DR. DAVID CARUTH

Welcome to the commentary page of Dr. David Caruth and Friends.  Here we “keep it real.”  In this section you will read “common sense” perspectives about a variety of current event topics and politics.  You may also read commentary from colleagues of Dr. Caruth.  Like-minded people who will share facts and insights to illuminate and expand your way of thinking on some of the relevant topics that impact our community, your family and ultimately your life.

We have access to a lot of mis-information that can cloud our judgment.  Many of us have not been taught how to think objectively.  It’s not your fault.  That’s why we have this web site and blog.  We want to present a wide-variety of views and opinions to help all of us make better and informed decisions about the things that impact our lives.

Gary Johnson, Founder and Publisher

Black Men In America.com

Dr. David Caruth, founder and President of God’s Perfect Timing Ministries is man of God and author of the book, God’s Perfect Timing: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty with Education and Faith.  Dr. Caruth is a career educator, with more than twenty years of higher education experience.  Prior to moving to Washington DC to help provide education to the poor and under privileged residents of the District of Columbia, Dr. Caruth served as the Executive Director and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the National Center for Professional Development Solutions, in Denver Colorado, where he oversaw Center operations, hired and supervised faculty and staff, developed and gained approval for all academic courses.  He also taught graduate level courses in Instructional Technology, Diversity & Motivation, Grant Writing, Transformative Learning Theory, Portfolio Development and Personalized Learning Plans.

Dr. Caruth is an experienced inspirational speaker, motivator, coach, mentor and father. He is also a college professor having taught Research Methods for Non-profit Organizations at Regis University and Action Research at Lesley University, both at the graduate level, as well as undergraduate courses at the University of Wyoming, and The Metropolitan State College of Denver where he served as a full-time faculty in the African American Studies department.

Spiritual Transformation is a scripture-based process of healing that ordinary people can use to transform their thinking, and renew their minds. What transforms are the psycho-cultural assumptions that distort the way people see themselves. Use the 6 Keys to enhance your understanding of the Law of Spiritual Transformation, and empower people to live more prosperous lives.

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Real Black Men Fight Poverty

By Dr. David Caruth

What ever happened to fighting poverty? I don’t mean the “War on Poverty” where illegal drugs and alcohol were pumped into poor communities, and resulted in addiction, crime, and economic collapse. I mean, what happened to the foundations and philanthropists that once cared about the poor? What happened to the black church, and successful African American men who took action to protect our neighborhoods and families? Have we all abandoned the poor, for the safety of living in up-scale neighborhoods? Or are we busy transforming our minds, so that we can be the change we seek?

We are living in a time where poverty, and the misery index are on the rise, and where killing black males is no longer news.  In Washington DC, over 40 people have been murdered so far this year. That number represents a 75% increase in homicides over this time last year. The spike in murders, drug use, and poor education in our communities should outrage us. Are we not free to promote traditional family values, form our own associations, and have our view of the world accepted by the dominant culture?

When I was growing up, my mother taught me that finding a wife was a good thing. To prove it to me, she opened her Bible to Proverbs 31:10, which read: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” I read the following 21 verses, and it was hard to argue with her. However, Proverbs 31 doesn’t begin with verse 10. The first 9 verses were also instructive. Verse 9 states: “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Should we not be more concerned about the lives of the poor who cannot escape poverty, than we are with the opportunity for one gay football player to secure a high profile job?

She went on to teach me the value of a two-parent household, education, and hard work. She assured me, if I had those three family values, together with a measure of faith, I could escape the sure grip of poverty, and live a prosperous life. As Black men, we need to get beyond emotional sensationalism, and turn our individual successes, into a well-oiled movement, to solve chronic dangers in our communities.

On May 19, 2014, Jonathan Weisman published an article in The New York Times where he presented data on President Obama’s economic recovery. By his analysis, the Obama economic recovery has left behind young women and blacks. Perhaps there is a lesson here for young women and black men.

The time has come for Black men to rethink how we go about making positives changes in our communities, and in our lives. We need to redefine how we learn, and determine for ourselves, if the dominant society values our contributions to society. We need to ask ourselves if its O.K., to delay our efforts to save our women and children, because the media wants to celebrate one man’s chance to compete for a job in the National Football League. When you consider the source of your outrage, remember this, dead men can’t vote.

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Real Black Men Speak Up (March 6, 2014)

For five years, Black men in America have waited for President Obama to address the unique set of challenges we face year after year.  We all know the statistics: high unemployment rates, high dropout rates, and high incarceration rates.  Even worse, vigilante killers who murder young Black males walk free because we receive unequal treatment under the law.

Recently, President Obama launched a new initiative, “My Brothers Keeper” in a belated attempt to show concern for the pain Black men and our families feel and experience everyday of our lives.  While I applaud any effort the President of the United States takes to address our concerns, I am more impressed by leaders in the Black community who have taken matters into their own hands.

