The "Power of Community" Essay Contest, sponsored by Hill Motor Corporation, is available to: 1. Graduating High School Seniors 2. Undergraduate College Students 3. Graduate College Students Scholarship Rules:You must write an essay that is at least 500 words addressing the following points(Remember, the more you can say with the fewest words, the better): 1. Why is it important for Black Americans to re-build a sense of community that transcends socio-economic boundaries? 2. What can be done to connect the fragmentations we have allowed to divide our race?3. What are some of the characteristics of a growing and thriving community?3. How can on-line social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and My Space best serve to aid in establishing the community that closely mimics the natural communities to which we were accustomed to growing up? Deadline For Essays:* June 1st, 2007 Scholarship Payout:* Winners will be contacted no later than September 15, 2007 * $1,000.00 * Must prove enrollment in a college or university in the United States prior to award Submitting Your Essay:First create a user account: http://forums.hbcuconnect.com/register.phpAll essays need to be submitted as NEW THREADS here in the HBCUCONNECT user forums under the "Essay Contest Forum". You can edit your submission as many times as necessary before the deadline... All essays will be made readable only by you until our deadline for submissions has been met. Once the deadline has been met, we will open up all threads for PUBLIC viewing while we select finalists. Once finalists are selected we will post a poll to allow for public voting for winners. Winning submissions to this contest will be posted on www.hillmotorcorp.comIn order to manage your submission you will need to create a user account and post your essay using the following link: http://forums.hbcuconnect.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=53(Report Obscene Photo)
It is very important for blacks to rebuild a sense of community that transcends socio-economic boundaries in order for us to balance the racial/economical divide in our country. As blacks we must come together and support each other in every effort. We must do this by supporting black owned businesses, voting to support candidates who support improving the state of black America and we must stop degrading our selves, and allowing others to degrade our race. There are various fragmentations that ruin the black community. The two major ones are the idea that anything white is inherently better than blacks, which is a result of mental slavery, and the major ways in which we degrade and allow ourselves to be degraded. There is nothing wrong with having the best; my problem is that often blacks consider something the best because white people have it. The most evident display of degradation in the black community is the language we use to refer to each other, for example we affectionately call each other *****s, *******, hoes, and other derogatory names. These names have a negative polarizing stigmatism to them, and perpetuate the current state of Black America. My mother always told me that words have power; and I wonder how we as a people can advance if we our constantly referring to ourselves as ignorant ****. It is important blacks begin to perpetuate the positive aspects of black America, for example the accomplishments we have made and the struggles we have overcame. Another stigmatizing thing in the black community is our lack of community service and of philanthropy. If we don’t make an effort to give back to our own communities, why would anyone else. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are a perfect example of this negative stigmatism. In most cases alumni rarely give back to there schools, the schools as a result have a very small endowment and can not sustain with out government funding. This is important because education is the one way to even the playing field regardless of your racial and economical background. With the current exiting of Affirmative Action policies at Historically White Colleges and Universities Historically Black Colleges and Universities will be at the height of there importance. Social networks can be very important to the improvement of the state of black America. However, I think currently they are helping to perpetuate stereotypes of African Americans. I do not think they need to help est. the community we are currently living because there are so many problems with our current state; the networks should be used to perpetuate positive images of our communities. HBCU connect is perfect example of the positive images that can be used to help change the state of black America. In conclusion it is our responsibility to use any outlet we can to display positive images of the Black American community. The most accessible outlets are internet social networking sites including myspace, facebook, and HBCU connect. However, these sites our currently use in majority to degrade ourselves.
I never thought I could use modern pop music to explain something along these lines, but rapper/singer Akon has a song that perfectly envelopes the community ties of African Americans.
Nobody wanna see us together but it don’t matter, no / ‘cause I got you / Yes, we gon’ fight / Yes, we gon’ fight / Believe we gon’ fight / Fight for our right to love, yeah / Nobody wanna see us together, but it don’t matter, no / ‘cause I got you
Transcending beyond our socio-economic status is what will really bring blacks together. We as, what I would call, the strongest creatures to roam this earth, have more in common than our pigments, poorness and a legacy of depravity amongst a racist race. Our culture should bind us. Our morals, values and believes are important in building a sense of community because the more we understand about each other’s ways of life, the stronger and more knowledgeable our minds are when tackling our socio-economic issues.
Years have passed where black people have chosen to become lax in the fight for our rights to freedom, happiness, liberty, love. In order to reconnect, maybe a sad event must take place to bring us back to the old feelings of disconnect. Sometimes pain can make us stronger. Perhaps in order to reconnect, we need a strong leader to show us that no one really wants to see us come together when really, the world is just trying to break us down and separate us. Perhaps Barack Obama can help.
Yes, we black people know that the misogyny of our black women through the media is ever evolving, that our rap music relishes the lives of gangsters and drug dealers, and that, furthermore, this is all being shown to our young black children. Yes, we know this. And we allow it to happen. No action has been taken until just recently. Russell Simmons is just now breaking ground on banning the word “*****” while the only thing that was the catalyst to all the melee was Don Imus’ remarks about NCAA womens’ basketball. Clearly, it should’ve been addressed a couple of decades prior to.
A thriving and growing community knows exactly what is wrong inside of the community and then proceeds to buckle down on the rising issues. A growing and thriving community has a leader, or two, that represent the issues, values and beliefs of the entire community. The black community does not have this yet, ergo, we are not a growing, thriving community. Not anymore, at least.
As far as web site communities such as MySpace, Facebook and HBCU Connect, the thicket – the safe haven - for every user is just the site itself. Being on these web sites make us feel as though we belong in one huge safe community. But when the thicket is getting lonely, the only outlet is to the field. Myspace and Facebook allow its users to post events. I believe that that is key to establishing a connecting community. We as users attend the events that we believe we’ll feel comfortable in. If someone were to create an event that said (and I know someone has in the past) “One Million Strong, an event for the Black Community taking place at the National Mall on such-and-such date,” I guarantee that nearly a million black people would show up…along with a gang of police squads, of course.
That right there closely mimics natural community ties that blacks are used to.
It is sad to say that racism is one thing that as divided the Black American community.Yes it is our own hatred against our own people that has divided us. We are still separated from light skin and the dark skin and those with good hair and those with **** hair. Some still hold that golden rule of those being lighter than a brown paper bag being better than those that are not. We have began to start judging a person’s worth, character, and abilities on pure outside appearances. As a result, of this, we can not work together as one. We are now a divided people.We still continue to judge people on their worth on the basis of the residence. We just don’t associate with those “On the wrong side of the track.” We use this as form of judgment of others, as though where you live depends you intelligence or your contribution to society. The different kind of education that each receives divides our community. Most, not all, who are college educated, seem to think that are smarter than those who are not. The same can be said about those who are street educated. The simple truth is, for some, if places were traded neither would last a day in each other world. And there are other reasons such has money. And it is for these reasons Black Americans need to re-build a sense of community that transcends socio-economic boundaries. Black Americans need to find a way that would enable them to worth together as a whole so that we can better the community. The type of community that needs to be built is one where Black Americans can be able to listen to each other so that a better way of existing and living in the community can exist. By listening to each other, the concerns can be understood and addressed so that everyone in the community can be heard. Then the community can address the problems together.A solution to the problem of a divided community is to stop seeing each other as “Those people” or “others.” When Black Americans start seeing each other as part of a collective whole or as one then a better community would come into effect. Part of what makes a growing and thriving community is one that can worth together. Once one put their petty differences aside then there is a clear start to work together. By working together, Black Americans can figure out what will better help their community out. If one argues amongst each other then there is no way for the community to grow. The results would be only of hurting the community and dividing it even more.On-line social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and MySpace can best serve to aid in establishing the community that closely mimics the natural communities to which we were accustomed to growing up by having open discussion boards. Most of the sites have features wager one can blog, write notes, or create groups where its members are able to discuss issues freely. The issues of the Black American community can then be discussed country wide span. Platforms like these make it able for a large number of people to connect to each other and even work as a whole. These platforms mimic the natural community of one that works together as a large functioning system to better help each other.
