As you are the mayor of Orlando, I would like to discuss an issue that is dear to my heart, death amongst young African American youth, and will start with a quote from a famous man. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” These are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Even after years and years have passed, Dr. King’s dream has not been fully fulfilled. Young African American individuals, who are from the ages of 15 to 24 years old, are at an increased risk of dying due to homicide. The mortality rate for young black males increases significantly during their early years. The simple root of this problem is hate, disobedience, lust, and greed.
Leviticus chapter 19 verse 17 states “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.” With all the hatred being taught to young minds, the issue of the increase in death is of concern. As the songwriter penned, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” If children are taught from a young age that we are the same no matter the color of our skin, we would grow a new generation that houses less hatred. If you cut two people of different races, they will both bleed the color red.
Death amongst young African Americans is often seen as being caused by racism, but something others fail to address is the idea that disobedience can be the source of some deaths. Not just with African Americans, but with all American teens. Ephesians 6:1-2 states, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” and “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” In verse one, it says to obey our parents in the Lord. It not only includes our legal guardians but also our spiritual parents and leaders. Disobedience can lead us into the way of trouble and harm. Some teens have no sense of parental guidance to lead them in the right direction. The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is according to Proverbs 22:6.
If a child is brought up in the right way, with the knowledge to follow the right path, they are more likely to follow it. The problem is some do not have anyone to give them this form of guidance and training. When you think about their situations, they know nothing about God and so they go out and try to fill that void. This leads to lust, greed, and the love of money, which can expose them to police brutality, violence, mental issues, school dropouts, and crime. Lust is not always in a sexual manner, but it can be the love of something worldly. As it states in 1 Timothy chapter 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through many sorrows.”
If there were anything that I could see as a solution, it would be government help. Mr. Demings, with the growing deaths among youth, more things need to be done and put in place such as mental health programs that listen to the views and issues we are facing. I relate to this topic and find it so important because I never know if I could be the next victim of systemic hate and brutality. So, one more time I say, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”
