A Portrait of Black Youth
By
Anne E. Streaty Wimberly, Ph.D.
Professor of Christian Education
Director, Youth Hope-Builders Academy
Principal Investigator, Faith Journey: Partnership in Parish Ministry Formation
Interdenominational Theological Center
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
The beginning of the chapter entitled, “A Matter of Discovery,” in the book, In Search of
Wisdom: Working With Today’s Black Youth, begins with the story of three Black teenagers who
appeared in a staff members’ office with an abstract of a play they sought to present. The title of the
proposed play was “So You Think You Know What It Is Like to be a Teen?” You Don’t Have a Clue.”
The teens’ point was that they experienced difficulty in articulating adequately their very real experiences
and feelings in ways that adults not simply listened but heard them. The staff member recalled that the
essence of what they shared at his invitation was their experience of being bombarded with numerous
images and stereotypes of who they are, what they should be, and how they should act. They wanted –in
fact, needed–to share the realities of their lives from their own perspective. But, more than that, they
were in a dire search for validation, as individuals, and their desire for someone to “step up and take
notice.”1
I am also reminded here at the outset of the remarkable brightness, giftedness, inquisitiveness,
theological astuteness, resilience, and hope of the four classes of Black youth who were scholars in the
Lilly Endowment funded Youth Hope-Builders Academy (YHBA) of Interdenominational Theological
Center from 2002-2006. These 192 high school youth came from urban, suburban, small town, and rural
contexts. They represented a range of socio-economic classes, family configurations, scholastic
achievement, struggles with identity and vocation, and experiences in church and community, including
those of a few in the juvenile justice system. They reminded all of the leaders daily that the images often
portrayed in the media do not typify the real lives of many and that the message of hope is a powerful one
in their lives. And, only a few days ago, while attending the graduation of the second class of participants
in the ITC Faith Journey program, also funded by the Lilly Endowment, I witnessed a choir of young
Black, Hispanic, and White males from a transitional cottage who had been mentored by one of my
former students, a young woman who is now Director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Georgia
Department of Corrections. With their presence and songs, “[God], All My Life I Give to You,” and “I
Am a Living Testimony,” these young men showed what can happen when care, counsel and connection
to a faith tradition become part of their lives.
My purpose for beginning with these stories in what will actually be a “thumbnail sketch” of the
lives of Black youth is to highlight the importance of using a hermeneutics of suspicion when viewing
media images of Black youth.2 Moreover, my intent is to emphasize the imperative need to “link” with
the stories of Black youth alongside an exploration of reports about them from professionals. Brief
1
Anne Streaty Wimberly, ed., Keep It Real: Working With Today’s Black Youth (Nashville: Abingdon, 2005), 2122.
2
Nichols and Good make the point that adults’ “attitudes toward youth have grown more critical over time”
because of problematic media portrayal of youth in general. But, this is also a reality for Black youth who are often
presented in negative, stereotypical ways. See: Sharon L. Nichols and Thomas I. Good, America’s Teenagers–
Myths and Realities: Media Images, Schooling and the Social Costs of Careless Indifference (Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2004), 10-11.
1
attention will be given to socio-emotional, educational/vocational, physical, and spiritual aspects of Black
teens lives as means of pointing to the necessity of taking seriously a “whole” view of these teens that
may suggest to us kinds of holistic-oriented leadership on behalf of Black teens.
A Perspective on the Social-Emotional Lives of Black Teens
Five aspects of the socio-emotional lives of today’s Black youth will be touched upon here,
including their (1) interaction with media, (2) distinctive demographic trends, (3) identified issue of selfesteem, (4) experiences of racism, and (5) awareness of current events, social issues, and views about
responding to them.
Interaction with Media
Like other youth, Black youth are part of the first generation born during the time of a media
technology explosion. Yet, there are differences in the extent to which the full extent of this explosion
reaches Black youth. In particular, Sharon Nichols and Thomas Good in the book, America’s Teenagers–
Myths and Realities: Media Images, Schooling, and the Social Cost of Indifference, highlight the lessened
accessibility of the wide range of technology and technology know-how among poor Black youth.3
Moreover, in overall terms, Black youth are exposed to more TV media content than youth in other racial
groups, including the plethora of violence, sex, crime, consumer enticement, and deleterious language,
even though it is fair to say that all youth are immersed in media that overexposes them to these
representations of life.4 Although much debate has emerged about the impact of misogynistic, violent,
and negative character traits in the language of hip hop, especially gangsta rap, more focused current
interest in this genre of expression has emerged in the wake of the remarks by talk-show host, Imus, about
the black team members of the Rutgers basketball team.
