Watching out for young black males in USA

It is not just in USA and not just boys. Africans in the EU are also reporting racialist attitudes or attacks on their children, especially in inner cities where most (over 75% in London, UK) of recent African immigrants live.

Some things to watch for:

+ Parents especially mothers need to be critically aware of the image they are portraying to children through HAIR, food, language and clothing. If your child thinks your African clothes are "funny" or your food "smells", how do you react? If your child only knows your hair in its cooked/straightened/permed/wigged state, are you surprised that the child thinks its own natural hair is unattractive? If your child never speaks your African language in the home, do you expect that child to know or respect your culture when you so obviously do not? Try playing your child some of your ancestral music or art and explain what is being said.

+ Your child reports that nobody wants to play with them at school (especially in the suburban and private schools) or that they are abused by their colleagues or ignored by the teachers. If your child is experiencing severe stress at school, you should consider after-schooling, home schooling, or best of all, setting up a private school in collaboration with other parents. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) system of African Americans has been responsible for instilling strong self-esteem into that community and for strengthening the growth and prosperity of its middle class in the USA. JOIN THEM. African Americans and African Caribbeans are Africans by heritage, even if they do not always want to look to African continent because of the current mess of things. Go to their events and invite them to yours... Share food and music and dance.

+ Most importantly, remember that the world of work is changing. The purpose of a good education is no longer primarily about getting into the corporate world (if that was ever its intention). Prepare your children for a life of owning and managing a business, by doing so yourself or investing in such business. Africans abroad emay suffer most acute sense of hopelessness in the current recession because they feel most disconnected from being able to influence their environments. Recent immigrants also tend to perience above-average levels of underemployment and unemployment.

+ Bear in mind that migrants have always been the most efficient developers of trade and investment between the old and new countries. Be the bridge to economic opportunities in world markets while simultaneously being the "foreign direct investor" in Africa. To succeed, you will need to keep in touch with those stlll in the old country and to build networks with those who entered the new country before you. Africa currently imports/exports a lot of things with USA/EU, and incresingly with Asia. Africans abroad should build businesses that try to capture the majority of this international trade by becoming the counter-party of your relatives or friends doing business in Africa.

+ Defend your life, business and property: it is your birthright. It is also easier to "circle the wagons" if you live close to your family and friends or other people of African origin. Whenever a house comes up for sale in your neighbourhood, collaborate to ensure one of yours gets to buy it even if you have to invest a little private capital of your own. Get yourself or your children to join the school governors, the police and the municipal/local government so as to learn how things are organised and can have a say in happenings in your community.

+ Remember the American School, British School, Turkish School, French School, German School, etc that dot the length and breadth of foreign settlements across Africa? Those people are proud of their cultures and are trying to "watch out" for themselves. Only you can watch out for your community and values. Build or form your own African schools and businesses.

+ While you are at iy, please learn to glorify your own culture. Stop brainwashing yourself with religions and chemicals that undermine your self-esteem.