Last year, Pastor Eugene Sheppard of Living Word Church in South West Washington, DC put out a call for a Black Men Roundtable.  Nearly 40 pastors, ministers, and concerned members of our community showed up.  We discussed ways the Black Church could reach out to Black men in the community to repair brokenness in our families, provide guidance for our youth, and solutions for families who were negatively impacted from failed drug and welfare policies of the Clinton Administration.

In addition to pastors and ministers, Purnell Pinckney and John Kirksey, representing the American Renaissance Movement Inc. made passionate presentations concerning our need to act independently of party politics.  From their perspectives, we need to avoid secular liberal policies and support leaders who share our core values.

We identified 10 areas for concern that we want addressed:

1.               Absentee Fathers in the home

2.               Early education and intervention for our young men

3.               Employment

4.               Adult Education and Vocational Training

5.               Business and Entrepreneur training

6.               Preventive negative behavior intervention

7.               Transformational Change

8.               Mentoring

9.               Substance Abuse Counseling

10.            Job Fairs with on-the-spot interview and hiring

In a recent New York Times article by Michael Shear, “Obama Starts Initiative for Young Black Men, Noting His Own Experience,” Mr. Shear made it plain that President Obama’s belated concern with the plight of young Black males appears to be window dressing to shore up his legacy on race relations in America.

“Mr. Obama’s remarks come as the end of his time in office is in sight, with the president mindful of the legacy that his administration will leave behind on race and other civil rights issues like same-sex marriage and immigration. Mr. Obama has embraced the right of gay men and lesbians to marry, and Eric H. Holder Jr., his attorney general, has aggressively sought to ensure that all eligible Americans have access to the ballot box.” Shear, February 27, 2014.

From where I stand, President Obama’s choices to lead Cabinet-level executive agencies have failed to address the concerns that we identified. In fact, former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp did more to address the needs of the Black community than any of President Obama’s choices to lead domestic policies.

Secretary Kemp made grant funds available to eliminate drug use and fight the violence that comes with it.  We are still waiting for President Obama’s HUD Secretary, Shaun Donovan, to provide leadership that will positively impact the lives of young black males who find themselves surrounded by poverty, drugs, and gun toting vigilantes.  While we wait, I stand with progressive Black men who are not waiting for government to provide solutions to our problems.

Black men should take every opportunity to work directly with foundations and other private entities that understand what one nation under God, means.  Real Black Men need to Step up and provide the kind of leadership that is necessary to help transform our country, protect our youth, and strengthen our families.

As the President of God’s Perfect Timing Ministries, I invite you to join our efforts to eliminate poverty.  Together, we can begin the healing process and live out the true meaning our creed, “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.”

 

 

Real Black Men Speak Up   (July 18, 2013)

By Dr. David Caruth

Just last week, I wrote an article on Real Black Men making a difference in the lives of our children.  This week, in the aftermath of the verdict in the Travon Martin case, in favor of Vigilante killer, George Zimmerman, I urge ALL Real Black Men to speak up and make our voices heard.  Our women and children have to a right to know that we will not be intimidated into remaining silent while ignorant elements of our society conspire to terrorize and kill our children.

Last week I said that Real Black Men, “ can be found behind the scenes, laboring tirelessly to save our youth from each other, and all to often, from the sure grip of mean-spirited adults.”  However; in times like these, we have to stand boldly in front of the world, and proclaim that we intend stand on the Word of God, and claim the spiritual Amor of God as our protection, as we work to transform the hearts and minds of millions of people across the Unites States of America and around the world.

Like many of you, after hearing the verdict, I experienced the whole gamut of emotions: pain, dismay, anger, you name it and I felt it.  I felt pain for Travon’s family, and I want them to know that God’s Perfect Timing Ministries  (GPTM) is here for them.  We at GPTM know that we have to stand on faith and use the transformative power of the Word of God to help heal our hearts and carry us through difficult times, especially when our flesh is too weak to carry us.

I call upon ALL Real Black Men to take no rest until our voices are heard.  We have to stand with segments of our society that understand that we can and must break the cycle of ignorance through education and faith, and that we have to work together to repair brokenness our society.
For lack of a better word, I was dismayed by the apparent ignorance in our judicial system.  I was dismayed because it appears that our generation will be the first generation of Americans to abandon our forefathers’ attempts to form a more perfect union.   If you recall, on March 18, 2008, Senator Barack Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia where he addressed racial tensions, white privilege, and race inequality in the United States.  In that speech, he spoke about “Black Anger” and “White Privilege.”  Know we have to ask ourselves if he was merely being a politician and if his words were meant only as a soothing balm to smooth over controversial comments made by his former pastor and spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  As Real Black Men, we have to hold President Obama accountable.

I was angry because the police failed to detain George Zimmerman while they investigated a killing.  I am an educator and a Man of God; so forgive me for not being a lawyer.  But don’t police arrest people, on the spot, for relatively minor infractions of the law so that they can collect and examine evidence at crime scenes and/or especially places where accidents occurred and resulted in loss of life?  Are we, as a society, expected to applaud their efforts for allowing George Zimmerman to walk free for several weeks without determining if he may have been under the influence of a controlled substance that may have contributed to his paranoid behavior and decision to accost and kill a teenager who broke no law?

I was angry that so many people in our society flocked to Zimmerman’s’ defense, and at the same time, treated Travon’s death as if it were justified and that his life had no meaning.  I was angry, because as Black Men, it appeared that we are powerless to protect our children from harm.  Are we?  I don’t think so.

While it may appear that George Zimmer got away with murder, he didn’t.  He has to live with the fact that he voluntarily followed, confronted, and killed an unarmed teenager.  Trust me, God’s got this.  I am reaching out to all who read this article to join me in providing spiritual healing.  We at GPTM are available to speak to the Martin family, your church, community organization or you and your family.  We have committed our lives to bring the kind of spiritual transformational change that is needed to help people increase their faith in God, change how they think, what they perceive, and how to develop and adopt a more positive worldview.
I invite you to visit our web site God’s Perfect Timing Ministries and if you agree with me, join with us and we will work together to begin the healing process.  Forward this article to all of your friends and family.  As the President of GPTM, I bear witness that miracles happen every day and that we can transform our lives. Look for my column next week on the Black Men In America.com website and blog and I will share real life miracles with you.

Real Black Men Make A Difference

By Dr. David Caruth (July 6, 2013)

Real Black men make a difference in the lives of our children, and in the lives of women and children other men leave behind.  Oftentimes, we can be found behind the scenes, laboring tirelessly to save our youth from each other, and all to often, from the sure grip of mean-spirited adults.  Several months ago, I got a call from a friend of mine, Dr. Daanen Strachan, and he asked if I would support his effort to win a contract from Washington, DC’s Mayor, Vincent C. Gray, to help the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services administer the Mayor’s 2013 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).

The DC SYEP is a locally funded initiative that provides District youth ages 14-21 years old with constructive summer work opportunities through job placement in both the private and government sectors.  In addition to the work experiences, DC youth are also provided with exposure to a career fair, financial literacy, careers in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) industries, healthy relationships, and other workshops.

Dr. Strachan was aware of my lifelong journey to help parents and youth break free from the debilitating affects of poverty.  After seeing the results of my work in the community, and learning about my new book: God’s Perfect Timing: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty with Education and Faith, Dr. Strachan held a pretty firm belief that I would support his effort.  He won the contract and we have 153 DC youth enrolled in one of the most innovative youth employment programs anywhere in the country.

Helping underprivileged youth is not new to me.  For the past 30 years, I have served my community as a father, coach, teacher and mentor.  One program that is dear to my heart is the “Fighting Back” drug elimination program for youth who lived in and around Section 8 public housing projects that my brother Richard and I developed.  We recognized that children in our community were expressing a need to be heard, feel included, have some control over how they expressed their inner selves, and they desired a sense of affection.  Their efforts to draw attention to their needs often got them shot or murdered; and if they were able to escape certain death, many ended up dropping out of school, joining gangs, getting arrested, having babies, and walking headfirst into lives of poverty and crime.

How many times has the Black community raised untold numbers of positive males, who end up burying too many of our children before they reached the age of maturity, let alone their prime?  How many times have our children felt trapped by worldviews that were so filled with hopelessness and despair that they were not able see beyond the boundaries of their own neighborhoods?  All too often, our children join gangs and kill each other so that they can feel protected going to and from school.  Other times, our youth fall victim to overzealous police, or like in the Travon Martin killing, to misguided gun-toting vigilantes like George Zimmerman.

Personally, I know hundreds of Black men and women who, like me, value providing a strong work ethic, transformative education, and Christian values for our youth.   I know sometimes we are hard to find.  Many of us do not seek to draw attention to ourselves, and other times, certain elements in the media do not value our ideas, or cannot find a way to profit by reporting on the work that we do.

Regardless of the challenges we face, I encourage you to look for my weekly column on the Black Men In America.com web site and blog.  My goal is to keep you informed of positive happenings from forward thinking people like me, and my colleagues from across the country, and around the world.  Our mission is to help individuals break the cycle of poverty through an understanding of spiritual growth, educational transformation, and God’s Perfect Timing Ministries.  Simply put, we envision a world without poverty and have dedicated ourselves to helping millions of families that feel trapped by conditions of life break the cycles of poverty.