It bears mentioning here that the negative views society holds of black youth become internalized
and expressed in the language of self/others they speak. Pastoral theologian, Edward Wimberly, refers to
a “recruitment” process in which black youth are “recruited” into unconstructive self views and actions as
a consequence of others’ negative attitudes, treatment, and their own limited life chances.5 Moreover,
sanctions for negative hip hop expressivity, “teaching” and further internalization of the “recruited” selfviews are fomented by media exposure and major recording companies who have found a profitable
cross-cultural and global market for rap. At the same time, hip hop expressiveness of black youth is not
all negative, as shown in holy hip hop, for example, and what has become known as “spoken word.” Yet,
these forms of expressivity do not typically find a place in media.
Regarding mass media in general, Black teens, along with teens in other racial ethnic groups
typically spend an average of four to six hours per day in interaction with various forms of mass media.
According to the study done by George Barna, 94 percent of youth listen to the radio, 91 percent play
audio cassettes or compact discs, 89 percent watch television, 69 percent read a magazine, 58 percent read
part of a book in a typical day, and 52 percent use the Internet.6 According to Nichols and Good, these
3
Nichols and Good, America’s Teenagers–Myths and Realities, 39, 243.
4
See: George Barna, Real Teens: A Contemporary Snapshot of Youth Culture (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001),
48-49; Nichols and Good, America’s Teenagers–Myths and Realities, 37-39, 243.
5
See: Edward P. Wimberly, Relational Refugees: Alienation and Reincorporation in African American Churches
and Communities (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000).
6
Barna, Real Teens, 26.
2
media are most often experienced alone or in isolation.7 Moreover, Barna conjectures that these forms of
entertainment function as an elixir and opiate for the pain youth experience from growing up without
mentors or both parents in the home because of increasing incidences of divorce, death, teenage
pregnancies, and incarceration.8 It may well be said that youth are in search of and need caring and
affirming parental and family intimacy within their homes; and when they do not experience it, they seek
intimacy wherever it may be found.
Demographic Data
The U.S. Census Bureau and other resources provide demographic information. For example,
Census Bureau and other data are replete with disturbing realities that Black youth are disproportionately
represented among the poor and jobless, among school dropouts, in single-parent households, in foster
care, and in youth detention facilities, and are more likely to engage in sexual activity at earlier ages than
other youth.9 On another note, information reveals that today’s Black youth (ages 12 - 19) join other
youths and teens as consumers, creators of trends, and valuable targets for advertisers. Although the data
do not reflect spending habits by socio-economic group, an African American/Black consumer profile
shows that in 2003, Black teens spent 6% more per month than the average U.S. teen on music, sports,
and fashion items. Moreover, male and female Black teens spent more yearly on items such as clothing,
jewelry, computer software and athletic foot-ware, in comparison to all U.S. teenagers.10 It must be
added here that spending on clothing and jewelry may be related to standards of dress and beauty that are
imposed on today’s teens by peer culture and that have a socio-emotional impact on Black youth, most
particularly on self-concept, self-esteem, and the need for approval.
The Issue of Self-Esteem
When the four classes of hope-builders were asked to name the most critical issues facing Black
youth today, self-esteem was second typically named by them. In describing the nature of this issue, the
youth named skin color, weight and height, lack of confidence, being viewed poorly by others and fear of
being rejected. In fact, the concern of Black teens about appearance and its impact on self esteem is
highlighted in the award-winning documentary entitled “A Girl Like Me,” directed by Kiri Davis, a Black
high school teen who developed it for her high-school literature class. As a result of conducting
interviews with a variety of Black girls in her high school, Kiri discovered issues concerning the
standards of beauty internalized by Black girls and how this affects their self-image. She set out to
explore these issues after being accepted into the Reel Works Teen Film-making program. In the film,
she re-conducted the “doll test” initially carried by Dr. Kenneth Clark in the mid-20th Century, and which
was used in the historic Brown versus the Board of Education desegregation case. Throughout the film,
Black children’s preference for white dolls over that of black dolls. In one instance, a child forcibly
pushes a black doll away after answering to the question, “Who does the black doll remind you of?” Her
answer was “Me.” Kiri said:
7
Nichols and Good, 37-38.
