De facto Legitimacy of
Promiscuity in Inner City America Hurts Public Education
By
It is common to read about the lack of
understanding that Mainstream White Americans possess of some inner city
Black American modus operandi. The language common in many inner
American cities may need some explanation to assist mainstream public
school teachers and administrations in appreciating the subculture from
whence many of their students come. I spent my preteen years growing up
between two public housing projects and spent my teenage-years
fellowshipping with friends who remained in public housing projects.
Therefore, I will highlight a potentially deleterious impact on public
school education from the de facto legitimacy of promiscuity in Inner
City
Let me call your attention to terms such as “baby daddy”, “baby mama,” “baby mama drama,” and “player” that appear to be evolving into the American lexicon. However, I worry that the symbolism embodied in some of these linguistic terms may be very counterproductive to the academic development of many children now under their sphere of influence.
I shall become a ‘hood lexicon for a moment to offer my own definition of these terms so that we are all on the same wave length.
- Baby Daddy: Unmarried birth father of a child who may or may not assume fatherly responsibilities for her socioeconomic development in the economic mainstream.
- Baby Mama: Unmarried birth mother who is hamstrung raising children from relationships with one or more baby daddy.
- Baby Mama Drama: Baby mamas attempting to exploit their own children as emotional leverage against baby daddy new relationships.
- Player: Potential Baby Daddy seeking to impregnate as many baby mamas as he can without becoming responsible for the welfare of the children coming from this relationship and perhaps viewing the relationship with the mother as merely a trophy to his sexual prowess.
It is common knowledge that parental involvement with the public school systems will enhance the success potential of one’s children. But when I ponder the legal lifestyle mindsets defined above, I shudder to think of the irresponsibility symbolic message they offer.
I chatted with a middle-aged black player who told me that he had 20 children through seven different women. As I listened to this player speak, I wondered if he was still on some sort of female impregnation quest.
I was about ready to question his obvious sexual exploitation of his undeclared harem of baby mamas when his face radiated that he was about to make a major proclamation. This player said something to the effect, “I introduced all of my children to each other so they will not have any sexual contact with one another.” He appeared to see these introductions as a major accomplishment versus something that might be expected of him.
I concluded that this player relishes the role of being a mere sperm donor where baby mamas are relegated to being his trophies to brag about when he is with his home boys. What was disquieting in this scenario is the player’s children may never gain the socioeconomic upward advantage that comes with both parental families contributing to their learning and access to mainstream opportunities.
If we extrapolate just a bit from the player’s comment, it may be difficult for us to see this chap attending many parent / teacher meetings. Furthermore, he might find himself wreaked by the fallout of baby mama drama in just trying to make or avoid making child-support payments. Surely, this player may want to limit his contact with his baby mamas to merely sexual interludes. One might argue that the player’s children are lost in the economic mainstream even before they are conceived.
When many people living
in the ‘hood think about it, they may recall the name of a
player that they know with
children through multiple baby
mamas. Thus, I see today’s
player as nothing more than a morphing of yesterday’s polygamist,
only he cannot be arrested for bigamy. Hence, I find myself grappling
with the question, Is today’s
quasi-polygamy a key element underpinning poor public school performance
in
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