Culture, like God and Love, is among the most active of verbs, not a noun. For subordinated, abused sub-populations within a nation, i.e., America’s slave class, among its other functions, Culture establishes Values, Aspirational Vision and Behavioral Expectations so that the entire group is more likely to survive, thrive, achieve freedom, define themselves in the national environment, and more likely to pass success tenets on to ensuing generations.
Martin’s 1963 Dream speech was based on his assumption that the African American Culture would remain viable and drive Black advancements even more significantly as the doors of opportunity were thrust open. He hoped we would return home from DC and get work more diligently as he enjoined us to do. Within four years, his disappointment was obvious.
In 1967, Martin lamented: “Where Do We Go From Here — Chaos or Community?” He stated: “This is no time for empty debates about freedom, but a time for action, a strategy for change, for a tactical program that will bring us into the mainstream of American life as quickly as possible. If not, we will end up with solutions that don’t solve, answers that don’t answer and explanations that don’t explain.”
Martin was asking leaders to put a Plan with the Dream. A Vision, the Dream, without the Way, a Plan, leaves the poor in despair and easily exploited. Martin’s plea went unheeded; no plan was formulated and generations have been lost.
The scrupulous and the just, the noble, humane, the devoted natures, the unselfish and the intelligent may begin a movement – but it passes away from them. They are not the leaders of a revolution. They are its victims. (Joseph Conrad)
By the 70s, the Culture as an action-based, prescriptive, conservative mandate was becoming disconnected from “I Have a Dream” as mere words. While the Culture remained viable for the Black Americans who gained an education, escaped poverty and emigrated from mean environments, it no longer prevailed across all the people. The lower elements, in terms of opportunities for advancing in education and income, began to stall and continue to do so today.
The African-Americans who made their way into mainstream America before desegregation , and were successful, had not been prepared specifically for competition with white people in “White America,” but rather for excellence in leadership and service within Black communities.
But in the 70s, in attempting to forge an African-American Culture that was distinct and exclusive from the White-American Culture, we discarded cultural components that were also African, African-American and International elements for success.
Simultaneously, there was a reduction in the use of self-reliance as the primary cultural force to overcome the vestiges of slavery in favor of blame-laying, excuse-making, and expectations for government deliverance. The transformation was subtle, insidious, powerful, self-perpetuating and quite destructive to the advancement especially of those in the lower elements.
Seeking success, redemption and vindication through self-reliance does not preclude condemnation of those guilty of crimes against the people. The difference for progress rides upon which dominates. When blame-laying, revenge-seeking, and waiting for handouts dominate, and are accompanied by a personalized view, as opposed to a group dynamic, power and control shift from real victims to race charlatans and “other” perpetrators of harm.
Societies’ leaders – minority and majority – laws, and institutions create misery for the least among us, not nature or genetics, or God. If the problems were controlled inexorably by genetics, ethnicity, or gender, then one would not be able to find similar kinds of children performing at drastically wide levels of success, depending on their families, geographic locations, communities, schools, churches, asset developmental programs, mentors and role-models, or their own personal diligence.
Like Lowell, I ask, “Have WE guided the gory fingers of Slavery, that earth born Cyclops, that most evil of the giant brood, to where our helpless children play TODAY?”
Racism, including “Institutional Racism,” and all other kinds of biases discriminate among people who look just alike on the surface, i.e., Black and female. But as we move upward from the uneducated toward their racial and gender counterparts with higher levels of personal preparation, racism, poverty, and discrimination are less and less harmful, even irrelevant.
Entities and individuals should take pride in any programs that are fostering improvements in children’s conditions in local levels. Continue the work and celebrate the victories. But you must also assess Globally, i.e., state and national levels, and look keenly among our lowliest to determine whether the bottom is moving up and driving up the average or whether just the top is improving in outcomes.
Note that the poverty rate for Black children is about 40%, up from 35 % in 2009. And for Black children under five-years-old, the percentage below the poverty line is nearly 50%.
For the Racism/Bias Equation to work in current times, potential “victims” must continue to perform certain negative acts or fail to perform certain positive acts. This is a serious matter for consideration by reformers and activists.
