I never thought I’d agree with justice secretary Jack Straw and fortunately, judging by his comments last week, I’m not going to start now. On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme – which my radio alarm clock is tuned to, good journalist that I am – he said the “continuing problem” of gang violence is due to the absence of fathers in black communities.
Straw was responding to the assertion made by the American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson who said that gang violence is rooted in “the economics of desperation”. Straw disagreed and blamed the lack of black fathers as role models to their sons for their development suffering. He cited the difference in school performance by black girls from similar backgrounds in comparison with black boys who “go backwards” when they get to secondary school.
Blaming gang violence on the lack of male role models in the black communities is, at worse, ignorant and irresponsible and simplistic at best. Yes, the lack of a father figure can impact some male children negatively – regardless of their ethnic background. However, Straw seems to be ignoring the racism, prejudice, exclusion and inequality that many boys and young men in the UK’s black communities have experienced.
If the government is serious about tackling exclusion in these communities – and addressing gang violence - then it needs to hold its hands up and admit what the real problems are.