As we celebrated what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th birthday, a Facebook memory of mine popped up regarding Dr. King and the Poor People’s Campaign. Of the many movements led by Dr. King, this campaign would have arguably been the most controversial, as the campaign would have called on a set of influencers and embraced a demographic of people outside of his target audience at that time. What Dr. King wanted to accomplish was bigger than Nino Brown—The Poor Peoples Campaign mirrored The Bonus Marchers, the specific difference between the two was that it would’ve helped EVERY American below or just above the poverty line. Shit was definitely lit!
Reading this article, in addition to my quiet observation of the current state of African-American culture and where we stand as it relates to wealth, my mind began wandering, and then a recurring thought came to me: was integration the right move for us as African-Americans? Many of the books I’ve read throughout my life have all, at some point, referenced stores and properties that are both owned and operated by and for African-Americans, but in my reality, that has not always been the case. I can name one business in my immediate neighborhood that I know for certain is black owned, and that’s the local barbershop. Every other store is either African, Asian, Hispanic or Indian owned. By separating African from African American, I only mean they — as a majority of the other business owners in the area — are not from this continent.
The culture barriers that come with that alone are tremendous, as there have been many instances where disagreements occur, simply because we all aren’t accustomed to the language and ways of each other. Yes, we patronage the stores and make small talk, but that’s as far as it goes as a whole. To be frank, they don’t eem know us! Where is the representation to reflect the actual residents of the neighborhood?
While the generations that came before us meant well and fought tirelessly and suffered severely for equal opportunities and integration, I do not believe that they fully understood the impact it would have (or lack thereof) long term. While we have made great strides in the last 50 years, we still have a ways to go. I think that we fought so hard to become integrated that we kinda left us behind. Hear me out!
We conform to their norms as it relates to our hair, the way we dress, the way we talk, our mannerisms, even the way we engage each other when white people are around especially in corporate America. Seldom do they conform or compromise as they engage us.
It is my opinion that taking accountability, destroying and rebuilding the systemic racism that has afforded so many white people the lives they’ve lived for generations in America while leaving us to play catch up … …taking that system and rebuilding it so that it would be fair to everyone is going to take more than my lifetime to undo, and I completely understand that as a black woman. I also understand and am well aware that every white person is not a racist, as this is an irrefutable fact that goes back to the inception of America and is there throughout history for all to see.
Even with that.
America as a whole has not been kind to us, and I do not believe that even with the laws passed, that they ever intended to fully integrate the country in the first place. To the untrained eye, we’ve made the transition, but if you’re really paying attention, you’ll see that there is still a great deal of work to be done.
What can we do?
Well, in my opinion, we should continue to talk about it, but not just talk about it, be about it. We need that representation in our neighborhoods, both in business and real estate. With the help of social media, our generation, right now, in this very moment, is in a position where we can really shake shit up.
We gotta shake shit up.
Word to Dr. King!
Tune in to The Juicebox this Thursday from 6-8PM via Spreaker as we continue this conversation. As always, if you’re unable to tune in or have something to add now, feel free to leave a comment below. I am always open to conversations and perspectives. I ask that you please enlighten me and not mock me, as I do not know it all and am constantly reading and learning (and sometimes relearning) information as it pertains to us as a people.
Y’all be easy!
Peace,
April Bee
The Poor People’s Campaign
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People’s_Campaign
The Bonus Marchers