Life After 25

Role Models:Where are they now?

By: Ashley Minner

In this microwave era of celebrity and voyeurism, with added technological advances that allows the world to be at our fingertips, one must pose the question: who’s paying attention to our children? We live in a time where we are inundated with external distractions from the time we awake until we lay our heads at night.

If adults, of any class level, are bombarded with these countless distractions around the clock, it goes without saying that our easily-persuaded youth seem to be more distracted than we are; and we cannot afford our future to pace through life in a zombie-like state because they are lacking positive influences in their lives.

Enter, role models. Being an early eighties baby, my most impressionable years were through the late 80s and my favorite decade, the 90s. There was tv, radio and film. I was raised in a town with a population of less than 4000 residents, needless to say, we were out of range for any radio stations, which only left television and movies to shape us.

However, I had the type of mother who was very strict about the length of time that my younger sister and I could be glued to the tv. She was there to help with homework, she taught us household chores, and she taught us to be responsible. We were raised, we did not simply grow up.

Being a product of a close-knit family, it was very easy to look to my mother and her siblings and close friends, as well as people in the community, for leadership. There was a sort of “it takes a village” mentality in my hometown at the time. In hindsight, I was very fortunate to have a host of role models in my life and could actually see the fruits of their labor with my own eyes.

From the black teachers at school, to my granny who raised 9 children; from my school bus drivers, to my late aunt, who is the first entrepreneur I’d known. As a kid, I remember being at my favorite big cousin’s high school graduation and how excited I was. I didn’t really understand what it was at the time, I just knew she was doing something good that I wanted to do as well.

Fast forward to 2016, and we can look around and see that the dynamics and overall purpose of role models has drastically changed. Today’s youth are at a great disadvantage when it comes to positive influences. On a familial scale, I believe there’s a breakdown of positive influences for our black children because of the overall breakdown of relationships within the home.

Many homes are headed by a single parent, usually mom, just as mine was until I was 14. But, even if mom is taking care of business as best she can, she is still unable to spend adequate time raising her children because she has to spend upwards of 40 hours a week working to provide for them financially. This is where the village should be leaned upon.

Another aspect on the breakdown of familial role models is the shortening of the gap between generations. You could very easily have 3 generations living under one roof and the eldest person in the home is a 45 year old grandmother, who could very well be in her “prime years,” but she’s been awarded elder status and may not exactly possess the knowledge that we expect our elders to pass to us.

So, in circumstances such as this, what can a 30 year old mother teach her 15 year old son about manhood? What can she teach her daughter about womanhood if for whatever reason she became a teenage mother herself? For this issue alone warrants a conversation about the importance of positive examples of black men and women and how vital they are to the development of our young boys and girls.

Due to the changing of the times and our unlimited and unnecessary access to the world of entertainment, it can appear that only those who are shown performing on a stage or playing a sport are deemed worthy of role model status. Don’t get me wrong, the Venus & Serenas and Steph Currys & Cam Newtons of the world are great examples of the work ethic it takes to achieve their respective levels of greatness; but our youths’ influences cannot be strictly limited to the entertainment sector.

However, at times, those of us in the audience are quite jaded by our favorite celebrity going-ons and subconsciously want to strive for what they have. But what we often times forget is that those people we love to watch and listen to are just entertainers; and they are here for entertainment purposes only.

Given the platform that celebrities have, it would be a prime opportunity to address the issues that affect us as a collective; but for reasons unbeknownst to me, this is not usually the case. Instead, our youth see the vanity and the lifestyles they may lead, and this is what attracts them to hit the follow button. The implementation of social media is socially programming our youth to believe that life is simply about the likes and follows vs. the character that one possesses.

Young boys strive to be the “boss” with the entourage, waving the cash; and our young girls want to be the scantily-clad vixens on their arm while everyone strikes a pose for the gram. Endless marathons of what I like to call rachet tv display displeasing images, mostly of black women; and young girls, sometimes accompanied by their mothers, tune in week after week.

While our children are absorbing these images like the sponges their young minds are, they are being negatively influenced by those who have the power to influence the masses; and not positively influenced enough by those around them. These images are replayed night after night on television, then discussed on morning radio shows the day after.

The cycle is never ending. From Empire to Love & Hip Hop, our children see black men and black women behave like children, and in some cases gives the impression that there is no love shared between the two. They internalize these images and become desensitized to the disrespect and violence that they’ve seen, and often act out these behaviors when amongst their peers.

