Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 4-13-18

Another View Revisited Letter To The Editor
Life In The Black Villages Of Yesterday
BY SAMUEL KINSEY
Years ago, all African Amer- icans, especially in the South, lived in a Village. The Village was a community where every- body knew each other.
People were kind and treated each other with dignity and respect. They worshiped and prayed together and they leaned on one another for sup- port.
Crime was almost non-exis- tent and Villagers frequently re- ferred to one another as brother or sister.
The Village was kept clean and free of trash and debris. Even yards where there was no grass were kept neatly and peo- ple would either rake them or sweep them with a broom.
In the Village, people had strong moral values. They feared God and most went to church.
In the Village, a man’s word was his bond and hard work and honest gain were the order of the day.
Children went to school and their parents went to work. Many parents worked two and sometimes three jobs to support their families. People would ac- cept a helping hand, but dis- dained a handout.
In the Village, the elderly were admired and children were cherished. People had
strong family values and would help other family members who needed them.
Adults were expected to help keep children on the right track and children showed re- spect for grownups.
The schools were a part of Village life twenty-four-seven and would discipline students for misbehaving even during non-school hours. Teachers knew students and their fami- lies and many lived in the same community as their students.
But! Not all was well in the Villages. We were restricted as to where we could live and the jobs we could hold. Our chil- dren were limited as to where they could go to school and we were relegated to riding on the back of the bus.
We paid taxes but govern- ment services were grossly lack- ing. We had first rate teachers, but our schools were second class.
In the Village, no matter how old we were, to whites, we were boy or girl and no matter how young they were, we had to call them Mr. or Ms.
Through the years we fought for equal rights and much progress has been made. How- ever, as our status changed and our civil rights increased, our strong values and high moral standards decreased. We trash and degrade our communities
and sometimes terrorize our own neighborhoods; Black-on- Black crime and gun violence are epidemic and far too many accept welfare as a way of life, rather than a life line.
While many of our young men across the nation die un- justly at the hands of those in authority, we must admit that far too many kill each other and that the brotherhood that once bound us together has been se- verely fractured.
Let me be clear, the vast ma- jority of African Americans are law-abiding and hard-working. And we know that many in other segments of society do re- ally bad things committing crimes ranging from petty lar- ceny to mass murder.
But for African Americans, the many are judged by the sins of the few and we have always been the underdogs in this soci- ety.
To use a metaphor for too long, we were not allowed to compete in America’s socio- economic race until others were already at or near the finish line.
To this day, we are still fighting to overcome this histor- ical disadvantage. So we must always be at our best. We should never measure ourselves by the worst in others, but by the best in us. Just Another View.
Respecting The American Flag
ST. PETERSBURG – As an Afro-American activist for human rights, I am often asked by Whites why some Afro- Americans don’t respect the American Flag or “Star-Span- gled Banner.”
My answer to them, pledging to the flag or singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” is not about disrespecting the American Flag or the Anthem. It’s about bringing atten- tion to what is being done by hate and injustice that is be- stowed upon them.
There is not a war or conflict that Afro-Americans have not engaged in. And, may I say, under the harshest condi- tions. Afro-Americans fought for freedom for others on foreign lands when they couldn’t enjoy freedom here in America.
White people, please learn the history of Afro-Ameri- cans’ patriotism and perhaps you will see why some Afro- Americans don’t salute the American Flag or sing the “Star-Spangled Banner.
JOAN THURMOND
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2018