THREE quarters of the International Year of Peoples of African Descent has gone. Except for a few organisations in Guyana who reached out for government hand-outs, what has been done differently by our African leaders? What have we done to improve ourselves? Can’t our collective start by being self-critical rather than be critical of others? I feel terribly ashamed as a Black Man to see our people, more so our youths, perpetrating criminal acts.  Our prison population has 75% Blacks.  This was so even under the Burnham and Hoyte administrations. So, my brothers and sisters stop becoming defensive and claim lack of employment opportunities, etc.  Our young people, and even older ones, do not want to work!
Can we be honest with ourselves and say what kind of discussion we carry on at home in the presence of our impressionable children? Can we be honest and admit that many single mothers have children who do not know their fathers? Can I be bold to suggest that some parents and older siblings actually teach their younger ones to steal, and in fact live off stolen money/jewellery?
People of my ancestry, first, let us be proud for positive reasons.  We have much to be proud of but we are hamstrung by the criminals whom we give shelter to.  Sadly, also, our professionals and rich Blacks quickly distance themselves from the ordinary folks.  The other ethnic collective do it differently. They help each other to grow.  We justify the wrongs we do.  We, on the other hand, justify taking pay to transport drugs and do contract executions.
ACDA and other Black organizations, get our people back to the soil.  Therein lies our salvation. Not everyone can be a lawyer, etc.  But most of our youths opt to be thieves and criminals and drug pushers.  Go to the Black-populated villages and see the tall grass in yards.  But most can be farmers, earning an honest living.  Is that synonymous of people of Black Ancestry?
I ask the leadership of the Black collective: What have you taught your followers? What can we look up to you for? Nothing! Once you reach certain positions, we become your pawns; you keep us harnessed to our past, brainwash our youths and the cycle continues. Why are there so many Black lawyers? Is it because there are tons of Black criminals? – a captive market?
Black brother and sisters; we can have a decade of People of Black Ancestry; it will do us no good because we have rejected the soil.  Let us go back to the soil for sustenance and we will raise a proud people.  The alternative is to overcrowd the prisons.  The choice is ours.  The blame must also be ours.