Leading While Black

Sorry PR DVA blog fans for being away so long. After weeks of the barrage of negative news regarding leaders in several organizations across the country and here locally, I was compelled to express myself. A colleague recently coined the phrase "leading while black" in reference to black civic and government leaders under attack for not being perfect, all knowing, omnipotent, and for not being submissive enough to the powers that be. From my research, discussions with colleagues and news reports, these leaders came under fire for doing their jobs. Most of them were doing their jobs quite well; however, their biggest mistake was "leading while black".

Nearly 42 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, many blacks are living the dream he envisioned so many years ago. We live in integrated communities and shop wherever we like. We are no longer relegated to the balcony or basement in movie houses. Our children go to integrated schools and via the Internet, have learned much about other races and cultures. Many blacks have obtained educational levels that their parents and grandparents could only dream about. Many blacks have obtained a measure of wealth their parents never achieved. You can find blacks living out the American dream and Dr. King's vision in every walk of life. Yet these same people who have achieved so much still fall victim to the same old beliefs and perceptions by the majority population.

Let's take President Obama for example. Here is a man that is well educated. For God's sake the man graduated from Harvard and became the first person of color to become the editor of the Harvard Law Review. He went on to teach at the University of Chicago Law School. Yet, this Columbia University and Harvard trained man, in the eyes of some, is not qualified to be president. Yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking . . . I'm some liberal thinking President Obama supporter. You'd be right. I urge you to think for yourself . . . Listen to CNN's political commentary and read the newspapers any day of the week and judge for yourself. Are the attacks against the President's policies legitimate or are his attackers letting the color of his skin cloud the issues. Don't let reporters or politicians fool you . . . we do indeed need health care reform (that's another blog later).

President Bush led the country into a war in Iraq that has cost the American public in both dollars and lives. He easily swayed Congress into backing the war. Looking for weapons of mass destruction my eye.

Wake up America!!!! We are living in the 21st Century. Judge your leaders by what is important . . . their hearts, good analytical minds, a good and solid education, expertise, family values and love for their country and people. If America had embraced every citizen . . . immigrant, former slave and natural born, from her humble beginnings perhaps we would have discovered a cure for cancer by now. Or, developed new and diverse energy sources by now. Or, been a better and truer example of what democracy is supposed to be by now.

Wake up, people. You must stop judging our leaders by the color of their skins. As the "reverse" Obama syndrome begins to take hold in the hearts and minds of the masses, I fear that the next generation of blacks trying to seek leadership positions will have some difficult days ahead.