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Originally Posted by L-Pink
Family structure, or lack of one combined with sports/rap/gangster role models have fucked black youth's goals and expectations. Being smart isn't cool ? has more to do with the problem than funding.
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There is a documentary I watched a few years ago called Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock. The movie is about a guy who was a gangster and went to jail for about 12 years. When he got out he decided to work to try to get other kids out of gangs and off the streets. The movie focuses on these gang members and almost all of them have this attitude like they are born to die. One of them talked about how the reality was by the time he is in his mid or late 20's he will most likely be dead or in jail so he is going to enjoy his life now and having extra money from selling drugs lets him do that. There was zero hope, zero role models and the idea of leaving the gang or the city or even the state and starting a normal, good life where they got a job etc was not even considered.
They did a sequel to it when they went back and revisited the same people 10 years later. Most of them were either dead or in jail, but those that weren't were still living the gangster life. The guy trying to get kids out was making some headway and showing results, but he said getting funding of any kind for his community center and his programs was nearly impossible because the politicians and those with money that would normally donate to a charity just wanted to pretend like this problem didn't exist.
It was fascinating and infuriating seeing the loser/lost mindset of the people.