We blacks look for leadership in men and women of such youth and inexperience, as well as poverty of education and character, that it is no wonder that we sometimes seem rudderless. . . . We see basketball players and pop singers as possible role models.

Summary

This quote suggests that within the black community, there is often a lack of strong leadership figures to look up to. This may be due to the fact that the potential leaders are often young, inexperienced, and lacking in education or moral values. As a result, there is sometimes a sense of directionlessness within the community. In such circumstances, people may end up idolizing basketball players and pop singers as potential role models, despite the fact that their qualifications for leadership may not extend beyond their respective fields of expertise.

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