“We ain’t thugs for the sake of just bein’ thugs. Nobody do that where we grew at N___, duh! The poverty line we not above. So I come in the mask and gloves ‘cause we ain’t feelin’ the love. We ain’t doin’ crime for the sake of doin’ crimes. We movin’ dimes ‘cause we ain’t doin’ fine. One out of three of us is locked up doin’ time. You know what this could do to a N___ mind? My mind on my money, money on my mind. If you owe me ten dollars you ain’t givin’ me nine! Ya’ll ain’t give me 40 acres and a mule. So I got my glock 40 now I’m cool.” –Jay-Z Imagine waking up every morning hungry, except rather than just driving down to your local fast food spot, you can not even afford a dollar hamburger from McDonald’s. Imagine falling asleep to
What one must try to grasp is the mentality of the destitute African-American male. The hugest barrier to understanding them is ethnocentrism. It is the core of prejudice. As we examine the poor African-American male, we must consider the environmental conditions that he is under. Growing up in the “hood” for a young black male has consequences that young males growing up in a suburban neighborhood do not have to endure. Growing up in the inner city, black males are accustomed to seeing liquor stores and pawnshops down every block. The local corner stores are abandoned and are turned into a local crack spot. It is not unusual for a youth in the inner city to see a close friend or a relative killed. The laws in the “hood” he is grown to obey are different. A young black male sees the glitz and glamour of the drug game. It is the drug dealers with all the money. The police are trying to stop him from getting his money and as a result become the enemy. His choices become to either work for minimum wage, or be a lookout on a corner for about ten times as much as minimum wage. The choices in the inner city are different. No one is building a Toyota plant in the inner city. You do not see anyone building a Home Depot. What you see is crime, drugs, and eventually a jail cell, or death. The issue with the solution is finding a