I am just writing a small article about the violence and killing which is happening in our African Caribbean community. I am known as Stevie B. I work as an electrical engineer, and as a hobby I DJ on a radio station called Roots fm 95.4 fm. Over the pass few years there has been a lot of negative things happening in our community concerning our youngsters. They are dying everyday ie; shootings, stabbings, drugs.

It is sad to see how many of our children are dying so young and so unnecessarily. I feel a lot of the problem stems from home. We as parents are not taking enough responsibility. I can remember as a youngster I was raised within a community where everyone was my parent, my elders established a solid and consistent pattern of clear boundaries and expectations. Whenever I was on the streets I was representing my parents and if I did not do the right things my parents would know within 10 minutes and I would get a right lashing when I went home.

These days the majority of our children don't even go shopping with their parents because they feel it is not cool and that it’s belittling. As a child I had no choice. We have lost all the foundations and lessons that our parents taught us.

We are living within a new founded society where children are having children, the youngsters of today have a lack of respect for their elders and have no respect for themselves. They are not willing to listen to their parents or guardians or their relatives, and most of all they think they know it all.

The older male role model should stand up and take more responsibility for how our youngsters are brought up. Starting with cutting out all the slackness in the music which is being played on the radio and the night clubs. And the music videos which portray violence and sex .because a lot of our children believe that is how the real word is and are going out on the street and copying the rubbish they see on the TV.

We need to go back to basics where the whole family will sit round a table every Sunday to have their rice & peas and chicken and talk about what they have been doing at school or college and knew that the plates had to be washed up after dinner and not had to be told to.

We need to take more interest in our kids education. Checking up on their attendance at school and most of all take more time checking on their homework - Sitting down and helping them.

I don’t agree with parents who just shout out to their children have you done your homework when they are just walking out the door to go school. We should all take time to look at their books and make sure that it done (it doesn’t take five minutes to do that).

As for mobile phones how can a child of primary school age have a phone. All that does is to put that child in a vulnerable position for him or her to be mugged .we are giving our children too many thing at such a young age ie mobile phone / Playstation / computers /mp3 players. They should be rewarded with these things if they are achieving at school or college but a lot of them are not and are still able to have those things

I am so proud of my children because they are not materialistic. My daughter Tania achieved (9 GCSE a stars) and is now going college to do 5 A levels. She has a mobile phone but is not allowed to receive calls after 9.30 pm. My children wash up the plates on a rotation system and have to wash their mum’s car every Saturday or Sunday depending on the weather.

It saddens me so much to see what is happening to our people we need to talk more to our children. There is a lot of negative people out there who are directing our children down the wrong road. They need to be stamped out.

All the killing, drugs and violence is affecting our black business . Because other nations are stereotyping us and thinking that all African Caribbean people can’t be trusted and are bad people to do business with. So in the long term it will affect the way we aspire in the future.

We will find ourselves not able to do business with any other nationalities because no-one will trust our people. That is the big picture.

So the beginning and end of this situation is that we all need to work together to give our children a better future and we need more positive male role models to play they part in our community

Single parents mum bringing up children on their own need dads to be more responsible. Just because there has been a break down in the relationship between the father and the mother it does not mean that responsibility as a father should be less, as long as the intentions is to the good of your child.

Mums should not stop fathers seeing their children because they don’t get on. As long as the father is taking interest in his child's up bringing, they should always allow him access. Because in the long run it will have a major affect on the children, especially boys. The children are not to blame for the break up of relationships. And should not be used as pawns for mothers to get their own back

In my profession as an electrical engineer, I run my own company and I am fortunately in the position to offer opportunities to train young apprentices in the electrical industry. So if there are any interested parents or motivated youngsters (male or female) who would like to be an electrician, please call my office on 0208 845 4159 . The company is called Facelift Electrical Sevices and we have offices in Hayes.

