Wow! This is a powerful article examining cultural issues both among African-Americans themselves and employers that keep African-Americans from achieving all they can. Overcoming invisible cultural barriers is a very tough nut to crack.
We can generalize the issue even beyond African-Americans. Across the board, the best in South Carolina are not performing at the level of our peers across the country.
An activist friend asked me one evening, "Do you think our culture is broken and we're just wasting out time?" The answer is no. We can be globally competitive if we get our act together. But I spent awhile on the phone today commiserating with another friend that changing our culture is a very tough nut to crack.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
There are things that are deep seated in the fabric of our culture - I highly recommend for reflection the documentary written by M.K. Asante Jr. entitled 500 Year Later - http://www.500yearlater.com
Black American author, speaker and businessman, Mason Weaver, wrote the book "It's OK to leave the plantation", perhaps more fitting here in South Carolina than anywhere else. A revealing work that seeks to encourage his peers that it's really all about attitude. The Michael Jordans, Tiger Woods, "Magic" Johnsons, Condoleeza Rices, Colin Powells, and others of the Black Community were not, for the most part, born into wealth or success. Study their stories and see where they came from. Those who were once labeled "minorities", and who decided to do something about it, are now called the "rich and famous". This is true whether you are black, white, indian, or asian in America.....Why do so many immigrants come to America year after year and continue succeeding; proving it to ALL Americans that it's really a question of ATTITUDE. We all have a choice to make. Are we going to live in the past, or are we going to work for our future? Attitude.
Post a Comment