With pesky gang problems continuing to mushroom not only in major cities across the country, but seeping into small towns and communities also, what's the solution? Law enforcement? Education? Gang Prevention Programs?
Many of these attempts has at best helped to stifle gang growth and at worse fueled or covered up the cause, similar to placing a band-aid over a gunshot wound. But a growing number of African American activist, educators and even politicians are looking to Black history as another solution. Many African American educators including Dr. Ashwa Kwasi, lectures extensively to young African Americans on their history. Dr. Kwasi has also lectured in prisons across America to young gang members.
"It's harder for a blue rag wearing gang member to shoot a red rag wearing gang member when they know their sacred history," says the Dr. Kwasi, who host tours each year to Africa and ancient Egypt.
Unfortunately, most African American young people consider their history as beginning with slavery and ending with the Martin Luther King" I Have A Dream" speech. Still most schools ignore most of the contributions African Americans have contributed to this country beyond Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
When gang members discover Greeks and Romans traveled to Timbuktu to obtain not only physical treasures, but mental intellectual treasures. For example, books, ideas for schools of learning, medical techniques and other sources for healing, their attitudes change.
Gang members have put down their guns, stop hating one another and took control of their lives in productive ways by knowing their history. The most hard core gang members have wept like babies when they discover what their ancestors accomplished, went through and suffered so they could live.
A major push is on to include more Black history in public schools to foster more tolerance and understanding. Despite a more tolerant White America when it comes to racial issues, most White youth consider African Americans biggest contribution to America as sports and entertainment. The average American including most Blacks have no idea the contributions Blacks have made to America. From George Washington Carver, Charles Drew and Booker T. Washington alone you could count hundreds of products used world-wide today.
Many people don't know other inventions we use daily without thinking came from the mind of Black men. For example, the stop light,(Garret Morgan) the refrigerator (John Standard), the lawn mower (John Burr) and a host of others. With the gang problem spreading like a fungus in damp weather, no solution should go without notice. Every answer should have a voice - and Black history is that voice.
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