(ThyBlackMan.com) We cannot police hopelessness and despair!
There are those who are angered and surprised by the violence of urban “Flash Mobs” (quickly forming groups of young people using technology to organize), especially crowds of young Black men, descending on mostly White, affluent downtown American cities. However, if we analyze this phenomenon, it is not so surprising. In fact, it is highly predictable. While there is no justification for young Black men to rob and beat people of any race, the activities of flash mobs are easily understandable in the context of recent social history and current economic conditions.
Most of these young men are poor, desperate and hopeless. They come from broken families and broken communities. They hav
Predictive factors for young Black males participating in the activities of violent flash mobs in Chicago are shown by recent data:
- This summer, 90% of young Black men in Chicago between 16 and 19 years old are unemployed.
- Only 44% of Black males graduate with a high school diploma from Chicago public schools.
- Only three out of 100 Black boys who start kindergarten in the Chicago Public Schools earn a bachelors degree by age 25.
- 70% of Black children in America are born into and live in single, female-headed households that are usually impoverished.
- Black males are 6% of Illinois’ population but they represent 60% of the state’s prison population.
The power and strength of a flash mob are in its large number of congregants and in its ability to assemble quickly and to disband equally as fast. The word “flash” is an allusion to social media — texting, smart phones Twitter and Facebook. Flash media, an effective tool for organizing a social cause, is the same media that brought down the government of Egypt. Now inner-city youth are using this same media, but instead of toppling governments, they “topple” Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Old Navy, and they steal IPads and IPhones from defenseless citizens.
The message from the flash mob to us is even more threatening than the mob itself. That message is, “You can’t control us! You don’t scare us! Your police don’t scare us! Your prisons don’t scare us! We are mightier than you! We will take what you have because you have given us few other options in life for earning similar things. And most importantly, we will take your peace of mind. Just as we in our communities cannot ever feel secure, now neither can you! We are more afraid of continuing to live our lives as they are than we are of you locking us up. What do we have to lose? For once, we are more powerful than you!”
Flash mobs are not new. In Black communities across America for the past 30 years, large groups of Black males have attacked others. In the past few years, jobless, desperate, hopeless youth have rioted in France, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Tunisia, and Egypt in efforts eerily similar to America’s flash mobs, but on a much larger scale and with politically clear motives and demands. These youth have taken over business districts, cities and countries and they have destroyed billions of dollars in property while toppling governments. The same root causes for these youth riots and disturbances in Europe and Northern Africa are producing similar actions, and possibly similar politically conscious attitudes, in the youth of Chicago, New York City, Charlotte, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and other American cities.
Politicians and the police are working under the false and dangerous assumption that hopelessness and despair can be policed. The police are out-numbered and out-maneuvered in this battle of minds, spirits, bodies and technology. Even as thirty-three flash mobbers were arrested in Chicago this past week, the communities in Chicago were producing a thousand more potential flash mobbers to replace them. When Black boys are not reading at grade level by the third grade, we are creating conditions for a flash mob. When Black teenagers cannot find meaningful work, we are creating conditions for a flash mob. When young Black boys do not have suitable role models and mentors, we are creating conditions for a flash mob.
The best way to deter a violent flash mob is to stop it from forming. The best time to stop it from forming is when the potential congregants are 2 and 3 years old, not when they are 16, 20 and 30 years old. The best weapons against flash mobs are jobs, not police with guns; education, not incarceration; and positive guidance and direction, not threats or curses. Can flash mobs be stopped? Absolutely. Is America working properly to stop them? Absolutely not.
Welcome to the year 2011 where ethics, sociology, economics, criminology, politics and technology cross! The flash mobbers are trying to tell us, “You can’t stop us, but with your help, we can stop ourselves!”
Written By Phillip Jackson
Founder and Executive Director
The Black Star Project
3509 South King Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60653
773.285.9600 office
312.771.1010 cell
Blackstar1000@ameritech.net
(ThyBlackMan.com) America as many nations often reflect in construct and politics how history repeats itself. A long time ago, it… Read More
(ThyBlackMan.com) Staying active is important for any age, but you may find that it's harder to do as you grow… Read More
(ThyBlackMan.com) Yesterday I was in the middle of writing my weekly column and I received a text from a good… Read More
(ThyBlackMan.com) If there has been one thing about the pandemic that has afflicted many, many people across age, gender, socio-economic… Read More
(ThyBlackMan.com) When it comes to weight loss, many people have misconceptions about what is actually needed. Some think that they… Read More
(ThyBlackMan.com) The names Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton are vital parts of NFL history. Smith was the ground attack for… Read More
View Comments
First off, let me just mention that I am a young (mid-twenties) black professional living in the Gold Coast area which has been so heavily targeted by these flash mobs. Every time I walk outside I am constantly on the lookout for groups of teenagers, partly out of fear of being attacked, and partly out of the desire to be prepared, whether to run away or fight back if need be. I feel threatened not just by my own people but by all groups of teenagers. For me this is not a race issue, as I have not taken comfort in knowing that up to this point only white people have been victim to these crimes... soon enough there will be cases of it happening to blacks, whether by other blacks or some other ethnic group.
