This means they have not looked at who they are and why they are like they are; or where they are and why; where they want to go and why; and what is being done to them and why. Hence, all of their great intellect and talent inherited from their brilliant Ancient African Ancestors has remained dormant and hidden behind self-defeating thoughts, emotions, expressions, and habits. In my recent book on “Special Minds” Among Struggling Black Americans I related 100 traits which are problematic in the marketplace that tend to prevent them from rising above poverty.

The essence is that evil and sadistic captors created in the minds of many Slaves layers of coverings (like leaves of a head of lettuce) around the Real Self of each individual and placed each mind inside a delusional world (like a vault). An analogy is that of “Heads of lettuce inside a vault”—a situation added to by post-slavery racism and culturally transmitted to today’s struggling Black Americans. In other words, each “leaf” represents a barrier which prevents a given youth from being able to receive constructive information designed for immediate and long term use. Instead, each “leaf” is concerned with self-preservation and self-protection. Collectively, these “leaves” are inside a delusional world (believing what is not real and not believing what is real) and that world is like putting their minds inside a vault.

After of 25 years of intense research I am satisfied that the basic problem of struggling Black youth is the underdevelopment of their Left Brains (which deals with such things as foresight and forethought) and which leaves them with undisciplined Right Brains. I also strongly believe the remedy is for them to develop skills in critical and rational thinking—and to that end I have written five books. However, I know that information is too involved for it to be taught to youth who are unwilling to work as hard to develop their minds as they do to become athletes. So, I keep looking for something simple they can grasp immediately and start participating in the same day. This is not to say anything against their intelligence because in mentoring struggling youth for decades I find them to be very intelligent. Yet, they are not focused on improving their lot in life. A relatively simple method realized this past year is a modification of that to which Socrates’ name is attached.

The first step is to get them to activate their minds in realms outside of “survival” and a “live for the day” mentality—both of which are survivals from slavery. A second step is to get them to look at their belief system and character from the perspective of “picking them apart” so as to spotlight the flaws or whatever is self-defeating.  Third is to become aware of what caused these “Heads of Lettuce” to be placed in a vault—an aspect that necessarily addresses Europeans. Fourth is for their minds to become sufficiently free as to be in contact with their Real Selves and that will allow them to be open to the Dream in which their purpose in life is contained. Fifth is to design the dots that connect where they are with their Dream and show them how to reach it. Part of this process is helping each youth discover and develop his/her talent.

Still, nothing will happen until mentors hold their hands as the youth moves forward. If today’s Black Americans reach back into their “race-memory” they will discover this process would reproduce what their Ancient African Ancestors did. Back then, the belief was that every newborn required the help of all members of the village in order for that newborn to get started on the path to pursuing his/her purpose in life—a purpose assigned by that newborn’s guiding spirit. In turn, the benefits would be used to benefit the community. Articles to follow serve to give good-hearted Black mentors ideas on how to fashion such a process with the struggling youth they adopt.