(ThyBlackMan.com) I’m not bad at debating.
In fact, I’m not bad at listening either. Perhaps, they go hand and hand to be an effective communicator. Communicating is what I do.
And I feel I’m that.
If it’s one topic, I really love to discuss is racial issues. Maybe love is the wrong word, let’s say comfortable. I’ve been blessed to be a minority in many situations of my life, professional career and matriculation through 
the educational system. So when it’s time to speak on racial issues, I make it a point to add my two cents. It’s always good to show peoples we’z not all be ignorant. I’m sure people are aware of that now but it still feels good.
You’d be surprised by the knowledge or lack of.
After having a discussion in class, we were talking about “diversity” in the arts. We were discussing the need for more Board of Directors to become diverse and how programming should reflect diversity. First off, I’m not a big fan of the word diversity. The word means so many different things to different people. We all define diversity through our own life experiences. Diversity is a word thrown around in lobbies in corporate America, acceptance desks at colleges/universities and network discussion for TV lineups. And just as bad as the word diversity is the word multicultural. Multicultural to whom?
But why are we always so quick to slap the term ‘diversity’ everywhere? Besides improving our portfolio and increasing support for funders, the goal of organizations should be creating a better experience for people to feel comfortable. Shoving Black stereotypes and hyper exaggerated innuendos, personally, doesn’t really make me feel comfortable. I love my Black culture but believe it or not I’m interested in others, as well. Sticking another Black person alongside me to fill a quota doesn’t put me at much ease either. How about we just change the word diversity to quality? So many times we try to be diverse we lose the quality of content.
If you’re familiar with any literary work which contributed to the Black experience, you should know about W.E.B. Du Bois’, “The Talented Tenth”. In his essay, he emphasized the importance for higher education to develop the leadership capacity among the most able 10 percent of Black Americans. Du Bois was one of a number of Black intellectuals who feared that what they saw as the overemphasis on industrial training. There are many theories and conclusions that can be made about this literary work and you can take what you want from it; but the essence of it still resonates with me. Even though this was written more than 100 years ago, we’re way past the industrial age. More Blacks are enrolled in college and even have jobs that involve more than working the steam printing press or the automobile assembly line. I’m not even going to get into other statistics–
“The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst, in their own and other races.”
Figuratively, tenth doesn’t exist to me any more. I don’t think it’s an actual number but I do believe there are talented ten’s going around being prosperous and holding it down for our culture. Not everyone is “Waiting for Superman.” Racial discussions tend to create much unneeded tension to any conversation, especially for those who can’t deal. We have to be able to talk about race, especially our own. If we’re not advocating for more, trust me nobody else is. If we can’t eloquently speak on issues in our communities, we cannot depend on others or even Oprah Winfrey to save the masses. Maybe not just Oprah but President Obama too, I mean he’s Black so he should just be self consumed with our issues. We have to be advocates for our own growth and accept the charge.
I’m not a theorist but I have my own theories; they just haven’t been published yet.
Staff Writer; Drew-Shane
For more articles written by the talented writer visit; Heard Him Say.
Also connect with this brother via twitter; Drew-Shane.