8
Barna, Real Teens, 48.
9
See: Ibid., 239, 243-45; U.S. Census Bureau, “The Black Population in the United States: March 2002"
(Washington, DC: Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, April
2003), 6.
10
African American Market Profile. Magazine Publishers of America. www.magazine.org/marketprofiles ,7-8
3
I thought that by including this experiment in my film, I would shed new light on how
society affects black children today and how little has actually changed. With help from
my mentor, Shola Lynch, and thanks to the honesty and openness of the girls I interviewed,
I was able to complete my first documentary in the fall of 2005. I learned that giving the
girls an opportunity to talk about these issues and their experiences helped us all to look
deeper and examine the many things in society that affect us and shape who we are.11
Edward Wimberly writes in his book, Relational Refugees, that “human identity is formed in a matrix of
relationships. We discover ourselves in and through our encounters with others. Our sense of ‘me’ is
dependent on the existence of a ‘you.’ We can only see our own eyes in the reflection of another’s . . .
Adolescents sort through a jumble of messages, both internal and external, as they arrive at some sort of
self-understanding. Parents, the church, peers, and teachers all send cues to young people suggesting
what they should believe and who they should be.”12 Wimberly’s point is “that some [teenagers] get the
idea that to be of significance, they have to be someone other than themselves. They strive for affirmation
by fitting themselves into someone else’s prescribed set of expectations that are often alien to who they
truly are. Those who insist on defining themselves by the standards of others will become ‘relational
refugees.’”13
A brief word needs to be added here regarding several groups of youth that typically go
unmentioned. First, the experiences of high school youth revealed at the Youth Hope-Builders Academy
of Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia, revealed distinctive and sometimes
problematic identity struggles of today’s bi-racial youth. We heard their experiences of being the new
“marginal” persons who don’t always feel they belong in either black or dominant cultural circles.
Second, immigrant youth, especially those from African countries, who are first generation family
members struggle with their immersion in and desires to emulate western styles and language on the one
hand, and parental desires for maintaining African cultural values, language, and customs. Third, we are
reminded of the reality of gangs and recruitment of Black youth into gangs. At the same time, we are also
aware of youth who exit or seek to exit gangs and desire and need support, guidance, and protection in
doing so. Along with this information, it is important to add that all of today’s gang members are not
black; and, significantly, data show that “fatherless homes provide a wonderful opportunity for streetgang recruiters.”14 Weakened parental and family ties are key indicators of the likelihood of black gang
membership.
Experiences of Racism
When the four classes of hope-builders were asked to name the most critical issues facing Black
youth today, the issue that consistently appeared at the top of the list was racism or race-related issues,
including stereotypes. One youth put it in an open-ended response: “Growing up in America as a Black
person is not easy because of the stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination which will affect our future.”
Another youth shared his own personal story which began with similar words, “Growing up black is not
easy!”
This statement of Larry (not his real name), a young black teen, followed a harrowing
11
A description of the film is found in: http://www.mediathatmatters.org/6/a_girl_like_me/
12
Wimberly, Relational Refugees, 63.
13
Ibid., 63-64.
The Family in America, “Looking Up To Dad,” The Howard Center, New Research Online Edition, Vol. 17(2),
Feb. 2003:2. Accessed from: http://www.profam/org/pub/nr/nr_1702.htm
14
4
experience on his way home from school one day. The youth had finished a longer than
usual track practice in preparation for an upcoming track meet. Fearful that he would be
late for his role as a peer mentor in a program sponsored by the congregation he attended,
he left the school yard running, still donned in his athletic attire. A couple of blocks
later, a police squad car pulled alongside him. Two white police officers swiftly exited
the vehicle, commanded the young teen to stop, frisked him, and pushed him to the ground.
