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)
Before any true progress can be made, we must first realize that success is within our reach. We must also realize that we are not where we should be as a race.
The strength of a community lies not in how much help they receive, but in how much they help themselves. We must form a community that is strong enough to define its environment and not an environment that defines the community. To do this it takes confident people, ambitious people who believe in the potential of all African Americans as a whole…
…people such as Geoffrey Canada,the founder of Harlem Children Zone, who adopted a 100 block area of central Harlem and created programs to help more than 10,000 inner-city children each year. With generous contributions from private donors and foundations, Geoffrey raised enough money to build a $42 million, state-of-the-art middle school. The middle school is just a few blocks away from his progressive elementary school, Promise Academy.
Before we can change the way the world or anyone else sees us we must change the way we see ourselves. One of the biggest sins that we as a people are guilty of is that too many of us see ourselves through an oppressor’s eyes. Divisions form within our communities because of ignorance.
I was surfing through channels one day and came across the Oprah Winfrey show. The topic was racism, and on that show they had a debate over Hip-Hop music and the progression of the black race. But by the end of the show the debate simply relegated to vain arguments. It was obvious that everyone on the show was there for the exact same reason: to uplift our people as a whole. But by the end of the show you could not tell. Instead of building on the foundation that unified them, they focused on what divided them.
I’m tired of seeing it. I’m tired of seeing African Americans attack other African Americans because of petty differences that have little to do with the progression of our race as a whole. Respect for every member of your race is the key. Once respect is established, compassion can be established. And once compassion is established, true unity can be established.
We must take a position of responsibility. Our success rests on our shoulders and no one else’s. No one will give us our success, but we will obtain our success. We don’t need anyone’s help.
It really does take a village to raise a child. A child that has his or her foundations from a strong community cannot be broken – not by any negative influence nor by any prejudiced people.
A strong community has a strong set of ethics, and applies those ethics to the lives of each of its members - values that bring about knowledge, wisdom, respect for self and for one another. They promote the values that positively affect people.
A strong community influences society as a whole. A successful community serves as an example of what a group of people can accomplish if they look out for each other. They bring out positive change, politically, economically and socially.
This all may sound overly idealistic, but it is the truth. Unfortunately there is no quick fix. There is no easy answer. There is no single program, no government assistance, no NAACP enactment and no amount of money will fix this problem, because the problem is within ourselves.
To be black is to be a strong human being. To be black is to be blessed by God with the responsibility to change the world by example. It is not a curse, and it is not a setback. To be black is to be a soul that was formerly oppressed, but is now discovering its freedom potential.
The creation and participation in a community, based on cultural and ethnic similarities is a part of an African legacy. The struggle with unity and separation is a part of African American heritage. The erosion of the community will not end until there is a shift in the ideal of success. Instead of success being measured by bank accounts or zip code, success must be measured by community leadership and outreach. Wisdom is disseminated not through books or chalk dust, but through modeling and mentorship. The African American community suffers from a cancer of ignorance of heritage. This lack of knowledge has slowly eaten away at the strengths of the community leaving a carnage of ****, drug and welfare dependency, incarceration and poor health. Just as a house divided can not stand, the African American community divided will surely fall. The current state of the African American community can change and the divide of classism, which thwarts the movement of unity, can transition into a resource, a simultaneous source of pride and inspiration. W.E.B. DuBois wrote eloquently about the necessity and responsibility of the Talented Tenth. As members of the African American community, we must heed the prophetic words of this great man. A thriving and successful African American community must possess strong leadership. These leaders are people who are selfless enough to share of their wisdom and resources. Small businesses bringing both a wealth of knowledge and funding should be in place. African American professionals should give credence to the warnings of Carter G. Woodson and halt the pursuit of the American Dream, which has become grandiose to the point of surrealism. Instead, African American professionals should pursue the African American Dream: A nation in which African Americans have reclaimed their heritage and it is reflected in the faces of leadership. The return of African American professionals can begin with mentorship programs, the relocation of a business or office to an African American community or volunteering in a local clinic, homeless shelter or school. Each of these actions illustrates a restoration of trust to end the cycle of inter-racial jealousy. Local churches must also reclaim their inheritance of civil rights leadership and activism, once more becoming a powerhouse of knowledge and a beacon of hope. Technology can serve as a great equalizer, re-enforcing the truths of community knows no boundary. As DuBois encouraged those who were talented and gifted to provide protection, inspiration and resources for their less fortunate siblings, technology provides an outlet for fostering that similar community today. Computers and the use of the internet can never re-create the community of the past. Instead, it serves to create a community that is stronger and larger. For African Americans, the computer and online resources serves as a diasporic connector; reviving a national sense of solidarity and unity and creating kinship ties which will not break due to political or class issues. The internet allows for the access of this common heritage and gives voice to a common language without awkwardness or concern for acceptance. African Americans from every background can converse freely and openly exchanging ideas and fostering a sense of trust and commitment; these are necessary components in an active and strong community. Just as ideas about freedom and liberty were once shared in **** meetings and ring shouts, from pulpits and sidewalk podiums, through poetry and music; these ideas are now circulated via the internet. The audience is bigger and the impact is greater. A new generation can now discuss, strategize and implement positive change to create a thriving African American community and achieve the African American Dream.
