by Taki S. Raton
"I am so excited to hear that the authors are coming back to Milwaukee," said social worker Ira Cunningham upon receiving a flyer at a recent community function. "I missed them on their first occasion back in February, but heard about their presentation from a friend of mine who attended. Then I just accidentally caught them on radio 1290 that following Tuesday. When I think about what is happening in our community, with our families and our children, I am convinced that these wonderful brothas’ and their book have some definite answers."

Cunningham is speaking to the return engagement to Milwaukee of Erik K. Grimes and Butch Slaughter speaking to the second edition of their work "Why Our Children Hate Us--How Black Adults Betray Black Children" Saturday, April 28 at the African American Women’s Center, 3020 West Vliet Street. Doors open at 12 noon. The program will promptly begin at 1 p.m.

"The reaction to Grimes and Slaughter from our community was overwhelming given the article on their presentation appearing in this paper February 15, their talk on the 17t at the African American Women’s Center, and finally their radio interview that following Tuesday morning February 20 on 1290," said Ron Pounds, founder and president of the ASCAC study group in Milwaukee and a founding member of The Kingdom Institute for Black Men’s Studies.

"The calls and emails that came in after their first appearance were from people who perhaps missed the Saturday presentation but read the Milwaukee ‘Community Journal’ article or heard them on Cassandra’s radio interview. People wanted to know more about them, where to buy the book, how to get in touch with them and if and when they were coming back. So we decided to schedule a second Milwaukee date," he adds.

"I would have to fully agree with the promotional descriptives on the back cover of their book," said Nia Williams, teacher at Grace Preparatory School. "Their words are painfully truthful, unapologetically direct, hard hitting and straight to the point. For the sake of our children and for our future, we would be advised to reflect on their thoughts. Myself and my family are looking forward to their return visit."

Co-sponsored by The Kingdom Institute for Black Men’s Studies, the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (ASCAC), the National Black United Front (NBUF) and Blyden Delany Academy, this return engagement is expected to attract parents, educators, social service providers, social and civic membership and the broader community interested in the mental, moral, social and character direction of African American children and the quality of our future as a people.

During these three months between February 17 and the coming April 28 engagement, Grimes and Slaughter have been pretty busy with interviews on Chicago and Philadelphia radio talk shows, invited lectures on their book at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania and Eastern University, at youth centers and to staff and parents at various school locations in the Philadelphia area.

Indeed, that very April 28 afternoon at the close of the Women’s Center presentation, upon leaving Milwaukee the authors have a tight schedule to appear, by popular request, that evening at the We Are Beautiful Book Store in Evanston, Illinois.

A native of Philadelphia, Eric K. Grimes has worked on the "ground level" with Black youth, families and communities for more than two decades with a particular focus on the issues and challenges faced by young Black men. He earned an M.S. in Management and Urban Policy Analysis from the New School in New York City and a B.A. in Economics from Morehouse College. He also received a Certificate in Community Based Economic Development from the Center for Community Research and Service at the University of Delaware. Grimes additionally serves as founder and principal partner of SEED Concepts.

Ulysses "Butch" Slaughter has consulted for numerous youth-serving agencies and founded two Black nonprofit organizations. A native of Chicago, Slaughter is a graduate of Chicago’s Quigley Seminary South, a veteran of the United States Navy and a graduate of Lincoln University’s Masters of Human Service Program. He is past publisher of "Perspective Magazine" in Chester, Philadelphia and director of the documentary "A Chester Story."

"The Black community. We have all heard of this imaginary place," quoting an excerpt from the book.

"The Black community. This legendary place where Black people live, supporting one another, loving one another and protecting one another. The Black community. This mythical place where Black children are everybody’s children, where elders are worshiped, marriage is sacred and ‘we’ is more important than ‘me.’

"The Black community. We have all heard the tale of this distant land. Some of us have even tried to find it. But in reality, it--the Black community--does not exist. This is one of the reason why our children hate us."

The authors have indicated that the greatest problem that both the audience and host have with them is the title--"Why Our Children Hate Us."

But just as in the above quote concerning community, one would perhaps think that after all of the "advancements" we have made via integration and civil rights; one would think that given all of the money that we are making and the resources and education that we have, that Black people would dutifully invest in the safety, beauty, stabilization, cultivation, and advancement of Black communities, Black families and Black children all over the country.

