Arrested Development by Dr. Na'im Akbar

[Adisa]

"An example of a boy who is arrested in his development, is one who has paid more for his stereo system than he has paid for his book on his shelf. A boy is the adult who has more colored lights and party space than he has study space or work space in his home. You are a boy when you pay more for your liquor, than for your food. When your view of women is exclusively of someone to satisfy your various needs, then you are a boy. When you are preoccupied with someone to get back at, get over on or get from, then you are a boy. When the primary use of your reason is for purpose of scheming or lying, then you are affixiated in the boyish mentality. There is nothing wrong with a game as a means of disengaging or recreation, but when the game becomes a substitute for your life’s plan, then you are still a boy. When other people are laying plans to rule the world, and you are playing a card game, then your boyishness is an illness. When other people are writing books, and you are shooting pool, then the game is a weapon against your progress and our progress as a nation. When you are interested in the football scores and other people are counting the advertising profits from the football game, then you have a boy’s interest. When you spend six hours on the basketball court and 30 minutes in the library, then the game has become an excuse for suicide." (An excerpt from the book, “Visions for Black Men”)

[Adisa]

Indeed Dr. Black, these are good discussion points.  When I heard this excerpt, I thought it would be a good topic to discuss.  Dr. Akbar has made some broad sweeping statements and although I can't speak for him or to what he meant by everything written, I have an understanding of the points he made.

[Clifford Black]

This that is pointed out to us by Brother N. Akbar is/are points for discussion, we must be careful with how we view the angles.

B.