Please Step Outside

The AJC reports that last week Judge Marvin Arrington of Fulton County, Georgia asked all White staff and lawyers to leave his courtroom while he chastised Black defendants. Judge Arrington said, “We have insanity going on in the Black community…if we don’t say something, the infrastructure of this community is going to collapse. It will be like living in the wild, wild west.” Judge Arrington thought his message would be more effective if he did it before a Black-only audience. In his opinion, Blacks in authoritative positions have an obligation to speak out to young people who are on the path to becoming street thugs before they turn into killers. Judge Arrington recently apologized for asking Whites to leave the courtroom.

Although I agree with Judge Arrington’s statements regarding Blacks in authoritative positions having an obligation to speak to the young, I would argue that all Blacks have an obligation to speak to the youth. Everyone has experiences, both good and bad, that could assist someone in their transition from youth to adulthood. Some of the most important lessons I learn were from strangers, friends, and family who honestly and frankly told me of their mistakes and encouraged me not to follow in their footsteps.