I’m thankful to have grown up in an era without social media because we actually learned how to socialize and learn from one another in the flesh. I’m thankful for being able to watch programming such as the Cosby Show and Family Matters vs. being raised by Spongebob and Real Housewives of [insert city name here]. I’m thankful for the entertainers of my era actually having the talent to make music vs. being given such platform because of you think you’ve penned a catchy hook.

I’m genuinely afraid for our future because we are not giving our children what they need as a whole: values. If the children really are our future, as Whitney sang, the time is now for us to snatch them out of the hold that entertainment has on them and instill in them what you were taught as a child. If you didn’t have those kinds of influences in your upbringing, you should absolutely want to give a child all the great life lessons you never had. If it takes a village to raise a child, where is our village?

Sort by:   newest | oldest | most voted
Guest
Patriece
7 years 10 months ago

When i say this is an awesome article..so relevant. I am so very proud of you!

Guest
Anonymous
7 years 10 months ago

Excellent! That’s the Village, where I’m from…(grammar police chill out).

Guest
Lee
7 years 10 months ago

Well said. Media is a great till used to push agendas. Controlling our own images, our own portrayal. Controlling media outlets can be helpful for future generations. They can get a better idea of our reality as opposed to allowing others to generate their ideas of how we should look and act. Ultimately, that village is imperative to prepare the future, to be mindful of reality. The village may not need to be in the same neighborhood, but must be accessible.

Great read. Profound writer.

Guest
Angela
7 years 10 months ago

This was an AWESOME article cuz!

Guest
7 years 4 months ago

– wow. very well written, and much to think about. this is such a vital time we live in now. we’re dwindling and trickling down to a generation of senseless robots and emotionless beings. of course, we need to do something about this; but what? I do believe it starts with the children. while you personally may have been “raised right” (by the way, thank GOD for your mother), not many others have taken that blessing upon themselves. so, them said ones, are now the image for our future. we can not allow that. focus on the children, and raise… Read more »

Guest
Anonymous
7 years 25 days ago

Wow! So true!

Guest
TR
5 years 3 months ago

Amazing Article

Guest

new york dating sites free

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

usa single free dating site

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

swedish singles free dating site

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

free dating sites for older singles

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

ad dating free personal

Guest

free qatar dating sites

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

free hentai dating simulator

Guest

free dating co uk options

Guest
2 years 9 months ago

free dating with a girl

Guest
2 years 8 months ago

keto diet plans free

Guest
2 years 8 months ago

indian keto diet plan

Guest
2 years 8 months ago

keto cauliflower

Guest
2 years 7 months ago

gay dating sims on steam https://gaydatingzz.com/

Guest
2 years 7 months ago

grizzly gay dating https://gaychatrooms.org/

Guest
2 years 7 months ago

gay adult dating https://gaychatgay.com/

Guest

gay michigan dating https://freegaychatnew.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

danbury ct gay latino dating https://gaydatinglosangeles.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

dating uncensored 2021 gay https://dating-gaym.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

women they are dating gay men https://datinggayservices.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

gay thug dating sites https://gayedating.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

gay dating on adult websites https://gaydatingcanada.com/

Guest
2 years 6 months ago

write opinion essay https://essayghostwriter.com/

Guest
Guest
2 years 5 months ago

write and essay https://essaytag.com/

Guest
2 years 5 months ago

write analysis essay https://essaysnet.com/

Guest

write essays for money https://onlinecasinos4me.com/

Guest
2 years 5 months ago

writing an evaluation essay https://online2casino.com/

Guest
2 years 5 months ago

free no deposit casino https://casinoonlinek.com/

Guest
2 years 5 months ago

best welcome bonus casino https://onlinecasinoad.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

writing compare and contrast essays https://essaytodo.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

writing a 5 paragraph essay https://buy1essay.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

essay paper writing services https://dollaressays.com/

Guest

topwritemyessay.com https://student-essay.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

writing an admissions essay https://multiessay.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

handsome 30 something straight men play games and have gay sex https://cybersexgames.net/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

riley reid nubiles porn sex games gif https://sexgameszone.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

sex roleplay games https://sexygamess.com/

Guest
2 years 4 months ago

sprite sex games https://winsexgames.com/

Guest

incest sex games deliver https://sex4games.com/

Guest
2 years 2 months ago

3profligate

Guest

paid gay escort dating https://gaypridee.com

Guest
2 years 2 months ago

gay seniors dating https://gay-buddies.com

Guest
2 years 2 months ago

gay online dating https://gayprideusa.com

wpDiscuz