Understanding Community

Although the research and analyzation of a community is usually left to the social scientist, I have found that as a member of the African American Community, there are  relevant points that the social scientist sometimes overlook or pay little attention to. 

For my own understanding I have tried to focus on what I believe are the following three major points:

FIRST, who are the dominant residence, and how do they feel about each other. What do they have in common?

SECOND, what businesses dominate the interior and what services do they provide? Do they hire from within the community or do they hire from outside the community? Does a portion of their income remain in the community or does it leave, thereby not contributing to the community that supports them.

THIRD, who are the community activist, leaders, and representatives and what benefit are they to the community as a whole.

Once we begin to understand the nature and composition of a community, we can begin to move forward  to obtain the full comfort, and security of being in a community.

Imagine for a moment a bright sunny day, not to warm and not to cold, it is just right. Your children are outside playing with the neighbor’s children, you decide to go inside to get something to drink, you feel secure, because you know that you’re neighbor is looking out. Just as you return an elderly couple is passing by, they speak, and you respond, “how are you doing, and have a nice day.” As they pass by they smile at the children look back, nod, and without saying a word, you know that they appear to be pleased with the way you are raising your children. THIS IS A COMMUNITY.

Drive by shootings, gang warfare, family discourse, drugs, and elicit sex, the elderly fearing to walk down street, police arbitrarily stopping people because they can. Is not the way a community should be.

Consider this, does the price of respect come from the barrel of a gun, or does it just create fear and disrespect for the person using it.

After living within the walls of a predominantly African-American community, I have tried to understand its entry into the greater sociological system of American capitalism. As it appears, we are only the consumers of the process and not the producers. With the exception of music, which we produce from our hearts and the despair of our lives, it should be noted that we have not truly profited from its genius. We have people who have obtained wealth yet instead of building communities they run away and put their money in gold ceilings, cars, movie theaters and other trivial things that isolate them from the majority of those who look like them. Instead of a movie theater why not a medical center, instead of a gold ceiling why not set up decent day care and schools that can provide the early cultural education that gives our children and others the complete history of our people and their contribution to this country and the world; thereby opening their minds to the wondrous possibilities that lie ahead of them that not only can they be president but great scientist, engineers, architects and other major contributors to this global society.

POLITICS AND PROPAGANDA

The pettiness of our politicians has led the American people to become blind to injustice, corruption, and the decency of a truly democratic society. At a time when we can see that there is a need for change, we are blinded by the propaganda of fear. During the course of history, an unexpected messengers have brought  messages; sometimes it could be in the form of a Childs questions, “why are there wars, or why can’t I have another helping of rice, or why can’t I go to the doctor when my tummy hurts”. WHY? Sometimes the answers to some of these questions can come from that unexpected source. Regardless of the messenger, the message is there. The need for change is here. We have only to close our eyes and open our ears and listen. Your heart will allow you to hear the message without interference. Listening is also to hear and to be able to disseminate information in a progressive and honest way.

The politics of fear and the propaganda of who should… only creates an atmosphere of distrust, anger and in some cases hatred. These feelings only disguise the truth of a country as great as ours. The quest to be the best that we can be and the opportunity to achieve without climbing on the backs of others is one of the qualities that is often forgotten. The thrill of competing in a true and open market, being a true winner without sacrificing integrity, is one of the gifts America offers its people. Within competition, creativity is borne and one of the rewards is in the joy of the accomplishment (of course the financial gain is another).

The willingness to share, the pride of accomplishment, seems to have been replaced with greed and the self-centeredness that creates an atmosphere of bitterness between both the haves and have not’s.

In the book, “The Way of the World” by Ron Suskind, The first Paragraph of the prologue states,

"FROM THE DAWN OF TIME, human beings have been attentive to signs of distinction-the approach of a tribe with a different manner or dress, posture or skin color. The swift sizing-up of friend or foe, and acting upon it-upon suspicion-was often a matter of survival. Those faculties became finely turned over thousands of years."

Although, there are many ideas regarding the status of the country and where we are going, it should be noted that a great deal of our opinions are based more on propaganda more than they are on fact.

Leadership, what is it that we as a people really know about those who we put in charge of our lives? What are their ultimate objectives? Whose opinion is it that we allow into our homes? Who will give us comfort and allow us to feel safe? Who are these manufacturers of the truth, or is it truth? Propaganda the food for the uninformed and the feast prepared for the gullible.

HOMELAND

The idea of Africa as a homeland is greater than one race, imagine, for a moment, the hope of achieving a greater good, one that deals with the survival of a peoples heritage and culture.

Israel, a country at the corner stone of a belief that drives its people and keeps them in balance, while keeping alive the hope of creating a nation, were both their heritage, and culture can be preserved.

Because of that belief, a young Jewish boy leaves the U.S. to risk his life for a country not of his birth but of his believed ancestry. Although born in United States his true allegiance is with the country of that heritage, and not of his birth; which leads to the larger question, what makes a young man willing to give up his life for a country not of his birth, but of that perceived heritage and culture?

Although the path each person follows must be their own, it is the love of one’s heritage and culture that leads them to its defense.

