The Five Pillars of the Black Community
As I grow as a professional aide to many communities, I begin to notice that the Black community is facing an inevitable transition. I look at Black history and find myself finding patterns that are no longer revolutionary to us and I find Black people in a mundane legacy. What happened to our greatness? Is magic all we have left to offer? I have developed five pillars that will not only create the foundation of the Black community, but will be the saving grace that preserves the pride that this culture is beginning to grow out of.
I. Religion & Spirituality
The growth and rising popularity of spirituality has created a type of resentment towards the church. However, how can we hurt the hand that freed us? The Black church was monumental and a safe haven for Blacks and allowed community support to thrive through arduous periods. However, what made the church lose it's accountability? What has happened that has made this new generation of Blacks turn their backs?
Unfortunately, the new age of spirituality is what I would consider in infantile state. In my opinion, most new spiritually righteous individuals are really what I would consider, "Half N' Half" religious. Just enough to find a new inner peace, but resentful enough to feel justified like God is "Cool with it". The truth is, spiritually is the ascension from dogmatic practices, and is sometimes also the acceptance of every belief. The truth is, spirituality is subjective and the spectrum is unlimited.
This pillar represents the hope, community, support, and optimism that is still needed within the Black culture. Technology and access to multiple cultures of the Black church has diluted the sacred intention in believing and unity. The church was the symbol of Black accountability.
II. Financial Prioritization
The power of the Black dollar is very unique and there is actually a system designed upon it. However, historically we have been bred to either be a product or consumer. Never was the Black American a commodity that was on the side of creating demand. Now that the power has shifted in a way that manipulates capitalism into a "fair" disposition, the power to create investments is skewed.
I consider this a monumental pillar because the black community does not live off it's own income, which disrupts the vital needs to allow a community to prosper. The three vitals are the following: Grocery stores, Hospitals, and School system. Without these three domains being financial priorities, the community will not thrive.
III. Wealth & Success of the Black Family
This is not about money, it is about the autonomy the Black family has in order to accomplish overcoming historical burdens and establishing worthy legacies. Is it odd that the black family is not the typical American? What if the house, 2 children, a dog, and a white fence was never a part of our culture and it is being conditioned? How many cousins do you have that you met at the cookout for the first time? What if because of African roots, the Black woman was suppose to be strong-willed because the African civilization already treated women as equals and even made them advanced to keep the royal lineage sacred? What is the gap?
IV. Art & Education
The history of Arts and education within the Black community stems from a rich lineage that I believe has been diluted through Western education. The moment of integration was one of the best and worst American historical periods. We gained a place in the ring, but never had gloves. There is a lack of exposure to the world in Black communities, yet we are the hub for ingenuity and reinvention. How is it that Black women are considered the highest educated among women and have single parent homes, yet their children are scored the lowest? Our education was never put in a class, but was experienced, challenged, put into a rite of passage, and the best teacher was the elder of the family. The need to reevaluate the family pyramid is based upon how we educate ourselves. The level of expression is unlike any other culture and has brought itself world-wide without even using a stage.
I consider this pillar the hardest of the five because this requires a shift in how the black community will value the very community they stand upon and restore the home, which has layers beyond any western or eastern practice. Also, it's mainstream access has stripped itself of the ability to isolate from the American culture. We are one with the very culture that was never prepared for us.
V. The C.R.C. (Civil Rights Complex)
I had to keep this last for many reasons because the Millennial generation will be the saving grace. I consider this pillar in the center of the other four because what Blacks have to fight for today is much harder than what Blacks in the past had to deal with. Many would argue otherwise, but the reason is very simple: We have too much to lose. The advancements, career paths, barrier breaking, and image that has been created to be seen as equals would be lost to restart and revitalize every pillar. This means that the educated Black person would have to go home. Think about that... after you graduate, you have to go home and save your community instead of finding a career that may pay more, may be needed, or even travel. Are you ready to lose that? Stay in the community and clean it up by using your academic expertise. There is this Civil Rights Complex that makes us think being a part of social justice is what will change the world. However, social justice is heavily rooted in the sacrifice of comfort for the downtrodden or marginalized. Are you ready to give that up? As the Black person becomes more educated two things will happen:
1) You will feel guilty you haven't done enough because you had to get done.
2) You neglect your upbringing to not have to live through that again.
The issue is, either one, never forgets who you were. This complex drives the educated to move forward yet crumble to the moment of isolation, or creates a fighter that was never prepared to sacrifice. Where is the balance? Millennials have the power to reestablish morality, and the fight is current. The mindless talks at school in regards to ethics vs. morality is no longer imperative. The HUMAN in our BEING is losing character.
These five pillars are representations of not only the Black foundation, but the keys to a New Black Order that includes everyone, yet installs a richness in the culture we often fantasize about. Millennials are becoming not only educated, but critical thinkers in the sense that not everything is right, yet everything must be held accountable. Older generations believe in the simple manufacturing belief that hard work comes great reward.
Millennials have not seen a reward because the hard work was never a tangible opportunity to begin with. The Black community recognized this awhile ago, yet does not have the audacity to be firm in it's exclusivity. The Black well is running dry...