Caines: Black Men Need to Mentor Others
Appearing yesterday [Feb 3] before the Joint Select Committee on Violent Crime and Gun Violence, Mr Wayne Caines said that the most important thing that could be done was that every Bermudian man should seek to mentor a Bermudian boy.
Making himself very clear, he said: “If you are a black man in Bermuda and you are not mentoring, guiding, or training a black young man as to how he should conduct and govern his life; you are complicit and a part of the problem of gun violence in Bermuda.”
Mr Caines, the identical twin of Police Spokesman Dwayne Caines, is the CEO of Digicel, a former Government Senator, and also one of the founders of the anti-gang group Rise Above Bermuda.
Appearing with Mr Wayne Caines, was Dr Stanley James, MD. The two men, who by any standard would be considered very successful individuals, pointed out that they both grew up in the Parsons Road, Happy Valley and St David’s areas, both attended public schools in Bermuda, and were together concerned about the trends amongst Bermuda’s youth.
Dr James, in identifying problems that would affect young males, especially black males in Bermuda said that black men should play an active role in their children’s lives. He listed several factors and consequences that have affected a segment of black Bermuda such as mothers becoming the sole support of the black male and are being unable to compensate for the absence of fathers.
Speaking on other aspects, Dr James pointed out that “violent black men tend to view a disrespectful act as a threat to their sense of manhood.”
Mr Wayne Caines said that two Island clubs, Warwick Workmen’s Club and Young Men’s Social Club seemed to be doing an outstanding job in holding on to and even increasing the number of young people who came to them. Mr Caines said that he believed that these two clubs in particular had clear standards of acceptable behavior and strict rules; and that other such clubs were “vague” about their standards and rules.
Their joint conclusion was that the problem of black male violence is not an innate cultural predisposition of black people, but that black people must define it as “ours to solve” with community based institutions and organizations, with a strong call for black men to step up and mentor others.
If I can’t even mentor my own kids…how am I supposed to mentor others!?
Make more time for your “kids”. It’s hard at times with work and commitments but your children must come first. If time avails then help others. Thats all you can do, try.
Both of my boys have mentors – and with their help they have become better young individuals and a positive role models amongst their peers! It works if parents and mentors work together!!
We have a mentor program in place already…Mirrors which was launched by Ewart Brown. It is a PLP program which tries very hard to match black persons with (mostly) black kids. While the program is suppose to be inclusive, there are few (if any) whites being adult mentors to the kids because the PLP govt does not like to let them in since they do not want black kids to develop relationships with white adults.
YOUR RACISM IS PATHETIC BERMUDA – LET IT GO!!!
How is it that a person who does not mentor is a part of the problem of gun violence ONLY if they are black? And why should we accept that white’s do not have a role to play in mentoring young Bermudians??
To Always about race in Bermuda….. Unfortunately, the last time I checked, It’s always about race, everywhere that I have either lived or visited, and I seen quite a bit of this world…… Name me a country where race or class doesn’t matter and I will sell the house and move there….
Its not always about RACE! Its a state of your mine and attitude… Bing love and respect you get it back! You bring fear and an unacceptiveness of where you are visiting or living then guess what…you get it back! I have travelled too and have been accepted everywhere I have been because thats what I bring to them when I go…
Well, you can print what I wrote for posterity.
hmmmmm… I’m a Black Bermudian who’s about to marry a Portuguese Bermudian with a 12 year old son. I’ve made it my business to provide a positive male presence in his life that’s lacking from his biological father. So, because my future stepson is Portuguese and I’m Black, I’m part of the gun violence issue? Good to know.
OK here it is, and I’m going to say it because when I first heard it I had to listen to it several times to make sure I heard it right the first time…
Wayne Caines if you think for ONE minute that I,a BLACK Bermudian, am going to allow a supposed ‘intelligent’and ‘respected’ man who is in charge of one of the biggest mobile phone operating systems say something so STUPID and in my opinion RACIST, well mate you have another thing coming,and I DEVRAE NOEL-SIMMONS challenge you PUBLICLY on this topic of gun and gang violence and where it stems from.
Mentoring is about trying to step into a role that is absent in a young persons life through no fault of their own. It does not require a successful BLACK Bermudian! It requires a Bermudian (black or white). It requires one who simply cares enough to dedicate their time and effort to fill that role. Sometimes that means simply listening and not casting judgement.
I help kids wherever I can black or white, disabled or special population. Even I have been trained and mentored by black and white adults foriegn and local. Opening up a door to a vast amount of ideas and ideologies. Not settling to be a statistic. But more importantly to respect different cultures and customs and to except people for who they are and what they represent. Even you and your statements.
I do feel for you though because heaven forbid your children marry into a different culture other than black. What then? What will you tell your daughter or son about his/her choice? In my opinion, your racist tone in your deliverance to the council is exactly what Bermuda and its people DO NOT NEED! If we need mentors then say just that! Let me be clear on that!
I will conclude with this,You are the type of person I will teach my Son, not to avoid, but to study and learn about. Then how to ‘OVERRIDE’ and ‘SHUT DOWN’ your mentality and that of others that think like YOU,through the strength of his own love for his fellow man or woman…
Like I said whenever your ready to be cleansed then step to the plate bruh…
I agree with you in this Devrae. Time to address the actual social issues at play rather than focus on race!! Hope there are more like you out there teaching your kids that RACISM comes in many forms and is not the way forward.