With years of lending controversial ideas on racially charged topics (see: Travyvon Martin, “absent black fathers,” and more), 71-year-old Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera has once again found himself in the line of Twitter fire for his assessment that hip hop has been “more damaging to black and brown people over the past 10 years” than the institution of racism itself.
Taking to HuffPost Live, Rivera – who lost the ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ crown this week to fellow journalist/former talk show host Leeza Gibbons – appears to have lost his mind as well when he argued, “Hip-hop has done more damage to black and brown people than racism in the last 10 years.” Expounding, he asserted it’s impossible to “…find a youngster — a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx or a black kid from Harlem who has succeeded in life other than being the one-tenth of one-tenth of one percent that make it in the music business — that’s been a success in life walking around with his pants around his ass and with visible tattoos.”
His comments have incited a host of ongoing debates on social media, but as always, we turn to you – That Grape Juice readers – to ask:
Is Geraldo Rivera right?
Via: HuffPost Live
“And I love Russell Simmons,” Rivera continued. “He’s a dear friend of mine. I admire his business acumen. At some point, those guys have to cop to the fact that by encouraging this distinctive culture that is removed from the mainstream, they have encouraged people to be so different from the mainstream that they can’t participate other than, you know, the racks in the garment center and those entry-level jobs, and I lament it. I really do. I think that it has been very destructive culturally.”
“At some point those guys have to cop to the fact that, by encouraging this distinctive culture that is removed from the mainstream, they have encouraged people to be so different from the mainstream that they can’t participate other than in the racks, and the garment centers, and those other entry-level jobs. I lament it. I really do. I think that it has been very destructive culturally.” – Rivera
Your thoughts?
![Performances: We're STILL Rocking to "The GRAMMYs Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" [LL Cool J, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Latto, GloRilla, & More]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/queen-latifah-will-smith-ll-cool-j-recording-academy-cbs-hip-hop-tribute-2023-grammy-464x260.jpg "Performances: We're STILL Rocking to \"The GRAMMYs Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop\" [LL Cool J, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Latto, GloRilla, & More].")
He is joking right? someone tell me he’s joking
The bullet from a cops gun has hurt more black people that Hip Hop has. #missmewiththat
Mmm, I think that is a stretch actually.
But black people are hurt most by other black people.. oops
The fact that Fox ‘news’ continue to be associated with this says a lot about
Is he black no does he know what this stigma does to try and label people no he needs to take a seat the d*** he’s prob a fan of IGGY
He really needs too stfu.. Don’t blame hip hop music for blacks acting a damn fool blame their parents and the fuckiing media.
!!!
I don’t 100% agree with him, blaming everything on hip hop BUT some black people do need to take responsibility for their own behavior. ANd if you want to argue, just look at 95% of the videos on WorldSatrHipHop.
It seems like the black community always wants to blame others for their life problems and not take the blame themselves and try and change. Alot of black men are an embarrassment and extremely ignorant.
Very true. Black people have a hard time taking responsibility and looking at their own actions that keep them in the dust..
Exactly love! Anyways how have you been doll?
Im good! Stay busy though. How r u doing??
Sad thing is you can look up world star right now and see 99% something negative about black people
That site is black owned number one, and two it usually stars black people acting like d*mn fools, filmed by another black person. See the problem?
And what TF is YouTube sis? people act a f****** fool everywhere in the God damn world
But he’s saying the way worldstar promotes it isn’t a good look to blacks,YouTube isn’t all about ghetto people fighting and shooting at people all day.
Exactly @Molly. WorldStar is an urban site filled with videos primarily catering to the black community. The sick videos they allow and promote on that site is disturbing, AND that is the kind of trash THEY’RE KNOWN TO PROMOTE. Anytime someone does something crazy, worldstar is were they want to take the video if it was recorded..
