Though quite a few of our issues parallel the national ones, I believe that most of the solutions for our issues lie within our own community.
Education: We know our schools tend to be not as well financed as they should be. This effects the quality of the education our kids get. White schools get computers, new books, top notch facilities, etc. We get old computers if any, books don't get replaced, and our schools facilities don't get properly maintained. This effects the mind set and efficiency of both the students and teachers making learning a much harder activity.
How do we get around it? The same way our people originally did: teach ourselves. Set up our own schools. Home school our own children. Get our kids off the Nintendos and into libraries and book stores. Expose them to things outside of what the popular media wants them to see.
Case in point, I know people who have NEVER been outside their state, let alone the country. What kind of mind set will the next generation have if they can't envision themselves outside of their own neighborhood?
Financial Literacy: This can really go under education but I think its a large enough subject to stand on its own. How many our people don't even know how to balance a checkbook, let alone make decisions regarding credit, home financing, investments, etc.? We need to adopt a mindset that reflects the need to not only make money, but to also handle it wisely. We need to get off the "get rich quick" mentality and adopt an old money mindset. Old money gets passed down for generations. Our inheritances are usually just debt and old cars. We have to start thinking in terms of legacies so that our children don't have to constantly start from square one with each generation.
Entrepreneurship: Black Wall Street is probably the best example of what happens when our community decides to say to hell with the white mans shit and decides to build and support its own. Unfortunately in the past whenever we start doing well THEY come in and fuck it up. Now we're in the habit of not trying to work with each other. Its time to get back to building and maintaining strong businesses in our community. We have to go back to recirculating our dollars within our communities more than once. As we do that our businesses become more successful, the prices in those businesses start to fall, and the community reflects the infusion of wealth.
Religion: I don't know how it is in your city but in the Chicago area, in the worst neighborhoods you'll find at least 3 storefront churches on every block. Our churches used to be a place of strength and refuge, places of unity. Now, a large chunk of them are businesses run by unscrupulous con men with no REAL concern over anything except $$$. This is religion at its worst. We need to get away from religion and get back into relationship with God.
To those who don't believe in God, I'm not going to debate this with you. God can argue with you a lot better than I can.
Politics: Lets stop waiting on white politicians to do for us and start supporting local, honest black politicians. I don't ever make the assumption that white politicians have our needs in mind. I generally don't think even black politicians do. But I have met and talked to some who do make a difference for US. Support them when you can and dialog with them when possible. How many of us actually write to, call, or go speak face to face to their state rep, alderman, or city trustee? The more they see us and hear our issues the more responsive they become. If they don't you know who NOT to elect.
BTW, I have met 1 or 2 good white politicians, but given a choice I would rather throw my support behind someone who understands and sympathizes with our issues.
Anyway, I hear Colin tipping up in the room so I think I better stop now.