My company belongs to the national inspection council for electrical installation contracts (NICEIC) which means we are a member of the industry’s biggest association of electrical contractors (which means I am good at my job!). We are always looking for more work, commercial and domestic properties and looking for contacts for maintenance contracts. We carry out periodic inspection reports on installations as well as supplying electrical installation certificates on completion of works. So feel free to call if you have any work to offer us. We supply a prompt and reliable service at reasonable rates.

That is all for today Stevie B (roots fm 95.4) do feel free to send your comments on any of the above. You can email me on mrplush@hotmail.co.uk

Have Your Say If you would like to comment on this article, and 'Have your Say' on another issue please email us on comment@itzcaribbean.com

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Comments

Hello, I today read this article and would just like to say it's a real uplifting moment to know that there are people in our communities (across Britain) who have the chance to read -if they take the time to - such an edifying piece that is written from the heart and real experiences.

This is a salutary message not only to our Black community, but to those communities who judge us [as the article states] by the often sensationalised media hype, as well as, by those who may have had a not too positive experience of a person from our own very diverse African Caribbean origins. Well done. And, stay proud of your children as we should all be! Regards. Valerie

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Stevie, Excellent article mate. You and i are from the same era. My two sons are 15 and 19 and they are well behaved respectful boys.They dont go out raving,are not involved in gangs and we have a great relationship.Many of these youths today need strong male role models to look up . Nigel - Wembley

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I am a very very big fan of yours. There has been times when I am in my kitchen doing my cooking on a evening and I have to stop and sing and dance cause the tune you play is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet.

I am usually a silent listener but there has been quite a few occasions when I have had to call you to kept you know the affect you have on me, in my poke little kitchen in Black City.

I was very interested to read your article on the Itzcaribbean website, I agree with most of what you had wrote. There is part of your article that comes across like you are blaming mothers for not letting some "whatless" fathers see their kids. If the father is a worthwhile role model and can contribute positive to a child's life then I am sure us mothers would let our children see their fathers. We don't just stop them to get back at them, we all have our reasons for the things that we do, if a father cannot contribute positively to a child's life then why would we let them see our children we don't want them spoiled by a whatless father.

Sometimes, these fathers ended up undoing all the hard work that you are putting in with your child. The have our children resenting us when they comeback home.

We don't use our children to get back at their fathers. We love our children and want the best for them if that includes contact with a decent father, fine, but if does not then no.

Just because a man contributes his sperm to create a child don't make him father material, there is allot more the title of "father/daddy", it comes with responsibilities. A lot of men don't seem to appreciate or get the concept of being responsible.

What happens if the father is not having a positive affect on our children, should we still be allowing our children to spend time with them?

Stevie B, I love your tunes, I hope I have not upset you with the above comments. If you have any dances coming up, please let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Julie - Wcity

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Hi Steve, I have just read the article on 'itzcaribbean' and I agree with every word that you have written. Well done!

Society today is a truly troubled place and only WE can make that change.

Our youth have been allowed to become disengaged and disadvantaged. And what we have allowed, only we can turn around.

There are so many factors affecting them and us, but the foundation does need to be set at home. Saying that though, the blame does not lay solely with the parents, although this plays a major part.

How the tables have turned so that 'children' are now controlling adults lives I do not know.

When a youth can disrespect and deal with an elder like they are the same age is beyond me. But because there seems to be no repercussions for actions, they are remorseless and fearless.

We have got to take control of the community, and this means making a radical 180 change in lifestyle.

The brainwashing images that tv and music bring should be banned. Why are we allowing the likes of MTV etc infiltrate our homes with stereotypical and dangerous portrayals of how males and females should act.

The youth (and some big man & woman) aspire to nothing but materialistic items and place no value on the meaning of life, love and respect. Boys treat girls as nothing more than sex objects which is evidenced in the increase in gang rapes involving boys as young as 12. Girls acting like I don't know what just to get attention - the wrong attention.

