Let’s make a resolution that we will not fall into the emotional trap of blaming “the man.” Both personal and institutional racism will ultimately have to be overcome by black achievement. We have got to personally pay the price to be in positions of authority that set the direction of the nation. We will have to save ourselves by fighting for personal success that affects our community. In other words, if I am a businessman, I must understand that I have both an economic mission and a cultural assignment to create good jobs, wealth, and influence.
When I was 12 years old, my father sat me down and proclaimed, “Son, I am going to send you to a private school from grades 7 to 12. As a result I will not have enough money to give you an inheritance. I am giving your inheritance to you now by way of your schooling.”
These were heavy words to a young black kid raised exclusively in ghetto schools. All my father wanted in return was that I would become the best I could be at whatever profession I chose. I specifically remember him saying that I could be a janitor, a construction worker, a doctor, or a lawyer but he wanted me to promise to be the best that I could be.
I hate to admit that I have let my father down on quite a few occasions. On the other hand, his visionary investment during a time of racial unrest due to riots, the Vietnam War, and other socially traumatic upheavals helped guide me to attend the finest schools and pursue a standard of excellence to which many of my peers never aspired.
When I was growing up, my mother and father often said that a black person had to be twice as good to go half as far in their professional life. This mindset was not depressing to them. In a strange way it was a motivator. They said, “I am going to be the best I can be!” They worked with the confidence that their kids would live in a better America --- an America that would be enriched by their contribution. They intuitively knew that government answers hardly ever trickle down to the personal level quickly enough to change a person’s life.
It’s time for the black community to raise the bar on personal achievement and investment in the next generation. Today’s black community is just comfortable enough that it has lost the cutting edge of drive and determination to change America’s cultural and racial landscape. James Brown’s death this week reminded me of a statement he popularized, “I am black and I am proud.” This statement begs the question, “What action is this generation of blacks taking to say --- I am black and I am proud?” Let’s make this our New Year’s resolution.