Introduction

Better Adults Make Better Communities is an eBook written to help improve the quality of life in inner cities community for three areas: 1. Mental Growth 2. Character Building 3. A Non-Traditional approach to learning Social Studies. The eBook is written in a hip-hop style with research notes are supplied along with documentation and reference sources to support the main argument. This is an excellent learning tool for middle and high school students, college students, and any one who is serious about improving their character and communities.

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Table of Contents
Ghetto Wars: p. 1-9 Columbus Day p. 9-11 Thats Triflinn p. 11-16 The Barbershop p.16-18 No Goodies from Woody p. 18-19

Ghetto Wars
Introduction:
This is a spoken word message which speaks out against young and gang violence which has plagued the Black community for a long period of time. The main theme of this educational message is that the root cause of this crime is psychological slavery designed and created by American slave owners in the 17th century. This evil system not only has a hand in our young Black men perpetrating crimes against the Black community but also creating divisions within our families, the young against the elderly, male against female, light skinned against dark skinned. Mis-placed anger due to lack of economic opportunities also plays an important role in this tragedy. However, this tragic state of affairs does not remove members of the Black community to study this problem and provide remedies for it.

A message for no other, but for my young brothers

Concerned fathers and mothers Soldiers spend less time chilln, and more time illn Lookn at death, you dont flinch But punkn out for Willie Lynch We all hear click, click, pow, cant figure, stinkn thinkn Willie is up in yah now. Fear and distrust. Young against old On your mind Willie slapped a tag. In 07 its flag against flag. Im no fool I can see. Kids let out hatred. Fed up with adults deceit. Found a family in the street. When Blacks had guns they felt the sting of the lash. New plantation same location. Kids are the new mastas, and colors clash. Death to each other from ash to ash. When kids hear the ghetto wars, they volunteer Not miraculous, but ghetto fabulous. They say its territory. The city claims its name. Took their territory. Eminent domain. It was never theirs. The city is the majority. In ghetto wars, soldiers fall. Whats the cause? Is it tight jeans, and girls on the scene? Or get some stock, and be the block. Its a cryn shame; some of it is for fame. Reputation has its place. Cant you place a stake in the growth of your mind? But in ghetto wars you take what you feel is rightfully yours. This is the reality a slaves mentality. Soldiers rob, cause they cant get a job. 200 years in the past, Blacks had a solution, private institutions, more advanced. Not just a rhyme, have soldiers gone so far in space and time? Like Stevie said wheres the vision in their mind? In our social system, whites today are also victims. Ghetto wars draft your children. An open invitation, no discrimination. Whites on the front

lines, no color line. Like before help set us free from the ghetto wars. Like the Quakers they werent fakers. To my white kin and friends please begin a new railroad for all kids can escape, and not partake in ghetto wars. No one has desires to have our kids face hot balls of fire. Something has to be said. Cant red and blue find a common thread? Im no corny clown. This thing didnt start over night. I know its going to take awhile to settle down. But brothers, we have got to start somewhere, like Marvin said, there are far too many brothers dying, and far too many mothers crying.

Ghetto Wars/Research Notes The message of this spoken word poetry piece is not only targeted for the youth, but also concerned members of the community. The soldiers represent our young men who have chosen to unleash their anger by participating in street violence. Spending more time illn means these participants in violence suffer from the illness of ignorance. This means that transferring anger into deadly violence clearly reflects lack of self- knowledge. Those who have gained knowledge of self, love themselves and humanity, and would not impose danger on anyone. Unfortunately there are young men who have a false sense of courage and will give their life for no cause or a false cause. This form of anger is more dangerous than the first because the angry young man does not fully understand why he is angry. To be angry against someone because they are in a rival gang, wearing a different colored t-shirt, dark-skinned, light- skinned, elderly, white or black spells mental slavery. A slave owner named Willie Lynch invented mental slavery in America during the slave era. He taught his fellow slave owners to maintain control over their slaves by sowing the seeds of distrust and conflict. The slaves would distrust each other but only trust

the master. This

form of psychological slavery still exists in 2012. The difference is that in our

