Black-on-Black violence is nothing new. It existed long before the civilization era. But, in the United States of America, the root cause of this violent behavior is multifaceted: gang violence, drugs, out-of-wedlock births and some social factors.
According to Professor McCoy , "Given the high levels of segregation that many Black males grow up in, the decreased employment opportunities, long term unemployment and failing schools, the chances for young Black males to develop a sense of healthy self-worth are limited. Instead, material possessions and contestation over space like corners can be the spaces where worth and value are determined."
Based on the above factors, Black people find themselves trapped in a systematic cycle. It is a vicious cycle of crimes, where generation after generation of parents who are involved in criminal activities pass on the torch of violence to their children without intentionally doing so. It often occurs when generations of kids are born to, and grew up in, violent, criminal and dysfunctional families. In such an environment, one in which kids are having kids without a formal education and a proper upbringing, without any role model and a job incentive, despair sets in. The only option left for them is a career in the fast track, which is a life of crimes in gangs, drugs and murder.
“Over the past 35 years in America, an estimated 324,000 Blacks have been killed at the hands of fellow Blacks, proving racist white cops are the least of their worries,” Pete Papaherakles.
Most Black-on-Black crimes occur over drugs and gang territory. Filled with evil, those guys don’t hesitate to kill, and they commit those crimes because of the encroachment of one gang member on another gang's territory or over a deal gone wrong. It goes without saying that the United States, although one big independent union, contains some deadly dividing lines. These killings often take the form of drive-by shootings, surprise attacks or whichever way they can settle a score with their opponents.
Education, jobs and entrepreneurship are the basic needs to solve Black-on-Black crimes. Most common criminals don’t have a high school diploma; others don’t work or don’t hold a job for long. To change their behavior, the government needs to engage Black communities in education and in job training opportunities. However, it is up to the Blacks trapped in this dilemma to decide to get out; self-empowerment comes from within, and no one can impose it on anyone.
"Black-on-Black crime is an outgrowth of two huge problems affecting Black America: the high rate of out-of-wedlock births and gangs,” said Chief Harrington.
