Is Black Leadership Merely a Myth?

Those that know me, know that I love Mr. Cosby and a few other people in his position...but that does not relieve them of the partial responsibility for the condition that our community is in today. Mr. Smith raises a point that I have long pondered as well: What happened to all of our Black leaders during the 80's and 90's?

Of course, we saw PLENTY of Jesse and Rev Al or even Oprah, Colon and Condoleezza all over the tv during that time. They were right there on the scene as soon as any issue of racism or extreme prejudice presented itself, but what were they really doing? Were their motives to merely make a name for themselves or were they genuinely interested in helping those that necessarily couldn't help themselves in a time of need...maybe even lend their name, their global (at least national) voice to those that otherwise would have remained nameless and voiceless? I think the true essence of their motives lies somewhere between the two.

Of course, I believe our leaders cared for the Black community during the 80's and 90's, but somewhere along the way they seem to have lost sight of the true goal. I used to often say that our leaders made the fatal mistake of going "Hollywood"...but now I'm realizing it goes a lot deeper than that. They didn't just go Hollywood, they actually went corporate. They fell victim to the very cause, the very fight, the very system they (at one point) were dedicated to defeating. By becoming worldwide names, wealthy beyond belief, recognized by most more so than even their elected officials, our ‘leaders’ seemed to have made a deal with the Devil. With corporate sponsorship, federal funding, and pr/marketing teams whose sole purposes are to ‘present’ these individuals in a strong and positive light, is there any wonder whether their positions, stances, and even morals were at the very least altered along the way?

Now I’m not just one to sit back and cast judgment. Our leadership, or lack thereof, are obviously not the sole reason our community is in the shape its in now. Across the board, we have a responsibility to work on changing the vile and negative culture/ideology that our society has not only gleefully accepted, but even indoctrinated as ‘Black’. I’ve been preaching an ‘Education + Enlightenment= Empowerment’ formula for years now, but until we get things together and take accountability/responsibility for our actions things are never going to change. Am I saying that the events of history, and the continued corruption (moral/financial) of our society, and the ongoing development and mutation of institutional racism are no longer issues? No, of course not. Such a claim would be ridiculous if not completely absurd. All I’m saying is that its time to recognize these things as reasons and causes to inspire great courage and change, rather than holding onto them as excuses. Use them as inspiration and motivation instead of allowing them to remain as road blocks.