Because it is through education that one develops a love of  heritage and culture, and the ideals that it bestows on them, along with a willingness to defend those ideals that are incorporated within that heritage and culture.

Within the context of those beliefs the question of African and African-American heritage and culture begs to be answered, for it is these beliefs that communities are built on and true histories of civilizations are written.

What is the history of Africa and the people of African descent? The images that have been spread throughout the world have been exclusive and not inclusive of the original origins. What were the contributions that have been made by the African and African-American  throughout the world?

The lack of understanding of these truths has created an attitude of disharmony that does not allow people to unite; because like the slaves held in America’s bondage, the withholding of language ensured that the slaves would remain ignorant to their history and culture of their homeland. When a people cannot communicate many things become lost in the translation, such as Heritage. The Greos or story tellers of Africa can only reflect on things that have occurred on the continent of Africa but what, who are Greos of the Caribbean and the United States.  This is why it is so important that the true history of  African people must be taught and taught by those who truly understand this Great History.

Because it is only through Education that a true understanding and healing can begin some day.

Although born in United States like that young Jewish boy  a willingness to defend that history and culture will be possible, but most of all pride will be restored.

PRIDE AND EXPECTATIONS

IS THERE A MESSIAH IN THE HOUSE? Is this a question that African-Americans should be asking, or should they look at themselves for leadership? Individually we as people sometimes place to much responsibility on those we think are going to lead us to the promise land. The spirit of the one-man Saviour should be set aside but not forgotten, but remembered for the beauty of those who accomplished so much, along with the memory of Martin, Malcolm, Fannie Lou Hamer, and others of my generation we can feel the PRIDE of their achievements, along with the feeling of a  a job well done in addition to knowing that there is no mountain that is too high for us to climb.

The year 2008, presented this country with its first African-American President, of the United States. Although the thread of racism is still being sewn into the fabric of our society, the needle does not pass through as easily.

Looking towards the future, we should not set the bar of our expectations so high that the weight becomes heavy on the shoulders of one individual, that it plays into the hands of those whose rhetoric keeps us divided.

 As people, we should support the person chosen not just because of ethnicity but because the American people feel the person chosen is the one best suited for the position of PRESIDENT OF THIS UNITED STATES. Furthermore, we must understand that the person has to govern for all the people and not just one segment of the population.

Furthermore, we must understand the importance of our independence by being careful of our political choices, especially those at the Community, Local, and State levels for these are the politicians, and community leaders, that directly affect our Communities.

To many times we have placed our trust with individuals that have taken us for granted and in the end been disappointed.

The attitude of a great many Americans will be at the first sign of trouble is to jump ship or find some way to sabotage any progress without giving any chance for change. Some will use his ethnicity, some will use his experience, and some will just dislike him period. One thing is for shure regardless who is in office all the problems of the world will not be solved at once.

The fate of a Country lies with its people, and the fate of a Community lies also with its people.

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

There is a question that has plagued my thoughts over the years, and that is. What do we as African Americans have in this country, is it Power or Influence? Are they both the same or can you have one without the other?

What is it that gives more power and influence to those who come from other countries ( this is not a statement to cast aspersions on other races, for we all want to do well) yet we are left behind to flounder and wonder why…. .

Within this context, why is it that our educational systems, medical care facilities, public safety, those things that are vital to the servile of a community are of the poorest quality? Why is it that those things that we have struggled for over the hundreds years have benefited others more than ourselves and left us by the wayside to twist in the wind to deal with the same old community issue's year after year?

Today we have Women’s rights, Gay rights, Animal rights, Nepotism as been replaced by Reverse discrimination and Affirmative action has been cast aside and now everybody is a Minority, with the major benefit going outside the African American community.

In my opinion, these are all good causes, causes that in some cases have shattered the careers of some while boosting the careers of others, (while the true cause and effect are never truly investigated), the POWER of INFLUENCE takes over, (the squeaky wheel gets the grease).

Although out-sourcing, has become the norm, and the quality of the work has become suspect it continues to leave our shores. There is also what I call the in-sourcing of out-sourcing that is those jobs that were once in the hands of the elderly, high school and young college students are (i.e. McDonalds) now in the hands of and controlled by those who only hire their own. This is not to say that it is wrong or right, what is wrong is that jobs such as these that could supplement various incomes are gone; along with a great deal of the income.

What is really sad is that those of us who have been blessed with the opportunity to elevate our communities spend a great deal of our money on the frivolous things. We leave our communities; give control of our income to others. We buy into basketball teams, expensive cars, outlandish homes; produce clothing lines sell our companies. Of course we set up charities, what we need to is a plan to buy some of the homes in some of the depressed areas, set up Medical centers, Law Offices, Accounting Offices, Schools that teach our children about themselves giving them pride, teaching our children about themselves, the value of a dollar and what the world of economics is all about. G it’s hard to put a steak in front of a hungry man or woman and then tell them not to eat it. Nevertheless, we all know that a little fasting cleanses the body, gets rid of some of those toxins that cause us not to think clearly.

IN THE END THE QUESTION REMAINS, WILL IT BE THE POWER OR THE INFLUENCE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD.