ARE WE MANAGING OUR DECLINE?

ARE WE MANAGING OUR DECLINE? 

Written by Davis J Williams / General 5

Yo, what's up everyone?

Quick question - ARE WE MANAGING OUR DECLINE? 

Davis, what do you mean? I can’t answer without a context. You said it the other day, CONTEXT IS KING! 

Ok, heres context!

Remember 9 years ago when I jetted off to the Gambia to clear my head? I needed a break from the constant violence, the sadness that seemed to hang over everything, and the feeling that our community was on a downward spiral. And guess what? Here we are, 9 years later, and it feels like we're still stuck in the same rut.

Scrolling through social media, it's like everyone's just… resigned. No one's really angry anymore. No one's fighting back. It's like we've accepted that things are going to get worse, and we're all just trying to find a way to profit from the chaos. We're not even trying to fix things anymore. We're experts at managing decline. I know theres no magic wand, I know social engineering takes decades (in some cases), but we are not even having the conversation anymore. 

Ever heard of that frog experiment? You throw a frog in boiling water, it jumps out right away. But if you put it in lukewarm water and slowly heat it up, it doesn't even notice until it's too late. That's us. We're letting things get worse and worse because we're too busy patching up the cracks instead of fixing the damn foundation.

We need to stop pretending that everything's fine. We need to have some real, honest conversations about the problems we're facing. Instead, we just repeat the same old tired phrases, acting like we're making a difference. We're all putting on a happy face, but deep down, we know something's seriously wrong.

Let's get real for a minute.

I run a charity. We win awards, I win awards, people stop me on the street for selfies and tell me I'm doing amazing work. But honestly? It all feels hollow when I see the pain around me. Too many young people are dying, either by suicide or by the hands of others. Too many are lost in the system. 

I wrote an apology letter to Chris Kaba - a while back (you can read it here).

And it's not just the guys. Young women are facing unimaginable struggles – self-harm, violence, you name it. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We haven't even touched on the systemic issues – racism, inequality, the whole damn system is rigged.

Look, I know I can be a bit intense. People avoid me because I don't sugarcoat anything. But awards and accolades don't mean a thing if things are falling apart around us. We're not making progress. We're just managing decline.

Our young people are struggling. Violence, mental health issues, a sense of complete disconnection – it's everywhere. We're glued to our phones, texting the person sitting right next to us, ready to cut someone off over the smallest thing. Social media is the steroids.

Here's the thing that blows my mind: there are more people trying to help now than ever before. More groups, more projects, more charities popping up every day. Everyone's got their own brand, their own website, their own corner of the "change-making" world. But guess what? Our communities are still in trouble. More babies are going missing than ever before! We're throwing money at the problem, but it's like throwing money into a bottomless pit. We're not fixing anything. We're just managing decline. But there has to be a better way. We need to work together, but we need to do it differently. More on that later…

The other day, there was a stabbing. A young Black boy. Someone filmed it and BOOM! It's all over social media. People I haven't spoken to in years are suddenly sharing the video. It's like everyone wants to see the latest tragedy.

What are we even doing anymore? We've become desensitised to our decline. We share trauma without a second thought, without any context, without any plan to actually make things better. Sharing isn't enough. We need to take action.

Our goals are low. We're not aiming high enough. We set these tiny little targets, hit them, and then we pat ourselves on the back and post about it on social media. But that's not real change. That's just fooling ourselves. YES I GOT 1 SUBSCRIBERS AND 2 LIKES!!!!!

The system is broken, and the pandemic made everything worse. Families are struggling to survive, young people are lost. Just surviving isn't good enough. We need real, lasting solutions. We need to stop managing decline and start building something better.

Let's build safe spaces for our young people. Let's reconnect with each other. Let's work together to create real change.

The time for action is NOW. Stop managing decline and start building a future worth living in. Ask yourself: What are you willing to tolerate? Has the fight gone out of you?

Key Statistics

Over 60% of young people now face mental health issues, with those from disadvantaged communities suffering the most.
Youth violence has seen a significant increase, with young Black victims of murder at their highest level in 20 years.
49% of homicide victims are aged 16-24, highlighting the vulnerability of our youth.
Young people in care may interact with up to seven different professionals in a year, causing confusion and instability.
The pandemic has exacerbated these issues, placing immense pressure on families and young individuals.

You know, Malcolm X was one person. Martin Luther King Jr. was one person. Marcus Garvey was one person. These individuals, with their powerful voices and unwavering commitment, made a real dent in the world. Today, we have thousands of groups, organisations, and "influencers" all claiming to be making a difference. But where's the impact? What would our ancestors say about where we are right now? would they be pleased?

And let's be honest, politicians are masters at managing decline, the mainstream media. They never give you a straight answers. They dance around the issue, use buzzwords. They're experts at making it seem like they're doing something, even when they're not. We need to stop falling for it."

Anyway....

LET ME ASK YOU AGAIN. ARE WE MANAGING OUR DECLINE? Are we managing our decline? Have we stopped asking deep questions? Do we focus on our own wins and ignore the wider narrative? Have we stopped talking about change to make others feel comfortable? Have we stopped caring? Have we become hardened? Has our hearts become cold? Have we become the algorithm, the programme? Is this the matrix? 

I have some answers to share but lets check the temperature first, leave a comment below 