modern age mental slavery is not confined within the Black community it exists among all races in all communities and age groups. In order to fight this type of anger young people must learn to judge people according to how they treat and interact with people individually. There are adults who are horrible role models for our youth. The effect on some young adults is seeking family support on the streets. As a result these children oppress themselves by committing violent acts of bodily harm and murder. Parents can prevent this anger from taking root by taking an active role in their childrens life and setting a good example. Sometimes I have to laugh when I hear children and gangs are fighting over territory. If the city decides it needs a building or some land everyone has to leave. This means the territory never belonged to the youth from the very start. So, how can anyone get angry and fight over something that never belonged to them. Once young adults come into this reality there should not be any anger or confusion about who owns what. Chasing girls and selling drugs in order to gain a phony reputation are all signs of mis-placed anger. People will place a high value on getting what they want at any cost. The question is it worth it in the end. Usually its not. The late great Marvin Gaye was more than just an R&B artist, because his lyrics expressed a crucial need for social change. I took the liberty to quote some of the lyrics of his song entitled Was Goin On. The sad truth is as a society we have not taken heed to the message Marvin Gaye was conveying to us. I believe the message was we should stop the killing. Solutions: We as Black people must return to our natural state:

One of the goals of this evil plan was to take the slave out his natural state. One of the basic functions of your natural state is the higher intelligence ruling over your lower desires or your animal self. According to the Arabic language the natural state of the human being is called the Aqal: The aqal is defined as a spiritual light shed into the heart and brain whereby the soul acquires knowledge. This definition also is defined as to be free from fear and firmness of the intellect. Imagination, creative ideas, inventions, positive emotions such as courage, love, and a sense of brotherhood all derive from the higher intelligence this natural state. In addition the ability to achieve financial independence on a large or small scale, the ability to dominate and control the forces of nature for the benefit of mankind and the womens dependence on man for financial support , security, compassion, love and affection all fall under the roof of higher intelligence. Think about it most people in our community are lacking this important element and this missing link translates into violence and mis-trust.

When there is no focus on developing the higher intellect our young males will naturally gravitate towards their animal nature. This was the original slavery blueprint. Make every slave a brute so he or she will be controlled and influenced by the lower animal nature. This level of dependency is also known as the male mentality. This transformation process was created by Dr. Naim Akbar. This mentality is also described as passion which is intense desire for pleasure compelled to wait for someone else to take care of its needs. In other words the male mentality is totally driven by its physical needs. Whining, crying, hungry and dependent. A little leech they respond with panic when their care takers withdraw their resources. It strikes out in fear and considers the consequences later. This is the leading action for high rates of black male incarceration. The male stage is so focused on physical dependence that it doesnt matter that I

might get shot if I am trying to get with a mans girlfriend or wife. I am driven by a passion so I reach out and feel her on the behind. A male no one is more than a dangling piece of flesh located about three inches below your navel. If these qualities represent your predominant mode of interaction you are quite literally stuck in the worm stage of development. When we see ourselves as males we operate only as flesh. And unfortunately most of our males today our contained in this lower stage of development. In conclusion, Frederick Douglass said, When we as a race of people learn how to read we will no longer be salves. Unfortunately most of our Black makes have returned to the plantation. Some ancient civilizations view the night as a symbol of a natural event before the dawn. The dawn represents new life. New life means a new beginning in the world. How can fathers offer a new beginning for our young men when they havent evaluated their dark side? We cant wipe the slate clean with all this garbage lingering in our minds. We have got to come correct with our sons and grandsons and move on. You cant move on without reading to your children and if you cant read suck it up and get some help. Some of you might be thinking well my children are small. It doesnt matter if they are small. Small childrens mind will absorb the information like a sponge. If you dont read to your children especially the boys there is a 50-60% chance you might be sending them to prison. When I was a chaplain at Ross Correctional Institute in Ohio 5 out of every 10 inmates that I spoke with told me that they didnt learn how to learn how to read until they were in prison. If you dont read to your sons chances are you are robbing his chances to support himself. If he cant support himself chances are he will turn to a life of crime, and end up in prison. He will justify his criminal activities connected with the removal of his resources to support himself. Only male mentality allows every day luxuries to stifle his education. Take the cell phone for example. People allow the cell phone to take too much of their valuable time. Put the cell phone

