During the past several months, I have heard/read various reports pertaining to youth violence, shootings and killings throughout the Tidewater, regional and national communities. There have been numerous reports of these horrendous incidents that have affected us all in some way or the other.

As a 71-year-old black father, my heart aches. I see so many of our youths, especially black males, who have no future in terms of achievement, productivity and success.

For more than two decades, I have worked with and for juvenile justice agencies, social services, public housing and public schools, conducting youth empowerment workshops and family stability training, among other things. I have seen too many shattered dreams, broken promises and hopeless futures — especially among our young black males. Just look at the facts and statistics: Young black men continue to suffer disproportionately from violence and crime. They continue to be debilitated by substance abuse and a lack of education. They continue to suffer from not having biological fathers in the home. And they continue to be disproportionately unemployed and under-employed.

As a result, these disenchanted youths are profoundly alienated. They do not feel as if they have a positive role in society. They feel no connection, no investment, no ownership or no partnership in their community or society at large.

In his 1933 classic, The Mis-Education of the Negro, Dr. Carter G. Woodson observed: "People who have been restricted and held down naturally condescend to the lower levels of delinquency. When education has been entirely neglected or improperly managed we see the worst passions ruling with uncontrolled and incessant sway. Good sense degenerates into craft, anger wrangles into malignity, restraint which is thought most solitary comes too late, and the most judicial admonitions are urged in vain."

Almost 80 years later, not much has changed in many of our African-American communities.

Accordingly, these young black males seek out and do the things they are good at: the counterculture of drugs and crime. This is how they "make it" in today's society. This negative lifestyle is what affords them a means of support, a viable existence and a sense of accomplishment. In short, it provides them with an income, group recognition, self-fulfillment and a means of getting their share of the American Dream.

We — especially black fathers and older black adults — must help young black males overcome low self-esteem, academic deficiency, economic inadequacy, political inequity and social deprivation.

All of us can give something. Among other things, we need to quit being victims. Basically, this will require us to do more.

To quote Frederick Douglass, "A man may not get all that he pays for, but he must certainly pay for all that he gets." In essence, black men — hardworking, family-oriented men — must be at the forefront of resolving our dilemmas.

Among other priorities, we need to focus on such remedies as: (1) involving parents, especially missing fathers; (2) planting seeds of self-esteem, family stability and group empowerment early on; and (3) contributing our time, skills, knowledge, money and leadership.

We need to build a foundation of empowerment rather than depending on handouts and the goodwill of others. Self-help is the most reliable and effective means of "taking care of your business." The family is the original and best Department of Health, Education, Welfare — and Salvation.

Horton is a retired Marine sergeant major and recently retired juvenile probation officer.