I am so blessed to be married to a wonderful Endangered Species. I said it right. We are in an age where someone walking down the street with a Hoodie on being construed as a threat. No visible gun, just a Hoodie and some snacks (Trayvon Martin). This is 2012, and I am afraid that I am raising two little Endangered Species that mean the world to me. This is 2012, and there is an unspoken mentality that African American Men are a threat. This is so far from the truth because they are the ones being threatened.
They are growing up in a world where their only aspirations are to grow up in jail or to not grow up at all. Some African American women don't help them have any more aspirations than these. I feel that there is such a vicious cycle of unwed young African American women (girls) having sons that grow up with no role models, no fathers, and never really learn the true meaning between right and wrong. Then, those sons have children by young women (girls) to keep the cycle moving downward. These men and women don't see the true purpose that God has laid out for them. Many of them don't go to church, don't see any inkling of a better life for themselves. They have this ENTITLEMENT mentality instead of having a HARD WORKER mentality.
So, I read an Essence article last week written by an author called " Real Talk: What Does It Mean to Raise a Black Boy?" It explained how some famous Caucasian women can adopt African American children. I was floored for so many reasons.
#1 She points out Charlize Theron was born and raised in South Africa. So, she is AFRICAN. Adopting an African American child would fit her just fine, right? I mean come on. What are the odds for this African American child to be adopted in the first place, let alone by an African woman? How lucky is it that this child doesn't have to grow up in an orphanage, group home, aged out system, but is given a chance at a wonderful life? These endangered species have been given the opportunity to be brought up in a home that they will not have to “want” for anything. They were chosen to be loved, not forced!
#2 Again, who else will adopt them? I would rather every child be adopted, but that is definitely not the case in this day and age. I would have understood this article more if this author had adopted a few kids of her own, better yet adopted a few African American boys of her own. But, that isn't the case.
I can't imagine a world without these Endangered Species. I grew up in a time where African American Grandfathers were considered an Endangered Species to me. Both of my grandfathers died when I was around seven-years-old. I can barely remember their mannerisms, quirky sayings, anecdotes, etc. I noticed that a few of my African American friends' grandfathers died when they were young if they had a grandfather at all. A lot of my friends of other nationalities had their grandfathers from elementary through high school and beyond.
My Endangered Species husband strives every day to be the father that he didn't have. To be everything that our children need him to be. To help them become productive HARD WORKING citizens of this great nation. That's what God has told him to be, and he has taken that charge.
I see now that I need to amend my Endangered Species from African American Grandfathers to just African American Men. Speaking as the wife of an Endangered Species, and the mother to twin Endangered Species pre-schoolers, I pray and strive to take them off the Endangered Species list.
Signed,
Concerned Conservationist
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