“It is a peculiar sensation, this double consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others. . . one ever feels his twoness, an American, a Negro; two souls, 2 thoughts, two un reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder, (DuBois).” In essence, it essentially becomes a time in every African Americans existence to ponder the philosophical question. . . Why is important for African Americans to rebuild a sense of community that essentially transcends socio-economic boundaries? In actuality, it seems African Americans have lost a sense of “together we may conquer” ideological mentality that was fluent during the Civil Rights Era. As a result, historically black colleges and universities once considered “Black Ivy League” institutions like Spelman, Morehouse, Howard, and numerous others have lost a substantial amount of black applicants, due to the whole ideology that Ivy League institutions that generally place African Americans within the minority percentage, better prepare African for the real world, due to the fact that the real world isn’t all one color. This ideology is presumably fundamentally flawed and evidently inadequate, however, as historically black colleges and universities have proven themselves efficient in sending the best and brightest African Americans into the work force well equipped with a sense of identity and confidence that can only be attained from a historically black institution. In essence, it is detrimental for African Americans to rebuild a sense of community that was prevalent during the Civil Rights Era, in order to gain a sense of identity in America, an identity correlated with pride for ones heritage, intellectual and social growth, and most importantly an identity that is focused on improving ones own community.The African American community is essentially divided in terms of a generalized ideology. In order to connect the fragmentation that has divided the African American community for years, we as a people should first and foremost realize that a division does in fact exist. After pondering on the philosophical realization that has been accomplished, African American intellectuals and politicians should come into black communities with decisive initiatives, an address African Americans directly, rather than indirectly. This rational method alone will ultimately bring forth a since of community and generalized ideology to the masses.A characteristic of a thriving and growing community consists of community in which the residents of that specific community support one another including themselves. Also, in my opinion a thriving and growing community has the ability to keep illegal ****, gangs, and crime to an absolute minimum. On-line social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and My Space serve in establishing a growing community, because through networking blacks as well as any other race have the ability to come together on certain issues, along with bringing different people closer together with the aid of scheduled events and groups that establishes a community that supports a general ideology.
Terrell Green“It is a peculiar sensation, this double consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others. . . one ever feels his twoness, an American, a Negro; two souls, 2 thoughts, two un reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder, (DuBois).” In essence, it essentially becomes a time in every African Americans existence to ponder the philosophical question. . . Why is important for African Americans to rebuild a sense of community that essentially transcends socio-economic boundaries? In actuality, it seems African Americans have lost a sense of “together we may conquer” ideological mentality that was fluent during the Civil Rights Era. As a result, historically black colleges and universities once considered “Black Ivy League” institutions like Spelman, Morehouse, Howard, and numerous others have lost a substantial amount of black applicants, due to the whole ideology that Ivy League institutions that generally place African Americans within the minority percentage, better prepare African for the real world, due to the fact that the real world isn’t all one color. This ideology is presumably fundamentally flawed and evidently inadequate, however, as historically black colleges and universities have proven themselves efficient in sending the best and brightest African Americans into the work force well equipped with a sense of identity and confidence that can only be attained from a historically black institution. In essence, it is detrimental for African Americans to rebuild a sense of community that was prevalent during the Civil Rights Era, in order to gain a sense of identity in America, an identity correlated with pride for ones heritage, intellectual and social growth, and most importantly an identity that is focused on improving ones own community.The African American community is essentially divided in terms of a generalized ideology. In order to connect the fragmentation that has divided the African American community for years, we as a people should first and foremost realize that a division does in fact exist. After pondering on the philosophical realization that has been accomplished, African American intellectuals and politicians should come into black communities with decisive initiatives, an address African Americans directly, rather than indirectly. This rational method alone will ultimately bring forth a since of community and generalized ideology to the masses.A characteristic of a thriving and growing community consists of community in which the residents of that specific community support one another including themselves. Also, in my opinion a thriving and growing community has the ability to keep illegal ****, gangs, and crime to an absolute minimum. On-line social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and My Space serve in establishing a growing community, because through networking blacks as well as any other race have the ability to come together on certain issues, along with bringing different people closer together with the aid of scheduled events and groups that establishes a community that supports a general ideology.
