Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Who Will Lead Black Americans?
Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, when you ask who will lead Black Americans; I ask, lead to what?
Black Americans are not a block of people malnourished in leadership.
It’s time for a paradigm shift with regard to “Black” leadership. I don’t deny that it only takes one person to initiate change, or set the right example, or that leaders exist, or that leaders are useful. The idea that it’s up to those that choose to stand out, those that are outspoken, those that are famous, or any “those” you can name to take up the “cause--whatever the cause is” is flawed and has to be eradicated. Further it may be leaving too many feeling helpless, or have them waiting, or have them sitting on the sidelines when they are powerful and can take action to change their circumstances now.
Leaders rarely accomplish anything alone, and too often leaders received credit for success that is not warranted. Again, I acknowledge leadership exists and the significant difference a great leader can make, but to the point of moving an entire culture, or block of people, no one leader or group of leaders will do. The voices of “we the people” are too diverse in opinion for that. The actions, ambitions, and conduct of “we the people” are too diverse for that.
In asking the question, Kareem clearly assumes that “Black Americans” must be led. The assumption is wrong. The sooner you, me, him, and her, break away from that mindset the better.
“Black Americans” are going to continue to do what we have been doing, surviving, thriving, failing, loving, hating, building, stealing, assimilating to popular culture, failing to assimilate with popular culture, creating, etc ... and basically living as every other “group” of Americans do. Black Americans, as every other group of people in America need and desire fair public policy, fair appropriation of resources, opportunity, security, and good governance. It’s a fact that public policy has been an obstacle to progress for Black people in the past. Exceptional people of various races and genders worked to remove public policy obstacles for all people and genders. No one leader or person did that and it happened over time. We the people are still struggling to achieve the objectives seek whether it’s the debate over marriage equality, privacy rights, gender discrimination, unfair lending practices, or any other issue of the day. Our opinions and views will never be in complete synchronization. We lead ourselves, and people of like mind and opinion engage to produce the changes they seek. Leadership is not the problem. The problem is when too many choose to remain on the sidelines. The problem is when too many feel helpless and hopeless. The problem is when too many don’t believe the system works. The problem is when the system doesn’t work. The problem is when a drug epidemic and sentencing laws handicap an entire generation. The problem is when people choose a criminal lifestyle over a legal one. The problem is when people charged with governance execute their duties intentionally focusing policy efforts to the benefit of the few or special interests instead of the general good of the public. The problem is when people charged with determining employment make a choice to discriminate based on name, race, gender, or sexual orientation. The problem is when people with a large circle of influence and platform assert that Black people uniquely require leaders.
It’s cliche and true, and still worth stating. The United States today is a better place for all citizens than it was just 150 years ago, and yes, there is and will always be opportunities to improve the United States.
It’s not cliche, but true, and worth stating to execute the point. It’s a fact that today some Black people don’t take advantage of the opportunities presented. It’s unlikely that there will be a point in which every Black citizen is a successful and productive member of society. No racially identified group of people in the United States will ever be able to claim that every member of the identified group is a productive member of society. Instead of focusing on the false assumption that Black Americans are lacking in leadership, we should be focused on what every United States citizen can do to improve the country.
Americans need everyone in the game. Everyone is needed to help United States reach its full potential and maintain its status in the world.
Four suggestions for every citizen:
1. Turnout to vote and pay attention to politics and policy, especially on the local level. I don’t blame the voters for not voting, surely if better candidates pursued office turnout would improve. However, if you don’t like the candidates, cast a ballot for the best of the choices available, or better yet, become a candidate yourself. The idea that nothing will change so you choose not to vote is self-defeating and self-fulfilling.
2. Accept yourself, not everyone is going to like you. Respect and opportunity are enough. When respect is not given, demand it. When opportunities are withheld, create the opportunity. While it may hurt to not have the opportunity you desire, working to ensure the next man or woman of the next generation does is not a bad thing.
3. The idea of getting out of the hood, the ghetto, or trailer park --- “making it out” --- has to be reversed. I get it, and at the moment I am “out” and chose to leave seeking an opportunity to travel and see parts of the world I had not before. I have plans to go back to my hometown post retirement and begin again. Time will tell if my plan comes to fruition, or, if I put my money where my mouth is. I understand why those who grew up like me want out. However, it is time to consider finding ways to invest (time or money) into underfunded resources that make a difference --- schools, recreation centers, job training programs in poor communities. Further, when everyone with potential and skill “makes it out” those with malice intentions left behind are free to run rampant without balance. There are reasons to move, and there are reasons to stay, it's a personal choice. A friend of mine posted to Facebook:
Four suggestions for every citizen:
1. Turnout to vote and pay attention to politics and policy, especially on the local level. I don’t blame the voters for not voting, surely if better candidates pursued office turnout would improve. However, if you don’t like the candidates, cast a ballot for the best of the choices available, or better yet, become a candidate yourself. The idea that nothing will change so you choose not to vote is self-defeating and self-fulfilling.
