Fear & Lies

One thing I have learned well in my life is that there is no need for courage if there is nothing to fear.

I take it as part of my duty as an educated and enlightened Black man-to stand in front of young Black boys and young Black men to show them their own possibilities, because I come from the same places from whence many of them hail.

Sometimes, I am joined by other Black men, within whom the fear and awkwardness is so apparent I nearly feel sorry for them.

They feel awkward because of the lies some of us believe that we have "arrived." There is fear because we have merely bought into the empty promise of America--the illusion of the melting pot and the reward for pretending that there are no racial barriers and that hard work and education are always rewarded for everyone.

The belief in this illusion is the intrinsic barrier between open and honest communication with the youth, because they are still wise enough to know that there is a problem. Some of them embrace that problem as a reason to work twice as hard, while some of them embrace that problem as a reason to give up.

But sadly, many grown men are in derelict of duty, because frankly, we are afraid of what we escaped from, and/or whom we left behind.

And so we tell them lies. Lies to cover our fear and lies to cover our mistakes.

And Blacks are afraid of so much more.

Discuss Fear & Lies with Host Darryl James and Co-Hosts, Tracy Powell, Marcus Legall III, Dr. John Hamilton & DJ Gates on one of the smartest radio shows on the Internet--The Bridge Radio.

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