Eyes OFF the Prize?

Juan Williams, once a columnist for the WashPost and now a senior corresponent for National Public Radio and a Political Analyst for Fox News, writes of (and condemns) the bling-bling culture in the African American community ( fast money for rap artists, drug dealers, basketball players and the "idea that that woman are at at their best when flaunting their sexuality and having babies."

Williams is an African-American, a very good writer and generally regarded as a liberal. He wrote the book Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965" which I believe was adapted from a fine PBS special series (or perhaps vice-versa.)

Now he sounds like Tom Sowell, the early Jesse Jackson (before he veered wildly to the left) and echoes the current tough-minded remarks of Bill Cosby.

Juan has a point, but I think over-stated:

Teenage black birth and fertility rates have dropped like a stone.

More blacks, many more, are going on to college.

There is nothing on earth wrong with being a prfessional basketball player (but it is accomplished by so few and lures so many.) The basketball players, football players, golfers etc. work very hard, go through grueling physical conditioning and must think quickly in split-seconds.

The random violence is what creates most of the remaining racist feelings in America.

There is enormous progress in the black community: two steps forward and one backwards.

Ben