Some very hard to swallow realities have been spoken here.
One thing that has not been covered is racism as it pertains to all minorites. Why is it that virtually all nationalities that have come to the US including recent groups such as Indian, Pakastani, Korean and Chinese do not face the same uphill struggle that the average poor black person faces? Many of those factors have been highlighted such as the perception of an educated person in the black community, lack of guidance and the dependance that has been created by our welfare system.
Many solutions have also been stated, such as
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plantman
One of my very good friends is black, speaks proper english and carries himself in a decent respectful manner.
He grew up in a single parent household in an impovershed area of Florida.
I always ask him, playfully, "what's up with your cousin's?" Why do they continue to do this silly *****?"
He always shakes his head sadly and cannot give me an answer to why they do what they do, he can only answer why he didn't turn out that way.
"Because my Momma and grandmother wouldn't let me"
Is it that simple? Perhaps.
All he knows is that his mother put herself thru school, became a teacher and refused to be brought down by the ills that have affected so many others.
Three cheers to his mom. 
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But what happens when a black person overcomes these odds only to have racism kick them right in the face every time they go for a job. I think it is a huge factor, that affect the black community more than any other ethnic group. Some of the answers lie in many peoples well founded prejudices when it comes to blacks. The black community accounts for way more than their share of drug use, violence, ignorance and incarceration.
Giving someone a handout for generations is certainly not the cure, nor is crying racism every time a black is denied something. This is the MO of Jesse Jackson and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Maybe a start will be many years of good behavior from the general population of black people to sway current perceptions, which may spawn more legitimate black roll models than Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice. (Condoleeza, there's a name for ya Mr. Cosby.)
Having blacks as prosperous contributing members of society will benefit us all, and help to bring the second group of immigrants to the Americas up to the standards of all the rest.