Who are the Leaders of the Black Community?

[Troy]

Over the years there have been many conversations on this forum about how Black people should pool our resources, support our businesses, and control our destiny.  

 

In the past, civil right organizations lead the charge in organizing successful boycotts and getting important legislation passed. Today these organizations are a shell of what they once were -- toothless.  

 

Social media is seen by many as the modern way to mobilize Black people.  I've always lamented the fact that we hitch our wagons to platforms we do not own or control and claim it as a tool to support Black people.  This was always a flawed strategy. "Black Twitter" was a recent example of this.  I'd go farther and say that the entire social media universe not only does not serve Black people; it is harmful to us.

 

In the past, any organization that has shown a sign effectively mobilizing Black people from the Universal Negro Improvement Association to The Black Panther Party even the Nation of Islam, was actively undermined by our government.

 

Obviously, our current lack of organization is not only a consequence of direct attacks against our organizations, but several hundreds of years of violent and legalized oppression.

 

Today are we completely rudderless as a people?  Who, or what organization, could initiate a Montogomery Bus Boycott today? Are we so happy today that a boycott is completely unnecessary?  Which organization could do what the NAACP Legal Defense Fund did to win Brown v. Board of Education, or are we happy that "race" can no longer be used to help reverse hundreds of years of being prevented from learning to read, while benefits to white people like legacy admissions continue?

 

If we are happy with the way things are then cool. 

 

If we are no satisfied then, who with the power to effect change, leads the Black community in 2023?

[AJ Sam]

Well said.  I would add that churches/religious organizations used to be an engine that drove change for African Americans.  From Abolitionists in the 18th & 19th Centuries, to the churches that founded at least 10 HBCUs in the 19th Century, to various 20th Century organizations whose memberships could trace their roots to church/religious organizations (NAACP, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, et al), they were the spear - if not the club - that knocked down walls that hindered us.

[Troy]

7 hours ago, AJ Sam said:

…churches/religious organizations used to be an engine that drove change for African Americans. 

Absolutely. As @harry brown constantly reminds us, too many churches are led by charismatic ministers who seem more concerned with lining  their pockets and laying with the congregants.

 

This is not to say there are no churches and other organizations doing meaningful work; they don’t seem to be as powerful as they once were, and they certainly don’t influence a critical mass of people to get anything done of substance or engage in any sustained activity for the betterment of our people. 

[richardmurray]

Most black people have never been happy in the usa, never. 

 

What I say is for the black community in the usa alone.

I said before in this forum, many black leaders in the past supported and now support the idea of a community of individuals. Which white financiers of black organizations also did. And, black financiers of black organizations who didn't support individualism in the 1960s or before mostly fell on negative times after the civil rights act. It isn't about a communal strength it is about individuals, one by one. Eventually most blacks will succeed, one by one, but it will take.. a long time. I comprehend the logic, although I oppose it. But most black people in the usa aren't happy but accept the black community is about doing for self functionally while in media talking about lifting the whole community. 

[Troy]

46 minutes ago, richardmurray said:

But most black people in the usa aren't happy but accept the black community is about doing for self functionally while in media talking about lifting the whole community. 

This sentiment is not restricted to Black folks. It is how we Americans roll. 

[AJ Sam]

On 7/26/2023 at 10:40 PM, Troy said:

Absolutely. As @harry brown constantly reminds us, too many churches are led by charismatic ministers who seem more concerned with lining  their pockets and laying with the congregants.

 

This is not to say there are no churches and other organizations doing meaningful work; they don’t seem to be as powerful as they once were, and they certainly don’t influence a critical mass of people to get anything done of substance or engage in any sustained activity for the betterment of our people. 

I believe black churches used to be the needle that "knitted the fabric of our communities together" which kept us grounded.  We had no where else to go.  No where else we could be heard, respected, and accepted.  Now with the African American community being splintered along socioeconomic lines instead of racial ones, not only is our economic power but our spiritual power as well being diluted.

 

Mr. Brown's take on church leadership is a good point - but it's the easily "visible" point.  As an African American minister of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I've seen first hand over my 20+ years of ministry the apathetic nature of so many men of God.  They seem satisfied holding a position of leadership within a congregation.  They don't seem desirous to make a difference. They don't seem to care about their social obligations outside of the walls of their sanctuaries (feeding the homeless, justice, education, health, etc.).  They like the acclaim of men, the respect of the members, and getting served first at church gatherings.  This subtle scenario is, I believe, more devastating overall than the one described by Mr. Brown.  These ineffective churches pepper our communities nationwide, leaving those inside wanting for more - and those outside not bothering to enter.

