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5 Ways Society Prevents The Development of Black Boys Into Men

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Man and Sons

In light of the fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, several famous Black parents have voiced strategies on how to keep Black boys and men who are living in a racist society safe from untimely death or serious injury at the hands of someone who may unjustifiably determine that they are dangerous criminals.

Although these strategies are intended to promote the safety of Black males, they may have an undesired side effect that could further the underdevelopment of Black men in society.

We may be losing an entire generation of  Black males because they are being instructed by parents, society and media to intentionally suppress their natural development into manhood for the sake of merely surviving and making other races of people feel secure.

In the spirit of fostering dialogue, we constructed a list of five examples of how parents, society, and the media retard the development of Black boys today in contrast to the sentiments expressed by Black leaders who fought and died for the advancement of our people.

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