The Black Family Is Struggling, and It’s Not Because of Slavery

[Bert Perry] But if that context is remarkably similar from nation to nation, we cannot ignore that, either.

It’s not. The cultural and historical context is not “remarkably similar” between the Caribbean islands and the U.S.

[Jim]

When a family of 7 can flee Afghanistan [post-Soviet invasion] as refugees with nothing …

Agreed. Even black Africans who come to America often fare better than African-Americans. It’s interesting to note that many African-Americans don’t consider black Africans who are now American citizens truly African-American. Black Africans who are now Americans have a very different culture and mindset than African-Americans.

T Howard wrote:

Even black Africans who come to America often fare better than African-Americans

Why is that, do you think?

[TylerR]

T Howard wrote:

Even black Africans who come to America often fare better than African-Americans

Why is that, do you think?

They don’t share the same cultural and historical context. This affects their lifestyle and mindset.

[T Howard]

Bert Perry wrote:

But if that context is remarkably similar from nation to nation, we cannot ignore that, either.

It’s not. The cultural and historical context is not “remarkably similar” between the Caribbean islands and the U.S.

Well, then, provide some evidence. As I see things, you’ve got the same colonial powers (England especially), the same genetics (west equatorial African), an even harsher version of slavery than most slaves in the U.S. experienced, and poverty that can only charitably described as grinding compared to the U.S. version.

I’ve followed Boyce Watkins for awhile now and like what he’s trying to do for the black community. He promotes what he calls, The Black Wealth Bootcamp. I know he is a controversial figure for many (e.g. he is an advocate for reparations, an acquaintance (but not a follower) of Farrakhan, etc.), but his message of economic empowerment and cooperative economics is solid stuff.

He agrees that family structure is the key to building generational wealth, just as Williams does. He does not kowtow to the democratic party, the public education system, or black elites because he believes they have hurt the black community.

[TylerR]

T Howard wrote:

Even black Africans who come to America often fare better than African-Americans

Why is that, do you think?

It comes down to one word: Hope. Immigrants come to America with the Hope of making a brand new life. Whereas, many African-Americans that are trapped in chronic poverty for several generations see the American dream as a farce. Add to the many stories passed from generation to generation of multiple instances of discrimination along with current examples of discrimination that they experience in many different contexts (employment, housing, education, law enforcement/criminal justice system, government agencies such as Child Protective Services, Friend of the Court), often times it leads to being caught in a survival mentality where one is much more concerned about living day-to-day than planning for the future. Its in those living day-to-day where the bad choices/sins/hustling often takes place. That is the culture and context that I’ve been connected to for 27 or so years of urban ministry. That is why discipleship is wholistic on our context. Not only teaching the Scriptures-whole counsel of God, but also teaching the economic system, financial management and entrepreneuership in order so see at-risk urban families break the cycle of poverty.

Watkins has some things that are going to hurt his followers pretty badly, IMO. One thing that leapt out when I looked at his site is that he’s calling corporate employment a “plantation” and is encouraging people to get off it—when in reality, what a large portion of his audience needs to hear is Dr. Williams’ advice to get a job, any job. Implicitly, he’s discouraging one of the key behaviors of prosperity.

It really illustrates a cultural divide that dates back at least to Booker T. Washington’s disputes with W.E.B. DuBois; Washington believing that as African-Americans learned trades and good character, whites would realize their errors in racism, and DuBois favoring classical education and political activism. It’s an oversimplification for sure, but suffice it to say that a variant of DuBois’ vision seems to be dominant.

In the meantime, immigrants are listening to Booker T. Washington and Walter Williams and getting a job, any job.

[Bert Perry]

Watkins has some things that are going to hurt his followers pretty badly, IMO. One thing that leapt out when I looked at his site is that he’s calling corporate employment a “plantation” and is encouraging people to get off it—when in reality, what a large portion of his audience needs to hear is Dr. Williams’ advice to get a job, any job. Implicitly, he’s discouraging one of the key behaviors of prosperity.

It really illustrates a cultural divide that dates back at least to Booker T. Washington’s disputes with W.E.B. DuBois; Washington believing that as African-Americans learned trades and good character, whites would realize their errors in racism, and DuBois favoring classical education and political activism. It’s an oversimplification for sure, but suffice it to say that a variant of DuBois’ vision seems to be dominant.

In the meantime, immigrants are listening to Booker T. Washington and Walter Williams and getting a job, any job.

I’ve heard of Watkins but haven’t seen or read anything of him yet, but in my experience in Michigan, so many African-Americans have relied on Corporations such as GM, Ford, and Chrysler for their employment or getting a job within the government. Starting a business/being an entrepreneur had never even been on the radar screen for many.

[Bert Perry]

Watkins has some things that are going to hurt his followers pretty badly, IMO. One thing that leapt out when I looked at his site is that he’s calling corporate employment a “plantation” and is encouraging people to get off it—when in reality, what a large portion of his audience needs to hear is Dr. Williams’ advice to get a job, any job. Implicitly, he’s discouraging one of the key behaviors of prosperity.

Watkins encourages the black community to own their own businesses and thus work for themselves and their own communities instead of corporate America (where blacks are often discriminated against). That is what he means by getting off the corporate plantation. He encourages personal savings and investing, and when someone spends money to do so within the black community to keep the money within the community and to build wealth within the community.

OK, first of all, I dare suggest that anyone living in the USA who is not homeless needs to take a look at shorpy.com or read the autobiography of Booker T. Washington if he truly thinks the American dream is dead. I’ve seen how the poor used to live in this country (free and slave, all colors), how the poor used to live in Europe, and how the poor still do live in Malaysia and the U.S.

As such, I guarantee that if you took the residents of this cabin and showed them the housing, diets, and treatment for the poor today, they would quite frankly be puzzled about what anyone in this country today has to complain about. “They get all that without working 12 hour days in the hot sun, a factory, or a mine?”

Regarding Watkins, the trick is that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, as doing so requires a certain amount of capital, risk tolerance, and personality characteristics. Not everyone can, or should, try. Moreover, most entry level jobs outside of government are with corporations like Wal-Mart, Meijer, McDonald’s, small factories, and the like. So when he calls it a “corporate plantation”, the large portion of young black people who are not ready or cut out to be entrepreneurs are going to hear that as “your first job is going to be humiliating and degrading.”

Nothing wrong with encouraging entrepreneurship, but there is everything wrong with assuming that corporate work is going to be like a plantation.