down for just 30 minutes and read a book on your chosen profession. I strongly believe that it is in the male genetic make up to challenge male authorities. Our males are looking for answers to lifes questions and are seeking guidance and strength. The confusion comes into play because most males today are trapped in the consciousnesses of the male mentality but their genetic makeup is crying out for a mans leadership and guidance. This is why a lot of our males dont know how to interact in a respectful way. Most women today which started in the 1970s are forced to raise boys and are doing a tremendous job. But it takes a man to raise a boy to be a man. There are males who were raised properly but choose to remain in the males mentality. It is a slap in the face when men through away traditional values like a worn out shoe. These fathers who are stuck like Chuck in the males mentality respond soft and weak when they are challenged. And as a result they lose all respect from their sons and they get walked on. One of the reasons why they are so soft is because they are woozy in the head from listening to these modern day psychiatrist. All the cell phones, new clothes, and going to the movies is just going to make matters worse. They want respect you because they want you to respond with strength. So when they challenge you check them. When I was an assistant teacher not one time was I ever threaten by the bloods or the crypts. I was threatened by some snot nose spoiled brats and I had to call the police twice for assistance. Some of our males dont have an excuse for their destructive behavior because they have been dealt a sweet hand and you cant see it because you are trapped in the males mentality. Some of you have chosen to exercise your good fortune of fate and pollute your mind. If you continue on this slippery slope course people will always treat you like a boy or even worse a male, because you have chosen to make this your reality. You will never be respected as a man. You wont make the kind of money a man makes. If by chance the law of fate allows you to make that kind of money you wont keep it. Those intelligent young

women out there wont have anything to do with you, because a females mind is more mature and develops at a faster rate than a males mind this is why some young ladies are attracted to older men. This is why you will hear some women say I dont need somebody who plays games. In conclusion my advice to the women if they are involved with a man who cant read or can barley read DONT HAVE SEX WITH HIM UNTIL HE GETS HELP WITH HIS READING! BECAUSE IF HE CANT READ HOW IS HE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU!

Columbus Day
Introduction: Year after year middle school and high school students are given the false impression that historical figures in American history were righteous individuals who stood for truth and justice. This distortion is the main reason why most students of Social Studies and American History finish these courses more ignorant of the academic study. It is the responsibility of all teachers of American History to expose the dark side of our prominent historical figures. The reasons being so our future leaders and members of society will know what mistakes not to repeat, to apply standards which will promote a just society, and to bring awareness of the complete truth regarding the development of our country. Weve been scammed it wasnt about spices silk or new land I dont give a damn what I been told Like slagn and mackn and servn those stones Im keep it real he had to have the gold. Like a G taken the block. Peepn all that gold he just clocked. Haiti was the place, greed he could taste Like a sweet daddy pimpn, his men was steady dippn Some books are faken plenty women they were rapen Raken in all those chips, it was all automatic The Indians wanted peace they didnt give up no static

But Columbus had them twisted, like a dried up biscuit Had them Indians slaven while he was gamen Like gazen a smooth honey, drooling with lust His ultimate prize was the fat gold dust In 92 is when all this went down It was all in formation like movn sound Nuclear arms race, high tech advantage, and economic oppression In 1492 thats when this diabolical plot was in session

Columbus Day Research Notes

Most high school text books portray Christopher Columbus as an adventurous explorer, whose purpose was to find a new route to India, and obtain large amounts of precious commodities for Spain. This is not true. According to historians Howard Zinn and James Lowen Jr. the clear objective for Columbus was gold, and to force the Arawak Indian nation into slavery in order to mine the gold. Columbus said out of his own mouth with fifty men we could subdue them all and make them do whatever we want. I took some of the natives by force in order that they give me information of whatever there is in these parts. Columbus was referring to was gold. Once again these words are from Columbuss own mouth, and these statements are from his diary. High school students are lead to believe that Columbus discovered the New World which we know of today is America. The truth of the matter is that Columbus first landed in the Bahamas Islands.

The slave trade of the Arawak tribe also contained a sexual element. Columbus rewarded his officers with women to rape. The main theme of the Arawak culture was their belief in sharing. So, when Columbus arrived in the Bahamas Islands they showed his naval force gifts made of gold. Columbus interpreted this gracious gesture as an act of submission to his military power. He said, they do not bear arms, and do not know of them, for I showed them a sword they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. According to the Historian Howard Zinn in 1492 some European nations were developing technology and military strength so they could be in a position of economic domination.

