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Do African Americans need Affirmative Action? * Healthy Holiday Eating * Is the Future of the Black Race in the hands of * Reading Scores and Prison Growth * PARENTING STRATEGIES  * THE NBA

Give it to them straight, Mr. Huxtuble

Over the past two years Bill Cosby has been subjected to whirlwind of backlash stemming from his famous "Pound Cake" speech in May 2004 and various other comments that he has made about the Black community. He has been accused of being inconsiderate, haughty, and uninformed. Even though "Mr. Huxtable's" sociopolitical views about the plight of the African American community have some validity, they have largely been dismissed as being naïve and simplistic. This is mainly because he has not taken into account the complex social problems of poor blacks. He has attempted to use sophistry to convince African Americans to restore morality in Black America to its pre Civil Rights state.

Let's analyze his comments. Mr. Cosby has been very vocal of his disdain for African Americans who turn a blind eye to the high crime rates, the academic failure of black students, and poverty. He has encouraged blacks to take a more proactive approach to the myriad of problems that plague their communities. He has been depicted as "picking on poor folks," but he has targeted all classes in his infamous tirades.

What really takes the cake is the fact that within the African American community, there is a "Silent Black Majority," that knows that in their heart of hearts, there is some validity in his comments. The problem that most blacks have with Cosby is that they believe that by airing our dirty laundry, he is letting white folks off of the hook for centuries of oppression; Not really. He is simply asking blacks to step up to the plate, and face the fact that some of their friends and family are their own worst enemies. When reporting Cosby's comments, Commentators have been slow to report his excoriating comments about Christians, the police or his praise of Black Muslim organizations. I think that most of distracters are largely upset at his unapologetic style of speaking.

African American's exacerbate a "Cult of Victimology," that blames racism for the social ills of Black America. Although I do believe that there are a lot of factors that can hinder the success of African American's, we most shoulder some of the blame. Racism and bigotry will always be present in the world, but in the words of the late great Arthur Ashe, "Racism is not an excuse, not to do the best you can."

Tag Line

Matthew Lynch is an Exceptional Education Teacher at Sykes Elementary School, CEO of Lynch Consulting Group, LLC, and a Doctoral Candidate at Jackson State University majoring in Early Childhood Education, with a cognate in Educational Administration. He is also the author of Closing the Racial Academic Achievement Gap, and an upcoming children's book, entitled Matthew and the Money Tree. Mr. Lynch is a contributing columnist for The Black Suburban Journal, Blagazine, and Emerging Minds. Born and raised in Mississippi, he currently resides in Jackson, Mississippi.

15 Reasons Why Black Students Continue to Underachieve

Although the civil rights movement fought for equal treatment under the law and equal educational opportunities, African American Children as a whole are still under- achieving academically. The question of the hour seems to be why? In my humbled opinion, in order to fix the problems of Black Student under-achievement, we must first identify the many factors that can influence the behavior and hinder the academic success of African American Children. I have identified 15 stumbling blocks (factors) that can stop children from realizing their full potential and they are as follows:

Institutional Racism

A. W. Boykin theorized that intellectual subjugation stemming from oppression and racism is a major problem in American schools. Boykin states that White and Black school authorities manifest this cycle of racism and oppression through their actions and demeanor toward Black students. When American values are juxtaposed against African American values, American authorities perceive their own as superior.

Self Sabotage

Many African American students believe that the American Dream was not meant for them (and to a certain extent they are right). Black parents tend to teach their children to strive for the American Dream and adhere to social rules of conduct, but they also teach them to be careful and vigilant when dealing with “whites,” “sambos,” and “decent negroes” who serve as puppets for the establishment. This perpetuates cultural dissension and an atmosphere of mistrust.

Family Influences

In the United States today, more than 63 percent of African American children come from single parent homes, most of which have the mother as the primary caregiver. Having no positive male role model, the boys in the home are particularly at risk to fail in school and get into trouble. As the mother’s time is stretched so thinly, the girls in the family are at risk for teenage pregnancy. As a disclaimer, I wholeheartedly believe that a Black woman can successfully raise an African American male on her own, but why should she have to complete such an assiduous task by herself?

Low Socioeconomic Status

African American children, unlike their White counterparts, have a greater probability of coming from a family with an income at or below the poverty level. They tend to live in poorer neighborhoods that provide fewer resources for learning and even fewer role models of educational and economic success. The vast majority of children in such environments are led to believe that no other way of life may be possible for them.

