The Grand Rapids Times
Last week’s blowout of our elected officials may have sealed the doom of the black community in Grand Rapids. An already weakened community lost three elected officials who should have won their seats.
Their poor communication efforts failed to motivate people to come out in mid-term elections, and the voter turnout in their precincts were extremely low.
Each had major issues they failed to address and some bad publicity definitely hurt some of them.
They either took their constituents for granted, did not push the right issues, have poor communication skills, or lack the know-how to get the people to the polls.
The black community is in pathetic shape and getting worse. We are literally going backwards – economically, politically and in our education system.
There is little communication in the black community.
Elected officials don’t communicate with us. Our 72 pastors do not communicate with us, or other pastors. Our social organizations do not communicate.
As a result, we have a bunch of “do-good organizations” running around, getting nothing done and having no idea what the other one is doing.
The results are: we have no political clout, no collective voice to speak out about injustices, no economic development projects, no jobs creation and very little training for meaningful jobs. This is the reason the community is all but dead.
The White, Latin, Asian and Arab communities are all leaving us in the dust.
Our school system is in shambles with almost 50% dropout rate of our children.
The Kent County Jail has 78% Black incarceration rate. Unemployment for blacks is over 18%.
So, the question is, who do we turn to? Who are our spokespersons?
Who are the people we turn to, to lead the way in creating businesses and higher paying jobs?
Stand-up and be counted!
Our current leaders appear to think all they need to do is meet and discuss issues. There is seldom any follow-up or meaningful solution resulting from all of these meetings that impact a large part of our community.
There are some churches and social organizations that are working hard to bring about changes, but their programs seldom, if ever, reach the masses.
Our ministers are asleep at the wheel.
Our ministers have captive audiences, every week; yet, mostly, they teach only the gospel.
Teaching the gospel is fine; however, our people need more, much more. We are that “lost sheep”….. in a strange land, following strange ways.”
We need to learn other things to build a legacy and a future for our great-grandchildren’s grandchildren, such as: economic and community development, the importance of a good education, how to obtain and maintain good health.
We have three times more diseases than all other cultures and we are getting sicker all the time. Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, AIDS, and arthritis are destroying our race.
We must also blame our once, very proud, but now very apathetic community.
Today, we are scattered all over the place, alienated from each other and very dysfunctional as a group.
Our neighborhood associations, who were designed to bring people together, are dysfunctional and constantly at each other’s throats. Instead of creating unity, they seem to bring more chaos.
We have to find a way to connect and work together for the good of us all. Unity is the key!
Most of our retired educators and businesspeople also turn their backs on the problems.
Instead of reaching out to pass on wisdom and life experiences to the young, many take the position that “I’ve done my part. Let somebody else deal with the problems.”
Well, folks, you are that somebody else!
You were blessed with the know-how. Now, it is incumbent on you to “give back”.
The only real answer is this: we must begin to seriously communicate with each other in every way possible.
If talented, experienced people just give four volunteer hours a month to unify and help our various organizations to start coalescing, it will make a tremendous difference.
Those with wisdom should not take it to the grave. Share it!
We must start now! Time is not on our side.
Where do we go from here?
Who will step-up and lead the way?
Robert Crawford is a retired businessman and executive director of the Over The Hill Gang, businesspeople and educators attempting to pass on life-experiences to young people to create a new, more productive community.
Editor's Note: The GR Times invites readers to visit www. grtimes.com to post your comments and views about this topic.
5 comments:
OK Bob, you did a wonderful job of communicating all about the problems of the failures to communicate.
Perhaps I'm approaching your concerns differently, not being black myself, but the problems you mention are pretty universal to all communities, and have been in every country I've lived in. Failure to address the problems causes decline & decay in the community, successfully dealing with the issues opens up opportunities for success as a community.
Now to see if this posts (my first time on this blog).
Bob,
I am most dismayed that your article failed to mention myself and Patrick Miles,Jr as current African American Candidates.
I do agree with you about the failure to communicate and I think that this has more to do with people having their own agendas. I remember in 2007 there were THREE separate events dealing with teen violence. Since I was involved with one, I asked why they couldn't be combined but all the organizations wanted to hold their own.
I also completely agree with you on the neighborhood associations. Mana and Seena are dead, as far as I know. SECA and GPNA are holding on. And those are all within the district that I am running for.
However when you talk of leadership, you make no mention of the fine job that black women are doing. Senita Lenear is the GRPS school board president. Margo Anderson is the chair of the GRCC board of Trustees and Ellen James is the Secretary. Ruth Lumpkins has served on the Library Commission for years. If elected in November, I will be the first African American woman on the Kent County Board Of Commissioners. It should also be noted that Jessica Ann Tyson, of Kentwood, also ran in the primary for the Kent County Board of Commissioners. This marks two black women on the ballot for that board.
Perhaps we need to look to the women for leadership since the problems in the black community effect both us and our children.
Candace E. Chivis
Democratic Candidate for the Kent County Board of Commissioners
17th District
Bob,
I am most dismayed that your article failed to mention myself and Patrick Miles,Jr as current African American Candidates.
I do agree with you about the failure to communicate and I think that this has more to do with people having their own agendas. I remember in 2007 there were THREE separate events dealing with teen violence. Since I was involved with one, I asked why they couldn't be combined but all the organizations wanted to hold their own.
I also completely agree with you on the neighborhood associations. Mana and Seena are dead, as far as I know. SECA and GPNA are holding on. And those are all within the district that I am running for.
However when you talk of leadership, you make no mention of the fine job that black women are doing. Senita Lenear is the GRPS school board president. Margo Anderson is the chair of the GRCC board of Trustees and Ellen James is the Secretary. Ruth Lumpkins has served on the Library Commission for years. If elected in November, I will be the first African American woman on the Kent County Board Of Commissioners. It should also be noted that Jessica Ann Tyson, of Kentwood, also ran in the primary for the Kent County Board of Commissioners. This marks two black women that were on the ballot(Aug. 3) for that board.
Perhaps we need to look to the women for leadership since the problems in the black community effect both us and our children.
Candace E. Chivis
Democratic Candidate for the Kent County Board of Commissioners
17th District
Lack of communication is a universal issue and not specific to the Black community. However, a major factor which hinders intra-communication in the Black world is the issue of "who is Black enough?"
Black educators at the University of Massachusetts researched the issue of Black identity and found that it is a fabric of different textures. There are those who choose an Afro-centric lifestyle. Others have professional roles which are integrated but personal lifestyles that are totally within the Black experience. Others live primarily integrated lifestyles while maintaining Black identity. A small percentage attempt to ignore a Black identity. The conclusion is that we are all "Black enough."
I do not agree with Robert Crawford that those with experience, education and business expertise are turning their backs on the problems of the community. In my opinion, many are living their lives in a manner which provides an example from which those who wish to change and develop can follow and/or reach out to for mentoring. Did not Joshua learn from Moses? Each one teaching one is still a valuable contribution to the community.
I must say that I am touched by Mr. crawford's plea for unity. However, it is an unrealistic ideal.
Bernice T. Peters
I see my brother is trying to continue the fight for awareness. Why don't you contact your genius brother, Bobby! 7th son 11th child.
Post a Comment