In recent years, however, it seems as if we as black men have handed the bulk of our responsibilities to our female counterparts. Black women now head many civil rights think tanks, such as the Congressional Black Caucus. In our home communities, women are now taking roles once reserved for men, such as church pastor and household provider. Even on this campus, the black woman is perched in the majority of leadership positions.

I am pleased to see our women in traditionally male-dominated roles. But I do not feel they have ascended to such heights on their abilities alone; black men have failed to hold up our share of the responsibility. And until we begin to reassert ourselves in our communities, we will continue to lag behind as a people.

During the civil rights movement, a pool of positive role models surrounded young black men. These individuals weren't concerned about having the big car or big crib. Many of them made such a meager salary they struggled just to keep food on the table. Instead, the black man of the '60s was a man of the community. Some, such as the heralded civil rights activists, possessed grand oratory and leaderships skills. Others served as the foot soldiers of the movement, organizing meetings and handing out pamphlets. Even those who weren't involved in the movement provided strong leadership to our youth. By simply going to work and providing for their families, the nonactivist played a key role in the rejuvenation of his community.

In 1999, however, these images have been replaced with pure garbage. Instead of King, X and Evers, our youth now look up to the likes of Puff Daddy, Mike Tyson and the idiot Wayans brothers. Not only do all of these of men lack an ounce of political integrity, they have all earned their prestige by playing up to stereotypes in the world of entertainment.

People, it is time for us to stop uplifting black entertainers. If we can't teach our children that there is just as much respect in working 9 to 5, our future generations are in for a great deal of trouble.

Top media personalities set the foundation for our current image problem. Unfortunately, many of us enhance this image with our daily actions on this campus. We party, we pimp, but we rarely show that we are potential leaders for the next century. It's not just the media who are branding us anymore. We are sticking the iron to ourselves.

And as much as we conform to this image, we equally rebuke the responsibilities of leadership. It's bad enough we avoid positions of significant authority. Many of us refuse to offer a simple helping hand. For instance, at a Black Caucus meeting last semester, assistance was needed to remove a chair from the Paul Robeson Cultural Center Ballroom. As I recall, about 20 brothers were at the meeting. But as soon as the leadership asked for help, 18 of them went running to the door. The stereotype of the lazy black male is not true. But when a majority of individuals act in such as despicable manner, it is no wonder why many whites believe such fallacies to be true.

Brothers, it's time for all of us to take a little initiative into helping our sisters and improving our images. Now I'm not telling you to quit partying. I know I won't. I'm not even telling you to change your lifestyles. But I feel we need to show the Penn State community that we are all students first. That's why I make sure everyone knows I have a 3.9 grade point average. That's why I counsel kids when I go back home. That's why I take great pride in having my beautiful face plastered on this column. I want everyone to know that although I may act a little goofy on the weekend, my future, my family and my community are what carry the biggest meaning for me.

Brothers, it is time for us to clean up our images and join our sisters in the everlasting fight for justice and equality. I personally have a long way to go, but I feel I am on my way to making significant contributions to the African-American community.

And I know the rest of the brothers on this campus can head down the same path with me. We are students at Penn State, so I know all of us have the ability. It will just take a little bit of sacrifice. But it is a sacrifice that must be taken. Otherwise, I fear for the legacy the black man will leave for future celebrations of our history.