By: Corey Nash
Apparently it’s over for White Supremacy. So are we still fighting against White Supremacy? If White Supremacy is no longer the looming threat that it was, maybe we don’t need to spend so much time investigating White Supremacy to prove that it’s real. This country is entering a new age of understanding. The people of America have an opportunity to evolve our understanding of what it means to be accepting and tolerant of other cultures. The first thing we can all understand is that White people have been privileged in this country and it actually feels like their reign is soon ending.
While researching some facts to support my opinions in this article, I found the word guileless. Guileless means honest, straightforward and sincere. I’ll be giving a guileless look at how Black America could take space in this country without being viewed as second-class citizens. Our health and wellness as a community is a critical factor as we aspire to move upward within the American society. Our ability to move beyond the Proletariat class will be determined by the quality of our health and wellness as a community.
Our overall community health can be determined by our average physical, mental, financial, and spiritual fitness across the community.
Is Black America ready to move beyond our preoccupation with our own fear and rage as a people? The chip on the shoulders of black folks seems to differ among the age groups. Instead of focusing on our gripes with society, it’s time to define our own ideas of advancement.
The story of Black people in America has been an underdog story for generations. It’s time for Black culture to birth our own rendition of “David and Goliath.” We deserve our own original, Black-Futuristic, profound stories and legendary characters that reinforce our community values while illustrating how to take down a giant. Our mental health can be improved once we know who we are and what we’re capable of accomplishing as a community.
Black People must overcome the need to create a Black version of the White (or European) world. “Black Hollywood” shouldn’t need to compete with Hollywood. Black entertainment deserves to have its own identity, beyond the confines of European constructs and labels. Financial, mental and spiritual fitness will be major for the development of our social constructs as a community.
Our potential as the Black community has remained in question because our community is visibly unhealthy. We have to take inventory of our current priorities and our value system on an individual level. Then we can begin to put the work in towards recognizing the personal changes that need to be made in order to positively contribute to some of the deficits we face when compared to other communities in the realms of financial strength, educational attainment and even family functionality.
According to the US Census Bureau (as of March 2018), the average White family income in America is $89,632 and Latinos are pulling in $68,319. Black people? We’re making only $58,985. These are just average families. This has to be inclusive of our select few that make it to the professional ranks. The average NBA player is making $7.7 million this year. Only 60 new players are drafted into the NBA each year. The medium income for NFL players is $860,000 per year. This income is still a nice chunk of change, but extremely far from the $59,000 that the average Black family brings in. The opportunities to enter into the NBA are limited to about 60 persons per year; an extremely minute opportunity to get close to $7 million a year.
Let’s prioritize how we choose to relate to one another. Our social norms and social practices need a serious overhaul in the community. What happened to dating? What are we actually teaching our kids these days? It feels like our younger generations are being raised by the apps on their devices. Black people need to get back to using their hands and feet for entertainment and transportation. What happened to building bookcases or building birdhouses?
What happened to group bike rides and family camping trips? Let’s figure out how to Make Being Black Great Again. Right now, we’re just the poster children for consumerism and content creation across every social media platform. How about becoming the blueprint for a type of dynasty?
He currently uses his knowledge as a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the greater Los Angeles area.
