I hope daily that Black community leaders, so called, would eventually come to the realization, (one which I hold dearly) that no one is going to do for us what we must do for ourselves.
Our leaders are our best hope in not only understanding the issues, but also to provide expert knowledge and wise guidance on how to proceed regarding the complex and structural challenges that impede our progress.
We not only have the issues that are based on today’s circumstances but we also bring to the equation a plethora of historical problems that are equally damaging and continue to hold us back.
No longer must we listen to the “emotional” drumbeat that resolving our issues will be easy.
My long-held belief is that Black people’s issues throughout Canada are complicated, and in Quebec, unique. Addressing them will require our brightest and most talented people working collaboratively. And it cannot be done without organization.
Which means there must be serious efforts to organize and mobilize behind strong Black leaders. It may be a daunting task to say the least, but this is where our struggle will prevail.
Various Black community leaders will offer different approaches and agendas. Therein lies the crux of our dilemma. Because given the multiplicity of challenges that the Black community faces and the multitude of systems and institutions that it covers, not being unified in thought, purpose and agenda, it would be utterly impossible to succeed.
In no way, can we win by having different agendas.
It means that someone must take the lead in prioritizing the agenda as well as identifying available resources, strategies to determine what does progress look like and how can it be measured.
This is what is called leadership.
Currently our community has Black leaders but we lack Black leadership – therein lies the big difference.
It is apparent that no single Black organization or Black individual has the capacity or the resources to save the Black community by themselves. Consequently, Black leaders must see that working together is a necessity for the good of the community.
In order to achieve this, Black leaders need leaders too, and this is something that has not been taught. For the most part, we somehow feel that “we alone can fix this.” And it’s the reason why we are witness to so many “starts” and “stops” which ultimately contribute to our collective hopelessness.
There has been very little to no continuity over generations addressing the issues that impact our community, especially education.
It is impossible to have continuity without organization . I have no idea as to how the message of disunity is transmitted over time but it is prevalent among our so-called Black leaders. Notwithstanding, ego and selfishness are two sure ways that this dysfunction has been normalized. When we have hundreds of people leading one aspect or another of our community, this is certainly not leadership.
It means that you have hundreds of people doing different and sometimes similar things without coordination.
How can that be productive and why are more Black community leaders not demanding more from themselves and each other?
Little wonder why the Black community continues to decline socially and economically. When Black leaders work collaboratively it represents true Black leadership. The difference between leaders and leadership is that the former represents an “individual” and limited approach while the latter represents a “group” and collective and more powerful approach.
Extra special attention must be placed on the word “ship.”
The ship in leadership is the vehicle that carries and holds individual leaders allowing them to become much more structured and provide opportunities to lift the whole community.
The lack of cooperation among community leaders only serve to reinforce the belief that Blacks are unable to work together.
Most Black leaders will say that having a unity and solidarity of thought, purpose and agenda is the right thing to do. However, it is obvious that doing the right thing is not enough.
One would think that, given our social and economic conditions in this province, organizing community leaders would be easy. Not so.
In fact, Black leaders have been operating on different tracks for a long time stunting progress.
We have repeatedly chanted throughout February and beyond that we have the freedom to materialize whatever legal goals and objectives that we see appropriate… that we are free to pursue solutions… that we do not need to wait for others to do for us what we must do for ourselves.
About Black Leaders and Black Leadership
