Every young generation gets saddled with the label that they’re lost and will be the death of the
future of society. Whether it was rock ‘n roll music or today’s hip hop, parents have been
shaking their collective heads and shouting in unison that this country won’t survive with the
way kids were being raised in their respective eras. I’m typically not a bandwagon rider but I
have to hitch a ride today and occupy my bale of hay. I’m genuinely concerned about this
generation of kids who’ll be responsible for ensuring the survivability of society.

I’m not alone in my solicitous thought and behavior based on receiving telephone calls and visits
from several prominent people in this City recently, who can be considered the movers and
shakers of this little historic piece of real estate. Each person shared their concerns about the
seemingly hopelessness of our youth and what the contributing factors were to their observed
lack of goals and direction. Some I agreed with, others I felt like were being viewed through a
narrow prism based on their environment and life experiences that are far from what these kids
have to endure. It begs the question, “Are kids today just different from those of other time
periods?”

Certainly, kids face more challenges and are exposed to technological advancements that give
them access to things older generations didn’t, but I don’t think the onus should fall solely on the
misguided youth. We’ve failed our young people. That “we” encompasses families, parents, the
church, educational institutions, community organizations, so-called community leaders,
politicians, and anyone else who should have an interest in ensuring our youth mature and
progress effectively. There is no accountability. Skinfolk want to blame the white man for all the
ills that plague our community instead of accepting the responsibility of identifying and
addressing issues. White people ignore their own cultural failings, while wagging a judgmental
finger at the societal degradation that exists in the Black community but won’t accept
responsibility for centuries of systemic racist practices and institutions that still deny people of
color the opportunity to lift themselves up and out. Collectively, we’ve lowered all expectations,
forgone discipline, erased boundaries of respect for authority and eliminated a repercussive
society where failure to adhere has consequences. I heard the best explanation of the problem,
“The teachers are afraid of the students and the principal, the principal is afraid of the
superintendent, the superintendent is afraid of the parents, but the students aren’t afraid of
anyone.”

The streets are whispering, no, the streets are screaming out in high volume tones and have been
for years telling grownups what the problem is. I’ve been yelling it too but evidently people get
caught up in my passion and have ignored what I’ve been saying for over 25 years. Things are
now at a crisis level. I was told that folks now recognize the need for a Boys & Girls Club and
are involved in efforts to bring one here. Why now? Back in 2016, I saw the need and tried to
bring one here. I wasn’t asking for any funding as I had former NBA star and Salisbury native
Bobby Jackson and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather willing to be involved. But I was met

with resistance and had impediments thrown in the way from some of the same people and
organizations who now see it as a dire need and solution. Unlike those who thwarted mine and so
many other efforts, I hope they’re successful.

If every moment in life had background music, Sam Cooke may have soulfully belted out “A
Change is Gonna Come” in 1964, but this wasn’t the change he sang about in the beauty of his
still relevant cantabile lyrics. Marvin Gaye is screaming out from his grave, shouting, “What’s
Goin’ On?” His relevant melodic question begs to be answered more bluntly by, “what the hell
is going on in this community?” In the 60’s and 70’s the cohesiveness of the community would
not allow for what is being accepted as commonplace today. It seems like the Black community
has done the cha-cha slide right into near obscurity and Harlem Shuffled close to irrelevancy. We
can wobble, but are we winning? When I was younger and even with my kids, every Black
parent’s dream was for their child to graduate college and advance their lot in life further than
their own. Today, we view keeping our daughter off the stripper pole and our sons out of the
Penitentiary as indicators of success. The cultural standards haven’t been lowered, they’ve been
mercilessly been killed and buried deep in an unmarked grave without hope or a plan for a
reincarnate redemption.

It’s easy to point the finger during times of heartache and crisis, but that doesn’t give any hope
to a lost generation.
Kenneth L. (Kenny) Hardin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.