Social responsibility in the form of ensuring equality is a mission we all must undertake. Everyone - white, black, Hispanic, etc, must make a concerted effort to ensure that discrimination does not occur, for any reason. More importantly though, for African Americans, how can we request the respect of others, without first becoming a unified, cohesive race? Class identification has always been related to race. For any change to occur, the revolution must come from within the Black community itself. In order for the African American community to fully achieve unity, the divide between the older and younger generations must narrow, and the fundamental principles of family, community, and religion must become the primary guiding light in our personal and communal activities. By definition, black is just an adjective, a color. When applied to race or ethnicity, Black becomes a controversial label. Over the years, anything “black” has acquired taboo status. When someone is blackballed from their profession, they are no longer accepted, black magic is a horrible spiritualistic art form, and the list continues over the unwanted connotation of anything black. In Elizabethan and even contemporary society, the European standard of beauty, long hair, slim nose, lighter complexion, has become the status quo for society’s outlook of physical attractiveness. This preference for White culture is nothing new to African Americans, we can recount numerous instances to track how we have been conditioned to accept subservience. For instance, when Thurgood Marshall and his team tirelessly worked to integrate the school system within the United States, they surveyed young children using dolls. Overwhelmingly, Black students picked the White dolls to play with and scorned the Black dolls. Clearly, we need to realize that a sense of community and unity starts early within children, so it is of the utmost importance that parents nurture the value of community and morality from a young age. In order for Blacks to truly become unified, we must make a name for ourselves – literally. We have gone from: “******” to “the Negro”; “Negro” to “Blacks”; “Blacks” to “African Americans”. In order to achieve our full potential, we must unequivocally decide who we are, so we will know what we want to be. As we move forward, through time, we encounter one of the most controversial psychological impediments to the Black community, the “n” word. There is constant debate over use of the word “******.” Many Blacks cringe when that one remark is publicly stated - by a member of our own race, and especially otherwise. The great historian Carter G. Woodson informs us in The Mis-Education of the Negro, that “if you control a man’s thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions.” This ubiquitous truth is obvious in the way we treat each other – especially with the use of the “n” word. Blacks did not develop their own identity, but rather became dependent on others (mostly the affluent White community) for their livelihood, as seen through sharecropping and chattel slavery. The pursuit of wealth and a lack of a name led to division amongst members of the African American community and the creation of figures such as Uncle Tom, “jigaboos,” “tokens,” “sell outs”.Now that we have a sense for the present state of the African American community, how can we truly become unified beyond class, for our own sake? Well, first we must develop individual pride for our race, which will ultimately result in communal pride. Even before the civil rights movement of the sixties, Marcus Garvey promoted pan-Africanism, in reference to Black pride. Essentially, Garvey wanted everyone to realize that “Black is beautiful,” and in contemporary society we need to re-embrace this ideal. This unrelenting, sense of pride does not mean walking around dressed in all black, wearing afros, and raising a closed fist as a sign of solidarity. Rather, every individual of the Black community should realize that we are not viewed as an individual by society. Blacks are not seen subjectively, but rather through an objective looking glass. What I do, will affect the image of the person down the corner from me, and when another young, Black male is accused of a crime, I suffer for his actions. We truly need to realize that more than any other race, Blacks are stereotyped and clustered together and judged by society based on one sufficient example of ineptitude. If one Black man or woman does not succeed in an endeavor this will overshadow, the success of many other, which a heavy burden for everyone to carry, but I do not think everyone realizes this requirement. Along with, realizing how we represent our community, Blacks need to enhance their knowledge of self, and how they fit into the unique realm of what W.E.B DuBois coined as double consciousness. We do not fully appreciate how we can traverse in two different worlds – how easily we can reconcile the two entities within us which asks us to stay Black while trying to succeed. Once we appreciate and have love for ourselves, we will discover what other members of our race have to offer. I can truly say this without contempt – Black people, my people, have the potential to truly practice unconscious hyper-racism. For instance, young African American males look down on Black cops more than White police officers, because some