The Democratic Party has failed the black community.

As early as the 1930s, Democrats have had a solid hold on the black vote, but what has it done? Violent crime is still rampant in major black cities, black people have the highest out-of-wedlock birth rate compared to other ethnic groups. Black people disproportionately rely on government dependency and continue to bond to a victim mentality.

Unwavering loyalty to so-called progressive policies is the primary reason these major problems continue to persist. If they did work, cities like Detroit, Baltimore and Atlanta would be examples of economic prosperity, but they’re examples of economic unrest. If the government wants a certain behavior to continue, it will subsidize it.

The welfare state has trapped black people, especially the black mother, in a cycle of poverty. It can be hard for mothers, in general, to take care of a child without the support of someone else. The welfare state, in theory, solves this but it punishes a mother if she gets married, shutting the father out. It’s part of the reason black families have become so broken. Obama explained is best what happens as a result.

“…children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit a crime, nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison,” Obama said, in his 2008 Father’s Day speech.

It doesn’t seem like so-called progressives want to address these issues. They’d rather focus on blaming white racism for every problem the black community has and perpetuate this victim mentality too many black people and pass it on to their children. Of course, racism still exists in this country, but how long will it take until there are no more racists for the community as a whole to look in the mirror and ask “What can we do differently?”

Too often when black people say things like this, questioning allegiance to the progressive policies and not accepting that they are a victim, they are labeled an Uncle Tom, coon or race betrayer, even by people who aren’t black. This pressure pushes black people further into groupthink, tightening the shackles that bind black people to the Democratic Party.

For the past month, Kanye West has been stirring up the status quo by criticizing how black people think and vote. Now, to be fair, Kanye might not be the best representative for the black politics, however, he is willing to have an open and honest conversation about black issues. Although he doesn’t seem to be a conservative himself, he does represent a new wave of blacks who are cutting their ties to the Democratic Party.

I’m not necessarily saying the Republican Party is the way to go, but it’s not only about a party switch, it’s also about a lifestyle change. It’s about being in control of your own life and your own money. It’s about not being told how to think and staying trapped in mental slavery and government dependency. This is what it means to be self-reliant. Once black people can tell themselves they don’t put their lives in the hands of the government, the black community will be liberated.

Justin Jackson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JustJack0176