I concur that the best way to deter a violent flash mob is to stop it from forming, but we cannot go back into the past and correct the upbringing of those who are committing these acts today, so how do we deter them NOW? How can you provide a sense of security to a community that is unused to such violence occurring in their neighborhood? While the increased policing of high potential crime areas does not produce a lasting effect, it does provide an immediate sense of security to everyone while other methods of prevention can be enacted. Those of us that live, frequent, or even plan to visit these areas need solutions for right now, not 15 years down the line.
Jobs would be one solution, but we are still at a point where qualified, or even vastly over-qualified, Americans are having an extremely hard time finding ANY work at all. Also, thinking back to my teenage days, a job was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to enjoy the summer with my friends, not work it away. I was extremely fortunate growing up, but I believe that the thought of enjoying the summer with your friends not working is the same for all teenagers of all socioeconomic backgrounds...
Education plays a big part in the flash-mobbing, but even "educated" teenagers fall victim to their peers. If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you follow and do the same? Perhaps if you were still a teenager you would. As adults we forget about the pressures of being a teenager, not to mention how that pressure has intensified over the years due to technology. Instant communication, constant connection, and the "sharing" of ideas with those both inside and outside your social-group are things that have come into being in only the past decade. These things make all those decisions that you made as a teenager quite a bit harder... When one of your friends posts something on your Facebook wall, others immediately see it, watch/monitor your response and can (and will) call you out on it if that response is deemed "not cool".
The flash mobbers of Chicago and other American cities are NOT telling us “You can’t stop us, but with your help, we can stop ourselves!”, not even close. Teenagers are not thinking about their socioeconomic background and their justification for committing acts as being a form on entitlement that deserved because of their upbringing. Teenagers are doing these things because their peers perceive such action as 'cool' or 'bad-ass', think they can get something out of it whether it's material (i.e. iPhones/iPads) or immaterial (i.e. respect from their peers), and because they think they can get away with it. They're telling us "We don't care, we can do whatever we want because we can, and nothing can stop us".
In my opinion the problem is with the community. We as Americans, and more specifically blacks, are glamorizing the lives of characters and individuals who are rebellious, against the law (not out of the need or desire to correct the injustices of society, but just because they want to be), and just plain 'bad-ass'. Thanks to movies like Scarface, a well educated individual (for example, myself) fantasizes about being a drug kingpin. Along with the glamorization of what should be unsavory people in society, our focus on the education of our youth is severely lacking. Even if parents lack formal education themselves they can still support their kids but encouraging and promoting learning. There are parents out there that live in the ghetto with barely a middle school education themselves that have kids who are intelligent, eager, willing and more than ready to learn. While your economic status does correlate to your level of education I believe that the foundation created by parents or people in the community for learning is an better indicator for success. Parents need to want their kids to do better in life then they have. A community that teaches, strongly emphasizes, and celebrates the value of education is one that will produce successful individuals that will go on to do great things for society. Such a community will not produce teenagers that commit such acts flash mobbing. The future of America (black, white, hispanic, whatever) truely does rest with the youth, when will we realize that?
Oldpuppymax said:
" Rather than whine about the lack of jobs or fathers, start voting for conservatives who create employment rather then liberals who create welfare and dependence."
Oldpuppy is an old fart! Typical redneck conservative nosie. The fact remains that there is still racial discrimination at every level in America. Tell that crap to the many black americans who have advanced college degrees and are excluded from opportunites all the time, and if they want to open a business the banks slam the door shut in their face no matter how good their credit is. Voting for conservative would have made a bad situation worse!!!
Look into the difference between "excuse/justification/rationalization" vs "reasoning".. then re-write the article so your flash mob buddies don't continue crowding cook county jails..
I am an emigrated to this country.
I have been harassed due and had to put up with ignorance and prejudicial treatment in and out of the work place. The economy has hit my family hard too. We are scrapping by below the poverty line but you don't see me acting out. No I am trying to do something positive, with my time.
This is hooliganism. And your defense of it seems disingenuous.
Well it's certainly heartening to know there are no poor white children, none who do not finish school and none from broken homes. As one seems to never hear of white flash mobs, that seems the only conclusion which can be drawn. The trillions taken from taxpayers over the past 60 years or so and given to blacks for everything from welfare to food stamps to free housing have apparently not been sufficient. If only the left had managed to steal MORE trillions, things would no doubt be just fine.
When will those who make up the "staff" which wrote this article understand that the Democrats you so fervently support have worked very hard to make CERTAIN blacks remain poor, ignorant and dependent upon Big Brother. Only them will they remain dependable Democrat voters...in other words, "acceptable" blacks. Rather than whine about the lack of jobs or fathers, start voting for conservatives who create employment rather then liberals who create welfare and dependence.