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Black Males and Emotional Disability


Guest Cheryl Fitts

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Guest Cheryl Fitts

As a former special education teacher in South Carolina public schools, I know first hand the trials of young Black males deemed Emotionally Disabled and placed in special education classrooms. I remember the pain I felt seeing these promising young men struggle to be heard. Very few educators recognized their cry for justice and respect in an educational system that almost dismissed them as insignificant.  I encouraged my students to use wisdom. Yes, your voice should be heard and can be heard! The methods you use and the time you choose is crucial! I wonder now how these young men are doing. Statistics say most of them will be imprisoned and/or live in poverty all their lives. How are you? What has happened since you left school? I'm listening!

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This is a great topic.
I'm not an expert on the matter but I can give my opinions based on my personal observations and assessment.

A lot of AfroAmericans ARE indeed emotionally disabled because many of our people suffer from serious psychological and even psychiatric problems that cause emotional instability.

 

Among the causes are:

-The stresses of overt and covert racism
-A society with too many laws and an overly complex legal system making it difficult for some of our people to avoid trouble
-A society where the ability just to provide the 4 basic needs for one's self becomes increasingly difficult and demands more education
-Living in neighborhoods where crime and the threat of violence is the norm
-Food and medicine purposely infused with chemicals that are toxic to the human body and are designed to cause sickness and psychiatric problems
-Drug and alcohol abuse leading to violence, poor mental health, ect...
-Negative music and other forms of entertainment designed to promote violence and dysfunction in the individual and community


These are just some of the many many causes of emotional instability and disability found in the AfroAmerican community.


As far as me personally.....
I attribute my avoiding most of these problems first and foremost because of Divine help from The SUPREME BEING.


A distant second is my association with the Nation of Islam earlier in life and my studying the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and later on the teachings of Neely Fuller Jr.
These two men really help you to understand the nature or racism and the tricks that the racists use to CAUSE many of the problems that afflict our people in the first place...so we can avoid them.

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11 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

As far as me personally.....
I attribute my avoiding most of these problems first and foremost because of Divine help from The SUPREME BEING.

 

Why did the Supreme being help you but forsake so many other people.  How do you square this preference?

 

On 3/30/2021 at 7:22 PM, Guest Cheryl Fitts said:

What has happened since you left school? I'm listening!

 

My education was severely lacking.  This was compounded by a culture which ridiculed smart boys.  My observations is that things have gotten far worse in my community. Personally I was was lucky.  At a very early age I had a love fore reading, learning, and science.  It was just not something that was nurtured. I saw many people with similar or superiors abilities thwarted as well. 

 

Most of the kids in special education just needed to be loved.  I was lucky enough to have that and it perhaps made all the difference in the world.

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Troy

 

 

Why did the Supreme being help you but forsake so many other people.  How do you square this preference?

 

The most exact answer is...I'm not sure why.

 

However if I were to speculate I'd say SOME of the reasons why is:

 

-As far back as I've known I've always believed in and had a certain amount of Faith in The SUPREME BEING

-I also frequently ASK The SUPREME BEING for Protection and Favors and they are often Granted.


There's an old saying that God looks out for fools and babies.
I'm not sure how true that is, but I believe if a person's heart is correct and they mean well there's a certain amount of protection they get, even if they aren't the cleverest person.

But again, much of this is speculation.

I can speak of my past and be Thankful for it, however I don't know what's going to happen to me in the next 5 minutes.
 

 

 

My observations is that things have gotten far worse in my community. Personally I was was lucky.

 

You also grew up in the late 60s and early 70s, coming off of the heels of the Civil Rights and Black Revolutionary movements where AfroAmericans were more united and DEMANDED much better social services like better schools, access to more college education, welfare, healthcare, political power, ect...and taking action to achieve it.

 

Around the mid to late 70s Negroes started getting spoiled.
Instead of maintaining what they fought for and gaining more ground, they got lazy...got into drugs and partying and enjoying themselves and before they knew it Satanic Reagan got in office and reversed much of what they fought for. 
 

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2 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

The most exact answer is...I'm not sure why.

 

If you acknowledge a preference but can't explain so many others, who worship and pray, are seeming ignored, I guess it is just faith which drives your belief, huh?

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Troy



f you acknowledge a preference but can't explain so many others, who worship and pray, are seeming ignored,
 

Wait a minute-

You're changing the scenario now.
 

You didn't ask me about so many others who "worship and pray".