I don’t agree with him 100% either. It’s not all hip-hop that hurts us. You have to leave out Common, Kendrick Lamar, Talib Kweli, etc. I believe once corporate america saw how lucrative hip hop was, they used it to promote self-hate and to make millions–that’s when hip hop changed for the worse. And the artists they use to propagate this mess are blinded by the fame and fortune and couldn’t care less about the poison being spread in our communities… smh. Hip hop is not the same…
No lies. The truth is ugly sometimes. The hip hop thug mentality that is propagated and promoted as ” cool ” is holding the black community back. Promote education not this gangsta thug life !
Really? I can’t even believe y’all entertained his foolish remarks. Hip Hop has hurt white people’s perceptions of Black people because people like Rivera assume that because one Hip Hop artist says or does something, all Black people do it. And by mainstream he means “white culture.” I really hate how white culture wants nothing to do with Black people but are constantly telling them they have to assimilate in order to be accepted. GTFOH.
Go watch some videos on WorldStar and see why there’s some truth in his statements…#TruthHurts
But Worldstar paints a very limited view of Black people. I have no clue who the hell yall hang around but most Black people I know don’t behave in that manner. Granted, there are some but I don’t like how the world generalizes Black people and puts them in one box. There are ratchet and ghetto white people as well. Has rock or country hurt them?
So a genre of music and a tacky website used for entertainment represents a majority of black people? Using that logic its true that gay people are the only cause of A***. Music is just entertainment if you believe in it too much you can ruin your life no matter what genre, there’s things in pop music that if done would be ruin your growth in society. Music is just pure fantasy and those who don’t know that are stupid.
See that’s that s*** that really grinds my gears. Whites always want to throw “blacks sold blacks” into the conversation as an attempt to BLAME SHIFT. When the fact is, yes, many races have practiced slavery. HOWEVER, America is the only nation the created a booming economy off of it. Out of all of the s**** holding cultures America’s was the most successful. They capatilalized off it. So miss me with that b*******.
^^^^Sorry, that comment was meant for @Cry Me A River^^^^
I think its a double edge sword hip hop has a good side and a dark side like everything there is a cause and effect . It’s just most time the negativity get more press then the positive and the good that hip hop has done for the community
I wish he would travel outside of the FOX office and go abroad. For instance, he should check out the video circulating around chelsea football fans, not allowing a black man on the train whilst chanting they are proud of their racism. Blatant ignorance, while the likes of you sit comfortably on your high horse… oh, how can I forget that thing called ‘slavery’ silly me!
Lmao @ the tired & old slavery EXCUSE. Unless you, your parents and or grandparents were slaves then that argument is irrelevant.
Also.. black Americans act like the were the only group of people to e er be held as slaves. Wrong. Pick up a history book. Slavery has affected all races, cultures and a nations.
Only difference is that black Americans are the only group to live in the past and whine about their great great great grandparents being slaves.
Stfu! Blacks aren’t the only group to complain about racism dummy…native americans, etc. Complain about while whites act so oblivious and in denial that racism still exist moron…
I can tell you have a very limited understudying of American history. It must be your deplorable education. First, you need to look up the term chattel slavery. There is a huge difference between the two. Also, you need to conduct research on share cropping, then the convict leasing system. After that, you need to read about the school to prison pipeline then privatization of prisons. After you yourself go read a book of merit and conduct a proper study, then maybe you might have one small iota of what blacks today are facing.
I is 400 of slavery and dehumanization an excuse? Elaborate….because you sound f****** stupid.
*How
@Cry Me A River, ‘irrelevant’? when racism stemmed prior and during slavery, clearly… what are you talking about?
Whites were slaves and many whites were share croppers. Next excuse.
Oh, so black people kidnapped white people from their land, and forced them to work as slaves and share croppers for over 400 years????? Black people are the ones who put other ordinances to prevent white people from gaining equal economic and social footing even AFTER SLAVERY???? NO. So sit the f*** down.