Thats Triflinn
Introduction:
This section focuses on social standards and why they are important to the moral fiber and growth of our society. It has been my past and recent experience that we as a race of people are going down a slippery slope in this direction. High social standards are important because it builds sound character, produces social interaction skills, and sends a positive message to other communities. When standards are lowered the door is opened to poverty, crime and violence. Steppn up to one of the last intellectual frontiers Known as the public library All participants of this intellectual sanctuary Are desperately struggln to come out of the darkness of ignorance But the cloud is thicker for some than others One patron didnt have as much as a match stick To see her way through a dark tunnel Cause all the while the crack of her behind Was giving me this great big smile Torn between my educational pursuits

And givn some simple words of wisdom The words of wisdom won You need to pull your pants up These inspirational words were resurrected From back in the day when it took a village to raise a child In conflict with modern day whispers to mind my own business And what is that because that was triflinn The next link in the chain from the past takes place on a train Behold what do I see a dude sitting there like royalty With all kinds of tasty treats For a moment I was caught up in a ball of confusion Was he promotn a royal posture Or praticin a finger lickn lip smakn contest Ill think Ill call him the beef jerky king All that lickn and smackn Was not only puttn a hurtn on my ears But sendn sound waves through the train People like this shouldnt leave the house Without table manners why because its triflinn There was a dude on the bus in the C town With a brain the size of a peanut doggnn out an old man Because he accidently stepped on his feet Like being hit with a felony

The old man kept coppn a plea Lookn at him like a hawk Before I swooped on him His head went down and he got off the bus This is a sign of a whining punk Who likes to prove his false sense of manhood By scarnn an old man this is really triflinn

Thats Triflinn Research Notes

As the years have gone by I have noticed that our morals in this society have declined dramatically. The good things are looked on as bad and the bad things are looked on as good. The first episode I encountered was at the Mt. Vernon Public Library in New York. Anytime there is a young girl with her butt exposed to the public shows ignorance. We live in a society that believes that people should mind their own business. This is a different world from which I come from. I am happy to report that this young lady did pull her pants up. Young ladies should understand that dressing half naked is not the way to find a good man. When you use your body as bait the only thing you will catch is a worm. The next scene illustrated a man with bad manners. Dont get me wrong Im not judging anyone. I understand some people are in situations which require eating regardless of the location. My point is this young man should have some table manners. If he doesnt learn how to eat properly in a professional environment he will not be in a position to network with professionals who might be in a position to help him secure a decent job. Last but not least is the saddest scenario of all. This young man obviously has no knowledge of selfawareness. He is under the misimpression that by intimidating an old man he is inflating his

manhood. The cold hard facts are when someone behaves like this they are insecure, scared and cowardly. The solution is to supply young men like this with lessons on properly guiding their anger and building self-esteem. Obviously this man was filled with rage. The proper course of action is to pinpoint the cause of his anger, so it wont be misdirected at an innocent victim. Political duplicity destroys communities and robs children of their youth and a promising future. Nothing was changing for one of the worst ghettos in the city of Cleveland. How could parents, teachers, and government officials blame students for getting involved in illegal activities and very little was being done to produce a safe haven or afterschool programs for them to get involved in. I honestly feel that the youth gets sick and tired of hearing the elderly talk about how good things were when they were growing up. The question is how did it get so bad, and what are you doing to fix the problem? Black neighborhoods in the 1960s were much different than they are today. Forty years ago black lawyers, teachers, and doctors all lived in the community. These individuals served as roles models and mentors. The vast majority of black people engaged in the community as guardians, whether it was the neighbor down the street or across the street. Neighbors filled in for parents who may have been at work or otherwise detained. Black children knew their every move was being watched by a caring community member. The number of affluent black people took advantage of new opportunities and headed for the suburbs leaving poor blacks in bad situations. Neighborhoods disintegrated overnight, and without a tax base schools fell into despair. The number of African American divorces sky rocketed in the 1970s. Young black females of course affected by the changes in society. African American boys dropped out of school in record numbers and the amount of black on black crime increased. But lets keep it real. The black adult males in Mt. Vernon, NY and other cities have a responsibility to correct this situation and stop placing too much attention on their egos.

The Barbershop
Introduction:
I am one of those men who strongly believe that Black history should be an element of education included in our everyday life and not confined within the realm of Black history month. It seems that every year we hear about the same traditional Black figures. Dont get me wrong I appreciate their contributions and I am not undermining their achievements. However, our community should be made aware of the unsung heroes who were extremely instrumental in the building of this nation. Without these unsung heroes there would be no leaders of today. This educational message is a tribute to Ice Cubes film Barbershop One and Two. This historical segment also illustrates the achievements of an unsung hero; an African American former slave who became wealthy by starting out as a barber.

