Why didn't you hear about the Black and Male in America conference? - 7.9.2007.2

Do you recall the Black and Male in America conference? Did you hear about it? Know anyone that went to it? If your answer is no to each of those questions, you are not alone. But the question must then be, why?

For 3 days in June, African Americans from across the nation of all ages and backgrounds came together to discuss the state of affairs today. I recall no media coverage at all. Not a single blurb at the time. I recall that the leading posts I had at the time were Videoholics, the new addiction du jour, What shopping at Olum's is like, Is TMZ right about Robin Thicke and the BET Awards?, and Some spin about the Presidential candidates.

Had I heard about this conference I probably would have written about it. I might have even gone to the conference to see what was going on. I mean it’s not as if the subject matter was not something I understood intimately. Yet nothing hit the media airwaves nor alerts on the net. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough, but then again I didn’t know there was anything to look for.

But I would think that news about African American men, coming together to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the community would be something that would get some attention. Such a presumption is wrong of course. But there was no limit on stories across the nation of Black men that were accused of violent crimes and dealing drugs. Why is that? Why does the news media seem to have plenty of time to accuse and discuss Black men in trouble, but they can’t spare 5 minutes to mention that there was a group of men seeking to find an answer to why the dropout rate among Black men is at 70%, or why Black on Black crime is so high. That some want an answer, a plan, to resolve the issue of why up to 60% of non-college African American women are single mothers, with no fathers in sight.

Making America a safer, stronger, better place for everyone here isn’t worth 5 minutes in the major news media. Even though we are all connected in this nation. We work together, live as neighbors, and looking back in history most of us share similar bloodlines for perhaps centuries. It doesn’t make sense.

Well I didn’t comment then, but I can do something now. I’m not sure what was the outcome of the event, but Mr. Kevin Powell will be making that information available at www.blackandmaleinamerica.org. In addition the Black Male Handbook will be available in November.

I don’t claim that these will hold the answers to the issues before us. I don’t know if the content is worthwhile. I do know that it is an attempt to improve the situation. And that in itself is worthy of a post. Maybe the major news media will agree at some point. We will see.

This is what I think, what do you think?