During slavery, many efforts were made to separate blacks in order to keep them under control. Among these efforts was the separation of lighter, more Caucasian looking slaves from those with more African features. The former were the house slaves and the latter were the field slaves. This division caused house slaves to sometimes think better of themselves and look down on those who were in the field. This continued long after slavery and it continues today. Now it comes in the form of socioeconomic factors. Blacks who make more money and are “higher up” separate themselves from and look down on blacks who are of a lower economic class and who live in inner-city, urban communities. This leads blacks who make more money to separate themselves altogether, not even identifying themselves in the same group. Therefore, they have no reason to help or bother with blacks of a lower socioeconomic group. This creates a never-ending cycle of self-hate and self-destruction on both sides, which undermines progress made through programs like Affirmative Actions and the NAACP. African Americans of all socioeconomic groups must unite to build up the entire community as a whole, and only then can blacks break the cycle of self-destruction that has taken hold on the community for so long. Communication between these separate groups of African Americans, teaching of African American history in schools, and encouraging students to love themselves and view themselves as worthy individuals are three crucial elements to this endeavor. In order to bring the fragmented groups of African Americans together, communication is important. The main reason for the division between these socioeconomic groups is the narrow view they have of one another. Upper middle class blacks see negative stereotypes of blacks through the eyes of the media and movies, which show groups of uneducated black people being loud and obnoxious. This causes embarrassment and a desire to separate from this negative light. Then, lower class blacks see the upper class as stuck-up people who tend to forget where they came from and eventually become “Uncle Tom” types. This is why it is so important to see life through a different set of eyes. The African American community can do this by speaking to each other about problems in their individual communities, telling each other what each community needs so that they can help and educate each other. Once there is understanding, there can be less judging, and once there is no judging, there can be unity. The second step to healing the African American community is to teach African American history in school. The old adage is true; those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Because of the insufficient education of black history in schools today, most blacks do not know the inherent reasons for the division of the African American community. They do not realize that slavery was not only about physical pain, but also mental and psychological abuse. The latter has found its way into the 21st century in the form of what many call, the “**** mentality” and causes most, if not all, of the fundamental problems found in the African American community. Once blacks are educated on this matter and understand that they are fighting years of mental oppression, they can fight these problems head on and build the community up as a whole. Finally, self-love in the African-American community can bind the community together. During the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, one crucial piece of evidence was a study done by Kenneth and Mamie Clark. The study gave a group of black children a choice between a white doll and a black doll. In most cases, the children picked the white doll, revealing the level inferiority felt by African Americans. To deal with this complex, African Americans find ways to separate and make themselves feel worthy as individuals. There are many methods of separating oneself, including skin color and socioeconomic factors. But once African Americans can love themselves, they can help and encourage each other to achieve great things. Then, African Americans can come together and build a community that is thriving and productive.Communities that are successful tend to have three main characteristics. They are family oriented, understand money management, and are spiritually nourishing. Family orientation is of great importance when looking at flourishing communities. They understand that learning from the past is crucial to growing up and therefore value the family system. Money management and self-sufficient living are also very important. Frequently, these communities sell to and buy from each other in order to build up homegrown businesses, therefore creating a community that ensures success for everyone. Finally, spiritual nourishment is important in successful communities. They are many times religious and very centered in their spirituality, which builds a strong sense of self-worth. Although it may take a while, these goals can be achieved with patience and determination and also with the help of mass communication, namely through networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Online networking sites have totally changed the way people communicate. Although some criticize these sites for taking the place of much needed person to person communication as well as for demeaning grammar and speech skills, if done right, these sites can actually help the African American community. With more than one hundred million people worldwide on these sites, there is a great opportunity to come together and make a difference. With groups and discussions that are on groups like Facebook and MySpace, people from all different walks of life can come together on equal terms and discuss the issues. These sites have the special ability to break down divisions because everyone is on the same site with the same abilities as everyone else. This way, everyone’s opinion is equal and has a chance to be heard. It will not be easy to break down the divisions in the African American community since it took hundreds of years to put them there. But with faith and persistence, African Americans can build a community that is flourishing, successful, unique, and of course, united. All that is needed is communication, education, and encouragement. This can all be done with the help of networking sites that allow people from all socioeconomic groups to come together with equal opportunity to share their opinions about African Americans’ problems and the solution to those problems. It will take a while, but once this cycle of re-growth and rebuilding start, it will continue and eventually, the result will be a unified black community.