Black cops see young, at-risk Blacks as a wasted generation, who belong in prison. Furthermore, in examining this generational divide, we have another opportunity to develop the Black community. In one aspect, teenage pregnancy is a serious issue. Many of us know the joke that we have no more big mommas, meaning that grandparents are younger and younger, and babies (children in their mid-teenage years) are having babies. As a result of steady teenage pregnancies within the Black community, the residual effects are truly great. The more teenage pregnancies we have in the Black community, the more we have to fight to change those stereotypes of promiscuity and a lack of parenting. African Americans already have the label as being youths destined to either end up in prison, or die before their twenty-first birthday. In order to help the Black community truly reach the great status we want, we must increase the awareness of healthcare and education to those persons who reach out for knowledge. Even more so, in reference to teenage pregnancy, when young ladies have to drop out of school to raise their children, they may miss the opportunity to earn a diploma, but on a bigger scale, they are at risk to fall **** to dependence on government programs who offer assistance with limitations on financial growth. African Americans must develop their own identity with an emphasis on the importance of education. Even though Blacks feel as though they do not possess much materially, our most important capital lies in our children. The more education we provide, the more they can view the world in a holistic manner, and become aware about international political policies, and demand legislative change. The African American community has always bonded around the church. Reverend Dr. Martin King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy started in the church and used their influence to unite individuals from all walks of life. Religion is important, because we have faith in things seen and unseen – even social justice. During the nineteen-sixties, the Black church became the focal point of meetings and centers of activism, and we should recognize that the church has not lost this degree of power. A community thrives when there are competent leaders and constituents who respect their wishes, and everyone feels as though they have some common characteristic which ties them together. Although most communities are based on geography or ethnicity, they all must have some sort of civil structure, which means the need for education, legislation, and dictation. Facebook, HBCU Connect, and MySpace offer an excellent opportunity to reflect the natural communities which we now exist in. Facebook began as a way for college undergraduates and graduates to network within the professional field. Not only can African Americans make those business maneuvers, but they can do so with other Blacks who possibly relate to under-appreciation and over-****. With Facebook, young African American males have access to competent individuals ready to enter the workforce with fresh ideas, role models who can pass on the recipe to future social success. Hypothetically speaking, imagine if Dr. King had Internet access when organizing the March on Washington. With modern technology such as HBCU Connect and MySpace, we can communicate more quickly and promote social equality and a sense of community at a pace never before imagined. The power of one person is great, but with the Net, we have unlimited power at our fingertips, how we use that power will determine how long the Black community remains divided.
Human beings are said to be equal ind ividuals. Man kind was made equally. In the eyes of many men, God has no favorites. However, even though such an idea is said to exist, for as long as many can remember, it has failed to be properly portrayed.
In America, those who are 'caucasian', or who are simply deemed as the white man, has failed to bring through to eyes the idea of equality. In the idea that others who are unlike them are lesser mortals, white America is united. The vitctims of this view tend to be blacks, and hispanics. If such a race, at one point, could agree that those different from them are lesser, then these two ethic groups should unite together to be a power, as to prove they are not less, but more than the eyes of white America, and mortal man.
To better life for themselves, many ethnic classes unite and function as a whole as to benefit their lifestyles, their families, children..etc. Examples today could be Jewish people within New York City. They function as a group and sucessfully own businesses together, and dominate neighbors in certain parts of Brooklyn, New York. If blacks and hispanics were to join together and do similar things, they too would reap positive benefits. Especially in cultivation of a society for their offspring, and the following generation.
Many youths today, especially that with in the two races are very much concerned with media...i.e music. It is the one of the most signifigant things to this generations culture. Celebrities who are great influences on this generation should do collabrations as to promote the idea of unity. Moreover, positive messages should be delivered to ignite the idea of doing more to achieve in life. Such could even have an influence on the living of certain people.
