"Now I heard a crying man, is half a man with NO sense of pride. But if I have to CRY to keep you, I don't mind weeping if it will keep you by my side. Aint too proud to beg..."
But is this always the case? I was recently talking to some friends of mine over lunch and we were discussing the educational gap between African Americans and our white counterparts, esp African Americans males. We discussed how African Americans students struggle throughout their academic career and will get passed along but yet haven't learned anything. Some of this is due to lack of resources that just may not be able to that individual, some of this may be due that there is only one parent in the household, who works a lot to provide for the family, so as a result the time and money that can should be invested in a child isn't, but a large part, that I feel contributes to this problem is the fact that African Americans don't ask for help.
African Americans, esp the males, are taught to be strong, the provider, they cannot be seen as weak. And asking for help, the majority of males feels is a sign of weakness. This problem traces all the way back to the early stages of a male's childhood. For example, if a little boy can't read in the first grade, when the teacher calls on him to read outloud, if he stutters or doesn't know the word, instead of asking for help, the child will either not read because he doesn't want to feel em brassed and have the whole class laughing at him or he will act out so that he won't have to read. Males, subconsciously learn at an early age not to ask for help because of their pride. And they take this attitude with them throughout life, so instead of seeking help for something they can't understand in 6th grade, they struggle and do just enough to pass and never ask for help.
We, in the African American HAVE to do better! We have to teach our children that there are NO stupid questions! Children of other races and colors will ask a teacher a question until that child is blue in the face and a black child can be in that very same classroom and have that same problem and could be struggling just as much as the child asking the question, and the black child will sit therein silence and suffer.
This is NOT good! We have to have the courage to ask for help! NO ONE made it in this world alone! Someone needed help from someone else even if it was only a little help!
A man will be quick to ask and beg a woman for forgiveness (some won't even do that, they will let a good woman walk out of their life because of their pride! Smh) but won't ask a teacher how to solve a problem!
Those of us who make it, have to look back to our community and give back! Each one, teach one. We have to show them that it is ok to not know something, you just have to seek knowledge and ask for help!
As for the resources not being available in our community, well that's a whole other blog topic, oh but its coming soon!
Moral of the story: don't be too proud to ask for help. At one point of time, everyone needs help in this lifetime. No one can make it alone.
Nice
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