Community is a place where individuals share culture, language and possibly ideas and beliefs. It is a place where identity is established and individuals should feel understood. Community is a place of cultivation and growth, a haven, and at times a place of retreat for rest. The African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child,” alludes to the role of community, which is sharing with and building-up individuals on a micro basis for the common good of those who live in the community. Because community is a place of empowerment, a condition contingent upon its degree of unity, it is important that community be a place that transcends socio-economic barriers and embraces the values and qualities individuals bring, regardless of social or economic status. Once this barrier is removed, then ideas, gifts, time, language, culture, every good quality that lends to fortifying community can be shared freely and produce fruit that is empowering and unifying. However, this level of respect must exist before the community can excel to a beneficial level of sharing and enjoy the benefits thereof. Historically, the Black community has shared convictions of the Christian faith, placed significant importance on family and education and worked collectively to help each other in process of attaining equality in America. The Civil Rights Movement is an example of shared culture and beliefs, forged into a harmonious movement, manifested in a concerted effort to empower and unify for the common good of Blacks in local communities and nationwide. During this time, Black men and women had the commonality of their experience to fuel their investment of time and resources toward improving the conditions of their brothers and sisters, whether locally or in another state. Whether educated or uneducated, poor or of professional status, whether Southern or Northern, individuals invested what they had for the common good of the Black community. Community requires commitment, care and a willingness to act. Today, a mindset change is needed. Blacks must return to a place of concern for community and not only immediate family. Additionally, family structure is the nucleus of community. The pandemic of deteriorating Black families is a plague that leaves more than half (53 percent) of Black children under age 15 being reared in single parent households; 48 percent being reared by single mothers (Children’s Living Arrangement & Characteristics, US Census Bureau, 2002). As a community, Blacks needs to discard minute differences and focus on rebuilding the Black family, educating Black kids, re-instilling faith-based values in youth and work to give voice to those who are under-represented such as the elderly and homeless. Again, community involves becoming engaged in the lives of others for the common good of the entire community. It may be the small unrecognized acts that ignite local change that grow to national effect. If seasoned married couples mentor young couples in their neighborhoods, this could decrease the divorce rate. If young women reach out to teen girls in their neighborhoods, this could decrease the teen pregnancy rate. If fathers and husbands mentor young boys in their neighborhoods who do not have a father in the home, this could help young boys develop into responsible men and give them a model to emulate for marriage and fatherhood. The family is critical in sustaining and strengthening the Black community, but improvement will require “each one, reach one.” Strong families lead to a strong community. A strong community can lead to economic gain and social opportunity. Using the Jewish community as an example, it is apparent how faithfulness to a core set of values and beliefs has created a strong commonality amongst a group of people in which they use as their foundation for sharing knowledge and resources, which benefits their community as a whole. This statement is based on the strong Jewish presence in financial, real-estate, health-care and non-profit industries on the East Coast. On-line social networking platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook and My Space can best serve to aid in establishing community that closely mimics the natural communities by promoting common threads that will strengthen and unify the Black community, such as family, health, education, faith in God and concern for each other. These on-line platforms have the powerful influence of media. Just as negative propaganda is spread via media, positive messages that promote community and the well-being of Blacks can be pushed to the forefront through these same tools. I am convinced diligence combined with faithfulness in this area will produce good results.
It is not only important to rebuild a sense of community amongst Black Americans, it is absolutely imperative for our survival. When one looks at the history of our people, there has never been a period of time until recently when individual welfare took precedence over collective welfare. Our ancestors recognized a long time ago that life is a team sport, and if there had been no community, there would not have been any individuals…period. It was not Hilary Clinton that came up with the popular and overused adage, “it takes a village to raise a child”, it was our people that were the living embodiment of that very philosophy. While the notion of class and social hierarchies were not concepts that were conceived with capitalism, the absurd idea that one group of people has absolutely no responsibility to help less fortunate members of their community (especially when they had a hand in creating the conditions that the less fortunate are in) is a purely capitalistic invention. If the black upper and middle classes, and the rest of the so called black bourgeoisie, continue to ignore the plight of black lower class, they all will eventually share the same dismal fate.