Larry described what followed as a wild ordeal of being told of a robbery that had
occurred several blocks away and that he matched the description of the robber. After
asking where he came from and why he was running, the police rebuffed the teen’s story
of leaving track practice and of trying to get to church on time for an appointment. They
refused to heed his request for them to simply return with him to the high school to verify
his story. Although he was a better-than-average student who had never been in trouble
with the law, Larry found himself handcuffed, addressed by the word “Nigger!” thrown
in the back seat of the squad car, and transported to a police precinct. After seemingly
endless hours of interrogation, Larry was allowed to call his mother. She called the youth
pastor who, in turn, called the track coach. The three met at the police station and
received the devastated young teen upon his release.”15
Because of our youths’ experiences of being on the receiving end of racial profiling, ridicule, racial
epithets, and belittling comments from non-black societal members and mirrored from within the Black
racial ethnic context, these youth internalize, affirm and re-affirm what I have referred to earlier as
negative self-views; yet, when they engage in critical conversations with others who guide them in
distinguishing between who they are, their worth and value, on the one hand, and what others say about
them on the other, they are able to see themselves in a positive light. For example, when the youth hopebuilders were asked to respond to the question on an Academy assessment form, “To what extent do you
see yourself as a valued creation of God?”, 28.4% marked the response, “Great extent,” and 58.3%
marked “Exceptional extent.”
Black Youths’ Awareness of Current Events, Social Issues, and Views About Their Response
As part of our research with the youth hope-builders of the Youth Hope-Builders Academy, we
wanted to discover the impact of the program on the youth. As a result, the youth were asked to respond
to written pre-program and post-program survey questions on specific issues. In the pre-program
responses to the question, “How aware would you say you are about current events in the world?”, 23.5%
marked either very aware or extremely aware, 41% marked simply aware, with more than a third marking
either somewhat aware or not very aware. At the same time, 93.7% marked “yes” to the question, “Is it
important that you are informed about current events in general. All of the youth marked “yes” to the
question, “Is it important that you are informed about current events that would have a direct impact on
your life?”
The question was recast in the following manner: “To what extent are you aware of social issues
in your community and in the world that require a response by Christians and their churches?” To this
question, 45.1% marked either to a great extent or exceptional extent; 39.6% marked simply to some
extent; and nearly 15% marked not sure or no present thought.
Further inquiry was made through the question: “To what extent do you see your own
15
The story appears in: Anne E. Streaty Wimberly, Nurturing Faith and Hope: Black Worship as a Model for
Christian Education (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2004), 60-61.
5
responsibility in addressing social issues?” To this query, 45.1% marked either to a great or exceptional
extent; 34.7% marked simply to some extent; and 20% marked not sure or no present thoughts. At the
same time, when asked “How hopeful are you that you will be able to make a difference in the world?”,
close to three-quarters marked very hopeful or extremely hopeful. Higher percentages of responses
appeared in the category of great and exceptional extent to this question and all of the preceding questions
when the post-surveys were administered (ones given at the end of the program).
We deemed an assessment of this kind of awareness and response to be important because it
revealed the extent of Black youths’ awareness of and respect for their role in life within and beyond
community and the need for attention to this dimension of their lives.
A Perspective on the Education and Vocational Lives of Black Teens
There is good news and bad news regarding the educational profile of Black youth that points to
the need for attention by those who lead them. The good news is that Black youth earning a high school
diploma has continued to climb over the past decade. However, the current rate of graduation remains
under that of other racial ethnic groups. Specifically, 2005 statistics show that 52% of Black students,
compared to 56% of Hispanic students, 77% of Asian students, and 76% of White students graduated on
time with a regular high school diploma.16 Dropout rates of Black high school students are also of
concern. Statistics show that 11.8% of Black high school students dropped out in 2005 compared to
23.8% of Hispanic students, 6.8% of White students, 3.6% of Asian Pacific Islander students, and 6.1% of
students of more than one race. Those living in low income families tend to drop out at 6 times the rate of
their peers from high-income families.17 The importance of the data on dropouts lies in the fact that these
youth are less likely to be in the labor force or unemployed if they are in the labor force. Additionally, by
the time they reach age 24 and older, they tend to report being in worse health than those who are not
dropouts; and dropouts make up disproportionately higher percentages of incarcerated individuals and
death row inmates. The key point here is that the earlier mentioned issue of self-esteem and its causes
cannot be erased from the problematic educational picture. A negative estimation of self cannot be
translated into positive action on one’s own behalf.