Communites, should be less segregated. In New York, it is said that Washington Heights is predominately hispanic, while other parts, especailly Harlem are predomaintley Black. If there were to be a large mix of the two gruops, soon enough, many could come together, and affiliate with another, making bigger, and most likely more cultured functions, and also produce idea and plans that would probably be missed had they not come together. Businesses as well could combine between the two groups and promote black/hispanic productions.
Any College and University should support the benefit of not only one race, but all races,and all types of people. Historically Black schools, should begin with such an idea by supporting others besides blacks. If such an idea is conveyed strong enough, and proven effective, something signifigant should be done to show that mixed ethnic groups are benefical to all, and will continue to be.
Concluding; society shoild unite as to not only help themselves, to show as well we are capable of such unity. It is a powerful force that can prove white America wrong. For as White America can unite to say blacks and hispanics are lesser mortal, these two groups can unite and proven them incorrect.
Black Americans were once a strong people united by a common struggle for the freedom that all humans deserved; that now long forgotten a community left in ruins fighting the struggle still but now turned enemy against one another. The rebuilding of the Black American community is very important because as a whole we need to once and for all eliminate the stigmas that had been placed on our people long ago. We have let the stigmas diminish our sense of self worth, and let it limit our capabilities to do better in life than those before us. Standing as individuals we are limited, but as one the Black American community can thrive again only if we choose to accept all of our people no matter their faults. Reconnecting the fragmentations of a broken community isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but it is something that we as a people need to do. I believe that if more Black American community leaders would step up to the plate and organize a summit or caucus of some kind to unite the communities things would begin to change. As a people we need to sit down and discuss strategies on how to end the anger and **** that many urban Black American communities harbor. Killing off one another is not going to strengthen our bond; it will only make the foundation weaker. It would also help if more Black American owned businesses would open shop in neighborhoods populated with their own people. Thriving communities are characterized by low crime rates, booming businesses, and great connections to resources outside of their community. Networking opportunities are great for Black Americans to create strong bonds with other Black Americans in other regions of the United States. Myspace, HBCU Connect, Facebook, and Blackplanet are great websites that allow members to communicate with people all over the world. These sites are especially important to implement into the process of rebuilding the Black American community because the internet allows for news to travel fast, and I’m sure if Black American community leaders would be willing to create regional pages to unite the Black Americans in that place many would join. Also a large group could be created for Black Americans to get news from, or updates on the rebuilding of the community. We need to give the strength and hope back to our people, with the internet this can all be possible if we use it correctly we can reach out to the world and affirm that the Black American community has been reborn. It is time for Black Americans to eliminate the stigmas that have plagued our culture for numerous years. It is time for the black community to step up and take responsibility for letting this nonsense go this far. By rebuilding our community opportunities will come flooding in; meaning better jobs, better homes, and the lives that we all deserve. Rebuilding our community means leaving behind all the excuses for never trying to have more than what was handed to us. As a whole we can become a strong, powerful voice with meaning behind our words in today’s society.
To re-connect and establish a thriving, unbiased, and safe community, Black America must enforce an internal “prejudice blocker” similar to the online pop-up blocker that bans potential threats to a computer’s purpose and functions. Only in this case, we’re trying to block out the threats/prejudices that cause Black America to refrain from uniting for the community’s sake. Like the rest of America , Black America desires quality education and schools, successful careers with sustainable incomes, fair and productive investment opportunities, as well as meaningful political representation. Yet, two impeding, internal challenges suppress our advancement: internal prejudices based on socio-economic disparities and the failure to unite indefinitely. Take, for example, the female, Black corporate executive who’s also a wife and mother. Her ideal networking partner is not a Black, single mother of three who receives government assistance and is working toward a General Equivalency Diploma. The former may view the single-mom as subordinate, and, therefore, unable to contribute to her professional growth. Conversely, the single-mom may view the corporate mom as unapproachable, a “sell-out,” one who’s attained academic and financial success, yet shuns the economic and social struggles of others within her community who have not. Both, however, are passionate about combating teenage pregnancy in the Black community, and have been researching the issue on their personal time. Collectively, the women have enough resources and skills to start an after-school discussion group or grassroots organization. Chances are, though, their respective prejudices against one another won’t allow them to exchange cordial greetings. These women are symbolic of the various socio-economic divisions that have plagued Black America, and must be challenged. Rather than judging members on prominence, education, or lack thereof, constituents of Black America must discard internal prejudices and begin to identify common goals, interests, and individual strengths. From there, it must pool these assets and build upon them in conventional and non-conventional formats. On-line tools such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and My Space are powerful resources in helping Black America connect and stay connected. Such sites have the potential to eliminate the socio-economic barriers that may be discerned, factually or erroneously, in face-to-face meetings where conclusions can be drawn on appearance or material gain. Site developers and members can further benefit by adding a resource element. For instance, the Black church and Black leaders are icons in Black America. Live forums with ministers and public officials addressing the national, state and local concerns facing Black America can help unite Black America, increase membership and help advertisers attract more clients. Such websites can greatly assist Black America in becoming united, while advancing its purpose. But, Black America must commit to uniting on issues and following through on a consistent basis, and not only when someone from mainstream society insults its culture, or when another member suffers from vicious police ****. Black America has access to evolving resources that can help it unite on pertinent issues, rapidly and with force; it’s up to Black America to take advantage of them.
