Black Men & Black Women United

A lot of black men are always complaining about black women. And many more black women are complaining about black men. The truth is that men and women will always have issues and misunderstandings. Race has nothing to do with it, trust me. I wish more people would realize that. I am a big and tall, ruggedly handsome and friendly young black man who will never give up on the sisters. That is my solemn promise.

Lots of young black men on the Bridgewater State College campus social scene are looking for love outside the race. They are particularly drawn to blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned white gals. They seem to think white women are better than black women. Or that only white women can show them love and appreciation. That is such a silly idea. I say the content of a person's character, rather than their race or gender, determines their worth. Some people disagree. Oh, well. To each their own. My name is Steve Volmer and I approve this message.

I attend Bridgewater State College which I commute to from my hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts. It's a big school. I just wish there were more black men there. There are quite a few black female students there and they are affected by the dearth of black college men. I feel for the sisters, I do. When I attended Brockton Community High School, there were lots of young black folks there. I wish more of us went onto higher education. But many of us didn't. Many of my fellow young black men became fathers before their time, or had run-ins with the criminal justice system. It's an all too common story.

At Bridgewater State College, I joined the campus only black fraternity. It was comprised of eighty or so young black men who attended the school. We vowed to be there for each other. Black men need to stick together. The world hates us. Seriously. Everybody thinks we're Public Enemy Number One. White men and white women, Asian men and Asian women, Latin men and Latin women, and even some black women think we're a major threat to the well-being of the United States of America. That's why the police and various other social and political forces try their damndest to keep us in the gutter. And many of us are quite comfortable there. We can aspire to be more than that. We can be kings instead of pawns. That's what drives me, folks.

There are lots of young black men on the varsity sports teams at Bridgewater State College. We dominate the Football and Basketball teams. We excel on the Cross Country course and the Wrestling mat. We do well on the Baseball diamond too. The school comes out to cheer for us regularly. Those young white men and white women along with their families come to cheer black male athletes because we do so well on the sports teams. They depend on us to achieve NCAA glory. The NFL and the NBA would be nothing without us. However, if we're walking down the street, they look at us with fear, and sometimes barely disguised contempt. What a strange turnaround, hey?

I have felt the sting of racism. I know what black men are up against. Seriously. I know the bitterness and anger which seems to dominate black male and black female relationships. I know of black men who mistreat their women and of black women who brag about using the criminal justice system to mistreat their men. I know of the treachery which fills the black community. Everyday seems to be a battle of the sexes between black men and black women. And neither side is taking prisoners. Folks, this is madness. Seriously. This has to stop. The end of this madness stops now.

I remember my grandfather Alphonse and my grandmother Mercy in rural Haiti where I grew up. They loved and respected each other. My grandmother was a strong, intelligent woman. But unlike many of today's women, she didn't need to step on a man to feel her worth. Women like that are rare today, especially in the black community. We need to stop the hate and mistrust and spread more love. Because I think black men and black women united can be a beautiful, powerful thing. Most of us don't remember the 1960s because we weren't born yet. I was born on the sixth day of February 1986. However, I recall my folks discussing those days and saying black men and black women were united as never before. Why can't we be that way now?

We can accomplish great things. My father, Franklin Volmer is an engineer who's Chairman of the Board for a civil engineering company which employs sixty eight hundred people nationwide. My mother Ellen Jean Volmer is a professor at Brockton Community College. She also co-owns an antique furniture shop. We do fairly well for ourselves. I just wish more black families were like us. We can run for the White House and actually win it. We can become senators and governors. We can achieve greatness. We shouldn't let our own distrust of one another get in the way. Seriously. We need to work together. Because until we take responsibility and decide to lead our own lives and make our own destinies, our lives will never truly be fulfilled.

The truth is that black men and black women belong together. However much our white friends sympathize with our struggles, they will never understand what it's like to be us. They're on the outside looking in. Though they may emulate our music, mannerisms and styles of dress, they don't want to be us. They want to act like us while still retaining their privileges. It's perfectly natural. Women want the same rights as men while retaining their womanly privileges. They want to be captains of industry, military leaders and political heads while still receiving lady-like treatment. Thus white folks view black men and black women. And most of them don't even know it. So we must unite and rise to greatness. It is possible. All we need is to stick together. Help each other out. Learn to trust and love gain. We can carve out our own version of paradise right here on planet Earth.