Ice Cube Ice Cube back in the day some say He was serving on a platter does it matter Gave us all them holidays hood flavored Fridays You can say what you say gotta let them sizzle Like air missiles jokes fall as they may Play the dozens all day sports news gossip You get a lot not just a spot A Black country club the barber shop This venue is nothing new Started with Herndon and his crew Gotta a beat down workn till night For no pay and a door floor shack
Who in the hell wants to live like that

But after that jumpn off tall stories Hittn the ground and splat Diven into lakes because of some business mistake Alonzo wasnt the one leather not plether All up in his shop not nappy cuts but real cuts The funky bunch got baths dont laugh Cause this was the top of his game Never the same because of this Him and his girl traveled the world Beggn and borrowing to take a dirt nap He wasnt haven that We could die in peace not just for the after life He gave us Atlanta Life

Research Notes for the Barbershop

For many years there have been rumors circulating within the Black community that the famous actor and film producer known as Ice Cube at one time was involved in drug trafficking. Whether he was or not is immaterial. For over ten years Ice Cube has produced movies like Friday which illustrates the struggle of living in the Black community. But what is heart warming is his ability to point out that Black unity and the family structure is still alive under all adverse conditions. It is no secret to Black men that every local barbershop is a place for community engagement social interaction and just having some down to earth fun. Ice Cube was very successful with exposing American audiences to this form of engagement in the movie Barbershop. However as a community we need to know who the founder father of this legacy was. This is Alonzo Herndon. It can be very difficult for anyone to imagine a former slave who also was oppressed in a share cropping relationship who worked his way up to the status of a multimillionaire. Difficult is it might seem Alonzo Herndon life experience is a well documented fact. What is also even more amazing is that he accumulated his fortune during the great depression in the barbershop and insurance business when white businessmen in staggering numbers were committing suicide due to lost fortunes in the stock market. It was published in newspapers all over America that Alonzo Herndon had the most elegant barbershop in the world. His customers enjoyed the comforts of real leather chairs, hot baths and having their suits pressed. He was also in a unique position to travel with his first wife on a three month honey

moon through Europe. As one of the first founders of the first Black Insurance companies in the United States, Atlanta Life He made sure that life insurance was affordable for the Black community. No longer did Black people have to succumb to borrowing money to bury their loved ones.

No Goodies from Woody

Introduction:
I know it can be very disturbing for some people when they are introduced to information which puts our historical leaders in an unfavorable light. Nevertheless the truth must be told. Black and Hispanic students feel alienated from American History because of distortions in historical text books and misrepresentations. In order to reverse this trend and supply real education to our youth the good, bad and the ugly must be revealed. In this way our youth will be connected with the educational process, enlighten and informed. This historical segment exposes Woodrow Wilsons role as a white supremacist with no regard for the lives of people in Latin American countries.

Come on its time to eat, I aint spoon feedn yah come get some of this brain feast. My Latino brothas Im not leaving yah out, hear me out. Your motha land was swooped on South American lands. No doubt. No love affair, Woody was no teddy bear. Like Rick James bustn out with some serious funk, Your people were funktified and petrified by mind blowing decisions. Translated into warfare, cant you hear Woody wasnt no teddy bear. White sheets playn freak of the week. But at night the freaks do come out at night. This sin came from TN. Like spinning roulette Woody didnt bet on black, Black had to get back, white was right dont be blind all your life.

Research Notes No Goodies from Woody

Under President Wilson the United States intervened in Latin America more often than any other time in US history. We landed troops in Mexico in 1914, Haiti in 1915, the Dominican Republic in 1916, Cuba in 1917 and Panama in 1918. It was common knowledge that President Wilson was a white supremacist who was openly hostile to blacks and believed that Blacks were inferior. This set the tone for the re-establishment of the new KKK which originally was created in the state of Tennessee. The new KKK grew to dominate the Democratic Party during Wilsons second term and a wave of anti-black riots and lynching swept the country. : Wilsons administration submitted legislation intended to curtail the civil rights of African Americans. Wilson used his power to segregate the federal government. The one occasion which Wilson met with African American leaders he threw the visitors out of his office. Wilson closed the Democratic Party to African Americans for two decades. He and his advisors entered into a policy to eliminate all black citizens from representation in the federal government.