The Fourth of July has arrived in the USA. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the country known as the land of the free. African Americans have made their mark in the creation of the USA. African Americans were running from slavery in certain states in 1776. 250 years later in 2026 African Americans are still running from something. The 2026 African American is not running from slave catchers. African Americans in this modern USA are running from each other.
Recently, I stopped by a high school to talk with some of the staff. It is summer and the school for all purposes is shut down. Yet, there were parents in the office waiting to talk with the principal. Many of these parents were attempting to get their child enrolled in this school. Why? The school has a good reputation for academics and, keeping it real, white children attend the school. This may sound crazy, but think about it. Many African Americans jump through hoops to get their children into schools that are not in the area they live in. Why? The main reason is the neighborhood school may be predominately African American. Many African Americans believe a predominantly Black student population means lower learning. This thought triggers the fight or flight reaction in their heads. They run. Just like the slaves ran from slavery in 1776.
There are statistics that back up the rational that predominately African American schools may be underachieving. You can look at test scores from around the USA. You can even look at incident referrals and suspension rates. The question is not, “Are there failing African American schools?” One question is: “Why would a parent drive their child 30 minutes every day to place them in a school, when the child can go to school around the corner?” Which leads us to this question, “What has happened in the African American community to make the previous actions a norm?” One answer to both of the previous inquiries is good old self hate. Self hate, along with a lack of pride, keeps African Americans running like Usain Bolt in the 2016 Olympics.
We all know the insane things that take place in the African American community in 2026. These acts are done by African American people to each other. These acts take place because there is no communal love in the African American community. This lack of communal love is what motivates a parent to risk being late to work in order to drive a child across town to attend school. This flight from their neighbors places a strain on the parent, and may place the child in a hostile environment. Is an all white student body the place for an intelligent, African American child? I’ll let your mind answer this question. I have to ask, “If all the children with intelligence are carted off to give their minds to another race, where does this leave the race they were born into? The answer may be the modern inner city in any area where African Americans are predominate.
African Americans have to clean up their neighborhoods. African Americans must identify, and get rid of, criminal elements that are making their neighborhoods a war zone. This means families can no longer make excuses, or protect, children that have a negative impact on the neighborhood. Parents have to do more than buy gym shoes, and cell phones for their children. Parents have to raise their children while taking responsibility for their children’s actions. African Americans as a whole have to stop glorifying stupidity, criminality, harlotry and find some pride about themselves. These acts will eliminate the need to run.
African Americans, go explode some fireworks and eat a slab of ribs to celebrate The Fourth of July. Once this is done, put on your grown up clothes and exchange those Nike track shoes for some work boots. Time to go to work and stop running.
Frank James IV © 2026
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or HT Group, LLC, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