Failing Schools

Unfortunately, failing schools go hand in hand with life in poor neighborhoods. These schools do not have the resources to compete with affluent areas that have more money for books, computers, salaries, etc. As a result, poorer schools have difficulty attracting well-trained teachers and administrators. Students in such situations may be written off, forgotten, or simply passed from grade to grade. Those who do stay around to graduate are generally ill prepared for college or the working world.

Cultural Gaps

The uniqueness of African American culture sets it apart from other cultures and consequently is often viewed as negative. African American hairstyles, dress, music, body language, and verbal communication styles can be disconcerting to a society that is based on conformity. When defining or identifying behavioral problems among a group of children, it is important to consider the influence of culture on the definition and perception of the behaviors.

Crime and Drug Abuse

It is no secret that the majority of those incarcerated in the nation’s prisons are primarily young African Americans males. We may think that law enforcement has a racial bias, but the fact is that the stage is set long before the handcuffs ever go on.

Drug abuse and the commission of crimes are the all-too-frequent outcomes of the inability of young people to overcome the risk factors of single-parent homes, poverty, failing schools, and cultural gaps. As vulnerable young people begin to feel confused and alienated by the world around them, they seek physical and emotional control in the only ways they believe are available to them—through drug use and crime.

Lack of African American Teachers

When school systems were officially segregated, Black children attended schools that were run mostly by experienced Black educators. These teachers and administrators were actually better qualified and more experienced than their White counterparts (Southern Education Reporting Service, 1959). African American teachers are vital in the lives of Black children because they often play the role of missing parental figures by acting as disciplinarians, counselors, and role models.

Lack of Parental Involvement

Parental involvement is actually the best predictor of a student’s educational achievement. Parent involvement demonstrates to the student the importance of school, resulting in improved student attitudes, morals, and academic achievement. Parents’ active interest also results in increased attendance, lower dropout rates, fewer discipline problems, and higher aspirations in life. In contrast, children of parents who are not involved in their lives are more likely to struggle academically and experience behavior problems

Resistance to Middle-Class School Norms

Instead of surrendering to the typical standards of a school environment which many African American students view as cruel and oppressive, some students end up rejecting European American speech patterns and devaluing high academic achievement, therefore unintentionally limiting themselves (King, 1993; Gobo, 1990). On the other hand, there are African American students who respond in the opposite way. These high-achieving students cite their awareness of racism and prejudice as a motivation to do extremely well, thus preparing themselves to fight these evils (King, 1993). I applaud the fact that many of our African American males refuse to assimilate into the dominant culture, but sometimes it may be better to play the game. This does not mean becoming a sellout or the “Decent Negro” that Nas talks about on his latest album, Streets Disciple; it means that you are a very sagacious individual.

Lack of Priorities

Let’s do a little role playing. Pretend you are a 15-year-old African American teenager and you have one of two choices: watch BET (Black Entertainment Television) or do your homework. The typical African American will probably decide to watch television and do homework later, but it never seems to get done, does it? If you have your priorities in order, you will probably do your homework first and watch TV later. Then your homework is complete and you get a chance to watch 106 & Park.

Unfortunately, many African American children do not realize that school should be their first priority.

Low Teacher Expectations

African American children are especially susceptible to teacher expectations. Teacher expectations, even when based on erroneous information, can influence the academic performance of children. In today’s society, according to Janice Hale-Benson, when African American children exhibit poor reading skills, psychologists say it is because the children have inferior cognitive capabilities or do not value education. When White middle-class children exhibit poor reading skills, it is seldom suggested that they are unable to learn or that they are deficient in any way. Psychologists generally say that the problem is in the method of instruction or inappropriate matches between curriculum and the child’s level of development.

Low Effort Syndrome

This phrase was coined by Jonathon Ogbu in his monumental book, Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb. It simply means that some African American pupils are not adequately engaged in their academic endeavors. The time that most African American children spend actively engaged in learning, studying, and enrichment is not conducive to the acquisition of intellective competence and perpetuates the myth of African American intellectual inferiority. In layman’s terms, most African American students do not work hard in school.

