(ThyBlackMan.com) The Ferguson problem represents the African American struggle. But violence by tearing up our own neighborhoods is accomplishing nothing and there are many legal and lawful options to bring about the change and accountability we need to see from our governments and police departments. That being said, there are serious problems in Ferguson that help light the fuse on the powder keg. So before anybody of any color judges the behavior of black Americans in Ferguson, let’s all take a look at the factors that fuel the fire – factors that go far beyond issues with the policies. Factors that increase disparity, tension and even hopelessness.
“Black unemployment rates in Ferguson are 3 times that of white unemployment. Black men between the ages of 16 and 24 have almost a 50% unemployment rate verses 16% for white men. In the United States a black child is almost 4 times as likely to live in a poor neighborhood as a white child. Almost 52% of black children are in single parent homes whereas only 20% of white homes are single parent households. The incarceration rate is 6 times higher for blacks than it is for whites. There is segregated housing in Ferguson. There are under performing schools in Ferguson. And in 2008, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released stats showed that blacks are almost 3 times as likely to be subjected to force or threatened with it by police”. Source: Megan Kelly on the Bill O’Reilly Show.
Ferguson is a reflection of several cities, both small and large, all 
over this country. The institutional racism, the poverty, the crime, the disparity and the mistreatment of the citizens are all factors that make for a volatile community. We can take a look at Ferguson one year later, but while we are at it, let’s take a look at all who are to blame for these problems.
Racism, racial profiling and unemployment is likely the fault of the city government, the local police department and the policies both have in place and they should be held legally accountable. Accountability for incarceration is a two edged sword. One side of the sword is the police officers who target black people and the judges, politicians and district attorneys who allow this to happen. The other side of the sword is the fault of those black people who commit the crimes. They must accept personal responsibility for their actions and not walk in a “devil made me do it” path of denial and scapegoating.
As for broken, single parent homes, this seems to be an epidemic in the black community. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we know part of the problem has been embedded into the black community as far back as the North Atlantic Slave Trade. That has been a reason for a long time, but in 2015, that should not be an excuse. I do not accept that as a reason now because just decades ago many of our parents and grandparents stayed married for 40 or 50 years. My parents were married 54 years and my wife’s parents were married for 46. But in the last 20 to 30 years, something happened, people begin thinking more about themselves than their partners and marriages became disposable. People wanted their companions but felt they did not need them – and wants began to change like underwear.
No government, institution, government or police department in this country makes a black couple break up. Today this is an issue of personal responsibility in the black community and the need for problem and conflict resolution in our community is more urgent than ever before. We have to honor our commitments, resolve our problems and stop making excuses for giving up, breaking vows or walking away. So if you won’t keep a commitment, don’t make a commitment.
Our women need to respect our men and learn to control their mouths. Our men need to lead by example and treat our women with the respect they deserve. Ladies that means you have to deserve that respect by the way you carry yourself. As for single women, a great many of you need to learn to keep your legs closed. As for single men, you need to be a man, not a dog chasing that chases every woman you can find.
As for economic conditions, they were not likely created by the citizens of Ferguson, but rather businesses and local government. Lack of options, lack of good schools and lack of jobs can keep people on edge or push them over it. Even so, it’s up to each of us to leave, regroup, rebuild, team up and make things happen. I say this as an African American man who started a business with $100 and no savings account, no insurance settlement, no lottery ticket, no loans and bad credit. Yet I created a 6 figure income. Time out for excuses Ferguson residents because you make it happen and nobody can hold you down unless you let them.
Share this article with your friends of every ethnicity. Let them know there is nothing like being an African American in this country. No other ethnic group has been systematically targeted, enslaved, oppressed, profiled, brainwashed and exterminated to any level near what our people have encountered. Therefore no other ethnic group or sexual preference group can ever be compared to our struggle in this country. But we can rise up if we drop the excuses and the denial that keeps us in chains. So stop blaming and start rising. A book, a computer, an education or a class can provide the knowledge and access you need to open doors. You make it happen. When you say and show that your life is priceless, others will realize that it is.
Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony