ACTIVIST: 'Integration Has Been Cruel To Black America"

Attorney Roy Miller

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2004, 9:30 p.m. - I'm an attorney in Macon, Ga.  In 1994, I fought and succeeded at having the n-word removed from a major dictionary.  I am the first and only person to do so.  I challenge Black leaders to dispute my claim that in a weird kind of way, “Integration has been cruel to Black America”.

    Integration was intended by a lot of sincere Black and White people to serve as a mechanism for Black and White equality in learning.  Unfortunately, the cure given to promote Black equality is proving to be a lethal injection.  In a strange kind of way, some how in a cross fire, both Blacks and Whites were wrong.  Who knew that the medicine for cure would have such a cyanide affect?

    Prior to integration, Black student discipline was little problem in Black public schools.  Prayer was welcomed and there were no fallouts regarding religious rights, gay rights or women rights.  Everyone with their different beliefs just seemed to get along.  There was pride. There was nothing like a basketball game or Christmas parade.  Black schools showed that they were competitive against the White schools and Black kids loved the feeling.  Students respected teachers and parents supported teachers disciplining their children.  If a student got into trouble at school, he knew that he would be in bigger trouble once he got home.  A major problem we had in Black Schools back then was that we were getting out-dated, hand me down text books.  Our schools were not getting the most current learning materials and we lagged in school renovation needs.  It seemed that most money for learning was being spent in the White schools.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t like it, Reverend Jesse Jackson didn’t like it, a lot of Whites didn’t like it and many people of different races wanted a change.

    So, we integrated.  It seemed to be going ok at first.  However, when Black teachers started paddling White kids and White teachers started paddling Black kids, all Hell broke loose.  Lawmakers made laws that pretty much stopped teachers from paddling in public schools.  We threw discipline out of the window.  It even extended to parents not being able to properly discipline children at home.  Black people believed in praying.  Legislatures of almost all White males voted to take prayer out of school. Blacks had no voting power to resist the decision.  Black kids could not openly join in prayer at school anymore.  God kicked out – the Devil stayed.  A lack of discipline and religious values equaled to trouble for the Black student.  Prior to integration, Blacks accounted for around 35% of the prison population. There was no such slogan as “Black on Black Crime”.

    Blacks got the updated books and learning materials that were needed; however, the cruel side affects from integration were that it literally destroyed moral and religious values in Black youth.  Black youth, lacking in discipline training, grew up to be adults lacking in morals and lacking in traditional religious values.  The result was a sharp rise in Black crime.  In majority Black school districts, White kids left and went to private schools.   Public schools were segregated all over again.  The reality is that Blacks are now right back in what amounts to segregated public schools.  What was lost in the journey can perhaps never be recovered.  How cruel, when you look at the peace, love, lives and respect that were lost, all for text books and educational equality.  We need to admit it.  White parents are not ever going to let Black teachers paddle White children, Black parents are not ever going to let White teachers paddle Black children and Black parents are distrustful of their children being disciplined in the public school system.  We’ve got to have discipline.  Discipline is necessary in the education of children.  Black people know how to distribute discipline to Black children, but it has to start early on in life.  Laws are made based on how White males think Black children should be raised. Usually, private Black Schools don't have major student discipline problems.  Private Black schools have scholars.  Black folks know how to raise Black children, but laws made by White men are getting in the way.  Black folks need to be making the laws, regarding the educating of Black kids in public schools.  Unfortunately, laws that were made by almost all “White dominated” legislatures are actually raising our Black kids.  Let’s get integration right or trash it.

   Contact: Attorney Roy Miller, 478-745-2402, www.attorneyroymiller.com

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