@ Tyler whites didn’t have to kidnap Africans. The were bought from other BLACK Africans who took them as slaves. Next excuse
@Cry Me A River
See that’s that s*** that really grinds my gears. Whites always want to throw “blacks sold blacks” into the conversation as an attempt to BLAME SHIFT. When the fact is, yes, many races have practiced slavery. HOWEVER, America is the only nation the created a booming economy off of it. Out of all of the s**** holding cultures America’s was the most successful. They capatilalized off it. So miss me with that b*******.
@Tyler. I’m not trying to blame shift. I’m stating a fact.Slavery is/was horrible and disgusting.My point is that how many fůcking years have to go by before people stop using it as an excuse for their bad CHOICES?
You are trying to blame shift. Various tribes practiced slavery. They’d fight over land or resources. When one tribe lost the victor would sell the other into slavery. White’s are the ONLY race that took advantage of the situation and started taking everyone, over 60 MILLION PEOPLE TO BE EXACT. So stop trying to blame black people for something that only whites have done.
Idk how many years its going to take for us to get over it. You f***** us over for 400 years…you can at least give 50 to get it together.
TYLER, it’s been way more than 50 years and other peopl/races have been held as slaves. I don’t hear them whining. Black Americans are the ones still stuck in the past using those EXCUSES.
No, it hasn’t been over 50 years…we barely even received our CIVIL RIGHTS in 1965, my grandma could vote until she was 40, and my mother couldn’t go to an integrated school until she was 8. So I’ll bring it up all mathufucking day long!
*couldnt
I’ll say this.
Racism’s effect on black people is unmatched because it’s still as real today as it was back “then.” However, Hip Hop has been used to create the idea that all black people are tied to crime/ struggle leading so many black kids to grow up thinking they weren’t really “black” if they didn’t follow Hip Hop constructs.
He’s right and he’s wrong.
I think he’s referring to Hip Hop culture, which is often associated with drugs, guns, gangs, thug life etc…And since black people are Hip Hop major consumers he feels that that lifestyle has affected African Americans in a negative way, especially the youth, it’s not that hard to get his point, just listen to a ramdon Hip Hop fan talk and you will see why Hip Hop might have hurt young black people more than it has helped them. YO!, YO!, YO! 😀
LMAO!!!! You gotta point. Child, I can’t stand talking to those kinda black boys… Jesus, it gives me a headache!
😀
Dead blond made some sense. Not just the yo yo, the overuse of the N word … like saying it will actually diminish it’s power. My parents generation would never use that word as a term of endearment. She’s appalled at the way and how often it’s used. Hence the reason why hip hop was banned from my household. We had to sneak listen. Lol
Yet you stan for Onigger Minaj #LookinAssNigga
As an adult, I can enjoy someone but not like or agree with everything they do. When you grow up a little, you will understand that.
@Truth Serum
Lol.
I don’t know if you’re trying to funny or not, but more white teens and adults buy rap albums,singles etc than blacks..So your point?
dunno why he – a white guy – who probably doesn’t even know anything about hiphop talking like that. it’s a lookin’ at it – dunno – sorta try dat “mocking” thingy?!? can’t tell if he’s right or if it even matters. so… not worth going nuts over that.
Also, please believe that World Star is there for a clear purpose. It’s to make people desensitised to seeing black people being hurt/attacked/lying lifeless on concrete.
Notice how the ONLY black movies Hollywood would support in the 90s were ones about black criminality? We have to open our eyes and see how our own people are being used to hurt us.
I hear what he is saying but hell no. Hip hop is not to blame for this s***. Mainstream wise hip hop is dead like Nas once said. Every mainstream act acts the same and should be tooken accountable, ( Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Nicki, Chief Keef, Tyga) not the entire genre! People just need to take responsibility on the impact they have on children and parents are included too!. Cause if this the case what about white kids listening to rock music that has messages n lyrics of killing their damn parents and being reckless sinners for Satan. There are tons of real rappers who underrated /underground share messages and wisdom of knowledge to the youth -> J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Common, Logic, Lupe Fiasco, Joey Badass, ect. Who aren’t that much played on the radios or backed up by large labels because the Payola companies play the repeating song every hour and 15 minutes like damn no wonder ppl stop listening to the radio no diversity whatsoever of other artists. So no its not Hip Hop fault. Same with R&B true talents ( Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, D angelo, Anthony Hamilton, Mayer Hawthorne, Tank, Avant, Keke Wyatt, ect) are overshadowed by ppl who couldn’t stand a candle next too them.