One would think that Black people by now, 142 years since Emancipation Proclamation, would have rescued, reclaimed, reinterpreted, reconstructed, resurrected, restored, and redeemed an African future and destiny of our own that our children would be proud and with great dignity and anticipation grow into, advance, cultivate and perpetuate; a future and destiny that would additionally be a contributing factor in the onward flow of humanity.

But the reality speaks volumes that such contribution, participation and commitment to a collective Black advancement and a Black future for our own and for our children is not the case. The Black "me" has become more important than the Black "we."

"‘Why Our Children Hate Us!’ is not a question," the authors cite in their work. "This is an observation. This is an insight. We are betraying our children and our children hate us for it."

They add that Black adults are being held accountable by Black children for collectively not providing guidance, protection, and nurturing. Adults are supposed to stand grounded on identity, purpose and direction for their people, for their children and for their future. But what identity, purpose and direction have we provided over these past 39 years since Black Power for our young, for our people and for our future?

Questions that the book and that the authors may address at the April 28 sharing include why do Black adults prepare Black children to exclusively support, perpetuate, acknowledge and cultivate a White agenda? What is the Black agenda for Black people and for our future? Do Black people have a Black/African agenda for ourselves, for our children and for our future? If not, why are we afraid to create one? Is the anti-African/anti-Black/pro-White integrationist agenda fostered by our traditional civil rights vanguard now working against our very survival as a people?

Why is the Black community, collectively, worse off in 2007 than it was 44 years age in 1963? How is the personality of the Black child different in 2007 as compared to the Black child of the ‘Old School’ era where self-respect, respect for family, elders and community, and a vision for a promising future, even under segregation, were the norm? How is the fabric of today’s popular culture directly or indirectly designed to destroy Black children? Why are Black adults not standing up (or afraid to stand up) for the rights, protection, welfare or for the positive and productive future of Black children? Why are we allowing our children to self-destruct and die through their popular culture? Why are Black children killing each other? How soon will it be before they start killing us?

"An African proverb states that ‘children are the reward of life’ as they are the only future of a people," quoting the book.

However, in the context of physical, mental and cultural domination, the authors cite, "our children’s future is left to the will of other people and certainly not to ourselves."

Jews do not sit down with others (White) and the Jews and "others" jointly decide on the future and welfare of Jewish children and Jewish people with the "other" making most of the decisions. Asians do not sit down with "others" and the Asian and the "other" jointly decide on the future and welfare of Asian children and Asian people with the "other" making most of the decision regarding an Asian future.

No people of dignity, self-respect, self-determination, self-reliance and who would practice and uphold a element of self-responsibility for themselves, their children, their families, their communities or for their future would sit down with the "other" regarding their welfare and let the "other" make most of the decisions about the quality of continuance of their men, women, children, families and community.

But Black people do. We have placed the entire future of our people in the hands of someone else; in the hands of the "other." And just as Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu said recently on Thursday, April when he spoke at Holy Redeemer, quoting from his 2002 published work "Black Students--Middle Class Teachers," "The future of our children is now in the hands of a 23-year-old white woman who represent the profile of the majority of public teachers in our urban classrooms around the country teaching our children."

Kunjufu added also that our children are being raised by popular culture music, music videos and by questionable images on TV.

"Our Black children face particular challenges which often overwhelm their hope," authors Grimes and Slaughter position.

However and unfortunately, the systematic social, educational and economic disadvantaging of Black children are being responded to both by our silence and by our absence as Black adults, they add.

"Our children need to see us stand up for them, not against them, in a world designed for their defeat," according to the writers.

The authors note that the tension between Black children and Black adults is "beyond the proverbial ‘generation gap.’ This goes way beyond generational misunderstandings. This is an issue of enduring values. A matter of what is important.

"Does anyone think for a minute that if we worshiped our children, adored our children, our reality would appear as it does? If collectively we loved more with our actions and less with our mouths, the Black world would certainly be a different place."

Attorney Mauli Mel Davis of Atlanta, Georgia says of the author’s work, "This book grabs you by the collar of your shirt. Stop playing games. Our children are dying. This work forces those of us who ‘talk Black’ to reevaluate what we are really doing to save our children. Anyone interested in engaging in an authentic dialogue about the plight of Black children must read this book."

"Powerful, gripping, informative," says Philadelphia talk show host Norm Bond of "Why Our Children Hate Us."

"A page turner! Brothers Grimes and Slaughter transfer their inside knowledge into practical information and solutions to rebuild our families and communities. Read and apply this book," he adds.

Vendors are welcome at this event. A $5 donation will be requested at the door. For additional information and for vendor’s fee, contact Taki S. Raton at 933-1130.