Togetherness

Recently talked with a friend of mine who lamented on the lack of unity among our people. Truth be told, I have to agree with him. I simply have a different take on the situation. Has anyone noticed that out of all of the different groups there are in America, only us as Afrikans have a totally fragmented existence. Northern Afrikans are distinctly different from Southern Afrikans. Eastern Afrikans are different from Western Afrikans. Afrikans that are 40 years old or older have a completely different mindset than those younger.

There are many reasons for this, but I choose to take it all the way back to our slave heritage. Unlike our Caucasian neighbors, we didn't come here in groups. We came here like luggage, with bags of all different types thrown together. We never had the chance to develop distinct cultural identities. Instead, we learned to coexist with each other and pass along this supposed homogeneity to our offspring. Even a casual glance at the continent of Africa will evidence a hodgepodge of different cultures even physical features. We, on the other hand, all look essentially the same. Sure some of us are lighter, some heavier, etc, but for the most part you can tell an Afrikan from here from an African from there fairly easily.

So why the difference? Its because like the old adage, water only rises to its natural level. Some of us are standing in ankle deep water, while some of us are drowning. We try to lead the blind out of darkness but sometimes darkness is comforting. If I stay in the dark, no one can see just how ignorant I really am. If I maintain this job and pay all my bills, then I'm okay, never once giving thought that the purpose of work is to not have to work eventually. We don't think high enough. We are content to let all other groups be at the forefront. We relegate ourselves to being eternal consumers. We place more value on buying the rims than selling the car. Even if we do make a "come up" by whatever means, we spend it rather than invest it. I know that bills have to be paid, what I'm referring to is disposable income. An extra $2000 instantly makes the average one of us think about flatscreen tv's or maybe dvd player for the backseat of the car, even if we don't have children to sit back there and watch it.

I have become convinced that it is my job to raise the bar. It is my job to pull the blinders off those of my people that want to listen. Of those that don't want to listen, I can only hope that the work that we put it will benefit them in the long run. In Islam it is said that only a small group of people can make a change. Let me be the first one.