Geraldo is infamous for a good sound bite. Let’s not forget that he is the originator or ratchet TV. Chile cheese.
I think that would’ve been the case during the 90’s-early 2000’s, but not so much now. It tickles me how idiots use worldstar as their basis to judge an entire race. I don’t use all the horrible inhumane things people of other colors did in the past and present to judge people and anyone who does shouldn’t be taken seriously. Michael Moore said it best,” white people have committed some of the worse crimes throughout history.But somehow they convinced the world that blacks are a threat”.They always have the solution to blacks problems but somehow like to sweep their own issues under the rug. Not all are like this much like how only roughly 10% of the Us’s black are hood rats and thugs. Fix your own problems and let blacks handles their own
That you exactly !
Great point but you have to admit that since hip hop has such a mainstream appeal, it has had some negative impacts. To characterize a whole culture based on a movement is completely wrong.
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I also want to add that hip hop has had some positive influences on the AA community as well. Hip hop has generated more moguls and entrepreneurs who more than like employ their peers than any other urban based initiative. Both Positives and negatives…
Exactly, and let’s not forget the horrors that actually inspired the creation of HipHop.People like Geraldo sit here and blame everything on this genre,but haven’t even listened to anything other than what’s popular and commercial.I honesty think racist whites don’t like the fact that the genre has created black millionares,and was something that empowered the community. One could also argue that rock music has inspired murders and assassination attempts but you’ll never here them say anything about that.
I can’t stand rap music tbh… I love the black d*** tho.
Lol yes!!!!!
A mess!!!! I can’t belive you said that. Lol
@Stephy
Lmao you lil w****.
Black people from Harlem who have been extremely successful in fields other than music:
Philip A. Payton Jr. – Legendary real estate entrepreneur of the early 20th century knows as “The Father of Harlem”.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Legendary professional NBA player.
Angela Bassett – World-renowned actress & director. Emmy & Academy Award nominee. Golden Globe winner.
Adam Clayton Powell IV – Politician & NYC council member.
Khalid Yasin – Famous Islam teacher & lecturer.
Should I carry on? I mean, he told me to find one and I just found 5. And what a mission it was too, I mean, it took me several minutes of research!
I think the comparison to slavery is unnecessary. I don’t expect white people to understand the aftermath of slavery and racism the way we do. Many of his comments on hip hop and it’s perpetuation of our image are absolutely right for a lot of minority communities.If cornel west said it, I think we could accept it, but because it’s a white man on Fox, I don’t think we’re in a space to hear it.
What…….
If we base how we judge people on color white people would always come out at the bottom because most (if not all) of the world’s majpor atrocities have been carried out by people with white skin.
Ironically, people do base how they see people based on skin tone and have convinced themselves that black people are the most dangerous people out there.
Nothing infuriates me more than the ignorant, conservative rhetoric about race. They love to bring up the “gangster rap” culture that is damaging the black community. Yet, they refuse to acknowledge, deplorable education system or the for-profit prison industrial complex that’s the largest in the world, over N Korea and China, where blacks are targeted. Mr. Rivera, how about you ask your boss, Rupert Murdoch, the media magnate who owns Fox News and radio stations that only play 2% of hip-hop that only further push the agenda to fill up the prisons that they invest in. The issue in blacks in America is the process of social engineering that is a product of the 400 plus years of systemic oppression.
I hate when people try to give an educated solution to a topic that doesnt pertain to them or a topic that they dont even quite fully understand nor grasp.