[Troy]

@AJ Sam would you be willing to tell us more about your Church and ministry, or share a to the Church's site?

 

 

 

 

[richardmurray]

@Troy Yes you statians are. I have always been more communal, even as a child.

 

To your reply straightly,  the questions are to the black community in the usa or the usa human populace in completion. 

1)what has to improve in how individualism works in said community?

In my mind one point. The one thing I hear no one say...  Own up to it. It may sound silly but one of the biggest problems in the usa is people don't own up to their own culture that their actions display. 

Black folk like me will always despise the KKK But, the KKK are better than the majority of whites who clearly dislike black people as negatively as the KKK but are too proud to admit it. If you are about you, just say it. No shame in saying,  I am looking out for me while all you do is look out for you. But the black community or the larger human populace in the usa suffers from an inability to admit in public what their actions show. The faux communal discourse form hyper individuals to me is the problem. I don't have a problem with anyone , and that starts with black people, being about themselves. I follow my own path. I like being communal. but I also profess my position publicly. I am not ashamed to say I like living around black folks and prefer living around black folks, and I don't care for living aside non blacks <as I define blacks side non blacks>. But too many individualists  are not ashamed to act for only self but are ashamed to advertise it. That will be a nice change. 

2)What inevitable weaknesses come from such a system that need to be expected or embraced as truth?

a dysfunction of the way... all ways have dysfunction. Communalism's great problem is it doesn't allow for individual growth at the same rate or width or uniqueness as individualism. But, Individualism's problem is it doesn't allow for collective action or interaction at the same rate width or flexibility as communalism.

 

@The Black Magician

 Thank you for sharing photos of your organization. You can make a group on aalbc where you can just use the calendar function to notify people of dates. I Will be willing to help if you want me to make the group and guide the basic structure. 

 

[AJ Sam]

On 7/28/2023 at 10:09 AM, Troy said:

@AJ Sam would you be willing to tell us more about your Church and ministry, or share a to the Church's site?

 

 

 

 

First, I would like to share information about a church I've been involved in for several years now.  I moved to Daytona Beach several years ago to help my wife take care of her aged parents and began attending their home church.  As I was writing the previous post, this church was on my mind as what churches could do and should be doing.  And with enough prayers of the righteous going up – they will be doing.

 

This church epitomizes what Black churches could be with the right leadership. Allen Chapel AME Church (Daytona Beach FL), under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Nathan Mugula, is one such church. They (he and his congregation) are intimately involved in their community with ministries focusing on justice, mental health, generational poverty, school reform, as well as bringing people into a right relationship with God.

 

Allen Chapel’s congregation are active with ministries like mentoring students at Bethune-Cookman University, visiting and witnessing to families in need of a variety of healings, and sponsoring the Restoration House – aimed at providing for the homeless of the community.

My home church, First MB Church of Highland Pines (Tampa FL), under the capable leadership of Pastor Cleveland Lane is making a difference as well.  While we have 20% of the membership of Allen Chapel AME Church, our slogan – A Little Church with a Big Heart - rings true. Before COVID, we had a clothing ministry for the homeless of our community, served Saturday morning breakfast and spiritual nourishment, and sponsored an annual Back-to-School event with food, bounce houses, and backpacks filled with school supplies. Are we are endeavoring to bring all of that back, and more.

 

These are two churches I’m familiar with, and I’m sure there are many more doing “good works”.  I feel that we, as a society, tend to go for the “low hanging fruit”.  We focus on the negative that is portrayed and sensationalized in traditional media, social media, entertainment, and the like. Good stories rarely make for “good copy” or headline news.  Unless it’s the annual 45 days of positive news (mid-November until New Year’s Day).  Actually, people around this United States of America do “good works” 365 ¼ days a year. But it’s usually done in anonymity.

 

You posed the question, sir, “who with the power to effect change, leads the Black community in 2023?”  We are.  We have the power to effect change – both individually and collectively. The ones who labor tirelessly and in obscurity, day in and day out, without nary an acknowledgement, compliment or shout out.  The ones who share their talents, time, and thoughts with our community.  The ones who may not realize they’re doing God’s work, but they are anytime they use God’s gifts for good. The ones who are continuing the “good works” of Black leaders of the past. We are the leaders of the Black community. Can I get a whoop-whoop, a hallelujah, and a Amen somebody?