For the rest of the month, we will see BET, TV One, and other

networks speaking about the power of black history and reflecting

on our past. Meanwhile, many of us will become so caught up in the

hype of being black that we will forget about the present and

future state of black America.

For the rest of the month, we will see BET, TV One, and other networks speaking about the power of black history and reflecting on our past. Meanwhile, many of us will become so caught up in the hype of being black that we will forget about the present and future state of black America.

We speak about the greatness of black history and how we rose from the shadows of slavery to later have a man of color become the president of the United States. Meanwhile, black people all over the country suffer educationally, economically, socially, and spiritually far worse than their white counterparts.

And how do we battle this? By glorifying the very destruction we have all created for ourselves.

The future of our nation is just as bright or as dark as the future of black people in this country. And as a teacher, I can tell you the future looks very grim for young black men and women.

Outside of family members, who often times are poorly educated themselves, young black men and women have no heroes to look up to. The generation of tomorrow only has villains who tell them that the most important thing in this country to do is, “have sex and get money.”

Many people may argue against that point but I am willing to bet my last dime that in recent years, the names Julianne Malveaux, India Arie, and Angela Davis have become more unknown than black “women” by the name of Krissy, Yandy, and Evelyn. That’s a problem.

When I turn on the radio and hear the highest selling female hip-hop artist in nearly a decade rapping about “stupid hoes,” and then walk into a high school and hear the kids singing the same song, there’s a problem.

Black women like Hattie McDaniels, Madame CJ Walker, and Sadie T. M. Alexander, once fought and died for the future of black Americans as a whole. These women put their personal struggles to the side for the betterment of young black women in the future.

However, today if you turn on any television station or open any magazine, we see black and white Americans alike supporting the “efforts” of “women” like Nicki Minaj, Amber Rose, and Rihanna.

What doors have any of these women opened for a young black woman who wants to be remembered for her accomplishments in this world opposed to her body? The most valuable resource of our society is the preservation of black women and as of right now, they are being plagued with divorce, HIV/AIDS, and abortion at a higher rate than any group of people in this country.

We reflect so hard on the history of black America that we never realize our ancestors are turning flips in their caskets when they see how their hard work has gone to waste.

The foundation of black America continues to crack and we are building a lost generation with no knowledge of self. We focus on black history but not black future.

An alarming number of our young black youth glorify teen pregnancy, drug abuse, violence, sex, and every evil that destroys a person’s mind. The teachers at many schools have given up hope on our kids and put them in dumb classes with the expectation that failure is inevitable.

Black History Month is a great month for reflection. However I challenge anyone to take a trip to a local high school and see that our future has no knowledge of black people ever accomplishing anything of significance.

Thus, many of our kids have the feeling that they can never accomplish anything. The biggest problem with our future generation is not that they have given up; rather we have failed them by trying to paint this false image that this country owes black America anything.

Babies are born with faceless fathers. Yet we have become so divided and ignorant to other people’s struggles that we never see this as a problem for us to address as a community.

There are efforts to fix the many problems in black America. However with our races consistently falling behind in every aspect of society, except the criminal and drop out aspect, it is clear that these efforts are not as productive as we would like to play them up to be.

And unfortunately, we fall victim to our own laziness because we have lost control of our own destiny.

Even college students are to blame for the decline of the black community. We all join organizations or attach ourselves to a movement that seems a little positive. When these movements fail, the followers within the movement normally wait to attach themselves to something else.

Everything we do has a follower’s mentality. Black history shows us that student-based organizations can make a great difference. Organizations such as the Nation of Islam, SNCC, CORE, and the Black Panther Party were all student-based organizations that took the nation on during a time of struggle.

However, today we have very few student-based organizations that make an impact on the national scale.

Black history has become so watered down in recent years that many people wonder if teaching our history is even worth the effort. In fact, we are so watered down that even the institutions that helped build our great legacy are even being questioned since we no longer produce great individuals like we once did.

There’s no way we can look at black America today and say “Dr. King would be proud.” We have steadily regressed since the Civil Rights Movement and the quicker we accept that, the quicker we will be able to turn our race around and fix the problems we struggle with today. And I say we because if one of us struggles, we all struggle.

The possibility of having a generation of great thinkers is far more important than having a generation of individuals who focus on their individual accomplishments.

So how does this happen? We can start by reading books. Statistics say most black men won’t read a single book from cover to cover before he graduates. Let’s break that statistic.

Next, let’s apply the knowledge we receive to help the living conditions of others, even if it means we have to struggle together.

The Civil Rights Movement showed us that individuals could accomplish very little. However a community and family will forever have power.

During this month I want people to realize that we have nothing to celebrate right now because our ancestors who paved the way would be anything but pleased to see the current conditions of black America.

The study of black history is great. However, this month let’s use this as a time to focus on the footsteps we are laying opposed to the ones that have already been laid.

For if we don’t establish some better habits as a people, we will continue to walk down the wrong path towards our own destruction.

[email protected] And follow him on Twitter @TrumaineWasHere

• Trumaine McCaskill, Opinion Editor