The newspaper headlines read: "Prison Population at an All Time High! African-Americans Comprise 72% of Penal Institutions."

The fact is that African-American males make up 78% of that population. The women prison population has risen by 75% in the last five years - and its a fact that African-American females constitute 80% of that population. Not to mention that juvenile detention is at its summit and, the fact that African-American children populate that at 68%.

I've just given you the factual statistics of the African-American - man, woman and child - encapsulated in our penal system. These figures represent an issue that needs to be addressed - NOW! But before you make any assumptions that I am a racist, I must first emphasize that I am an incarcerated African-American who recognizes the problems that plague our communities and wants to assist in the struggle.

Many of you may wonder, what struggle? Please allow me to diversify: Kunta Kinte, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. - just to name a few - were among the millions who shed blood for the "physical emancipation" of African-Americans, only to have some of us continue to embrace "psychological enslavement". Now is the time for us as African-Americans to relinquish these mental constraints in order that we might flourish as a people.

We can start by dispensing with the pleasantries of "nigga," "fool," and "dogg." How could one greet a fellow African-American by regarding the person as "my nigga," when a nigger is an ignorant individual who sees no significance in learning? How could one say "What's up, fool?" to another African-American when one would actually be acknowledging a jokester or a prankster who shirks responsibility? And "my dogg" - a four legged animal who has to be trained and told what to do - who will always be a follower, never a leader, incapable of thinking for himself or herself.

Secondly, we can disassociate our African-American women with such derogatory terms as "ho's" and "bitches." For example a ho (whore) is one who prostitutes her body for what she might consider personal gain. And, a bitch is a female dog (be advised that we've already covered the attributes of the canine)

Next, we as African-Americans need to be or become more parent oriented; we need to be more conscious and mindful of installing morals, values, and ethics in tomorrow's adults.

Lastly, let us give this message to all those pimps, players, and hustlers: STOP disgracing our communities with drugs. STOP exploiting our women with prostitution. STOP infesting our children with the negative ideologies of which so many of them strive to assume.

These are the enormous psychological manifestations that inhabit the mind's of today's African-Americans. These manifestations - WE MUST CHANGE.

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