Role Models for Black Young People

August 9th, 2007 by mas | Filed under Society & Issues.

A new report has found that more black role models are needed - heres a summary from the BBC report:

The Men’s Room charity said black youths need “a greater diversity of images and portrayals”

The group wants a national programme to encourage lawyers, doctors, teachers and others to become mentors.

It says that, too often, celebrities and rappers who glamorise crime become the role models for young black men.

Reach group chairman Clive Lewis runs The Men’s Room charity which helps young black men to achieve their potential.

“Black boys and young men desperately need a greater diversity of images and portrayals, showing that black men can be, and are, successful in a wide range of careers including business, teaching, the law and health care.”

In some ways I can see logic in this - its a definite fact that on courses we run young people like seeing people they can identify with who are delivering the training - whether this is because they’re male/female, Black/White/Asian, northern/southern etc. This doesn’t mean they actually respect them though - once initial prejudices have been overcome all but the most prejudiced of people make their judgments based on the person not the skin colour/sex/neighbourhood.

When planning some courses we’ve actually been asked whether or not it would be possible to provide a black Trainer because of a fear that young people might not like a white person to do it! My response……..well surely this is an important reason to have a white person do it?!

Prejudices are an every day part of life but my opinion is that they should be challenged not hidden. This doesn’t mean shouting down everyone that says something racist - much more effective I think is to provide people with positive experiences of mixing with different people. We were always very aware that on some residential courses we would be bringing together groups that included people from ‘Black neighbourhoods’ together with people from ‘White neighbourhoods’ or ‘Asian neighbourhoods’ - young people who may not have mixed with people outside of their own areas at all before. We also knew that once into the thick of a course they’d soon get over their initial concerns and take back with them a positive experience. Hopefully that would be a few more people in each of those areas able to say “actually some of my friends are Black/White/Asian and they’re alright!” To me thats challenging prejudice.

Anyway back to the report - I see nothing much wrong with it except that I can’t help but wonder how come all of the White role models are so good? I mean you never hear of White rappers, White gangsters, White criminals do you?!……………oh and what about Black women - they’re presumably all good too?!

Somebody who does seem to make sense is Tim Campbell - winner of the first Apprentice TV series.

At the end of the BBC article he’s quoted as saying:

“The emphasis on role models is just a small aspect of addressing some of the issues particularly with black boys in the community,” , “I’d rather spend a lot more resources opening up educational opportunity and business and economic opportunities for individuals because that’s where we’re going to make a real impact.”

That would seem to make much more sense. In fact I think most of the Black young people we work with would find it slightly insulting that they’re apparently so easily influenced that all thats needed is to get rappers to sing nice thoughts instead of glamorising guns and that will prevent them entering a world of gangs and crime. I say most because undoubtedly some do aspire to follow the gangland culture - but aren’t they the minority and isn’t that also the case in White and other cultures?

It seems to make much more sense to spend some effort providing additional opportunities for those that need them and at the same time encouraging people of all cultures to mix together from a young age so that they can appreciate the relevant role models in their chosen paths - whether those role models are Black, White, Asian or other.