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Geranamo, I’ll need you to take your seat with the rest of the senior citizens at the old folks home. Hip Hop is not the issue, How about pointing the finger at the history of this greedy country. Stop trying to point blame at the Black community and acting as if your still superior or holy than thou!
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Hes so out of tune with the times that his opinion doesnt even matter, No one takes him as a serious journalist anyway. And hes just pressed he didint win the Celebrity Apprentice over a WOMAN!
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Now his egotistical a** just wants to cause controversy… Im not here for it
SUURRREEE. Because slavery, racism, racial profiling, imperialism, and capitalism started because of HIP HOP….not White Supremacy.
Cowards who can’t confront the systemic nature of racism and how it has worked against people of color is why people are racist but sure! Blame Hip Hop artist, that’s more convenient .
Not when 90% of backwoods country music that conservatives listen to is (lyrically) worse than the outdated ass “gangsta rap” from 2005 that they cling to to prove their point. I bet they still think 50 Cent is relevant.
Please stop giving these washed-up, old Fox News people attention. We all know most of them (and their fanbase) will be dead in about 10 years.
LMAOOOOO! Go in
Institutionalised racism is the real problem that created the negative affects of hip hop he’s talking about.
I agree to an extent. The way HipHop is represented in mainstream popularity is terrible: the most popular mainstream artists (Wayne, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, drake, T.I. Kanye, JayZ) make music using the word nïgga extremely often, they glorify drug culture heavily, objectifying/disrespecting women, glorifying and exuting violence/drugs/liquor and they all hear towards young blacks. And these are the most popular acts in the genre who get the most exposure. You don’t see much of any popular acts I. Other genres doing that.
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You have shows on tv like “Love and Hip Hop” which paint the hip hop community to be mindless idiots and ratchet as a muthafücka!!! It’d be all dandy if this was just a random show but it’s like the most popular show and he ratings get better every season.. That is not only a reflection of the hip hop community on screen but the viewers who tune in.
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There are many instances, I don’t agree 100% with him but I do agree a lot with what he said. There is a lot of damage being done especially to young urban black men
This topic is sooo much bigger than WorldStarHipHop, Hip-Hop itself is a larger topic than that damn site. You kids mentioning it sound stupid and limited in your thinking.
Clearly WorldStar was used as an example of what goes on in many urban communities and is imitated throughout. The mentality, behavior, hell even speech at times is pure ignorant! You can disagree and ignore the fact that SOME black communities do hold themselves back by encouraging (through music and community standards) and imitating things that won’t promote a good life.
I don’t buy it, most hip hop music has got a Parental Advisory: Explicit Content sticker on them, the responsibility lies solely on the parents, 100%.
‘
Should we blame American gun culture on movies too? Nope, parents have got a responsibility to shape the boundaries and structure of the youth, stop diminishing their responsibilities.
Yeah..like kids are really buying CD’s anymore when they can stream it for free
If you don’t monitor what your kids are doing online then you shouldn’t be a parent.
So what were you listening to and watching at 13??
Pop music, and watching Family channels, Toonami and some anime channels. I would also watch movies that were accessible to me, my parents had parental controls set on our service.
Why are you all denying the obvious, of course this music is hurting and has hurt our community. When we see this and shut these people down who are spewing filth we will get somewhere.
We have lost our way, this is not what the post civil rights movement should look, be honest and let’s get back on track
Songs/imagery glorifying drugs, violence have NOplace in our community
Hip hop has been hijacked, it didn’t start this way, but you all have bowed down to the hijackers when they need to be getting the boot
Thus the saying when you don’t stnd for something you will fall for anything like a jay z as some ‘god’ tsk tsk tsk
Shame on us
I came here ready to be disappointed, but I’m massively impressed by almost everyone here. Very few hip hop artists these days are interested in promoting anything but a stereotypical ghetto gangster image of black people. And yes, World Star is absolutely toxic and a stain upon the shoulders of decent African Americans.