It is no secret that Black America is deeply fragmented. And it also goes without saying that there needs to be some kind of unity for Black America to survive. However, most people seem to ignore the process whereby unity comes about. Contrary to popular belief, people do not wake up one morning and decide to be united. There are two main ways to build unity, either a common goal or a common threat, with the later being far more successful in achieving unity then the former. History has demonstrated the ineffectiveness of trying to get unity under a common goal. In the times of slavery, there was not a common goal of black of simply getting free. There were some that wanted to get free from slavery and there were others that wanted to be the master. During the Civil Rights era, there were some black Americans that wanted integration, some that wanted desegregation, and others that felt that things were ok just the way that they were. It becomes apparent that unity under a common threat is the only way that Black America can come together. Rather than repeating the mistakes of some in the past by identifying the threat as another racial group, it would be far more effective to tackle the problem at the root, and identify the threat to be the system itself. The deeply rooted racism of the system, which manifests itself as the prison industrial complex, “health scare” industry, the (mis)education system, gentrification, and government “blunders” like **** Katrina pose the gravest threats to Black America and affect each of us, regardless of socio-economic status. A growing and thriving community is necessary to combat these systematic evils.
A growing and thriving community is one that is self-sustaining and self sufficient. This community is one that does not wait for others what it can do for itself. This community (like Tulsa, Oklahoma before it was bombed in 1921), would be one of producers, and not just consumers, and would not have to depend on outsiders to provide services, goods or jobs. Likewise, it would be a community that would be able to police itself and not have to suffer from the so called “protection” of outsiders to do it for them. “Each one Teach one” would be one of the primary tenants of the community, and each adult would take it as their duty to school the younger members, especially when they stepped out of line. This growing and thriving community would also be able to connect with other black communities all around the world and be able to exchange resources, ideas, and even people.
Social networking websites like HBCU Connect, Myspace, and Facebook are in some ways microcosms of some of our present communities. Although the majority of users on them tend to be middle class, the socio-economic diversity increases as internet availability broadens. These sites can serve as avenues to build alternative communities by connecting different individuals who most likely would have not communicated if not for the site. By sharing information as well as experiences, our people can be informed on the common threats that affect all of us, and most importantly, how we can defeat them. Regardless, the building of strong online communities cannot take the place of the building of the offline ones. Hopefully as more and more people get connected online, we might do the same offline as well.
Question #1: If we do not embrace the idea of coming together as a community, then we truly lose our true identities. Our ancestors made it through a revolutionary period because they wanted this generation to be free from oppression and they fought breaking down boundaries for us. The only way social boundaries can be broken is if as a community we reconstruct internally offering physical, mental, spiritual, and finacial support for one another. As African Americans, we are minorities and as Webster defines it, we a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment. As a community we need to work together in addressing issues that surround the our cultures on a daily basis because if we do not accept the fact that there is strength in numbers we will always be posses the title of being a minute entity running the never ending battle of acceptance and respect in this life time. Our race is comprised of several different sub cultures ranging from jamaican to haitian, etc. we have to first accept each culture for their diffences and begin creating bridges within that will allow us to become more educated about each of the struggles, traditions, history, and rituals they all posses. We all are ultimately categorized and treated as African Americans. As a unit we can grow to appreciate first our differences and our similarities and work on the evolution of a new future for generations to follow. Accepting this now gives us the opportunity to create new traditions and legacies amongst ourselves. As a unit we would have a better chance as one unified voice to create opportunities for both of our thriving cultures success.
Question #2:Characteristcs of a growing society consists of reproduction. As long as we continue to train up a child the proper way, we can always count on positive growth.
Question #3:Internet is the fastest and most accepted source of communication for our young generation. Having an online platform will allow the children to have readily accessible information on their history at the click of a button. In todays era, children are being taught through mediums like the internet and we have to move with driving forces of today. In my generation the quickest way to spread information was through the television. Now more than eber children are watching less television and substituting it for surfing the web. We cannot be hesitant to change or stagnant. The internet is the most effective way to reach many young people and we shoud take advantage of that and provide them with resources which can educate them on their history.
