor" began to be perceived as the "undeserving poor" - poor single moms should have to WORK if they were able. Poor single men had to work, too!
Problem was/is - that good paying jobs for African American males were/are still in short supply. They have fewer opportunities and are paid less.
Poor education. Poor home environment (non-enriched learning opportunity in childhood). The easy availability of drugs to keep your mind off the fact that your life's sh*t. The realization - hey - I can make more money standing on the corner in a DAY that that sap next door makes all year working his ass off as a "_______________" (pick your job).
Your life was crap from the day you were born so you really DON"t CARE if you live or die so black male on black killing became common place and no one cared. Slums & housing projects exacerbated the situation.
The War on Drugs - increased the incarceration rate of black males.
White vs blacks - for the same crime - whites arrested less or charged with lesser crime.
Incarceration rates for whites were lower, paroled more, their terms shorter.
Take over 200 years of practices and policies that forced and encouraged the separation of the black "family" - that stripped the black male from the "family" setting. Et voila - you have a self-perpetuating problem.
Now Black Males have embraced and glorified treating women solely as sex "objects" to be used and discarded. The exaltation of the "gangsta" mentality - drugs and guns (& "having" women) equal power and prestige.
Housing "projects" (low rent housing) that keep "them" separated. An education gap that will never close until you improve the home conditions - parents who are educated. Parents who aren't high. Parents who are actually THERE. Parents who aren't totally exhausted from TRYING to work two jobs to improve their kids lives but they're on a merry-go-round of being disenfranchised by a society in which racism is not only entrenched but institutionalized.
The deck is stacked. The game is rigged. To win? You have to cheat or get very very lucky.
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