There must be something we can do. African American culture is in crisis. There is no end in sight to the ever-widening schism in class, gender and generations.

Hopelessness and despair continue to plague vast numbers of African Americans who have not benefited from the gains of the Civil Rights struggle. Poverty, crime, joblessness, school dropout rates and disease are spiraling. Massive incarceration of Black males, the breakdown of the family and an ever-growing number of our children in the foster care system show no signs of abating. Add to this, an entrenched corporate media cartel’s relentless and unholy war that targets the very souls of our children. Negative lifestyles, antisocial behavior, debasement of culture and defamation of the African American character and image are packaged and sold as fashionable.

The glorification of violence, self-hate, idleness, greed and misogyny are earning billions for companies that broadcast the sounds and images of destruction at the expense of the young, poor and unlearned. There must be something that we can do.

Recently the morning air personality, Star, (an African American) of the popular, Star and Buc Wild Morning Show on Clear Channel’s top rated radio station WPPR Power 105.1 was fired and arrested after protests from the Asian American community when he threatened to sexually molest the 4-year-old daughter of a rival DJ on Emmis Broadcasting’s Hot ’97 (owners of WRKS KISS-FM & Smooth Jazz WQCD). He offered $500 to any listener who could tell him what school she attended and made disparaging and vulgar remarks about his half-Asian wife.

According to the story reported by the NY Amsterdam News, insults and obscenities where hurled back and forth between the two radio morning show teams for four days before NYC council member John Lui (D-Flushing) rallied his constituents and Black members of the City Council to put pressure on Clear Channel to act. The Asian American community’s response was sure and swift. It was the same as two years earlier when Hot ‘97’s African American female host made light of the Tsunami tragedy.

Interestingly, these radio hosts who claim to speak for a generation, have for years referred to their largely African American teenage and young adult audiences as niggers, bitches, ho’s, pimps, thugs, freaks, etc., etc. with no challenge or response from the African American community or its leadership. Star had a $17 million four year contract at Clear Channel and referred to himself as “The Hater.”

Of one thing I am certain, and history will support me on this: our children and our children’s children will pay the price for this present generation’s high social tolerance, the embrace of ultra-liberal values and ultra-individualistic attitudes. The African American community is on a self-imposed cultural lockdown. We have surrendered our creative sovereignty and have become the cultural ward to Big Business, Madison Avenue and Hollywood. They dictate the fashion and trends in our communities today. We have become enslaved to fashion and debt. There must be something that we can do.

Government will not provide the answer to this dilemma. The African American middle class must seek positive creative solutions that will uplift and inspire its underclass. If the world views African Americans with haughty disdain, it affects every one of us regardless of income or status.

If culture is to a community what the soul is to a man – God’s gift – then we must seek a cohesive philosophy, a spiritual and cultural ideal. No man or group can take away or deny another’s culture or soul. It can only be surrendered through ignorance, fear or sale! African Americans alone are responsible to and accountable for the progress of our children and the integrity of our culture. It is the one talent entrusted to our collective experience (Matthew 25:14-30).

An African American Culture Commission must be established immediately to arrest this ominous decline. Its membership should include our best, our brightest and every single forward thinking man, woman and child of God. There is an enormous potential and reservoir of creativity by this marginalized constituency of young people waiting to be harnessed.

African American culture has the wherewithal to address aspects of research, education and community development, value systems, media presentations and international cooperation. The African American middle class working with the grass roots will actualize these goals and objectives.

Our children must never forget that African American culture is the very soul of American culture. It is true, it is beautiful, and it is good, born of 400 years of toil, suffering and bitter persecution. It is the African Slave Work Song, the Negro Spiritual. It is Jazz, Blues, R&B, Gospel and yes, Hip-Hop. It is God’s gift to a forlorn people. It is ours.

Every successful community, nation or race has their gift – we have ours. Only through the rediscovery of the African American group personality lies the hope and salvation of our children.

Our 6,000 year African derived culture is the African American claim on the American dream . . . it is for our children to claim. This generation has a very special responsibility to God and the world as custodians of the very best of our culture and traditions. We have been entrusted to ensure the safe passage and survival of values from this generation to the next.