The Divide Among Black Leadership
Eric E. Jenkins
March 12, 2010
During the Civil Rights Era of the late 1960´s, there was a divide within black America that seems to continue to this day. During that era, there was one segment of black society who, under the leadership of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, believed in the premise of stand up and be counted and do not allow yourself be ignored by White America. The other segment, which rose to leadership after the deaths of Martin & Malcolm, which lead with an ethos of because African-Americans were an oppressed people, get everything that you feel that White America owes you. This difference in beliefs seems to exist today and centers on the existence of America´s first black President of the United States.
It is no secret that the country is in the second year of the first term of the first African-American President in United States history. With the first black president, expectedly, came some dissension among those who refer to themselves as black leaders. There are those who feel that President Obama should focus as much or more of his attention on the issues of black America as he does anything else, thus forging his legacy as the man who dealt with the issues of black America. On the other hand, there are those who feel that the President should treat all issues equally, thus forging his legacy as one of the great presidents of all time, regardless of color, and therein lies the divide.
Lately, many of the individuals who forge their reputations as being the voices for the issues concerning black America, have been speaking out on what they feel that the President should be doing on certain issues, and how they feel that the President should be approached with regards to these issues. Some feel that this President, as with any President, should be reminded of, and made to understand the problems of black society. In one commentary, it was said that if this president was not an African-American, Civil Rights Activists would be bombarding this administration with requests for conversations and suggestions for bills to be made into law that would address the problems that African-Americans are facing today. In another commentary, it was implied that, because the President is himself an African-American, he is already aware of these issues, and thus, does not need to be made aware of the issues, therefore, according to the initial commentator, being given a pass on these issues that a white President would not be afforded, and that this does a disservice to black America by not addressing these issues with the same intensity.
The fact of the matter is that there will always be dissenting opinions, particularly where black America is concerned. There are those who favor the Welfare system and those who feel that it demeans African-Americans and undermines the family unit. There are those who favor Affirmative Action and those who feel that it simply gives African-Americans another reason to be lazy, feeling that things will be given to them simply on the basis of color, so there is no real reason to put forth the extra effort. Upon whichever side of the argument an individual sits, one thing is clear; as long as there is no consensus regarding the course of action needed to address the issues facing black America, the issues themselves will be confused, as will the people who have allowed the "leaders" to act on their behalves.
It is no secret that the country is in the second year of the first term of the first African-American President in United States history. With the first black president, expectedly, came some dissension among those who refer to themselves as black leaders. There are those who feel that President Obama should focus as much or more of his attention on the issues of black America as he does anything else, thus forging his legacy as the man who dealt with the issues of black America. On the other hand, there are those who feel that the President should treat all issues equally, thus forging his legacy as one of the great presidents of all time, regardless of color, and therein lies the divide.
Lately, many of the individuals who forge their reputations as being the voices for the issues concerning black America, have been speaking out on what they feel that the President should be doing on certain issues, and how they feel that the President should be approached with regards to these issues. Some feel that this President, as with any President, should be reminded of, and made to understand the problems of black society. In one commentary, it was said that if this president was not an African-American, Civil Rights Activists would be bombarding this administration with requests for conversations and suggestions for bills to be made into law that would address the problems that African-Americans are facing today. In another commentary, it was implied that, because the President is himself an African-American, he is already aware of these issues, and thus, does not need to be made aware of the issues, therefore, according to the initial commentator, being given a pass on these issues that a white President would not be afforded, and that this does a disservice to black America by not addressing these issues with the same intensity.
The fact of the matter is that there will always be dissenting opinions, particularly where black America is concerned. There are those who favor the Welfare system and those who feel that it demeans African-Americans and undermines the family unit. There are those who favor Affirmative Action and those who feel that it simply gives African-Americans another reason to be lazy, feeling that things will be given to them simply on the basis of color, so there is no real reason to put forth the extra effort. Upon whichever side of the argument an individual sits, one thing is clear; as long as there is no consensus regarding the course of action needed to address the issues facing black America, the issues themselves will be confused, as will the people who have allowed the "leaders" to act on their behalves.
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