Anti-Intellectualism

In Losing the Race: Self Sabotage in Black America, John McWorther chronicles the trend of anti-intellectualism in Black America. He argues that although Black children are not banned from doing well in school, they are culturally conditioned to exacerbate a “cult of victimology.” This phenomenon leads many scholars to aim solutions at victimhood rather than admit that this problem of poor academic performance is a cultural norm. In my opinion, anti-intellectualism is one of the most pernicious factors that contribute to the achievement gap.

Social Services

In order to effectively assist African American students, the majority of social services should be placed within the school system. This would provide schools with the resources needed to alleviate a broad spectrum of problems. It also would provide valuable resources for African American children and their parents, and provide a support system capable of addressing their problems and creating solutions that have long-term viability.

A CHALLENGE TO BLACK FATHERHOOD

BY:  DR. JAWANZA KUNJUFU

     Remember when Black fathers taught their boys how to tie their shoestrings, catch a ball, fish, check their homework, worship in church, and spank them when they acted out?  Remember when Black fathers tried to braid their daughter’s hair, read her a bedtime story, walked her to school, drove her to the ice cream parlor, and told her not to compromise with those “fast” boys?  What happened to those “good old days”?

     Some say slavery destroyed the Black family, Slavery ended in 1865 and 90 percent of the Black youth still had their fathers in the home.  Others say it was the mass migration from the south to the north and the great industrial revolution.  The reality is that in 1960, 80 percent of African American youth still had their fathers in the home.  We must admit that when fathers left the farm for the factory, their children saw them less, but they were still in the home.

     What is the present figure in 2006?  Unfortunately, only 32 percent of African American youth have their fathers in the home.  What happened?  Did the economy move from manufacturing to computerization?  Are schools providing an antiquated curriculum and pedagogy for African American males for jobs that do not exist?

     Some say that the decline in fathers is due to welfare, crack, prisons, and a lack of morals.  Did welfare replace the Black man with “the man” (government)?  Is there a war on drugs or Black men?  Seventy-four percent of drug users are white, but 70 percent convicted of possession are Black and Hispanic.  How do we reconcile those figures?  In 1980, 100,000 African American males were involved with the penal system, in 2006 it is 1.5 million and 70 percent are drug related.  What is the penalty for 499 grams of cocaine?  Five grams of crack?

    How are fatherhood statistics in other communities?  In the Asian family, 85 percent of their children have their fathers present.  It is 75 percent in White families and 59 percent among Hispanics.  Why is the rate so low among Black fathers?  Did the change in the economy, ineffective schools, welfare, crack, prison and lack of morals have a greater effect on Black men?  Why?

     In reviewing the social ills, grade retention, special education, illiteracy, suspension, alcoholism, drug addition, teen pregnancy, crime, incarceration, etc. the common thread was fatherlessness. How do we circumvent this disease?  Ironically, fatherlessness, transcends income and education.  There are fathers who earn a six-figure salary, others with graduate degrees, some in church not Christ, who do not stay with their children.  There are six types of daddies in Black America.

1. Sperm donors        Stay about 2 minutes

2. No shows              Break their promises              

3. Ice cream              Try to replace time with money

4. Step                     They do what sperm donors don’t

5. Divorced                They try but are blocked by vindictive ex-spouses

6. Daddies                 Real men who never leave their children

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

     How can we empower young African American males who are miseducated, poorly skilled, with a prison record?  Can you propose to a female without income?  Can you raise your family without resources?  Is it fair for a man to earn $6.00 per hour and have the government take one-third to one-half in child support?  There is a distinction between a deadbeat and dead broke dad.

   This Father’s Day, I have the following requests:

1. We must celebrate the 32 percent of our families where the father stayed.

2. We must applaud the 400,000 African American males who are single parents.

3. We must challenge all sperm donors to first spend some time and second to economically support their children.

     I believe most problems in the Black community could be solved if our fatherhood figure was at least as high as Hispanics (59) and ideally equal to Asians at 85 percent.

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is the author of:

Developing Strong Black Male Ministries

Available for sermons: Bible study, Retreats, and Conferences.

Reading Scores and Prison Growth

by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

Governors review fourth grade reading scores to determine prison growth. What strange bed fellows.  This has become an epidemic in the African American community where 63 percent of its fourth-grade students are below grade level.  If governments were genuine about balancing the budget, are they not cognizant that HeadStart, Title I, and Pell Grants are cost-effective?  Prison recidivism hovers near 85 percent.  Why would America spend $18-38,000 depending on the state with only a 15 percent efficacy?  Why do most prison guards earn greater than most teachers?  Rehabilitation and educational opportunities have been drastically reduced and in some prisons actually eliminated.

