Thursday, March 28, 2024

We Must Look to Our Community.

February 13, 2019 by  
Filed under Business, Money, Opinion, Relationships, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) As a people we have a very compassionate heart to groups that are oppressed. We understand the depths and pain of various forms of oppression in this country. Black people understand what it means to be seen as less than human…to have one’s skin weaponized. This can cause many of us to advocate on behalf of other groups and stand with them as they address the oppression they face in this country. There is nothing wrong with this kind of unification among people of color in this county. With that being said it is also important that we turn our focus to our communities. How can we advocate for others when we are in a serious fight for humanity, and survival ourselves? During Black History Month there is a lot of emphasis on “first”, and the strides made by the ancestors. What will the next generations read about us?

Everyone is aware that black people in America have a significate buying power. It is time we pool that buying power to directly affect our community. We know having a nice time is important sometimes. However, there are those of us that are season ticket holders for our favorite sport, or make sure we attend those expensive concerts we love…let’s not talk about shopping. However, how many of us think to donate supplies to the schools in our communities that are struggling to receive adequate funding. Our HBCUs need funding, and students that attend could use out support.

Creating an educated generation will take the work, time, and money from all of us. If it takes a village to raise a child, it will take every last one of us to raise a generation. Our children deserve better than prison pipelines. They should not desire to attend white schools merely because the black schools in their community was inadequate. Our ancestors knew this nation did not care about our children, so they took care of the matter themselves.

It is a known fact that we need more black doctors, but we also need clinics ran by our people for our people. If we are concerned about the level of healthcare, we, and our children receive it is important that we take this into our hands. Granted all of these things require organizing, finding the black men and women with the credentials, and of course money. However, if you look at our collective spending power, we have more than enough money.

The issue is what we prioritize as important. America can sing the song of “I’ve got to get mine”, but that doesn’t work for our people. We are 12% of the population, and culturally we thrive best within community. Making community a priority above all else gives us an opportunity to have a better life for our children and ourselves. We would see the fruit of our investment in our community and through the children.

There is nothing wrong with advocating for others. However, far to often we stand alone. Yes, we get support from a few, but never in the measure that it is given. The society we live in decided from its history that black people are inhumane, our men super predators, our women unworthy of virtue, and our children without value. This was the images portrayed and, not all, but some of our POC brothers and sisters bought the image. How often have you heard why can’t black people pick themselves up? Why don’t black people get themselves together? Granted those asking may not understand, or acknowledge, the depths of systemic racism created for us.

Furthermore, they may not understand how much we fought for in this country in the area of rights by which they are now benefiting. Regardless of these issues we must take it upon ourselves to turn our attention, and resources to our community…to our own children. Maybe then future generations, during Black History Month, will also read of our achieves which would inspire them to even greater heights than we’ve reached.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitterhttp://twitter.com/MrzZeta.


Comments

One Response to “We Must Look to Our Community.”
  1. Trevo Craw says:

    Th solution is obvious. But so is the fact of division and so many trifling “black” people who think like slaves.

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