One of the clearest analogies of the concept of empowerment I have seen to date is the one that tells the story of Donald who always drove on a set route to work every day because it was short and convenient, until one morning he encountered roadwork which delay made him late to work; for us New Yorkers that is a normal event in our lives. On the second morning, simply out of habit he failed to notice the detour signs and again got caught in an unpleasant and interminable delay which earned him a strong reprimand at work for again arriving late. His response to his self-inflicted dilemma was, “it wasn’t my fault, roadwork is taking place all over the city.” Of course his boss’s response was, “Donald, you’ve got to plan, and be prepared for all eventualities, John lives up the street from you, doesn’t he, and he hasn’t been late.” Angry and upset Donald went over to John and asked, “how come you did not get caught in the major traffic jams in our neighborhood? John replied calmly, “the first morning I saw the traffic backup I changed my route and discovered two different ways to get to work.”
At that point Donald realized how unaware he had become, he understood very quickly he had become a creature of habit, blindly following the car before him, relinquishing his agency, and critical thinking abilities.
I have news for you folks, and it is troubling, the real meaning of empowerment is losing meaning in our Black and Brown communities, we mouth it as symbolism, appeasement or simply cliché! Like Donald, we have become unaware, apathetic, (follow-fashion), and down-right blind to the environment around us, if an event affects us adversely, it is easier to blame the system, the politicians, police, and our neighbors for the problem, never us! The last time I attempted to address this issue of “community complicity” in our prevailing decline in legacy building and economic status, I was roundly criticized as being elitist and patriarchal, much like the backlash Bill Cosby experienced after his famous “Pound Cake” speech in 2004. Here is the difference between his point of view and mine, I still live and work in my community, I am not rich or elitist, and my opinions are confirmed every day I spend in my community.
Are you still pondering on the story I shared above, are you mindful of how uncommitted you are to the concept of empowerment, even though you verbalize and amplify it’s value; are you a Donald or a John, are you responsive and aware, or are you still going along with the herd, following the car before you, or are you looking for another route? My daily journey through the neighborhoods I serve gives me an intimate and sometimes uncomfortable insight in the current community consciousness – the zeitgeist if you will; my anecdotal surveys derive from talking to the young, middle aged, service workers, teachers, business people and professionals. These interactions offer an opportunity to listen and learn, and I am convinced, that for Black and Brown communities to take their rightful and respected place in American society – “we must become the change that we want to see happen.” To do that, we must become like John in the story above – we must see the detour signs early, change course, and find new routes to our destination, which is the epitome of empowerment, and that is what empowerment really means, it is a dynamic, not a static process. This means that complacency is not an option, and clear objective strategies must be devised, religious invocations are not working, dependence on the State, or our political leaders are not working, neither is going along to get along; “we must also become the leaders we seek.”
There is no doubt in my mind that unless we respond, and act quickly in reimagining our priorities, history will begin to repeat itself in ways that Gen X’s and Millennial’s are incapable of understanding. Already many of the safeguards earned by the sacrifice of the Great generation and Baby Boomers are being removed, protections enshrined in the Constitution are being eroded, all while too many in the younger generation are oblivious to the crisis. Our Brown Latino/Hispanic brothers much like the Asian – Chinese/East Indian, (model minorities) are experiencing a socio/cultural meltdown as their Status Quo has clashed with the wrecking ball of new immigration policies, reminding them that Sacred Cows are White. This socio/ cultural, socio/economic levelling, if nothing else should accelerate a unification of common interests, an allyship especially among Black people who through blood sacrifice, and martyrdom set the stage for others to attain mobility, who then go on to act as if they are superior.
Yep! It is time to shine, in case you forgot we have models of “good trouble,” Douglas, Garvey, Dubois, Malcolm X, Dr. King, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells and Shirley Chisholm, just to mention a few who did the hard work. They epitomized empowerment – they all saw an obstacle in their way, they either moved it, went around it, or demolished it, at a time when they had little or no rights. We on the other hand still have some legal rights and resources, but more profoundly, we have the benefit of Technology/Artificial Intelligence, a tool that is not only levelling the playing field, it is dramatically changing the power game, and it is available without discrimination. Yes, we have the technology to change the narrative, use it for our benefit and to the benefit of those who are unable to, it is not someone else’s responsibility to empower us, it is an act of self-love to find a new route when the old one is blocked – that’s Empowerment!