You simple asked me about "other people" and left it at that.  You didn't describe their faith or their activities.
 

I've seen other people who DO have faith and worship and pray who seem to have been granted Favors and Protections.
I don't follow them around all day nor have I monitored everything they've done to determine if all or been through in their lives to notice the cause and effects....but many people of faith SEEM to be getting the Help they requested.





 I guess it is just faith which drives your belief, huh?
 

No.
Actually my strong belief is PART of my Faith; however that strong beliefs are from the RESULTS I've gotten in my life so far.
 

Why would a person worship or have faith in a god who they believed did absolutely nothing for them?
 

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On 3/30/2021 at 8:22 PM, Guest Cheryl Fitts said:

As a former special education teacher in South Carolina public schools, I know first hand the trials of young Black males deemed Emotionally Disabled and placed in special education classrooms.

 

Yes, this is very sad and it's been happening for so long. My husband speaks about his experience a lot! 

He says that he was blocked from being put in a Special Ed classroom because of a teacher and had it not been for her, he was definitely slated for that fate.

And, I don't see this getting any better for certain reasons, one of which is 'human competition' and another is preparedness, imo.

the learning environment is so competitive and so many cultures here in America fight to get into the best classrooms and in front of the best teachers, and it seems to me, that young Black males are being replaced in large numbers for various reasons and yes, it seems that the term 'Emotionally Disabled' is the main reason. 

I think that other cultures prepare their children and African Americans may not realize 'as a whole' how competitive the educational system can be. But another major issue, for me, would be content! I can't believe what is being taught today! I am very frustrated. I strongly believe that if Black males were exposed to a better curriculum at a young age, the outcome would be amazing--I know this first hand!

 

 

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Chev

 

I met quite a few seemingly well functioning adults who said they were going to be put in or WERE put in special education programs as children.

As I've gotten older I've learned that people often mature A-symetrically.  Meaning sometimes parts of their bodies and minds don't always mature at the same rate as other parts do.


Sometimes a person's nose will not grow at the same rate as their face, or their legs won't grow at the same rate as their torso.  But by the time they reach full adulthood things tend to balanced nicely.

 

It's the same with the brain, some parts mature faster or slower than others and perhaps many people who are mistaken for having an intellectual disability are just experiencing an asymetrical maturation.

 

 

 


Troy

 

 

Yes, that is my question.

 

How many people have you actually asked this question to?

Perhaps YOU THINK they are worshipping a god who has done nothing for them based on YOUR perspective and assessment of their lives, but if you talked to them they would tell you otherwise.
 

How many people have you met who actually TOLD you that the Being/being they worship does nothing for them?
 

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On 4/2/2021 at 8:32 AM, Pioneer1 said:

How many people have you actually asked this question to?


I’ve never post it because it’s a matter of faith and as such it a pointless question.

 

I figured I’d ask you since you said you were being treated special by the supreme being. Obviously people can be in church Worshiping and get blown up or a gunman comes in and start wasting everyone in sight. 
 

Meanwhile, heathens atheists and all types of ne’er-do-wells go through life without anything particularly bad happening to them. Indeed some become President of the United States.

 

So why were you and Donald Trump treated so well by the supreme being?

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Troy

 


I figured I’d ask you since you said you were being treated special by the supreme being. 

 

I didn't say that.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, heathens atheists and all types of ne’er-do-wells go through life without anything particularly bad happening to them. 

 

I'm not sure how accurate that statement is.
I'd have to get a proper understanding of what you consider "bad".
 

Many atheists get into terrible accidents and contract terrible diseases which leads to suffering.  The thought that their final days or hours of existence will be spent suffering with nothing else coming after has to be a tremendous psychological toll for them.

 

 

 

So why were you and Donald Trump treated so well by the supreme being?

 

How do you know Donald Trump is being treated well?
Do you know his medical or psychological condition to make that assessment?

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1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

I'd have to get a proper understanding of what you consider "bad".


Come on man you need examples of bad people? Andrew Jackson: bad, J Edgar Hoover: Bad, every slave master Bad (including Thomas Jefferson).

 

 

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Troy

 

 

Come on man you need examples of bad people? Andrew Jackson: bad, J Edgar Hoover: Bad, every slave master : Bad (including Thomas Jefferson).

 

Wait.....

Are we talking about "bad people" or "bad things HAPPENING" to people?????

You said "bad" in the context of things that didn't happen to atheists and other types.

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