Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men

by Gregory C. Ellison II

To cut dead means to refuse to acknowledge another with the intent to punish. Gregory Ellison says that this is the plight of African American young men. They are stigmatized with limited opportunity for education and disproportionate incarceration. At the same time, they are often resistant to help from social institutions including the church. They are mute and invisible to society but also in their inward being. Their voice and physical selves are not acknowledged, leaving them ripe for hopelessness and volatility. So if the need is so great yet the desire for help wanes, where is the remedy?

Healing can begin by reframing the problem. While to cut dead is destructive, it also refers to pruning and repotting a disfigured plant--giving it new possibilities for life. In this provocative book, Ellison shows how caregivers can sow seeds of life, and nurture with guidance, admonition, training, and support in order to help create a community of reliable others, serving as an extended family.

ebook

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so very, very glad I read this book. It is a too rare thing to read a book which tells, honestly ,the real lives of African American young men. Dr. Ellison tells the story of real people he knows, he tells his own story, and he sees the young men he knows (and in whom he recognizes himself) as real human beings. He sees them for their gifts, and he sees them in their struggles. This book is very technical in many aspects. But the author’s insights on the lives of people who are very rarely written about so fully and well are important and challenging.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-wrenching. A deep look at the struggles faced in the African American community and the possible solutions.