Young Black Men Are Dying At Unproportional Rates: A Discussion
From ages 15 to 24 years old, Black men experience peak numbers of premature deaths due to homicide and suicide. Why are young Black men dying in unproportional numbers? We discuss it here!
(Top Left to Bottom Right) - Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Kendrick Johnson
By: Raki Jordan
I don't think society really wants to know the disproportional deaths of Black men; if so, there would be an outrage in why there's no mention of it. Even I was reluctant to write about this disposition, though, it isn't because of willing ignorance, but a sudden fear that I might be next in line to see the face of Death.
So, let us talk. I've lived on Earth for a little over two decades and lost five Black men I grew up with from homicide—all under the age of 21 years old. What's alarming is that if you ask around, the majority of Black people know, are related to, or know someone who knows or is related to a Black man who had been murdered.
According to The United States Census Bureau, Black women make up 50.75% out of the entire Black population in the U.S; despite Black men being born more often. What this doesn't tell you is that the population of Black men starts declining as they get older. By the ages between 40 to 44 years old, Black women start outnumbering them (this doesn't even account for them outnumbering Black men, not just by being alive, but also, from Black men being incarcerated). This puts the average age of Black men to be 32.5 years old (or 33 if you round), with a life expectancy of 68.8 years of age, compared to the life expectancy of White men at about 74 years old.
Now, how might this be? From 15-24 years old, Black men experience a peak of premature deaths due to homicide and suicide. According to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), in 2014, 2,421 Black people died by suicide, with Black men making up 80.38% (1,946) of these suicides. And the numbers are increasing each year. In 2018, the number of Black male suicide was 2,578, with guns being the go-to method to kill themselves (this is also a common method among Black women); making suicide the 3rd leading cause of death of Black men between 15-24 years old.
With homicides, Black men are 15 times more likely to be murdered than that of White men. This accounts for Black males ages 1-19 years old to make up 35.2% of homicide victims. And ages 20-44 years old accounting for 28.9% of homicide deaths. Which makes homicide the number one leading cause of death for Black men 15 to 34 years of age; this is according to NVSS (National Vital Statistics Reports) 2016 report on leading causes of death.
The top causes of death for young Black men, based on a study from Michigan, Rutgers, and Washington University are:
Accidental death
Suicide
Homicide
Heart Disease
Cancer
Police Brutality
The numbers pertaining to the premature deaths of Black men are going to increase. By society not recognizing the increasing epidemic among Black men, there's going to be a further decline in the population of Black men in America. To elaborate further, society must look at what is contributing to the premature deaths of Black men, and eliminate the existing problem. And one way to slow down the rate of suicide is to express Black men by showing uplifting and positive imagery and influences. And to decrease the murder of Black men, violence within the Black community will have to be met with the eradication of poverty, that majority of Black people fall under. This, will then, dismantle the nature of the kill or be killed mentality many young Black men face walking the streets. This isn't mentioning underdeveloped American police force, that isn't trained to handle urban areas.
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Why Do Black Men Belittle Black Women To Justify Dating White Women?
Interracial relationships are commonplace in America now, but why do some black men feel the need to belittle black women to justify dating white women? We discuss it here!
By: Omar Cook
There is absolutely nothing wrong with dating outside your race, lets get that out the way before y'all twist my words. This is modern day America, where a melting pot of cultures from around the world mesh together. Sure there are still issues between races, but this is 2018, interracial dating has truly become commonplace. Dating outside of your race which was frowned upon once upon a time in America, is now something that you see everyday. Interracial dating is not the problem.
The issue at hand is that there are certain black men that will belittle black women to justify dating outside of their race. Why do you even have to say anything negative about black women? First of all, no one cares that you date who you date, just go about your business. Black women will find someone that loves them regardless of who your preference is. If dating a white woman or whoever, makes you happy, by all means go for it. Black women are already under appreciated as it is, so for black men to be the ones putting them down, it's extremely ignorant.
>> SEE ALSO: Abolishing the N-word: A Personal Experience
I have heard a variety of reasons from my counterparts about why they won't date black women and here are a few of them:
Black women are loud and angry
Black women can be controlling
Black women have bad attitudes
Black women don't put out like other women of other races
How ridiculous does this stuff sound. To me, it sounds like certain black men want someone they can easily control and fetishize over them, and they know black women aren't going for that. You come from a black mother, a black family and still find a way to devalue your own people. It's okay to love who you love, but it's possible to appreciate black women while dating outside your race.
This definitely goes deeper than just dating white women though. Certain black men have an obsession for dating "foreign" women, a preference that keeps them close minded to dating black women in general. We've all heard the phrase "if it ain't foreign, it's boring." Why do we have this type of preference? Having certain preferences in women you date is cool, but choosing women just because they're foreign or white is high-key weird. Just because they're "foreign" does not mean they aren't coming with the same baggage and issues that you believe black women bring.
>> SEE ALSO: Why Afrofuturism Is A Fierce Instrument Of Black Empowerment And Liberation
Black men have to do better with valuing our own women instead of putting them down. Like what gratification does it give you to talk down on black women just to say you only date a certain race of women or you have a preference? What good comes from that? We really aren't too far removed from a period in time where black men were getting lynched and castrated for even talking to white women, now that's your only preference? Ignorance is an abundance right now and black men need to wake up and realize how stupid you look putting down your own women.
