The State of Africa America: IV. The African-American Paradigm Shift

“If you have become great after having been little, if you have become rich after having been poor, when you are at the head of the city, know how not to take advantage of the fact that you have reached the first rank, harden not your heart because of your elevation; you are become only the administrator, the prefect, of the provisions which belong to the Creator. Put not behind you the neighbor who is like you; be unto him as a companion.”

Ptah-Hotep

We must challenge our spirit-mind to envision the possibilities of life with honor, justice, and liberty in pursuit of a spiritual balance on a global scale and bring that vision to as many humans as possible. We must first begin the process of change within our own communities and become committed to a paradigm shift that incorporates an African-Centered spiritual, cultural, and socio-economic revival-lution.

Socio-economic empowerment must come first. An excellent example of a successful socio-economic empowerment template was put into effect in 1945 by Japanese-Americans (primarily) in California. During World War II, Japanese Americans in California were stripped of their land and wealth and were placed in what the government termed War Relocation Camps. After the war was over, they were released and given very little compensation for their personal property, land, or for being falsely imprisoned.

Instead of marching, begging for justice, or getting stuck in the muck that I term the excess of redress, they collectively and quietly decided to rebuild their communities. They started banks, built businesses, schools, and embraced their culture through education, communication (media) and spiritual enlightenment. However all of this would not have been possible if they did not engage in a cooperative economic structure that supported all facets of their unique socio-economic and cultural infrastructure. In other words they have a great love for their culture and “overstand” where they have come from and know where they are going. By spending and investing their money (when possible) exclusively within their communities, they have ensured the viability of their communities for years to come.

The Chinese-American community, which faced the same (if not worst) discrimination that African Americans have dealt with did not culturally implode either. Instead they built their own cities within the cities that they were in. In New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland one will find vibrant and culturally enriched Chinese-American communities. The key to their success is two-fold; they spent and invested their money within their communities and they totally embraced their culture. They engaged in what I term the Cooperative-Capital Matrix.

Other ethnic groups in this country successfully utilize the Cooperative Capital Matrix. In part five of this series, we will explore what the Cooperative-Capital Matrix is and how it can benefit the African American Community.