Parents that spend much of their time out raving and concerning themselves with their own needs, need to fix up and start putting their children first. As you say, taking an interest in their childs education is paramount. This means knowing what homework they have and getting involved in it, assisting when the child gets stuck or at least attempting to work it out with them.

Dads that are absent from the home who only make contact when it suits them or can't seem to handle being a parent at the same time as being an adult. They need to step up to the responsibility of being a father and acknowledge the fact that they are failing their son/daughter and are contributing to the cause and effect.

Mums that spend time cussing the dads - LET IT GO! you can't change what's happened. Demonstrate that you are still able to maintain and grow your child. Come out of the hair and nail salons and spend time with your child, educating and entertaining them.

I'm by no means a perfect parent, but I do recognise that what we as adults do affects our children, and if we are so concerned about what is going on out there then it's time to stop the talking and come with something different.

Lets encourage them to be leaders and not followers. If they have a dream and vision nurture this and make sure that they are given every chance possible to fulfill this.

We cannot afford to lose any more lives to guns, knives, drugs, prisons or mental health.

I commend you on your contribution to society and the fact that you are talking the talk but more importantly walking the walk. All black businesses need to run some kind of apprenticeship scheme. This is something that has always puzzled me as to why the community does not look after it's own.

I would like to pass on your details to the Electrical Installation department at Lambeth College where I used to work. There is a high proportion of young black males on these courses and I think that they would welcome the opportunity to expand their knowledge and chances of work in this field.

I'm also trying to 'do my bit'. I am in the process of setting up a Saturday School which will initially be activity based but will later on introduce an academic session and Black History. This will start in September, so when I finalise details I would appreciate a bit of advertising on Roots FM ??!! My long term goal is to do school journeys to Ghana and get some of the inner city yout dem out of the concrete jungle and take them to learn some history and life first hand.

Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you at lunch today, and hopefully we can make a positive in what is a very depressing society at the moment.

Stay blessed, K "We are limited only by our own self doubts and fears. Overcome these, and realise your true potential" "It is better to fail having tried, than to fail having not tried at all"

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Thanks Stevie B Where in the Caribbean are your parents from? I'm from St.Kitts and my husband is from Jamaica.

I look forward to reading your next article so please let me know when it's written. Kind regards Hazel

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I was going through the Itz Magazine, and had the pleasure of reading your parenting skills web-page It was very productive, and I hope that many people share your fews on parenting, by the way have you got any vacancies I could do with a job!!!!, so long you pay well (laugh) Speak to you soon Regards Moesha

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Dear Steve I was searching for Roots FM Radio Station and happened to come across your Article on "Comments" on Itzcaribbean Website. I could not agree more by what you said. Your article was very interesting to read and I agree with you 100%. I feel you are lost in the system. I have just started a catering company a year ago, working from home and like you said, "Other races will find it difficult to trust us". However, I am a very determined person, know what I want, have many dreams and these I am focusing on. Kind regards Hazel

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Hi Stevie, firstly I have to say I really love your show, really love your choice of music, I am a British white woman married to a Jamaican and live most of the year in Jamaica when I am here in London I always listen to roots, Stevie, Stevie, Stevie why has the comments this guy made to Vanessa escalated out of all proportion you of all people know the meaning of the term FREE SPEECH he was voicing his own opinion what’s wrong with that !!!!!!! he doesn’t find the majority of black woman attractive SO WHAT who cares, why is it that black people takes these comments so personally What about when white people make derogatory comments about people of there own skin colour it doesn’t get aired on prime time radio, I listened to your programme and I was amazed that you followed on with a certain song relating to black skin come on now Stevie your more evolved than that, prejudice, prejudice life is to short to waste time on another persons preferences irrespective of colour its just adding fuel to the fire. Dear Stevie B, Greetings, I have never met you but feel I know you. I listen to your show and your music is always fantastic. I have also read your piece on the website and

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know what you stand for. Keep up the good work and I hope the young people of today are listening to you and taking notice. Peace be with you. Eurice (pronounced Uris)

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