Marion Humphrey, Jr.Today’s world fails to live up to the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. He envisioned a world full of equality, hope, and most importantly, love. This love would be demonstrated by a populace that worked together to build all nations and people up. Presently, however, human beings are too often guided by their own self-interest. This case is no less true in the black community. The loss of a sense of community in black communities is the perpetuation of self-interest and a retreat from true expressions of love.The black community plagues itself not by a lack of funds, but by a lack of family. It does not have to be addressed how few **** donors truly assume the responsibilities of fatherhood. Still, black communities too often allow single mothers to raise their children alone. This is unacceptable. A couple a generations ago, communities raised children. A child’s single mother would rely on the elderly lady down the street to keep and feed her children. The male pastor spent extra hours visiting the young boys in the church to keep them on track. The handyman taught the young male his trade and work ethic. Raising children was a group effort. If we once again team together as mentors for all of our children, division would cease among communities.After the black community teams up to raise its children, then certain lessons must be emphasized to them. As with many thriving societies, children must be taught to value themselves. They should be told daily that they are loved. Moreover, black children must be aware that the greatest opportunities lie in education. They must not be allowed to get through high school without the ability to read and white. One of the differences between those students who thrive academically and those who do not is that those who thrive academically have patience. Patience allows these students to think about the long-term rather than the short-term. Instead of searching for quick cash, those focused on educating themselves see the benefit in building an infrastructure of information for future employments. This must be taught to black youth. Education can and will get them all the riches in the world. Furthermore, education and patience allow communities to transcend time-consuming practices of old and spread their efforts to benefit more of the populace. As a user of social networking platforms, I find them to be great means of communication. Sites like HBCU Connect, Facebook, and Myspace have the capacity to pool and unite our nation’s youth politically and socially. For instance, Facebook has numerous, large groups supporting Barak Obama for president. Now the purpose of this essay is not a political one, but I believe that the black community would be benefited by electing Obama to office. These sites encourage communication, a necessary component for improving social awareness.Communication, faith in education, and patience will lead the black community to the success we deserve as a people.
1 Corinthians 12 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body....” This is the ESSENCE of our humanity, the truth to our existence; the concept of socio-economics is a secondary, man-made concept concept which is essentially divisive. The socio-economic boundaries start off as mental boundaries that we perceive to be real and, in turn, we make them tangible. In order for all to see and rise above these transluscent boundaries we must all see it under one accord since discord will only lead us to see only what our eyes allow us instead of what our brains can visualize as possible.In order to classify our forests of issues we must first identify the type of seed from which each tree is sprung. In other words, in order for us to reconnect on a FUNDAMENTAL level, the most adhesive level, we must first identify what is dividing us in the first place. Perceptions, stereotypes, discriminations, etc are all mere catalysts in our divided culture, but we must realize that a catalyst is only as strong as the weakness of its prey. Fire is one of the world’s most deadliest elements that can burn up towns and forests but, once it reaches that surrounding body of water, it has zero effect and is actually is defeated. We, as blacks…we as African-Americans…we as ONE BODY must be that body of water and diffuse the external influences on our culture. Only an unwavering mindset and unwavering actions can combat the influences that we receive and would over time prove those influences to be ineffective.Community is derived from the Latin word “communis” which means “sharing common duties” and the Latin word “munus” which means “gift” or “duties”. Evidently, as a community, we were originally meant to be one entity sharing common gifts but instead, on the surface level, we are more so comparing each others gifts. If we are to be a thriving community we need to “commune” and share. With that sharing comes growth of each individual, not just horizontally but also inter-generationally, an important element necessary to ensure progress in the Black community. Inter-generational growth is a perpetual growth that over time creates a paradigm shift of progress. This trickling down of gifts, knowledge, and wisdom through generations creates a new starting platform each go around but only effective through communal nourishment. According to W.E.B Dubois in his Talented Tenth essay, he says “Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools — intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to it — this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life. On this foundation we may build bread winning, skill of hand and quickness of brain, with never a fear lest the child and man mistake the means of living for the object of life.” The more we develop men and women in our communities today, the more self-sufficient, professional men and women we’ll have tomorrow. It is not sufficient to call it success by just rearing a child to make it successfully to adulthood, but it is more important to raise and nourish the abilities of leaders who evolve from being part of the problem to developers of the solution.With the status quo of social networks like HBCUConnect, Facebook, and Myspace, there are many pluses and minuses in each. Rather than attack what’s wrong with each, it would be best to identify the good. As each is a niche network, each will, of course, market to a certain audience. HBCUConnect unites HBCU students and alumni, Facebook markets mainly to college students, and Myspace for anyone worldwide who wants to make a connection. There is no real “one size fits all” social networking site as each group has its particular needs. Like a suit, one has to get all the measurements before it is utilized to fit the person wearing it. Similarly, if we want to correct the status-quo in various realms, there must be something that fits our particular situation. I have been working on designing something that’s not just a site, but a concept that’s the beginning of the solution to issues in the Black community. www.Talentedtenthave.com will hopefully be the spark that we need to make a change in this world. It is still in the design phase because we need something very custom made to address the problems we face now and those ahead of us so much thought must go into its creation. I’ve been yearning for something for awhile to make a difference in society but never had the avenue. Now that there is an avenue, we have a location that allows us to drive forth in society. We do a lot of discussing possible solutions but never making any concrete solutions. Solutions are only as good as their followthru so, with the help of HBCUConnect and every other person concsious of the issues that we face, this solution can go from an idea to a reality if we all individual come together as one body to make a change.
