For the very first video in my Community Connections series, I was able to spend some time with Ms. Elaine Brown, the first and only Chairwoman of the Black Panther Party.
It was amazing to be in the presence of an elder, activist, and historical icon whose mission in life is to liberate our people. I was amazed at the fact that many of her talking points are many of my own.
It gave me the extra encouragement needed to continue on the good fight of mobilizing and organizing our people to rebuild our communities and uplift each other.
I hope that listening to the wise words of our elder will encourage you to be an activist and participate in our liberation too.
I received a lot of comments stating that my opinion and stance is wrong. That the Black community did try but was knocked down too many times to count. That our leaders and men and women were killed, imprisoned, or drugged. That we have no financial fortitude or assets to build for ourselves. That all we can truly be focused on is survival. I was even called self hating and a part of the problem. And that I failed to answer the question posed: will whiteness ever be independent and self sufficient from Black oppression?
My answer to that question was and still is I am not sure. And that still remains true today. That never stopped us before, so why should it stop us now. But after talking to my husband, he graciously reminded me that although Black Wall Street was attacked, our people rebuilt their community. So what was the ultimate demise of Black Wall Street? Desegregation or in other words, integration. The idea that white was right. The idea that our communities weren’t good enough although they were ours. The idea that black little boys and girls walking hand in hand with white little boys and girls was the American dream. Even MLK admitted that that dream might’ve actually been a nightmare.
All of the reasons posed as to why our community struggles to liberate ourselves seem satisfactory on the surface. Until you really start to examine the true issue. We lack accountability and responsibility. As long as we continue to perpetuate victimhood, we can continue to sit back and complain about our current situation. We can clamor about problems rather than strategize real solutions. We can operate with the idea that America, Britain, Spain, Portugal, and any other nation that profited off of our oppression owes us something. And let me also state that I don’t disagree that we are owed. We are owed everything that we lost upon our ancestors being taken from our homeland and forced to assimilate to another man’s nation. But that does not give us a pass to sit back and wait for what we think we deserve and continue to let others and each other tear up our communities and leave them destroyed.
Maybe I’d agree with the statement that it can’t be done, but a historical icon, revolutionary, and the first and only chairwoman of the Black Panther Party, Ms Elaine Brown said it best.
What then is our excuse? She witnessed her friends and leaders beaten, imprisoned, and murdered yet she has dedicated her entire adult life to the liberation of our people.
Right now she is working on an $80 million affordable housing development right in Oakland, CA to provide housing to low income and no income individuals in the community.
If at 81 she’s able to continue this good work after all she’s experienced and seen, what then is our excuse? It doesn’t seem like she’s allowed fear to stop her as some like to say is the reason we can’t rebuild today.
That’s why we’re aiming to rebuild our communities. Take back that responsibility and hold each other accountable. We say hey we can raise the funds needed to make our communities better. We can provide free groceries and meals to our people who need help. We’re done being victims. And in the words of my iconic elder, this is survival pending revolution.
In closing, I’d like to end with one last question.
If you love your people and community the way you say you do, what have you done for them?
Learn how to get involved
Oakland and the World Enterprises: www.oaklandandtheworld.org
The Love Notes Treasury: www.givetoreceive.love
The Almighty's House of Restorative Services: www.ahrs.life
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