They're Watching Us

My 13-year-old son's shocking confession forced me to confront my tendency to obscure Jesus behind the "religious" parts of my faith.

This year, a more balanced perspective on gift-giving, and a newly discovered respect for "Scroogenomics," is saving my Christmas.

Enola Aird of the Community Healing Network believes too many Black youth have internalized the myth that their lives are not as valuable as the lives of others -- and it's leading them to act out in destructive ways. She's out to change that.

Celebrities go to great lengths to obtain the children of their dreams. Singer Céline Dion recently announced that she's pregnant with her second child through in vitro fertilization. Madonna and Angelina Jolie can't seem to visit Africa or Asia without leaving with a kid. Then there was Michael Jackson, whose children's mysterious origins continue to be the topic of endless speculation.

Whether their intentions are noble or egotistical, the rich and famous like to cross the lines of race, gender, and biology to get the children they want. But what if they could actually design and create a baby exactly the way they wanted? It's a scary thought, but one that may soon become a reality.

Earlier this year, in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we looked at urban teenagers' attitudes about sex, and their behaviors and practices that reflect those attitudes. Part 2 ended with a question about how parents and churches can fill the gap in teens' knowledge about sexual health issues and thereby prompt a change in their behavior. We now tackle that tricky subject.

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There's a shortage of enduring love stories in the black community. And if the dismal statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Barna Group, and others hold steady, the decline of African American marriages will only continue. Currently, African Americans have the lowest marriage rate of any group in the United States (41 percent), and research has found that among those few that do marry, as many as 36 percent end their relationships in divorce. The numbers are bleak, but Christian marriage experts Drs. Clarence and Ja'Ola Walker believe there are steps Christian couples can take to ensure they build strong healthy marriages.

I'd been intending to write some blog posts on marriage, dating, and other issues related to relationships. But in light of recent events I thought I'd share a few personal thoughts about Jon and Kate Gosselin's announcement to proceed with divorce and end their marriage.

Raising one half-African son and one of mixed European descent posed both ordinary and unique parenting challenges for my husband and me. What was best for one child was not necessarily best for the other. Often, competing concerns led to less than ideal decisions. This is true for all parents, but it is uniquely so for white parents raising children of a different race.

There's been a lot of chatter recently about Disney's upcoming feature The Princess and the Frog, since it represents not only the studio's return to traditional hand-drawn animation, but also the arrival of Disney's first black princess. Though a little late to the party, this is still a welcome milestone for the mega-media company and for its lucrative Princess brand. For years, African American daughters, and their parents, have wondered if there would ever be a princess that looked like them. Now, this December, we'll finally be able to answer in the affirmative.

I wonder if Roland Martin anticipated the reactions he'd receive regarding his commentary "Man Up and Be a Real Dad"? The piece appeared originally on CNN.com, then later on his syndicated column's website, and his blog at Essence.com. Through the first several paragraphs, the piece seems harmless enough. After all, it's basically a remix of a well-worn social message from pastors, politicians, entertainers, educators, Christian leaders, and others: Black fathers need to step up and take care of their children.