The good news is also that a rise in the average GPA for Black high school students as well as for
all other racial ethnic group was recorded between 1990 and 2005. However, the average of Black high
school students is still below that of other racial ethnic groups. The average GPA for Black high school
students in 2005 was 2.69, up from 2.42 in 1990. The 2005 average compared to 2.82 for Hispanics, 3.05
for White students, and 3.16 for Asian/Pacific Islanders. In 2005, all racial ethnic groups earned more
credits in core and other academic subjects than in 1990. Moreover, 2005 graduates of all racial ethnic
groups earned more credits in English, mathematics, science, and social studies than graduates in 1990;
and in 2005, a greater percent of Black, White, and Asian Pacific Islander graduates completed standard,
mid-level, and rigorous curricula since 1990.18
Data on post-secondary education targets not only where Black students tend to enroll, but also
Editorial Projects in Education (EPE), “Diploma Count: An Essential Guide to Graduation Policy and Rates.”
Education Week, 25, June 22, 2006:415.
16
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “Common Core of Data: 2004.”
Retrieved from: http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/bat/
17
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “The Nation’s Report Card, Results from the
2005 High School Transcript Study” (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office). Retrieved from:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
18
6
the risk factors that lessen their chances of persistence in education at this level. In 1999-2000, 39.3%
were in four-year institutions, 44,4% in two-year institutions, and 7.8% in private for profit institutions.
In addition, 18,2% were in certificate programs, 39.8% in Associates Degree programs, 37.2% in
Bachelor’s Degree programs, and 4.8% in no degree programs. The risk factors include: delayed
enrollment by a year or more; attending part time; being financially independent (for purposes of
determining eligibility for financial aid; having children; being a single parent; working full-time while
enrolled; and being a high school dropout or a GED recipient. In 1999-2000, more risk factors were
reported by Black students compared to other racial ethnic groups.19 The importance of these data lie in
the support Black students need and the criticism often heard from young college students that, once they
enter college, especially if it is away from home, they are forgotten by the churches and on-campus
religious resources are either not accessible or are not deemed appropriate.
Data collected from the Youth Hope-Builders Academy pre- and post-assessment instruments are
helpful with specific regard to Black teens’ attitudes toward and preparation for their vocational
lives. The question was asked to the youth, “To what extent do you have an idea of a vocational
direction for your life?” In the pre-assessment, only 12.5% targeted to an exceptional extent;
34.7% targeted to “a great extent”; 43% “to some extent”; and 7.8% targeted “not sure” or “no
present thoughts.” The percentage of those who targeted “to an exceptional extent” or “great
extent” rose beyond 80% in the post-assessment instruments. Of particular note was the youths’
responses to the question, “How sure are you about pursuing a career in church ministry?” On
the pre-inventory, 28.4% said they were sure or very sure. On the post-assessment taken at the
end of the program after the completion of identity and exploration group involvement, 38.8%
said they were sure or very sure.
One of the youth wrote a reflection on the meaning of vocation with no hesitancy in using religious
language:
When I think of the word vocation, I think about something that I am called to do
or gifts given by God for me to do God’s will in my life. I am a teenager and sometimes
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do or what my gifts are. I remember going to this
program called Youth Hope-Builders Academy. I learned about finding my purpose,
gifts, and vocation, which was really helpful. Sometimes to know what God wants
you to do may come to you in a dream, vision, or it can be a dream that is set in your
heart to do. Some dreams that are set in people’s hearts are given by God.
Most people aren’t sure what their purpose is in life. I guess the best thing for me
to do is to ask God to show me the way and to lead me in the path I am to go. There
are times in my life when people try to put me down, but I try really hard to not let
it bother me and just trust God.
My career choice is to become a doctor. I want to help people and encourage people
when they are sick. . . I know that God is always in control and that whatever my
vocation is, I know that it is meant to be. . . It will be one of the best things that will
ever happen in my life.
What do you think that your vocation in life may be?
Laura Horn, Katharin Peter, and Kathryn Rooney, “Postsecondary Education, Profile of Undergraduates in U.S.
Postsecondary Education Institutions:1999-2000,” Education Statistics Quarterly, Vol. 4(3). Retrieved from:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/vol_4/4_3/4_1.asp
19
7
How will you accomplish God’s will in your life?
Another wrote:
My calling in life is to offer words of encouragement and minister to others while
helping them get through their pains and illnesses. I’ve realized that people who
aren’t encouraged to move on and keep the faith never make it in life. Everyone
needs an encouraging word from time to time, and I want to be the one who gives
it. I know how it feels to be at the bottom trying to make it to the top, not caring who
I push out of the way or hurt in the process. Always wondering why me? That’s
when someone told me there’s always a test before you can tell your testimony. It
didn’t register at first, and then it did. Just when I thought that things couldn’t get
any worse, they did. Then I realized it was a test I was going through, so that I could
help others in the future by sharing my testimony with them. So, I keep two little
thoughts in the back of my mind–God won’t put more on me than I can bear, and
there’s always a test before you can give your testimony.