The majority of today’s rap and hip-hop music has long contributed to a negative and destructive mentality. It’s wrong, however, to identify tattoos and sagging as the reason minorities are unsuccessful, because whites engage in those things and still get rewarded with job opportunities–it’s called racism, and that’s the point Geraldo missed.
This is the same HipHop that is controlled by white men in suits & record labels. this is the same HipHop where radio & television is again owned & controlled by white men. lets put things in to perspective the HipHop being promoted is not the music we loved & that represented us in the 80s & 90’s. they only place music is not controlled is on the internet & there still trying to shut that down to. so for him to state that HipHop which historically was created in the struggle of oppression on a group of people who where disadvantage through slavery, drugs & inherited racism is just stupid. what i would asked that same person who makes stupid statements is
what have you done to fix the problem? please pick up a book before you make these statements
Although I don’t fully agree with Rivera here, I think it’s an interesting point to discuss and wish he would have expanded his views on it. In my own experience, I’ve noticed that much of Hip-Hop lyrics and songs (specifically American) deal with themes of success and emergence from poverty. There are often references to brands, and material objects that are the envy of masses and readily accessible to the poor. It is inevitable that the poor aim to rise from poverty. However the way in which society is structured there is a very low percentage of people who are realistically able to do such a thing.
It reminds me of Rousseau’s Discourse of the Origin on Inequality. Rousseau is saying that the way in which the Rich keep the poor oppressed is by leading them with blind ambition. The poor will always strive to be the rich which essentially means they strive to oppress those weaker than themselves. In a way it makes me wonder if Hip-Hop is in some way a rich mans way of propaganda for the poor. Is Hip-Hop an illusion of success for the oppressed condoned by those in power?
This seems to make sense but I think it’s deeper than just this. I know conservatives are known for being against Hip-Hop and Rap culture, but wouldn’t such genres strengthen their power?
*Restore Pride In Parenting; End Child Abuse & Neglect*
*Victims of Horrific Child Abuse; Young American Kendrick Lamar Boldly Speaks About Child Abuse, The Seeds of Poverty and Crime*
In his 2015 Grammy award winning Rap Performance titled “I”, Kendrick Lamar writes, *”I’ve been dealing with depression ever since an adolescent.”*
During a January 20, 2011 LAWeekly interview (Google search) Kendrick, born in 1987, the same year songwriter Suzanne Vega wrote a song about child abuse and *VICTIM DENIAL* that was nominated for a Grammy award, he told the interviewer:
*”Lamar’s parents moved from Chicago to Compton in 1984 with all of $500 in their pockets. “My mom’s one of 13 [THIRTEEN] siblings, and they all got SIX kids, and till I was 13 everybody was in Compton,” he says.”*
*”I’m 6 years old, seein’ my uncles playing with shotguns, sellin’ dope in front of the apartment. My moms and pops never said nothing, ’cause they were young and living wild, too. I got about 15 stories like ‘Average Joe.'”*
It seems evident to me Kendrick identified the source of his depression, the roots of poverty, the child abuse/maltreatment that prevented him, his brothers, sisters, cousins, neighborhood friends and elementary and JHS classmates from enjoying a fairly happy, safe Average Joe and Josie American kid childhood.
Seems the adults responsible for raising the children in Kendrick’s immediate and extended family placed obstacles in their children’s way, causing their kids to deal with challenges and stresses young minds are not prepared to deal with…*nor should they or any other children be exposed to and have to deal with.*
It seems evident to me these PARENTAL INTRODUCED obstacles and challenges cause some developing children’s minds to become tormented and go haywire, not knowing *OR NOT CARING ABOUT* right from wrong…because as the mature, young victims of child abuse realize their parents introduced them to a life of pain and struggle, totally unlike the mostly safe, happy life the media showed them many American kids were enjoying. *RESENTMENT*
I cannot speak for anyone else, but if I was raised in Kendrick’s family I would most likely be silently peeved at my parents for being immature irresponsible “living wild” adults who deprived me of a safe, happy childhood.
