THE BRIDGE: The New Paradigm
By
Darryl James
In my last column, I discussed the problem of the current paradigm
for African Americans.
Our problem is that we are going in circles seemingly without direction,
in desperate need of a new and consistent paradigm. The best one that
we could embrace is the one that existed previously. We should simply
revisit the paradigm that brought us through slavery, Jim Crow and
a revolution that should still be moving.
Our new paradigm should be to reverse integration, so that we can
once again accustom ourselves to living with each other. When we begin
to reverse integration, we must return to our communities with renewed
and focused political power resulting in more police protection (from
a police force which reflects the community); more services (schools,
after-school programs, parks, street re-paving, etc.); and more self-sustaining
commerce (Black-owned businesses supported by the community, while
supporting the community).
A new paradigm for Black America would be to discuss forward movement
for all of us‹not the rich, not the males or the females and
not the famous, but all of us.
Our paradigm should be to follow groups such as the Jews, making a
commitment to our own preservation as a group, not to individuals
we hope will become "leaders."
No more "window dressing." We can no longer be satisfied
with a Black face at the front door, or even the sole dark face in
the CEO's office. One of us can show up and attempt to assimilate,
but having one dark face in the company has failed to open the door
for others.
Our new paradigm should be about getting our own, as opposed to building
the commerce of others who sell us shiny things. Yes, shiny things.
Blacks get five dollars and spend four on a truck, some cheap jewelry
and some "nice clothes," and Cosby is a fool for saying
that it is only poor Blacks because even Puffy wants to be Œhood
rich.
The late Black publisher, John H. Sengstacke said "If we take
care of our community first, the community will take care of us."
Our new paradigm should be to follow Magic Johnson into urban America,
rebuilding our commerce. Prior to integration, we had our own commerce,
which sustained generations.
In addition to Black-owned businesses, we must return our services
to the community. Our doctors understand our particular health issues
and our lawyers understand our particular legal issues. Dentists,
contractors, car dealers and hardware stores are vital parts of our
commerce and they need to be in our communities, serving us and being
supported by us intentionally.
Part of taking back our commerce means following the lead of people
like Will Smith, in controlling our own music and film. We will no
longer have to worry about our image in front of the world in entertainment,
if we are making the movies and television shows and controlling the
music.
We have to also take part in our own sports ventures. Who cares if
Kobe and LeBron make millions, if they are still a high-priced slave?
Bob Johnson must be one of several sports team owners and a coalition
must be formed.
Our return to Black commerce can only be achieved when we return to
living next door to each other, socializing with each other and talking
to each other about the issues we face in common, so that we can work
together toward resolution.
We must focus on us as a people who survived the horrors of the years
and still know how to party, look good and work hard. We must party,
look good and work together for our coming generations.
Our new paradigm must involve us loving each other again. It must
involve us showing up to be seen and to see what is going on in our
own communities. Black women will stop saying that there are no good
Black men when we return to community events, where Black men and
Black women can find each other.
For Black women who complain about not being able to find a man on
their level, the new paradigm should be about working together to
build, as opposed to looking for someone who can afford to vacation
with us. If you have twelve and I have eight, I am not beneath you,
I am with you and we now have twenty. That¹s empowerment and
community building.
Black men have to stand up for the women and children in the community
who simply need the presence and influence of men.
Yes, there are single parents, but at what point in time were there
not? Our new paradigm must focus on our emerging adults, because for
nearly two generations, we have focused on grown folks, while ignoring
the diminishing conditions of our youth. Mentoring must be the order
of the day for those of us without children, so that single parent
households can still provide nurturing from male and female adults
to foster healthy young men and women.
Our new paradigm should involve rebuilding the schools in our communities,
instead of fleeing those schools to take our brainpower and our dollars
to other communities. No vouchers for private schools, but a commitment
to chastise local government to improve educational facilities in
our own communities until they adequately prepare our children for
college.
We can rebuild our schools and other services for our community when
we become politically active in ways beyond party allegiances. We
must make demands based on what we need and deliver our support to
the party or candidates who make intrinsic overtures to us.
But first, we need to re-unify ourselves. That new paradigm must include
changing our minds about each other, to paraphrase Malcolm X.
We must return to the t-shirts with powerful messages of "Black
Is Beautiful," "I Love Being Black," and "Black
Power." They never should have gone out of style. While wearing
those t-shirts, we have to re-embrace the things that are truly beautiful
about us.
Black men who feel the hate and anger coming from too many Black women
must realize that those women are not speaking for all Black women.
We must remain committed to finding and loving the sisters who still
love us.
Black women who still love Black men have to spread that love as quickly
as others spread their divisive disdain for their brothers. We have
to defend and protect each other.
Black men have to honestly review the horrible things being said about
us to face the ones that ring of truth and put in the work required
to turn those truths into lies.
Black women who talk about how horrible all Black men are, have to
realize that such a movement will backfire when it becomes fashionable
to hate Black women. And don't be fooled, that style always comes
and goes. Our love for each other can make it look silly when people
are wearing the current hate.
Our new paradigm must include real braintrusts, where our best minds
meet to discuss the issues and deliver recommendations to the masses.
The new paradigm I've outlined here is not from some wistful dream
conjured and ensconced in my head. This paradigm is from a real Black
America prior to integration. Yes, I am advocating re-integration.
The best part of integration can not be taken away, especially if
we recollect ourselves. That part includes the right to eat, walk
and live anywhere and the right to be left the hell alone. We now
have to build upon the movement that halted at the end of the sixties.
We need a new paradigm. To find the best one, we have only to revisit
our past.