2. Accept yourself, not everyone is going to like you. Respect and opportunity are enough. When respect is not given, demand it. When opportunities are withheld, create the opportunity. While it may hurt to not have the opportunity you desire, working to ensure the next man or woman of the next generation does is not a bad thing.
3. The idea of getting out of the hood, the ghetto, or trailer park --- “making it out” --- has to be reversed. I get it, and at the moment I am “out” and chose to leave seeking an opportunity to travel and see parts of the world I had not before. I have plans to go back to my hometown post retirement and begin again. Time will tell if my plan comes to fruition, or, if I put my money where my mouth is. I understand why those who grew up like me want out. However, it is time to consider finding ways to invest (time or money) into underfunded resources that make a difference --- schools, recreation centers, job training programs in poor communities. Further, when everyone with potential and skill “makes it out” those with malice intentions left behind are free to run rampant without balance. There are reasons to move, and there are reasons to stay, it's a personal choice. A friend of mine posted to Facebook:
Permission to be serious for a moment.....watching an aerial shot on CNN of people marching and protesting injustice in my old hood has hit a nerve that I never thought existed. I was born and raised in the Gilmor Homes/Sandtown area. However, I made a decision at an early age to make sure that the world I grew up in as a child would be a distant memory to me as an adult. I did make that happen but if I'm being completely honest with myself, what I REALLY did is forget where I came from. Instead of using my resources to uplift my hood, I turned my back on it. The level of guilt that I've been feeling these past few days is unexplainable. Luckily I'm young enough to still right my wrong
A substantial amount of us that grew up in poverty fail to use our resources to invest (time or money) or return to the poverty stricken neighborhoods from which we came. Often, this is due to the individual that made it out is just barely maintaining their life "out" and are a year or less, or a lost job away from falling back into poverty. However, there are plenty that have made it out, have a reasonable amount of resources, and view going back from the wrong perspective. A famous rapper stated:
He means he felt he couldn't live around the poor people in which he grew up with because he became rich, but what if it wasn’t just him. What if he was willing to start a business or purchase and renovate homes, and offer them for rent to low income families. Greenwood, a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of the most successful and wealthiest American communities in the United States during the early 20th Century, until domestic terrorists attacked in 1921. The terrorist attack was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S., destroying the once thriving Greenwood community. Within five years after the domestic terrorist attack, surviving residents who chose to remain in Tulsa rebuilt much of the district. They accomplished this despite the opposition from many of Tulsa’s political and business class. It resumed being a vital community until segregation was overturned by the Federal Government during the 1950s and 1960s. Desegregation encouraged many to see what they were missing and live and shop outside of Greenwood, causing Greenwood to lose much of its original vitality. Blatant political or business class in opposition to community development does not exist today. Simply put, it's a risky investment, and profitability will be initially low. Thus we need people to make the choice based on more than a reasonable return of profit.
4. You must take care of your family first, “take care of home”. Focus on being a productive member of society and raising your children to do the same regardless of income level. A famous former NBA player stated, “I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.” I disagree, he could be role model, and I agree with the overall point, just because he or she is a famous, or a sports star doesn’t mean they should raise children that are not theirs. We must make responsible decisions and deal with the consequences of our decisions. Planned or unplanned, take care of your family.
Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, Black Americans don’t have a leadership problem. Black Americans, just as every other group of Americans have choices to make and choices have consequences.
What can I do? where can I go? All my life I’ve grown around black people and poor people. But I can’t live around black people now because they will rob me. And why will they rob me? Because they are starving cause[sic] there’s no money here.
He means he felt he couldn't live around the poor people in which he grew up with because he became rich, but what if it wasn’t just him. What if he was willing to start a business or purchase and renovate homes, and offer them for rent to low income families. Greenwood, a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of the most successful and wealthiest American communities in the United States during the early 20th Century, until domestic terrorists attacked in 1921. The terrorist attack was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S., destroying the once thriving Greenwood community. Within five years after the domestic terrorist attack, surviving residents who chose to remain in Tulsa rebuilt much of the district. They accomplished this despite the opposition from many of Tulsa’s political and business class. It resumed being a vital community until segregation was overturned by the Federal Government during the 1950s and 1960s. Desegregation encouraged many to see what they were missing and live and shop outside of Greenwood, causing Greenwood to lose much of its original vitality. Blatant political or business class in opposition to community development does not exist today. Simply put, it's a risky investment, and profitability will be initially low. Thus we need people to make the choice based on more than a reasonable return of profit.
4. You must take care of your family first, “take care of home”. Focus on being a productive member of society and raising your children to do the same regardless of income level. A famous former NBA player stated, “I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.” I disagree, he could be role model, and I agree with the overall point, just because he or she is a famous, or a sports star doesn’t mean they should raise children that are not theirs. We must make responsible decisions and deal with the consequences of our decisions. Planned or unplanned, take care of your family.
Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, Black Americans don’t have a leadership problem. Black Americans, just as every other group of Americans have choices to make and choices have consequences.
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