Who is the 21st century black man supposed to be? Is he supposed to be the street-wise hustler so very often portrayed on television? Is he supposed to be the ath-lete, rapper or some other star? Or is he supposed to be the thug or victim that too often ends up on the front page of newspapers?
Truth is, he can be all of the above and so much more, but the 21st century black man needs to go back to being the 20th century black man. Let me explain.
According to the Statistical Abstract of the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of black children living with two parents in 2004 was 35 percent. Hold that thought. In 1970, it was 59 percent. But let’s not gravitate to that statistic. In 1950 — the middle of the 20th century — 83 percent of black children grew up in two parent homes. Now, only about 28 percent of black children grow up in two parent families. What’s missing? Fathers. What’s going on? It takes two to make a child, but for some reason, the black man of the 21st century feels it’s OK to leave only one, the mother, to raise the child.
This decision leads to all sorts of bad outcomes. One income is not as great as two, mean-ing many children brought up in single-parent households are brought up in poverty that is quicksand that is hard to escape.
In the words of Pastor Tolan Morgan, it’s time for a recovery. The 21st century black man has a set of instructions set out in the Bible. It’s a road map to follow. Black men of the 21st century need to recovery, as King David did, what they have lost. They need to recover their families. They need to recover their sons and daughters. They need to recover their baby’s mama. And if that train has moved too far down the tracks, the 21st century black man needs make sure their children know four things:
Who they are (who they belong to)
Where you are (They always need to be able to contact you)
Whose they are (Mommy and daddy are fine, but they belong to God)
Who will always love them.
A child, first of all, is a gift from God. 21st century black men need to help teach their children — by example — that we all belong to our Lord and Savior. A 21st century black man is nothing without his family. That is his first responsibility. He is head of his household. He is the spiritual leader of his home.
This is not a position of authority to be used as a hammer. The Bible gives directions how a husband should treat his wife and children. In Ephesians 5:25-31,33 A man should love his wife as Christ loved the church and as he loves his own body.
To put it simply, the 21st century black man needs to be a man of God. If he follows the directions given in the Bible, he will be alright.
The 21st century black man needs to understand that the 21st century hype, if allowed, can catch you. The hype is nothing but a trap set by the devil. The hype will have the 21st century black man thinking he’s “All That” and as the old folks used to say, have him smelling himself. God’s words in the Bible acts as a deodorant. There are dozens of verses, but 1 Corinthians 13:4 says Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arro-gant.
So what’s expected of the 21st century black man? It’s really simple. Honor God; honor your family; be an example for your family and those around them to follow. Be the bright, shining beacon others can see when there are rough seas. Pray for strength and guidance and al-ways remember where your help comes from.
You want to be a man? Come to the “I Am A Man” Conference June 16 – 19 at Fellowship.
Written by Charles E. Richardson
IAmMan Conference Schedule
16 For Him Workshops 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. TBA
17 Men’s Convocation 7:00 p.m. Faith Dome
18 Boys to Men Panel 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. FBBC Gym
18 Get in the Game 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FBBC Gym
18 Father’s Day Car Show 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Faith Dome
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
