In an article called "Blood and Silence" in the Opinion Section of the Sunday, October 26, 2003 Los Angeles Times a call was sent out for a weekend summit by educator and political consultant Kerman Maddox to hold a weekend summit to address ways to stop the violence heaped on young Blacks by other Blacks.

Maddox appropriately points out that when white police officers in Inglewood slammed young Donovan Jackson on the hood of an automobile in July, 2002 the whole Black world protested in every type of way. Black leaders came from across the country to protest. They held candlelight vigils and town hall meetings to get action from the justice system that injured young Jackson. As the Attorney who originally handled the Jackson case, I was deluged with invitations to speak on national television from Connie Chung, the Today Show and Geraldo Today. I still keep the box of messages from every newspaper radio station and television station from Los Angeles to China.

Maddox goes on to point out that when one of his former students, Lee Denmon, was gunned down by young Black gangbangers, the local and National uproar was missing. He poses the question , "Just imagine the reaction if young Denmon had been killed by Skinheads."

When will we get so tired of Black on Black killings and crime that we will express the same rage we expressed when a white racist cop harms one of our kids.

Maddox’ says, and I agree, that it’s time for a Summit to address ways to rid Black communities of gangs and the violence that comes with the gangs.

In addressing the violence of the gangs leaders must address the music of the gangs that promote the violence such as Gangster Rap. The media has made ‘stars out of the likes of Tupac Shakur and 50 Cent whose claim to fame is that they are thugs and pimps familiar with the gangster life. Tupac had "Thug For Life" tattooed on his stomach. Promotional pictures of both of these thugs show them with guns stuck down into their clothes and in their hands for all our young Blacks kids to see and emulate. Their music demeans Black people in general and Black women in particular. 50 Cent’s new album is called "Pimp." Thugs and pimps create the images WE BLACKS allow to be presented to our children and nobody is meeting to talk about how to reduce the impact they have on Black youth.

In my book, "I Will Not Apologize", I address the problem of the gangs and violence as well as the phenomonem of dealing with the enemy when he/ she looks like you. "If he is killing your kids, he is your enemy no matter what color he is."

Interestingly enough the November 2003 issue of Essence magazine addresses this issue when six Black youth with wide ranging goals from Rapper to corporate lawyer are interviewed by Tavis Smiley. One young man puts it succintly when he says, "Rappers don’t live what they are rapping about but kids try to live it."

It’s time our political, religious, cultural and social leaders address the problem of Black on Black crime just as vigorously as they address White on Black violence or let someone else lead, and do it right now.

Kerman Maddox who teaches at Los Angeles Southwest College and is a member of the Board of Los Angeles First AME Church Los Angeles, may be reached through either of these locations. Let’s all help him make it happen before the year is out.