Though like many victims of child abuse, most likely I would deny my parents harmed me, seeking to blame others for the pain my parents caused to me.
I wonder how little Kendrick and his classmates reacted when their elementary school teacher introduced the DARE presenter and they learned about the real dangers of drugs and how they harm people, including their parents?
In a Oct 25, 2012, LAWeekly interview (Google search) Kendrick talks about being a SIX-YEAR-OLD child who was not able to trust and rely on his mom…essentially he speaks about being emotionally abandon by his own mom.
Kendrick shares his experiences about feeling lonely, which if you read up on Cognitive Dissonance that Dr. Joy Degruy writes about in her book, *”Post Traumatic S**** Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing (PTSS)”*, is it perfectly understandable why Kendrick feels lonely.
Search Google “Post traumatic Disorder Dr Joy de Gruy Leary – YouTube” to watch a very disturbing yet enlightening 1:21:00 lecture about “Cognitive Dissonance” and how it harms developing kids like Kendrick. Dr. DeGruy does an excellent job describing how “CD” helped perpetuate the human ignorances we call racism and slavery.
Dr. DeGruy also describes how using our common sense, we should be able to understand how “CD” can negatively impact developing children like Kendrick Lamar (born 1987), as well as Tupac Shakur (born 1971) and Shawn ‘Jay Z Carter’ (born 1969), to name a few more victims of horrific child abuse.
Early in my police career when I was assigned to the Brooklyn community *Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter* raps/writes about attempting destroy by selling poison to people living and working in his community, and rapping about engaging in extremely harmful anti-social behaviors designed to protect his drug operation from rival gangs in adjoining neighborhoods, a few of my training officers advised me to be prepared to experience “culture shock.”
I did find out what “culture shock” is, though it was not a culture of violence and harmful anti-social activities many were insinuating I would be shocked by.
The aspect of this Brooklyn, NY community that *shocked me to the core* was witnessing children being emotionally scarred by a *”American Sub-Culture of Child Abuse/Neglect”* that Kendrick Lamar raps and speaks about some twenty-five years after I first witnessed the *”American Sub-Culture of Child Abuse/Neglect”* that today CONTINUES emotionally damaging many developing children and their communities.
I personally witnessed the emotional trauma and physical pain a young, neglected, unsupervised, Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter is responsible for causing, and its aftermath, leaving a community populated by mostly peaceful people fearing for their safety on a 24/7 basis, which are the hours Shawn’s crew/gang were selling community harming substances.
During the twelve years I served this community I met hundreds of peaceful people who were just as shaken, upset and deeply disturbed as I was by the daily displays of violence and other anti-social activities mostly caused by teens and adults who were victims of childhood abuse and neglect.
I was lucky, at the end of my workday I could leave the community, returning to a more peaceful residential community were concerns for me and my family’s safety were significantly lower.
However, virtually all of my civilian co-workers, mostly loving, competent moms living in this community were not as fortunate. They were burdened with stresses and challenges my parents did not face to any significant degree.
The added stresses and challenges my peaceful co-workers faced was preventing their children from being negatively influenced by abused/neglected/unsupervised children being raised and nurtured by immature, “living wild” t*** moms and young women who irresponsibly begin building families before they acquired the skills, maturity, PATIENCE and means to independently provide for their family of developing children.
Reading Kendrick’s background, if you have any compassion for kids, you have to feel horrible for a *FIRST GRADE school child* who can’t depend on his mom to be there for him, a mom who exposes him to things *kids should not have to witness and deal with in their young minds.*
Kendrick has taken a bold first step by revealing his mother (and father) made poor choices that deprived him, his brothers and sisters from experiencing a safe, fairly happy Average Joe or Josie American kid childhood…*YET NO ONE IS LISTENING TO KENDRICK….WHY?*
*#protect-kids-from-irresponsible-caregivers*