A Dying Breed: Insights Into The African American Question

By Archie Taylor

In recent weeks we have seen time and time again what has been described by many as systemic targeting by law enforcement of black males. Although none of us want to believe this is true, it is becoming even more difficult to explain the disproportionate numbers of black lives lost at the hands of police officers across the country. There is no doubt that the introduction of the first black president has changed how many people see race in this country. At a minimum it has highlighted the need for us all to have those uncomfortable conversations about race. A Dying Breed: Insights into the African American Question is the first of a trilogy of books designed to focus on America’s questionable relationship with African American people. This is a tongue-in-cheek examination of how black men are routinely perceived much differently than other people in the United States, and the rest of the world. Black men are at the bottom of the world’s food chain, and therefore spend most their lives trying to elevate themselves to a higher level of acceptance in the eyes of all people. This systemic racially motivated attitude of indifference and exclusion of black men in mainstream American society, has contributed to what I call a self- imposed path of destruction for many black males. African American women and other people of color, as well as gays and transsexuals have a less difficult time finding jobs and gaining acceptance. In this first book I touch briefly on responsibility, unity, interracial relationships, unity, economics and finding jobs in America. This book began several years before Barack Obama and is not meant to be racially motivated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archie Taylor
• Release date: May 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310699443

Archie Taylor

Archie Taylor dropped out of high school during his senior year to pursue a military career in the United States Army. During his military service, Archie earned his HS diploma from Stuttgart American HS, West Germany, as well as a BS from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fort Eustis, Virginia, and MS in International Studies from Troy State University, Dothan Alabama. After retiring from the military Archie pursued an MS in Educational Leadership,taught high school, and served as a high school Assistant Principal for many years. Archie has two adult sons, Christopher and Michael. Archie is currently a retired educator and lives in Texas, with his wife Candace, and two dogs, Mindi ,a Yorkie mix, and Niko, a German shepherd. Archie enjoys writing, traveling, and spending time with veterans and their families.

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A Dying Breed: Insights into The African American Question

Archie Taylor

Copyright 2015 by Archie Taylor

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Why Unity is Important

Responsibility

Economics and Education: Is America Leaving Blacks Behind?

Finding a Job in America

Interracial Relationships

I Also Dream

Introduction

I have searched and waited a long time for someone to publish a book of some sort to address what I call the lost generation. In my search I have found none that I know of, which address the issues that I feel are important to both the young and older generations of African American men. Therefore throughout this endeavor I will not quote any of the self- appointed leaders or modern day saviors of the black race, several of which I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration. My respect and admiration is especially extended to those who have paid their dues to this society, and to black people through their many years of personal and professional sacrifices. One cannot help but admire the visionaries of the sixties and seventies. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his ideals of social, and economic change through non- violence has, and continues to serve a noble purpose. I have lived in the southern states for quite some time. I plan on moving back to Alabama in my retirement. I’ve traced the route from Selma to Montgomery many times, and experienced the southern attitude toward African American people that still exists to this day in many southern states, and in southern white people. The prejudice is real and perceptions have indeed become realities where beliefs and attitudes toward men of color, specifically black men, are concerned. The problem is that prejudices and American divisiveness does not only exist within white people.

The efforts of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King actually changed for a time the perceptions American Caucasian people, and the entire world held toward black people. It is because of Dr. King and many others like him, that I can put my views on this page and actually hope to publish something that people will actually read. However, many problems remain. American people and people around the globe have very short memories. The Reverend Dr. King’s movement served its purpose.

It awoke millions of people around the world to the plight of African American people of the time. The Black Panther’s have my admiration and respect for their endeavors in a time when black idealism was something to be feared.

Although I do not personally share in the Black Panther ideals of change through violence, their organizational skills, and afro-centric ideology of the past is forever branded in the minds of Americans, and others around the world who truly believe in individual freedoms. The problem for this generation is that many of our young people were not even alive when Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King marched for freedom. They view Dr. King as old school ideology having no precedence in today’s world. They are wrong. Their only knowledge of the Black Panther movement is though the movie bearing the same name, and today’s role models only contribution to society is that they can make words rhyme to someone else’s music. Another troubling problem is that many of our young people of color really don’t care about anything outside their own circle of influence. It then becomes our problem and our mission to educate and enlighten our own people. The past really does repeat itself if we choose to forget. I want to make it abundantly clear that although I do not agree with Black Panther tactics of the past I also do not agree with Dr. King’s ideology of a passive non-violent approach for change. If history has taught us anything it is that violence also has it’s place in the development of a civilized society.

Whether or not one chooses to call himself black, or African American is of little consequence to me and many others like me. I was born in the state of Texas and I would suppose that makes me a Texan. If we were to set race aside and just look at the American issues, the problem becomes that American loyalties have always been regional as opposed to national. This mindset or way of thinking is what sets us apart from most other countries.

Perhaps this is because of our diversity, or our tendency to be more occupied with ourselves rather than other people in this country. We identify more with our individual communities and states, than with the country as a whole. Nationalism and patriotism are dead in the United States. I’m not even sure it’s a good thing, however I do know that old words ring true, and that ‘a nation divided can not stand." Our nation is divided.

The average American is more proud of being from Atlanta, or New York, than he is of his own American citizenship. Could it be that this is the reason why we as Americans will always be a people divided? It once troubled me that black people, have always struggled to identify with a country, and a people with which we traditionally have had very little in common. It no longer troubles me, because identifying is not the issue, survival and inclusion are the issues of the day. Black people must survive and be included in economic prosperity. This country fought a war to exclude us, and to many people we are still not considered Americans. America continues to exclude us. Who are they to exclude us? Inclusion is a necessity.

Before I go any further perhaps I should explain myself. Generations of black people have existed in this country, this United States of America for quite some time. We won’t be leaving. Our bags are not packed. To those generations of people, and to our young people, it becomes the only culture that they have ever known.

Several of us have had brothers, fathers, and cousins who died defending this American way of life. It is and always will be our America. The America of African Americans as much as it is the America of anyone. This country belongs to black people as much as any other group or race of people. Our way of life is now deeply rooted in the American way of life. It is our way of life. We are America.

It is now that we must stand up and take our rightful place in American history, society, and culture. We have inhabited American slums and ghettos since the beginning, and I have no doubt that some black people will inhabit them until its end. We have fought and died for American independence, and the preservation of its right to maintain that sovereignty. In my family alone, we have served in the military through four major conflicts. Many African American families share the same history. My father, my grandfather, my brothers, uncles and many cousins as well as I have all served as soldiers in defense of this country.

In all of our cases it was out of necessity rather than patriotism to this country that we served, but service all the same is a fact of which I am proud. I am patriotic and not ashamed to express that sentiment. The same patriotism that exists in Americans of any color also exists in black people as a people, a family, and as Americans, dating back to the days of the buffalo soldiers.

Make no mistake, we as a people have more than paid our dues to this great American society. We have more than paid our dues through slavery, Jim Crow laws and continued persecution and treatment of black males by many law enforcement agencies across the country. We have paid our dues from the days of the buffalo soldier, through the segregated ranks of World War II, to the jungles of Vietnam, and the desert sands of Iraq and Afghanistan. We are American in our basic ideology and in our souls.

African Americans are people who should be proud to hold their heads up high, and identify with the country they helped create. Why then is it that many of us treat ourselves as if we were just passing through.