NOW is the time for change. Not tomorrow or the next day, not next month, not even next year. Now is the time for us to look back and correct the mistakes that we have made in how we treat one another, as well as ourrselves. Its time to find out exactly what went wrong in the African-American community, resulting in us now disrespecting one another and not living up to our full potential. The only way we can overcome this obstacle is through being united, in terms of looking out for one another and treating each other with respect; and by being proud, in terms of who we are and where we come from. We need to reflect back on the concept of “I am my brother’s keeper,” instead of looking out for only ourselves. If we want our future to flourish, we need to instill in our children a sense of pride in where we come from and where we are headed as a race. Even though the African-American community has come a long way throughout history, with the achievements of our race being some of the most profound of our time, we’ve still managed to take a step back in how we treat one another. What many fail to realize is exactly how important it is that we, especially as African-Americans build a sense of community that transcends socio-economic boundaries. If history has taught us anything, it is that if we stand together we can accomplish anything. Look at all the hardships and challenges that our people had to endure throughout slavery, and then later on in the Civil Rights Movement, where our people still pushed on and still remained a united front in the face of adversity. Take a look at Rosa Parks, whose refusal to sit in the back of the bus, is what eventually sparked the Civil Rights Movement. It was because of people like her that we, as Black people can now sit wherever we want to on the bus; even though most of our youth tends to head straight for the back. And that is exactly what is happening today; we’re taking a step back. But not in the way that it should be done, by examining our history and the richness of our ancestors; but by turning our backs on one another in time of need. Nowadays, there is too much time and energy spent trying to tear one another down, too much breath wasted on talking negatively about one another, and too much effort spent on killing each other off one by one. And for what? To have so-called “money, power and respect.” We should be teaching our children that if they want to gain importance and respect in the real world, that they should be doing it through the classrooms and the boardrooms, and not the streets. So how can we correct the mistakes that have been made so that generations to come can understand what it means to be African-American? Well we can start with the leaders of today’s youth; the rappers, athletes, and other successful professionals. They can use they’re power and influence to help instill pride and respect in our children. For instance, look at Oprah Winfrey, not only one of the richest African-American women in the world, but one of the richest people in the world, period. She used her money and influence to build a brand new, state of the art, $40 million leadership academy for disadvantaged girls in South Africa. What impressed me the most about this act of sincere generosity is that she took the time to get to know the people whose lives she was changing. Oprah could have just as easily donated money for the project (like so many others in her league do), and never thought twice about it afterwards. Instead, she was involved in every little detail of the process; from the design of the building to the dorm assignments for the girls. This is just one of the prime examples of how money and influence can be used to help uplift our culture, instead of destroying it. In conclusion, we can also start by utilizing platforms such as HBCU Connect, Facebook, and MySpace to bring help promote social change. In this day and age, it seems like everyone who is someone has a MySpace page. They can be used for different outlets such as promoting music, reconnecting with old friends, dating, and a variety of other sources of information and communication. So why can’t it be used to help bring about a change in our society? Since platforms like these are used to showcase the thoughts and ideas of others, isn’t it only sensible that it could be used to help bring our society, especially our youth, together to search for a deeper understanding of who they are and where they come from? I believe that it is time for those who act as elders, leaders, and role models in our society, in both the media and the community, to step up to the plate and realize their true potential to enlighten, inspire, and educate our children; who are the elders, leaders, and role models of tomorrow.