If the major precursor to prison growth is reading scores, would it not be cheaper to funnel monies and develop educational strategies to correct this acute problem?  Why are African American reading scores abysmal?  Why is it atrocious for African American males?  In my book, State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males, I indicate that African Americans only study four hours per week, while watching 30 hours of television, listening to 18 hours of rap music, talking on the telephone 11 hours, and playing outside over nine hours.  When I speak to students, I share with them the secret to success: whatever you do most will be what you do best.

In 1980, there were less than 100,000 African American males incarcerated.  In 2002, that number swelled to 1.5 million.  The African American community must marshall every available resource to enhance literacy among African American youth and particularly African American males.  Every African American adult should volunteer a minimum of two hours per week as a tutor and mentor.  How could a child stay in a school five years (kindergarten-fourth grade) and remain illiterate?  How could African American parents not be cognizant that their children are having severe reading and math problems?  How could Homeland Security be more concerned about the Middle East when its greatest security challenge is its illiterate citizenry? 

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is the author of State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males

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Black Students: Middle Class Teachers

Is the Future of the Black Race in the hands of

White Female Teachers?

by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

Can you imagine African Americans may be the only group expecting someone else to educate their children?   White female teachers constitute 83 percent of the U.S. elementary teaching force.  African American students are 17 percent of public school students nationwide, but represent only 6 percent of the teachers.

Unfortunately, African American males constitute only 1 percent of the teaching population.  There are schools without one African American male academic teacher.  They are employed as custodians, security guards, and P.E. teachers.  Often, schools will hire an African American male to be an assistant principal which translates into being in charge of all male behavioral problems.

What happened to African American teachers?  Since the 1954 Brown vs. Topeka decision to integrate schools, there has been a 66 percent decline in African American teachers.  Ironically, African American students benefitted from Jim Crow, because many brilliant African Americans who were denied corporate America, were confined to education or the ministry.  Today, African Americans seem to be choosing corporate America and more dollars over their children.

Others espouse the major factors are lack of respect to the profession and poor student discipline.   When I speak at colleges, many students tell me the children are too bad.  Can you imagine a 19year-old African American is reporting the children are too bad?  If they are problematic for African Americans, I wonder what White female teachers think of African American youth?  Could their answer be greater special education placement?  The turnover of White staff in the inner city is 40 percent within five years.

As a national educational consultant to school districts, I spend an enormous amount of time working with White female teachers.  Is it fair to expect someone who never lived in the Black community, attended a rural college, did their student teaching in that region, took few if any courses on Black history, culture, psychology, family, learning styles, Ebonics, etc. to be effective?

I often wonder is the reason White girls are placed in special education the least and African American males the greatest, based on the race and gender of the teacher?  Some people continue to equate being different as synonymous with deficient.

In my latest book, Black Students: Middle Class Teachers, I report research that African American children’s test scores improve 4 percent when the teacher is of the same race.  While this is encouraging, how can this be achieved with the present decline in African American teachers?  Black colleges only enroll 16 percent of African American students, but they produce 37 percent of African American teachers which is very encouraging.  While I’m an advocate of African American teachers, this does not negate there are African-American teachers who are ineffective with Black youth.  They deny choice to low-income families, while sending their children to private schools.  They would never send their children to the school where they miseducate children.

I would challenge all African American professionals to consider teaching for a year, especially those who retired early.  African American children deserve their best Black minds in the classroom.

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is the author of Black Students: Middle Class Teachers

Healthy Holiday Eating

by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

As we embark upon the holidays which should be a joyous time of year, it can be the worse for many African Americans.  Doctors report the greatest increase in high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and diabetic challenges.  Could soul food be the culprit?  What are the major ingredients in soul food?  Pork, grease, sugar, and dairy products.  Mix chitterlings and liquor together and we have a body ready to explode.  This should be a joyous time to enjoy family around the dinner table rather than in the emergency room.

