Work It All Out This Lifetime

I was driving home last night, anxiously awaiting my arrival to watch CNN's final installment of it's Black In America" series, when Maxwell's classic song, "Lifetime" came on the radio.

Maxwell's song is a love song, but the words can easily be applied to the plight of the black male. It starts off with, "I was reborn when I was broken". The chorus goes into, "I can let my life pass me by, I can get down and try, work it all out this lifetime".

CNN's final installment absolutely "bamboozled" me. I was expecting the lead segment to focus on professor Michael Eric Dyson, and Dyson's story wasn't covered until the final 15 minutes of the show. The first 90 minutes was an absolute waste of time with host Soledad O'Brien focusing on all of the negative stereotypes that are typically associated with black males, something I didn't need see.

The final 30 minutes of the show were interesting, focusing on Spike Lee talking about the lack of expectations for black males. Michael Eric Dyson's segment for me was the best part of the documentary. Dyson, was a verbal prodigy and the age of 12, but his younger brother Everett succumbed to the pressures of the street and is serving a lifetime prison term for murder. Everett Dyson, who stated correctly that he made bad choices, appeared to accept responsibility for his actions and the resulting consequences.

Everett Dyson admitted that he made bad choices, and this really is the bottom line for black men, make better choices and better results will occur. Continue to make bad choices and the black male will continue to spiral towards genocide. Please, black men, "try to work it out this lifetime".