I have a question : Do black people value themselves and each other ? If so do blacks value themselves as much as they did 40 years ago...20 years ago...even 10 years ago ? If not why is there no value ? This is a sad question to have to ask, but it is a question that has to be asked do to the fact that there is not a valid reason for why the value of a group of people has degenerated so much over the last few decades. The world has changed for the better in regards to opportunity for all people of this world; yet it seems that black people as a whole have regressed instead of progressed along with the accommodating changes of the world. I challenge any and everybody to answer this question that I have. It may be the spark needed to provide hope for the future generations of blacks not only in America, but in the world. The biggest change that can obviously be seen in the value or lack thereof is in the family structure. During the 1960s and 1970s up through the 1980s the black family was the one stable structure within the community, along with the church. This stability allowed for their to be a common denominator between taking the wrong path in life and taking the right path in life. A household that had both a mother and father within its structure allowed the opportunity for a child to see how he or she should ACT and this in turn embedded the importance of structure within the child's head unknowingly. A child that knew he had to answer to a mother and father understood the importance of decision making and how their decisions and actions affected the consequences which they incurred, whether positive consequences or negative consequences. This cycle led to stability being visible in the black family for many years; children are going to repeat what they see, both good and bad. Somewhere along the line the structure was infiltrated by an outside subsidiary that subliminally led to the devaluing of each other by black people. Lets think about something : There was a time in history where segregation ran the United States of America. This was true on all levels; socially, judicially and financially. Here's another thought. During the times of segregation, civil rights movement and black oppression from the time of post slavery (1863- 1970) there were a plethora of black owned business, homes that contained "MARRIED" mothers and fathers and overall a generally healthy sense of "Black Love" & "Black Pride" that was prevalent everywhere in the black community. Keep in mind these positives within the black community were evident despite the social antipathy displayed by races other than blacks towards blacks. There was a sense of "VALUE" that despite the visible obstacles that was common place during that time period. Fast forward to 2010; Segregation is not legally accepted, there is equal opportunity for all races (in general) to pursue social, educational & economical opportunities. Yet the value blacks have for each other as a people is on the negative side of the number line. In 2010 there are less black owned businesses than there were 40 years ago. Blacks make up less than 20% of the US Population but make up more than 50% of the prison population. The percentage of single mothers without a father in the picture is raising their children is more than 50% (in the 60s & 70s nearly 70% of black households were led by married couples) in 2010. The black on black violence is not necessarily limited to physical violence; there is a such thing a mental violence and destruction which has played a major role in the destruction of the value blacks have for each other. This mental destruction is visible in not only music, but in television and also in print. The simplest example can be seen in music. Music from black musicians from any time period prior to the late 1990s focused on uplifting each other, having fun, being positive and enjoying life. Although not all of today's music has strayed from this "Structure" the majority of this music prevalent in by today's black artist focus on the vices that have led to the destruction of our people and the "devaluing" of our race ; Sex, Drugs, Robbing, Murdering and being IGNORANT has become a staple of a lot of our music. Being continuously fed this type of diet will result in a product which we have today within our community: kids that don't value education, having more focus on obtaining drugs, jewelry or instant money, people that feel sex is needed to be cool and excepted, and the belief that women are objects rather than essential pieces to the stability of a family. EXCUSES seem to flood they black community in 2010. During the 50s, 60s and 70s there was a valid reason for blacks to make an excuse for not excelling but excelled in spite of. Today we have too many that make excuses and become enamored with the ideas of these excuses for why they are not excelling and reaching goals (if there are any goals set). I feel that blacks have to get back to loving each other and uplifting each other DESPITE ! This will lead to the return of structure within the community and this will lead to more positivity and more PRODUCTIVITY.