How can we eat healthy and enjoy our food?  Many people have told me they would rather die than give up ham and fried chicken.  My first suggestion would be to exercise before you eat.  The major reason why almost 40 percent of the African American community including its children are overweight or obese is because we are consuming more calories than we are burning.  The exercise can include walking, bicycling, or whatever you enjoy.  Exercise is fantastic for diabetics.  What you will soon discover is that exercise will give you a desire to drink water and eat fruit.  My second recommendation is to drink a glass of water before your meal.  Note, I did not say Kool-aid or pop, I said water which many people do not like because its sugarless.

Third, I recommend you eat fruit and salad before cooked food.  The major contributor to cancer is cooked  food.  Your body has live cells that if properly nourished with raw food will never become cancerous.   I pray that now after exercise, water, fruit, and salad, that you have little appetite for anything else!  But if you do, I first recommend smaller portions.  The adage is true, my eyes are larger than my stomach.  Fill your plate with as much green food as possible.  This includes greens, cabbage, stringbeans, okra, etc.  Please tell the cook you want your greens porkless.  Turkey, onions, and garlic provide great flavor.  Concerning carbohydrates, try to avoid items with cheese.  In addition, sweet potatoes should be just that rather than pounds of sugar and butter with a few sweet potatoes.

If you must consume meat, baked or broiled is better than fried.  Fish or chicken is desired over beef and pork.  I would encourage you to consider soy meat products.  My family has invited meat eaters to gatherings and they could not make the distinction.  If you are a bread lover remember, white bread has little fiber in contrast to whole wheat.  You will need as much fiber as possible to eliminate those ham hocks.

As the dinner is concluding, why do you want to go back for seconds and thirds?  If Jesus is the reason for the season, and He said “ do this in remembrance of me,” think of Him when you go back to the table.  I would like to add 25 sit-ups for every additional helping.

As the meal is concluding, now its time for the dessert decision.  Could I entertain you to consume more fruit?  If not what about soy-ice cream or banana nut bread?  Could you tell the cook to replace the 155 lbs. of sugar that we consume annually with molasses, fruit juice, or honey?  I would also suggest you consider non-alcoholic beverages which is also available for beer drinkers.

In closing, before you fall asleep and I pray not at the table, take a colon cleanser.  Please remember it will take 12 days for  ham to be eliminated and the worms never leave, 8 days for roast beef, and 6 days for fried chicken, while okra, greens, salad, and fruit will be out within 24 hours.

Have a great holiday and show your family how much you love them by living longer and eating healthier.

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is the author of Satan, I’m Taking Back My Health!

Do African Americans need Affirmative Action?

by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

In the next few months, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the case between Gratz vs Bollinger.  This involves the University of Michigan and its law school and whether they have the right to allow race as a factor in their desire to provide a diverse student body.  The plaintiff and their followers argue that they have experienced reverse discrimination.  They are correct that students of color who had lower GPAs and test scores were admitted while they were denied.

There are numerous factors related to this legal issue.  Superficially, one could surmise people of color and particularly African Americans and Hispanics are genetically inferior.  This is further exacerbated when the public assumes that between 1954 (Brown vs. Topeka) and the present, that a level playing field was created.  There has been much discussion about dismantling affirmative action on college campuses, but little has been said about White preference, kindergarten-12th grade.

In middle and upper class school districts, the school per-pupil expenditure is between $10,000-$33,000 depending upon the district.  The student-teacher ratio is smaller, a large percentage of the experienced staff possess graduate degrees, advanced placement is offered in almost every course, and there is enough equipment to restock Best Buy or Wal-Mart.

In contrast, in the inner city, the school per pupil expenditure is less than $7,000, the student-teacher ratio normally exceeds 30 students, very few staff possess graduate degrees, staff turnover is 40 percent within five years, and many teach math or science classes without qualifications and failed the state exam.  There are few if any advanced placement courses and very little equipment is available even to remove lead paint and outdated heating units.

How does America believe it’s a level playing field under these conditions?  I commend the University of Texas which considered the above and allows the top ten percent from all Texas high schools to be admitted.  When African Americans are given the opportunity to compete, most in spite SAT scores 200 points below their White peers, outperformed them on college GPAs.

My first desire is to level the playing field, kindergarten-12th grade.  In my book, Black Students: Middle Class Teachers, I share research from Education Trust, that the most important factor determining educational achievement in not race, income, or marital status, but the effectiveness of the teacher.  Unfortunately, kindergarten-12th grade, most African American students are not being taught by our best educators.  If America is unwilling to abolish affirmative action kindergarten -12^th grade, the University of Michigan should continue to be allowed to value diversity and give students of color the opportunity to compete against their privileged White peers, which they have fared very well.

