Village elders must lead young blacks

To raise children in today's society, I think U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is right. As she says in her book, "It Takes a Village." Her point is especially true in regards to African-American youths.

Black parents, guardians, church leaders, teachers and all others in position to give advice to our young brothers and sisters must do so and quickly. Maybe they'll listen and accept advice from us.

Black youth must realize they're responsible and accountable for their actions, that the decisions they make today will impact them down the road.

Young blacks must not only be told, they must be made to understand that regardless of their future professions as blue- or white-collar workers, and especially as athletes or entertainers, that their days of privilege are over.

If they have doubts, just hand them a newspaper. It doesn't matter whether they read the front page or the sports section. The news in either section is the same — young blacks in high schools and colleges are being suspended, expelled and in many cases jailed for unlawful behavior.

Even older blacks such as rappers and sports pros are being jailed for unlawful behavior.

In today's electronic world, very little can be hidden from public knowledge. Any misstep today can and will bite you tomorrow. When my generation came along back in the 1950s and '60s, those in authority (listed above) drilled into our heads that to be successful, we had to do the right thing — lawfully and morally.

Indeed if we were away from home and messed up, the news of our misdeeds beat us home. Back then, families and friends of the family didn't "mind their own business" as they're taught today.

Bad behavior wasn't just a reflection on the youngster who did wrong, it was a reflection on his immediate family.

My parents and my friends' parents wanted their family, friends and neighbors to report to them when their children misbehaved.

Not so today. Rather than know or be told about bad behavior, it seems parents today would prefer that their children get in trouble.

Today's adult African-Americans are failing to inform their children how the real world operates.

In some cases, racism will be a roadblock to success for them but lately most problems aren't racially motivated but just plain unlawful.

The young and not so young (Michael Vick) have got to know that the days of being given a pass because you excel in your chosen profession are over.

From athletic venues to professional offices to the streets of New York and Los Angeles, the message is the same — your choices must be legal ones.

Village elders must get the message across to our young people that having money and connections will not ensure their immunity from prosecution. 

Nelson Graves writes a weekly column for The News Virginian. He is Western Virginia director of the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council. E-mail him at .