America on the Brink

This kind of focused vision, that understands the increments or steps in a larger process, is rooted in the creation story in Genesis 1. Notice how God creates by bringing order to the chaos described in verse two (now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep). God focuses on specific things each day and recognized the good accomplished for the day, even though more work needed to be done. Imagine using these insights to develop a leadership philosophy for the African American community. God brings order and beauty out of chaos in six days. This means God had a clear vision of what needed to be done on each day. God was not confused about or pressed to do more than was possible for the day. More importantly, God paused to see all that was done and celebrated it in its unfinished stage. This is why I believe the black community needs a focused black political agenda that our various organizations and leaders can focus on for a specific period. For me, the black agenda should focus on the criminal justice system, education, and economic reform. This is one example of an agenda where leaders identify outcomes that we collectively focus to meet in the next twenty-five to forty years. We will also have to create mechanisms and occasions to celebrate progress made despite all that is left to do. We cannot wallow only in what has not been done. As a community, we must pause and celebrate the good and use it as inspiration and motivation to continue the work. 3. The Winds In-Fighting and Cultural Strife There is a lot of in-fighting and strife in black communities. It happens during periods of intense confrontation. For example, during times of war, there is something called friendly fire when a soldier or instrument of war accidentally or recklessly kills a member of its own unit. It is tragic going to fight an enemy but being killed by a friendly. This reminds us that just because we are on the same team or a member of the same ethnicity does not mean we are united or that we cannot be hurt by people we are trying to help. Today there is entirely too much toxic in-fighting in black America. Group unity and solidarity among fellow marginalized people are hard to maintain as there are forces from without and within, tearing at the weak fabric of our communities. But we need some modicum of unity and solidarity as a community. Black people are not monolithic and disagreement and ideological diversity are healthy and good. However, there is a narrowness, a form of sectarianism that insists on allegiances to singular leaders, ideas, or approaches to advocacy and public policy that is vilifying people fighting for the same thing. This mindset played itself out all summer and fall on social media as disagreements over how to protest, where to protest, and why to protest a certain way or disagreement among leaders results in someone being labeled a sellout or an Uncle Tom or not black. Such a mindset keeps groups small and closed off from others and destroys effective communication and partnerships, even those trying to fight the same thing. Such in-fighting is inevitable in a racist context because racism reinforces beliefs that can be internalized and employed by the very people who were victimized by racism themselves – dehumanize, label, separate, oppress, etc. But, in the end, it is counterproductive and when combined with radical deconstructionism and

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