Dr. Kunjufu is the author of Black College Student Survival Guide

&

Black Students: Middle Class Teachers  

He can be reached at African American Images.com

PARENTING STRATEGIES


There is no greater gift parents can give children than to introduce them to a Lord and Savior who will never leave them or forsake them and give them eternal life.  September 11 was another illustration that many adults and
children do not have relationship with Jesus.  Recent polls reflect 70 percent of Americans are afraid.  The Lord does not give us a spirit of fear.

The media showed planes crashing into the World Trade Center almost a million times.  Did this contribute to the fear of flying? Before September 11, parents should have been listening and talking with their children, having
dinner together without television, playing family games, monitoring rap lyrics, observing their selection of friends, placing a high value on academics, Bible study, and prayer.

We are now bombarded with signs saying God bless America.  I beg to differ, America needs to bless God!  This can be done by returning prayer and the Ten Commandments back to school and repenting for over a million babies aborted last year.

In closing, the second greatest gift parents can give their children is to marry not shack, and stay together.  A national divorce rate of 50 percent and 68 percent in Black America is unacceptable.

NBA

Why is White America so concerned about the Education of NBA Wannabes? Excerpt from forthcoming book
State of Emergency: We must save African American Males by Jawanza Kunjufu
 
You would think as you listen to the discussion on Nightline, the NCAA, and the larger White media that there is a new found interest in the overall welfare of African American males.  They are concerned about our education,
long term financial planning, health, maturation, even our communication skills!  The big question they keep discussing is should teenagers be allowed to play in the NBA? 

I wonder if this question would be raised if large numbers of White high school males were being drafted?  The few White males being drafted primarily come from Europe.  We can answer the question by observing Nightline's, NCAA's, and the White media's concern about White teenagers playing major league baseball, hockey, tennis, golf etc.  There is no concern.  It is perfectly acceptable for White male and female teenagers to fulfill their dream and receive as much compensation as the market will bear.   Tey and their families are very much aware of the risk involved.

The White female tennis player, Jennifer Capriati is a perfect example.  She entered the tennis world at 14 like so many tennis players with no media concern.  She could not handle her stardom and her career fizzled.  Capriati
matured and is now one of the best tennis players in the game. I have not heard the media suggest that tennis players like Andy Roddick should wait until they are 25 like Capriati to fulfill their dreams.

 Is White America really concerned about the overall welfare of African American males?  Where was their concern when six African American males in Decatur Illinois were expelled without educational alternatives?  Where is their concern with 41 percent of the special education children being African American and 80 percent of those number African American males?  Where is their concern with 1.3 million African American males incarcerated of which 60 percent are drugs related?  If there really was a war on drugs, then the 74 percent White drug users should be feeling the greatest brunt of the war.

The White media is being disingenuous.  They raked Vince Carter over the coals for participating in a once in a lifetime event-his college graduation ceremony.  This would have been the perfect time to rave about a brilliant
basketball player who has his values and priorities in order.

The real issue is the NBA is one of the top paying sports and five African American high school graduates and numerous college students left early because they understood capitalism.  I wonder how many White college students choose their major for the love of learning versus the love of money?  America has a teacher shortage because it pays less than any other industry.

I commend Kwame Brown for being the first high school player to be drafted number one.  Ironically, the decision was made by a Black man by the name of Michael Jordan.  A former player, who also left early, returned to graduate, had a brilliant career, and now is president of the Washington Wizards.  The
contract is guaranteed for several years.  Is there anyone reading this article who would refuse and not enter or leave college for a multi-year multimillion dollar guaranteed contract?

In closing, my only concern is the basketball obsession that exists in Black America.  There were only 57 slots available in the NBA draft.  There are over a million African American males who have dreams to fill those slots. 
As Isaiah Thomas, the former star, college graduate, and present coach of the Indiana Pacers often says, "just in case you don't make it, pursue your education." 

My last desire is that those few who fill those slots need to create jobs like Shaq in the Black community.

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is an author of over 20 titles including the national bestsellers, Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, Restoring the Village, Satan I'm Taking Back My Health, and State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males.  He is also an educational consultant, and public speaker.

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