Cortez

Cortez, Angel
English 113b
April 14,2015
Professor Bieber

The Importance of Role Models in African Americans Communities

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today - Malcolm X. African-Americans
are still looked at as a group of people that are ludicrous, unpredictable, and absurd. The
African-American community is in dire need of change in order to thrive under todays standards
of living and to do so they must turn to the government systems, the media, and have the people
along their side for not only solutions, but also role models.
Its hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chance Wes
Moore. Wes Moore is the author of The Other Wes Moore. Moore, the other Wes Moore, Joy,
Mary along with Tony and Woody was the main characters. The two boys were both fatherless,
both with the same name, and both born in Baltimore, Maryland in the late 1970s. Growing up
with in the same city limits as each other. Both Wes Moores had similar stories growing up.
How can the African American communities around United States urge the government
systems to help. One way is to have a protocol when dealing with these young African
Americans. But how can this happen when they are afraid of the local police departments. Just
recently there was an officer involved in a shooting with a black male. After the shooting
occurred and the killing of these African Americans, the supervisor of the officer involve told

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him to document what happened. His reply was, What happen the adrenaline is just jumping.
While both officers were laughing saying Its pumping. This was all caught on videotape in
broad daylight. I personally would also be afraid of my local police department, after seeing the
unprofessional work is been done by them.
We need to have programs assessable to help these young black males. The classroom
needs to address this topic. If they expressed enough knowledge of what is really going on in a
classroom, kids will listen and will can to change. If they never experience this how do you
expect for them to change. Have after school activates, which would be free because most of
these blacks males leave in the poverty levels. Another program is a police cadet, which will help
the young kids and also help the officers understand these kids. One of the biggest mentor/ role
model programs right now is My Brothers Keeper, which President Obama launched. This
program is to help the African Americans find reliable role models these kids from the crazies
neighborhoods. Someone these underprivileged kids can talk to without feeling weak, scared, or
intimidate. Not only is this helping them right now, they can use it on their little brother, friends,
and later in life. We need to address the unique challenges that make it hard for some of our
young people to thrive(Obama)
The California Legislative black caucus youth Leadership is another way government is
helping by introducing black youth with role models programs. Candidates from this particular
program need to be a full time student in good academic standing at an accredited college. They
must have a minimum GPA of 2.5. This scholarship gives aid to 10 candidates. A program like
this will certainly encourage the youth to work hard and also get help in school. This will also
help the parents of the student with paying their school. Last year alone, it helped 70 people
across California. If we had programs like this across America I can see a lot more poverty

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African American trying to do better in school. It will show them people do love them and that
they arent alone in this. The kids that are making these trends, making these songs, dont
understand the level of effect that Black Americans have around the world, states Will Smith.
The media is just as much to blame for the way African Americans are perceived. Smith says
there is people who fire guns in the streets, but there is also doctors who go to work in those
same areas to feed their children. With every good act, does come with a bad act. Hip Hop is the
biggest influence in the African American culture and community. When a kid see his favorite
rapper makes them have reason to go finish school to be able to buy those nice things. For
example when President Barack Obama was running for office, many rapper like Jay-Z and Nas
supported his campaign. Also brought in a major of African American votes.
The media is just worried with rating, they wont and dont care about who is
listening/watching. The mainstream media shows you what they want you to see. They can have
the whole country either hate or love you. The media will always bring in the stereotypes of the
African-Americans. This is another reason for racism is still here in the United States of
America. The media stereotypes put a strain on everything from the criminal justice system to all
black Americans are poor. Things we watch on television is also discourages the youth, thinking
it will be easy to go through school.
African American community is in need of change to live under todays standards of
living and to do so they turn to government assistance, the media, and have people along their
side to help with solutions, and also find role models to come in the communities. Programs will
be the biggest assets to change the African Americans community for the better. The media needs
to have made a improvement of showing everyones point of views. The future will be there, we
just need to prepare for it.

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Work Cited

"My Brother's Keeper Task Force." 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2010.
Print.

"Will Smith Urges Rappers To Be Role Models." Billboard. 28 June 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

Fields, Jamaal. "Black History Month Essay: Hip-hop's Influence on African American Youth."
The Journal News. 18 Feb. 2011. Web. 18 Apr.
2015.<http://archive.lohud.com/article/20110218/NEWS03/102180347/Black-History-Monthessay-Hip-hop-s-influence-African-American-youth>.