How Do We Overcome Addiction, Poverty and Residual Slave Mentality in the Black Community?
Columbus, OH (PRWEB) April 26, 2006
According to William H. James and Stephen L. Johnson “…crack cocaine use by African Americans grew so dramatically that most African American communities were in their second decade of a crack cocaine epidemic in the 1990s… Increased crime, prostitution, and gang violence has resulted in a “War on Drugs,” which has more often appeared to be a war on addicts. Thousands of African American men remain in prison for drug charges that in the white community may have resulted in no more than a fine, probation, or community service.”
There is no doubt that more tax dollars need to be spent on rehabilitation programs, housing , education and job placement for substance abusers, the homeless and ex-offenders in the African American Community, but who is going to take that responsibility?
There should be comprehensive services to reach them and let them know that there is a better way for them to live and that the nation founded on life liberty and the pursuit of happiness has not forgotten them. There needs to be addiction treatment and job training, education (mental, psychological and emotional) and some form of housing assistance so that recidivism and crime rates can be diminished; The end result will be a stronger community for all Americans. William H. James and Stephen L. Johnson go on to say “The ability of African American communities to confront this crack cocaine epidemic will determine the character of African American urban life well into the next century. Traditional alcohol and other drug treatment programs have been unable to stop the wave of addiction that has engulfed the African American community. A coalition of the strongest resources in these communities, including families, churches, schools, and community agencies, is urgently needed to address such widespread drug use.”
To aid in this fight Joseph Chapman of Columbus OH (a former addict in recovery for more than 13 years) has developed in conjunction with a non-profit corporation an Afro centric recovery program called Recovery for the new millennium. Mr. Chapman states that “Recovery for the new millennium goes beyond the traditional 12 step approach and looks at the vestiges of deep seated inferiority complexes and how African American addicts are also simultaneously facing poverty, slave mentalities, poor education and a lack of marketable job skills.” According to Joseph Chapman “The truth is that people do recover from various life damaging circumstances and they have wonderful stories that can shed light and inspiration to millions people. The fact that people do recover from active addiction, crime, poverty, and a lack of education is a powerfully healing message. In the African American community where substance dependence, poverty, a lack of education is such blight up on the societal landscape we need a message of healing.”
Reference:
1.http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exjamdoi.html retrieved 2006-04-10 by Joseph Chapman
2.http://www.recoverlove.com retrieved 2006-04-10 by Joseph Chapman
###