At one point in history, Black Americans were the face of progression. Our children had respectable figures to admire. Intellectual writers, brilliant Doctors, analytical Lawyers, and charming respectful entertainment figures. Black Americans alluded to sophistication, modesty, intelligence, and the ability to influence so many without corroding their communities’ minds. Throughout history, we have watched Black Americans escape the horrors of being a Slave, becoming free, and fighting for the very rights we have today. The ability to be in the same space as our white counterparts, be able to vote for the president, attend university, and work in any space we would like. We have witnessed a Black man become President of the United States of America, we Black Americans do not know the power that we hold.  Many people in the past admired our ability to not break down but to continue fighting to stay afloat and have our voices heard. They respected our determination, our sophistication, our brains, and our words. Once completely freed from Slavery in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment of the constitution ( “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”). Black Americans were on their way to becoming contributors to society. The first Historically Black Universities started between 1865- 1900. Black Americans pioneered numerous things such as Black Wall Street, Black Americans moved to their very own towns having Black Lawyers, Doctors, Investment Bankers, Pharmacists, and much more. Black Americans came together to form a unity, helping one’s businesses and contributing to society. This thrived for many years before the Tulsa Race Massacre, which involved Anti Black individuals terrorizing and eventually destroying the town. 

In the present day for Black Americans, it is the entire opposite. Our current public entertainment figures show promiscuity, chaos, violence, drugs, and Anti-Family propaganda, and many Black Men and Women pivoting against one another. Our children growing up in today’s America in the “Black Community,” are seen with half-naked Black women rapping and degrading their selves. Black men portray the negative stereotypes of being absent from their children’s lives, joining the gangster life of serving prison time, abusing drugs, and potentially being threats to society. Many people emulate this lifestyle causing many of the problems that Black Americans face today. Absent fathers in the household accounts for many things such as the rising number of Black boys identifying as LGBT, black teens not completing high school, the growing number of youth addicted to substances, the high poverty rate, and teen pregnancies. I label this the decline of black progression due to this being the reality of so many young black Americans. When one sees this glamorized in “Black Entertainment” and social media they think they should follow this path. Of behaving as a prostitute, exposing one’s body to the world, entering the Sex Industry (Only Fans, Stripping, Pornography), entering the LGBT lifestyle, becoming a criminal, or not knowing how to respect the opposite gender. Resulting in fewer Black marriages due to the lack of not knowing how to get along with the opposite sex, how to maintain a healthy marriage, and how to build generational wealth. I believe this all comes down to politics, entertainment, and huge figures promoting garbage in our society. I encourage parents to go to therapy and heal from what one was exposed to growing up to better help their children. Inform them of the perversion in society, and guide them to a path of black excellence.