For generations, African Americans have been the targets of discrimination within their own country. Federal laws such as Jim Crow and Plessy versus Ferguson downgraded African Americans to second-class citizens until the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, allowing African Americans to reconnect and reestablish their rightful place as 1st class citizens in the United States. However, with the reintegration of African Americans into the rest of society came the further fragmentation of the African American community. Problems such as racism, increasing **** among African American youth, and poverty have further plagued African Americans on an economic, educational and social disadvantage. However, while these problems can be linked to the legacy of slavery, racism and discrimination that African Americans have been subjected to in the past, the answer of how to unify the African American race must be found within our own community. African Americans have long blamed institutional racism as the cause for their transgressions. However, increasing ‘Black-on-Black’ crime (gangs, substance abuse) has further led to the disintegration of the African American community. These factors have subjected us to be viewed as a weak and dependent race who cannot take responsibility for our own lives. In order for us to connect the fragmentations that have divided the African American race; we must take some responsibility for the actions that have allowed us to become second-class citizens within our own country. This means we must look at the reasons why African American youth decide to solve their problems with **** and why the majority of African Americans still continue to live in poverty and try to solve these problems with alternative means; not just blaming “the man” and hope for a different life. A community refers to a sociological group sharing and environment. A community also shares intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs and risks—which molds and shapes the identity of these groups. In order for African Americans to grow and thrive as a community, we must establish similar goals and beliefs that will unify the community as well as form a change in the perceived identity of African Americans as weak and dependent. In order to do this, we must look at factors that can help us build a strong sense of community. One significant solution would be to encourage education within our African American youth and teach them that a valuable education is the tool for success. This would also show African American youth that **** is not an answer to any problems, and would be a way to help African Americans get out of poverty. Social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook, and Myspace can also help African Americans reinforce shared values, beliefs, resources, preferences and needs in order to establish a strong sense of community. Furthermore, the majority of African Americans on these social networking programs (especially HBCU Connect and Facebook) are high school and college students. African American students can encourage other African American youth to get an education and share means of obtaining an education and getting themselves out of poverty. In the age of technology, online communities serve as alternatives to natural communities, and are just as important. Reaching out to other African Americans online through social networking can reinforce that there are African Americans in other places around the country that are working hard to establish themselves as important members of society. It is important for African Americans to re-establish their sense of community that transcends socio-economic boundaries in order for us to get past the perceived stereotype that we are “weak and dependent.” This would mean African Americans will need to take responsibility for all the members of their community and learn how to take care and help themselves. Alternative solutions such as encouraging education among African American youth and reestablishing shared goals and beliefs among the African American community will help us to create a strong unified race. Online social networking platforms (HBCU Connect, Facebook, and Myspace) are a significant factor in helping us accomplish these goals. The fragmentation of the African American community will further disintegrate if we do not attempt to fix the problems that face us today. I believe that education is the means to promoting a growing and thriving community and unifying the African American race as a whole.
