Social Unrest and US Elections are over… Now What for Black America?

Nov 15, 2020 News

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A Roadmap to Empowerment
Contributors: Queen Mother Nan Dannon Sechemin,
Glenville Ashby, Ph.D.

The cry of “Black Lives Matter” reverberated after the tortuous death of George Floyd, Jr., at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Podcasts, major newspapers and television broadcasts responded by providing expansive coverage of the global protests. The overriding theme centered on the next chapter for Black America. And now with the US elections over, many ask, “Is there a clear response?”
No doubt, much needs to be done to improve the lives of black Americans. This we believe is realizable only through education, as expressed in the African adage: “The key to the future is knowledge of the past.”
Scholars have long written about our collective amnesia regarding our past.

Paleoanthropologists regard Africa as the oldest body of land occupied by humans. Fossils unearthed on the continent by anthropologists reflect the fact that humans occupied Africa 7,000,000 years ago. Our past – our history – spans far beyond anything we can imagine. Sadly, the glory of the past and the disempowered state of blacks today beg enquiry.
Our present lot is littered with poverty, single-parent families, drug addiction, high rates of abortion and the use of the self-deprecatory, self-hating terms, such as the N-word that, with all deliberate speed must permanently retire from our vocabulary, song lyrics, song titles, album titles, poetry, and anywhere else it is being verbalized or displayed.
It is neither hip nor cool. It destroys self-esteem and anchors debilitating constructs, such as victimhood, into the subconscious.
In the area of economics, we have failed. Sorely, money management and industry have not been part of our cultural vocabulary.
Although African Americans constitute 14 percent of the population in the United States, they spend approximately US$1 trillion annually, money that is not turned around at least once in the community before it leaves. What are we collectively spending money on? Hair care in the United States is a US$4.2 billion industry and African Americans spend approximately US$473,000,000 for hair care products; US$151,000,000 on what is categorized as “luxury, nonessential products” – women’s fragrances, while US$4,000,000 is spent on children’s cologne. Imagine how economically sustainable our communities would be if just one percent of their annual expenditure is circulated within our communities annually?
Supporting black-owned businesses could revitalize our ailing communities. We could drastically reduce unemployment and poverty. We could transform vacant lots that are currently occupied with trash and debris into urban gardens that yield fruits and vegetables, and so much. Creating and accumulating wealth and opportunities for the next generation is imperative.
Our children must have a reason for being, “the will to meaning,” as a famous existentialist once said. We cannot rely solely on schools and teachers to educate our children. Teaching our children the alphabet, the numeric system, and how to read, spell, and write before they enter kindergarten or first grade cannot be over-emphasized.
Educational institutions of our choice must engage our children in art, literature, foreign languages, African history, Caribbean history, American history, music, mathematics, information technology, science and business.
Our children must be taught to respect boundaries and the rights of others. They must learn the rules of social and business engagement and be introduced to other cultures, ethnicities, and religions.
We must set rising expectations for our children with the understanding that these expectations will be met. Educating our children must be a collaborative effort among parents, educators, and school administrators. Homework must be reviewed each night. Test scores must be monitored. Our children must know that they can rely on their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to discuss any issue. It is the responsibility of adults to avail themselves, to listen and provide counsel.
Embracing these guidelines will go a long way to helping the African Diaspora heal the wounds of the Maafa. It will bring about empowerment. Our destiny is in our hands. In our hands alone.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Feedback: [email protected] or follow him on Twitter@glenville
Queen Mother Nan Dannon Sechemin is an American author, publisher of ‘Fatherhood, Criminal Justice Reform,’ and a Prison Reform Advocate who has facilitated a Global Fatherhood Dialogue (http://globalfatherhooddialogue.blogspot.com).
She can be reached at: [email protected].
Dr Glenville Ashby is a New York-based psychotherapist and author.

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