By Summer Rayne

When Barack Obama was elected this past November, a sense of pride flourished throughout the Black community that hadn’t been felt since the Civil Rights Movement. Many of my friends, associates and even elders I know vowed to “do better”, all in the name of pride and inspiration, courtesy of witnessing the first Black president to take office. But no later than the ink was dry on Obama’s White House contract, everyone reverted to their previous mindsets and stagnant behaviors that continue to permeate urban communities.

I am not referring to crime, but the selfish mentality behind it. I am not referring to carelessness and promiscuity, but the ignorant mentality that furthers it. I am not referring to poverty, lack of education/vocational skills, lack of financial knowledge, neglectful parenting, misogynistic Hip-Hop music or any other problems that can be found on the common laundry list we refer to when we discuss “what’s wrong” in our communities.  The real source of these issues is us.

I say that because, as a Black woman, I’ve watched friends and family fail to seize honest opportunities at achieving their goals and realizing their own potential. I myself have sat on the sidelines instead of fighting for what I believe in or fulfilling a passion. I became a spectator rather than a participant in life. Unfulfilled desires and missed opportunities lead me to ask, What happened to Black folks and the American dream? When did we stop striving for ourselves, by ourselves?

Many feel that now that a Black president is in office, our prayers as a race have been answered. Barack Obama is a politician. He is an excellent role model, a prolific speaker and a highly intelligent man. I commend him on his bravery to accept this position with so much pressure to improve the country so quickly and there is no doubt that he is giving best efforts. With that in mind, this “savior” search troubles me. Are we still waiting to be saved by someone/something other than ourselves? I pray that my brothers and sisters are wiser and more mature than this. We all know that old adage, “if you want something done right, you must do it yourself.” We come from a long history of getting the job done right by ourselves. Why don’t we take this same aggressive approach in our own personal lives regarding such matters as finance, career, education, family, relationships and love?

 Case in point: I have a dear neighbor who is also a working mother. She is skilled in makeup application, fashion styling and manicuring without any formal training. After a series of unfulfilling jobs and confessing to others numerous times her nagging desire to work in the beauty industry part-time, she has yet to share her gift with the world.

It may not make her wealthy immediately, but I can think of at least several ways that would benefit her greatly if she started a small business based on her natural talents.

I don’t blame her, though. When everyone else who looks like you is afraid to take a risk, why should you? Does she remain temporarily stagnant simply because she wants to? Or is she simply aware that if she should desire to go after her dreams, her own community will not support, or at best make excuses as to why they ignore her offerings (i.e.: prices to high, don’t trust community businesses, scared to risk trying new goods/services, etc.)

Some of our world’s most celebrated role models (activists, musicians, politicians, artists, writers, businessman, teachers and scholars) are prime examples of how sheer self-determination, unflinching tenacity and an unwavering belief in oneself can take you farther in life than you ever imagined. And the beautiful truth to this is that most of those examples have come from our community.

When will we be unafraid to support each other and stand behind honest businesses, services and goods? When will we stop blaming everyone else and start being brave? When will be unafraid of our strength and share with the world our talents, dreams, ideas, intelligence and beliefs? When we will understand that we’ll never progress culturally, spiritually, personally or professionally if we continue to buy tickets to watch the show of life instead of investing in our own performance? The time is now. Use your mind to be better at all times.

 The opinion expressed in the above editorial do not necessarily express those of Planet Ill or its assigns

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