Instead of always wondering why me, ask yourself, why not me. Stop feeling sorry
for yourself, and realize that tests come to make you stronger so that you can
accomplish God’s will for your life.
A Perspective on the Physical Lives of Black Teens
The literature is clear in highlighting the deleterious effect of racism, sexism, classism, violence,
and poverty on the overall health of Black youth. Moreover, it is clear that the neighborhood context
plays a role in health. Black youth, particularly teen girls living in a neighborhood with a greater
concentration of youth who are idle tended to be at greater risk for sexual initiation. For teen boys, the
dimension of neighborhood context that seems to be most salient is a higher incidence of poverty and
higher numbers of idle youth.20
It is well documented that teen pregnancy has a disruptive effect in the lives of many young
people. In addition, the climbing incidence of HIV/AIDS from the upper teen years and older is raising
alarm. In both incidences, the implications for not simply physical health, but psycho-social well-being
abound. It is also noted that substance abuse is a maladaptive method used by adolescents and others to
cope with stress. While substance abuse is found among Black adolescents, large-scale national studies
show that, on average, these youths “are relatively less involved in substance use than their peers.21
Although homicide remains the leading cause of death among Black youth from age fifteen to almost the
mid-twenties, a rising area of concern regards the rate of suicide among Black youth. According to
Hammond and Prothrow-Stith, in recent years, “self-directed violence, in the form of suicide and suicide
attempts, has increased dramatically among African American youths. . . [T]he suicide rate in the fifteen
to nineteen group grew more rapidly among young black males than among white males.”22
See: Catherine Cubbin, John Santelli, Claire D. Brindis, and Paula Braverman, “Neighborhood Context and
Sexual Behaviors Among Adolescents: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health,”
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 37(3), September 2005:125-134.
20
Alwyn T. Coball and Hope E. Bannister, “The Health Status of Children and Adolescents,” In Ronald L.
Braithwaite and Sandra E. Taylor, eds., Health Issues in the Black Community, Second edition (San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001), 24.
21
W. Rodney Hammond and Deborah Prothrow-Stith, “The Epidemic of Homicide and Violence,” In Ronald L.
Braithwaite and Sandra E. Taylor, eds., Health Issues in the Black Community, Second edition (San Francisco:
22
8
We must add to these realities the family circumstances of youth who are living in household
with parents or other family members suffering from HIV/AIDS and the impact of this circumstance on
the youth. For example, one youth shared the following:
Growing up as a child, I never thought anything was wrong with having a single parent
home until I got older and noticed my mommy struggling to take care of her three girls.
Sometimes she would even work two jobs. My mother rarely asked for anything, and
When she finally did, she had become very ill and sometimes wasn’t able to take care of
Herself. My mommy had a blood disorder. She had AIDS, which she got from my father.
He was doing crack. He was sticking needles inside him. My mommy didn’t find out until
Some of his crack-head friends started showing up at her house. So, she packed our stuff
And we left.
Slowly by slowly, second by second, the AIDS destroyed her immune system. Because of
her physical state, my mommy couldn’t always take care of herself. So, she found out that
my Aunt was moving to our state, so mommy packed our stuff and we moved with my
Aunt. It seemed like this illness was trying to get the best of her. But she wouldn’t let the
Fact that she had AIDS ruin her life. Sometimes I think that she was tired of fighting a
Battle that wasn’t meant for her to fight. So, she gave it to God for God to handle it.
My mother died in our house. She died peacefully. She wasn’t hooked up to any machines and
chords coming out of her. She was just peaceful! Sometimes, its easier to remember what
happens after someone dies and how they die. But, I want to leave you with this: My mother
was beautiful from the inside out. Her smile was unexplainable. She was always laughing and
having a great time. She didn’t let what was trying to destroy her immune system destroy her
as a person.
If you had to relive my life, knowing that your mother had AIDS, how would you live it?
Cubbin and her colleagues make the point that youth are in need of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Implementation quality;
Caring, knowledgeable adults;
High standards and expectations;
Parents’/Guardians participation;
Presence of community;
A holistic approach;
Youth as resources/community service;
Service Learning;
Work-based learning; and
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001), 152-153. Also see: Catherine Cubbin, John Santelli, Claire D. Brindis, and Paula
Braverman, A Technical Assistance Sampler on School Interventions to Prevent Youth Suicide (Los Angeles, CA:
Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2003).
