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State of Emergency For Black Youth

In Chapter 9 of “The Minneapolis Story, Through My Eyes,” by Ron Edwards as told to Peter Jessen

The page heading is “Jobs, Not Drugs and Jail: The White Man’s War on Young Black Men.”

Would Whites put up with what is listed below? They’d act so fast it would make everyone’s head swim. At the end of Chapter 9 of my book, I quote from State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males, African American Images Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2001, http://www.AfricanAmericanImages.com.

As some have commented to me, my book declares the true state of things, the state of emergency regarding inner city Blacks in terms of education, jobs, housing, politics, etc. Kunjufu outlines it better than anyone else.

As I wrote in Chapter 9: “Let us not forget the situation we are in. To use the title of Jawanza Kunjufu’s book, we are in a State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males. Any time you falter…, use these points from Kunjufu’s book (pp. 1-20) to remind you of what is at stake:”

* If one of every three White males were involved in the penal system, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If 80% of the White children in special education classes were male, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If there were three White females for every one White male on college campuses, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If White women had the life expectancy of African American males-65 years-White America would declare a state of emergency. White women: 79 years.

* If one of every 12 White males in Washington, D.C. were a victim of homicide, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If AIDS was the number one killer of White males, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If Whites were 13% of the population, but comprised 35% of drug arrests, 55% of drug convictions, and 74% of drug prisoners, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If Whites comprised 17% of drivers on the Maryland state highway, but 70% of drivers were stopped by the police, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If prosecutors sought the death penalty 70% of the time when a White person killed an African American, but only 19% of the time when it was reversed, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If 40% of White males were illiterate in America, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If Whites were 13% of the population, but 50% of those waiting on death row, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If Whites were 13% of the population, but 67% of the juveniles in adult courts and 77% of the juveniles in adult prisons, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If only one of very 13 White babies were born out of wedlock in 1965, but seven in every ten in 2001, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If the life expectancy of White males in Washington, D.C. was only 57 years, and there was no state with a White male life expectancy greater than 70 years, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If Whites represented 84% of crack cocaine convictions, White America would declare a state of emergency.

* If two of every three White males were projected to be involved in the penal system by 2020, White America would declare a state of emergency. As Kunjufu asks, as all this is true in Black America, are we going to rise up and declare a state of emergency? Or is that only for Whites?


Ron hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm. Formerly head of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League, he continues his “watchdog” role for Minneapolis. Order his book, hear his voice, read his solution papers, and read his between columns “web log” at www.TheMinneapolisStory.com.

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