9
•
Long-term services/support and follow-up.23
It is particularly important to note that, although there have been improvements in the overall health of
Black children and youth over the last several decades, their overall health status is still far from
satisfactory.24
A Perspective on the Spiritual Lives of Black Teens
Black youth show distinctive patterns in the area of religion. While there is little documentation
of the proportion of these youth who are un-churched, studies do show that religious faith and activity are
highest among Black youth compared to those in other racial ethnic groups. Results of a study carried out
by Christian Smith and his associates show that Black youth are also more likely to pray daily than those
in other groups. Responses of the youth to the Hope-Builders Academy pre- assessment tools showed the
following results to the question, “To what extent do you take time to think deeply and pray about issues
that come up in your home, with peers, and other?”
•
•
•
•
•
Exceptional extent
Great extent
To some extent
Not sure
No present thoughts
12.5%
30%
46.5%
10.4%
.07%
Responses increased in the post-assessment tool in the top two categories so that the majority (52%) of
youth targeted “to a great or exceptional extent.”
In the Smith study sample, 50 percent of Black youth identified faith as being very important to
them, compared to 33 percent of other non-white racial ethnic groups, and 27 percent of White
adolescents. Moreover, more Black Protestant youth than youth in other racial ethnic groups identify
themselves as born-again.25 The important message is that the ability of Black youth to survive and thrive
is mediated by their religious involvement (measured by the frequency of their attending religious
services and their involvement in religious institutions. This involvement buffers or interacts with the
stressors and negative influences or activities in their lives.26
Our youths’ attitude toward adults and “church folk” is consistently one of “hitting hard” at what
they straightforwardly call hypocrisy. One of the youth hope-builders raised the question: “What’s the
difference between Christians living their life wrong and atheists living their life right?” But, in the midst
of the challenges of life, it is also clear from so many Black youth that they see and grasp hope in the
world and have the ability to think theologically about the nature and meaning of hope. This quality of
23
Cubbin, Santelli, Brindis, and Braverman, A Technical Assistance Sampler, 10..
See: Coball and Bannister, “The Health Status of Children and Adolescents,” 13-43; Barbara J. Guthrie, Mary
Jane Rotherman and Nancy Genero, “A Guide to Understanding Female Adolescents’ Substance Abuse, Gender and
Ethnic Consideration for Prevention and Public Policy, DHHS Publication No. (SMA)00-3309, 2001.
24
25
Christian Smith, et.al., “Mapping American Adolescent Subjective Religiosity and Attitudes of Alienation
Toward Religion: A Research Report,” Sociology of Religion, Spring 2003. See pp. 7-8 of printed version online:
http://www.findarticles.com
26
See: Byron R. Johnson, Sung Joon Jang, Spencer De Li, and David Larson, “The Invisible Institution and Black
Youth Crime: The Church as an Agency of Local Social Control,” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Volume
29(4), August 2000:479-498.
10
their lives is captured in the following words of a first year high school youth in the Youth Hope-Builders
Academy:
What is hope? Hope can be described in several different ways. There are plenty of
words that can be attached to the true meaning of hope. Hope can be put in writing or
can be expressed through your everyday actions.
Hope means wishing, dreaming, wondering, wanting, destiny, encouragement, love, help,
and faith. Personally, I truly feel that I need hope to make it through life. My hope means
that I will always have a goal to strive for. For instance, I’m always wondering if my life
will be how I want it to be.. Hope means that I know that my life will go in the right path.
Hope can be expressed in many ways. You don’t always have to say aloud what you hope
For. You can express your hope through silent prayer, or written poems or essays. In addition,
You may talk aloud to God and tell God what you hope for in life. God will listen to you and
You don’t have to worry about God telling anybody.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that it is important to have hope in your life. Having hope
will guide you through life. Everything you hope for may not come true. But, if you talk it
out, God will let you know why it didn’t come true. But, always carry hope with you in life and
have faith that what you hope for will happen. I also really think that the meaning of hope in
action is:
Helping
Other
People
Everyday
With these thoughts from a youth, I bring this time of sharing to a close with gratitude for what the youth
have shared and for your listening.
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